Joy Dare

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift"

2 Corinthians 9:15

Life gets crazy sometimes and we forget to slow down and thank God for His Indescribable Gifts!

When life is calm & quiet its easy to see Him in the quiet ray of sun or the gentle kiss from my daughter.

But when life gets busy I don't stop to thank Him for the stretch of green lights that gives me time to get where I'm going or even the long red light that kept me still and out of an accident. I just rush around from place to place crossing off 1 more thing on my to-do list.

I've been sharing Thankful Thursdays for several months now with Ann at A Holy Experience. Her book One Thousand Gifts showed me how to find God's gifts in daily life. This year she has challenged us to Take the Joy Dare. I will be joining her in counting 1000 gifts in 2012.

God deserves my praise & thanksgiving in the good, the bad & the in between. I would love for you to continue to join me each Thursday for Thankful Thursday as I dare to count 1000 gifts in this wonderful life God has given me.

And oh... I know its Monday and normally I post Marriage Mondays but can you give me a little grace this week while I also ask you for a few prayers...

Next Tuesday several months of prayer & hard work will come together as a team of ladies I have the honor of working with will host Anne Graham Lotz and AnGeL Ministries for a Pastors' & Church Leaders Event and Women's Event. These events will be a time of worship with Anne Graham Lotz, Stephanie Seefeldt and Dr Crawford Loritts as they minister and share Anne's heart and her dream of the Just Give Me Jesus Revival.

Thank you for your prayers. My prayer is that God's Glory will be shown to everyone in attendance.

Counting One Thousand Gifts #321 - #353

• being vertically challenged ( being short is who I am :-) )
• allowing God to mold me
• being a faithful friend
• leaves rustling on the ground
• the warmth of a welcoming fire
• birthday dinner with good friends
• "Our worship on this earth is nothing compared to the worship we'll be able to give to God in eternity." Jill Savage
•  "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36
• the sound of silence
• the gift of God's love & grace
• God's gift of a new mentoring friend
• blue streaks of clear skies
• Real Mom, Real Jesus by Jill Savage
• making myself push beyond my insecuritites
• God making everything fall into place
• reaching into my purse to find a pen to take notes in church & finding only a crayon to write with
• gourmet chocolate ice cream
• saving Grace of God
• Grace of forgivness
• Grace of understanding
• Grace of unconditional love
• pink glow in the morning clouds
• reflection of fall leaves in a mountain lake
• rays of sun shining on a glassy lake
• precious little 5 year old hand & a growing boy's 7 year old hand in mine
• being led with my eyes closed by 2 giddy children
• the excitement in the eyes & voice of my kids as they sing Happy Birthday
• the pucker on G's face as he eats a lemon
• chocolate cake with chocolate chocolate chip ice cream
• good morning kisses
• roses in birthday flowers
• glimpses of the sun peaking through the clouds after a storm
• left-over embers of a new years fire

Taking the Joy Dare of counting 1000 gifts with Ann at A Holy Experience 

In His Calm,


Mary