June's Joy Dare

I am taking the Joy Dare and counting to {an extra} 1,000 Gifts in 2012! Will you join me?

#457 - #546... June's grace-gifts... from the Giver of good gifts, the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

3 gifts orange:

:: Orange kalanchoes in new plant pots from the Habitat ReStore.

:: Orange paint on my office walls.

:: Orange Adorindack chairs in the backyard.

3 gifts funny:

:: My littlest nephew.
:: Little ones helping to blow out the birthday boy's candles.
:: Little children at play.

3 gifts from today's conversations:
:: Fully known, fully embraced, fully secured and fully loved by God!
:: Encouragement for a sister-in-Christ.
:: Excitement at church about upcoming local missions initiatives this summer.

3 gifts found in Christ:
:: Acceptance.
:: Security.
:: Love!

a gift of peace, of hope, of love:

:: A peace-filled smooth-sailing day.
:: Reading about giving hope... in the book, The Hole In Our Gospel.
:: God's lavish and relentless love for me.

3 gifts "ugly-beautiful":
:: Helping to plan a baby shower for those experiencing crisis pregnancies.
:: Beauty from ashes... coming to terms with past pains.
:: Trusting that God always makes everything beautiful in His own time.

3 gifts in what you are reading:

:: "Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now." ~ Saint Teresa of Avila.

:: "The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment." ~ John MacArthur.

:: "If Christ is Lord, then nothing He asked us to do is optional. His teachings become the operating system of our lives." ~ Richard Stearns, The Hole In Our Gospel.

3 gifts empty:

:: Empty To Fill... Chapter 10 of the book One Thousand Gifts.
:: The gift of being able to shop for groceries to fill an empty fridge.
:: An empty void... filled by my Heavenly Father... enabling me to love my earthly father.

3 gifts that made you really smile:
:: Blessing moms and moms-to-be who are experiencing crisis pregnancies.
:: My boy happily participating in the Baby Shower activities knowing we are serving "the least of these".

:: This precious little one!

a gift at 8, at 12, at 2:
:: Sleeping in!
:: Enjoying a warm, sunny and beautiful June Sunday.
:: Being together with our church family... at a picnic!

3 gifts painted:

:: My girl's artwork... impressive!

:: God painting the skies blue!
:: White picket fences in my boss' front yard.

3 gifts full:
:: A bag full of used clothing... headed to Malawi.
:: A full table at dinnertime... all of us home. ♥
:: Harvesting full heads of lettuce from the backyard garden.

3 gifts smelled:

:: Birthday roses!
:: Flowering lilac tree.
:: Freshly-baked cupcakes.

a gift unexpected, unwanted, unlikely:
:: My boy, a Millennium Kid, getting invited to participate in this!
:: Opportunity to speak to our entire church family on Sunday this summer... a little too much for this introverted heart... yet stepping out of the comfort zone in obedience... trusting that God will give me the words.
:: My parents celebrating 42 years of marriage... something I thought {as a child} was unlikely... God's grace truly is sufficient!

3 gifts in His Word:
:: I pray that God, who gives peace, will make you completely holy. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept healthy and faultless until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. (1 Thessalonians 5:23, CEV)
:: Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. (Psalm 63:3, NIV)
:: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV)

3 gifts moving:
:: The three most precious people in my life: My hubby,
:: My girl... and,
:: My little man!

3 gifts found in your dad:
:: Passionate.
:: Determined.
:: Eccentric.

3 gifts from your Heavenly Father:
:: Unconditional love.
:: Security.
:: Safety.

3 gifts you became today in serving:
:: Humbled... as I put together the website for Eucharisteo: A Celebration of Joy!
:: Fulfilled... as I drove my parents to their medical appointments.
:: Overjoyed... as I read this letter from Florianlyn.

a gift bent, beautiful, loved:
:: Forsythia bush bending in the wind.
:: This beautiful day!!!
:: A good night's sleep.

3 gifts found in light:
:: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." ~ Jesus, John 8:12.
:: "The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?" ~ Psalm 27:1.
:: "... now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." ~ Ephesians 5:8.

3 gifts that are difficult:
:: To speak the truth in love.
:: To know when to speak... and when to just listen.
:: To prayerfully consider the above...

3 gifts found around a table:
:: My family.
:: Friends serving Jesus together.
:: Extended family eating and laughing together...

3 gifts in water, in words, in white:
:: Calm lake waters.
:: Words of Life!

:: Fluffy white clouds.

3 gifts today in someone older that you:
:: Listening to conversations between hubby's older sisters.
:: Words of wisdom... from my mom to my girl.
:: Celebrating 18 years with the grace of my life!

3 gifts in fabric:
:: Cool cotton bed sheets for summer nights!
:: Freshly laundered blankets...
:: Dish cloths to wipe down kitchen counters...

3 gifts framed by a frame:
:: Family photos that fill our walls.
:: This... on my office wall... 10+ Helps for Really Busy Moms.
:: And this, too... 10 Grace Prayers for Joyful Parenting.

3 gifts eaten:

:: Mini fruit tarts!
:: Summer fruits.
:: Filipino leche flan... yum!

a gift small, big, just right:
:: Short breaks during my work day.
:: Time to hear Helen Lee speak at a conference for moms.
:: All chores finished up just in time for the Canada Day long weekend!

3 gifts you gave today:
:: Prayers for a friend.
:: Encouraging words...
:: Prepped a last-minute dinner get-together with family.

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Jump in... I promise you will be blessed!

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!