Each day is a precious gift from My Father.  How ridiculous to grasp for future gifts when today’s is set before you! Receive today’s gift gratefully, unwrapping it tenderly and delving into its depths.  As you savor this gift, you find Me.

Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, p 36

Why do I {heart} the Joy Dare? It is a treasure hunt that not only reminds me of the gifts I already have been given, but it keeps me presently looking for the source of those gifts moment by moment.

:::

91.  Women joining in and writing chosen, forgiven, blameless, redeemed, and lavished with grace and posting on Facebook.

92.  A sweet friend who ordered me dinner for delivery.

93.  Photo 365, a way to journal my year with a picture each day.

94.  She took initiative to do her own school work without me asking.

95.  Girls who giggle.

96. He is in the business of making dead things come alive. {Ephesians 2}

97. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and cornbread.  It tastes like home!

98. How being from a small town is stamped on your soul forever.

99.  A clear word from The Lord about what I need to focus on.

100. A new community of sisters and friends.

101. Lunch with a Gretchen.

102. Pinkberry Chocolate Carmel Frozen Yogurt is just like a Rolo.

103. My crazy energetic 2 year old who keeps me running after her.

104.  My 2 girls who knew more about birds than anyone else in their class – something they did not learn from me.

105.  The gift of grace and understanding from friends who see me and know my heart.

106. A perfect day for a walk.

107. Singing Jesus Loves Me to my baby girl in the dark and she sings along.

108. A pan of fresh brownies made by my girls.

109.  A soldier coming home to his family!

110.  A watercolor sunset sky.

111.  Sunday dinner.

Want to join me in the hunt? It is not too late to start counting.  I dare you to find 3 gifts each day that bring Joy.   For more information on the Joy Dare, go to A Holy Experience.

{come back tomorrow for day 2}

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The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

A cute pair of shoes

Coffee

And what I love most about women

You can find out by reading my first blog post written for the new Sisters in Bloom community. Just click the button below!  I’d love to see you there!

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“Mommy, do grown ups wear dresses?”

“Sure they do honey. Do you think I should?”

“Yeah, that would be nice.”

Le sigh….guess I’ll be pinning some dresses on Pinterest this week! Here is what I wore last week.  Sorry Sweetie, no dresses!

Left: Tunic (H&M)

Middle: Stripe T-shirt (Cabi)

Right: Orange Cardigan (Ann Taylor Loft)

Jeans left to right: Skinny (American Eagle), Contemporary Style (Cabi), Essentials (Gap)

****

So, any suggestions on cute mommy friendly dresses I can wear slightly more often than never?

Happy! Happy! Wednesday!

Sweet Lindsey, the one I link up with each week for What I Wore Wednesday, is on a plane right now flying to India for a mission trip.  She is so adorable and you can read about her trip by clicking here.

{for more What I Wore Wednesday lovelies, click the button below}

Oh and did you hear? Sisters in Bloom starts TODAY!  Be sure to check it out! I’ll be posting there tomorrow!

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I found the sweetest note on my nightstand last week from one of my girls. I asked her about it, and she said, “When you get tired or overwhelmed, you can read it and know how awesome you are.  It is a good thing for me, that a lot of the great stuff you do, rhymes.” {insert heart melting right here}

How do you top that? Well, how about words like….

chosen

redeemed

blameless

forgiven

lavished with grace

They are straight from the heart of God, written to you and me, and found in Ephesians Chapter 1. I’m chatting about them over at the Good Morning Girls site today, would you care to join  me? Just click the button below.

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The Joy Dare

70. The blue light on my new coffee pot telling me it is ready.

71.  The blue in her eyes match his.

72.  Baby blue chipped nail polish on the sweetest hands.

73.  A book about writing from my local library I just happened upon.

74.  A sweet note left beside my bed.

75.  Perseverance.

76.  Good Morning Girls with her and her – what a blessing!

77.  School work at every table.

78.  Family dinner.

79. Warm January days.

80. Being part of an amazing “home school” school.

81.  Friends who send texts at just the exact right moment telling me they are praying for me.

82.  When she tells a table full of ladies I was a good friend.

83.  Friends who have turned into sisters. For real.

84.  Blogging sister girlfriends who share my passion.  Like her, her, and her.

85. “How Great Thou Art”

86. My 2 year old slept all night for the first time in I don’t know how long.

87. God’s Word illuminated in my heart.

89.  A Chessie System Railroad Car that reminds me of my papaw.

90.  Pictures from 20 years ago on Facebook from friends who knew me then.

91. Praising God, when things are hard because He is good, and that is enough.

For more on the Joy Dare, visit A Holy Experience each Monday.

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It will be filled with wonderful things and lovelies that I {heart}.  I’m sure there will be coffee and chocolate involved.  Oh, and Pinterest will be there of course.

***

Won’t, you join me?

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Before you can think about having style, you have to learn to look in the mirror and like what you see.
Isaac Mizrahi, * how to have style

I picked up this book at the library a couple of weeks ago and it has been fun and mindless reading for me. But you know what is not mindless? That quote.  Yes. The one you are still thinking about. Do you – like what you see in the mirror?  For so long, I have not.  For so long I was not comfortable being the one photographed.  What I Wore Wednesday has been like a light bulb moment for me.  I have looked.  And at 40 – I can honestly say, I am liking what I see more and more!

Last week, my friend Cyndi asked a question: “What is your favorite color to wear in winter?” Guess which color I said?

Black cardigan – Ann Taylor Loft

Black tunic dress – BJ’s Wholesale club

Black V-neck t-shirt - Old Navy

(p.s. what is up with my hair this week?)

And just in case you wonder what is on my feet most days:

1. Free from my friend Krystal

2.  Payless bogo 3 years ago

3. DSW – last year

4.  DSW

It is Wednesday.  Be happy.

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The Joy Dare
“looking for the glorious in the mundane…” (from Christy Nockels)

49. My husbands quick and witty humor.
50. Friends who need strength.
51. Chosen. Blessed. Decreed from eternity. Humbled. (Eph 1:1-6).
52. He is my redeemer…
53. He forgives and releases the effects of sin upon me.
54. He abounds in grace.
55.  God conversations in my kitchen.
56. 70 degrees in January with the bluest skies.
57. How God uses our trials to make us like Him.
58. Teaching my 3rd daughter to read.
59. Watching Downton Abbey with my husband on Friday night.
60. Whispering with a friend during a movie.
61. Feathery clouds.
62. How God makes paths out of the wilderness.
63. Forgiveness from my girls when I blow it big time.
64. Mentors.
65. I’m sorry between sisters.
66. A chicken ministry.
67. Wonderful
68. Marvelous
69. Savior.

—counting 1000 gifts in 2012 was inspired by Ann Voskamp. You can read about it here.

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Sisters In Bloom Is Coming Soon from Denise Thompson on Vimeo.

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She must have been chattering to me for 5 minutes or so. I was a bit distracted, but I could have sworn I heard her say “Borneo” and something about chickens.

“Mommy!” She exclaimed louder than before. “I want to give my birthday present for Jesus to Borneo.”

What? Did my five year old just say Borneo?

“Okay  honey, let’s see what we can do.” I said while Googling where in the world Borneo was located.

{FYI. Indonesia.  Borneo is located in Indonesia.}

“How perfect is that, sweetie.  Mommy has a friend named Joy who lives in Indonesia.  I will send her an email and ask her how close she lives to Borneo.” I informed my determined girl.

And here in this every day kitchen conversation with my 5 year old, God amazed me with how He works.

Guess where Joy lives….

Borneo.  Joy lives in Borneo. My five year old was not surprised.   She knew God was in this.

I was able to connect with my friend Joy – who happens to live in Borneo, Indonesia - in a matter of seconds through email. I explained our tradition of giving our girls $30 on Christmas Eve to buy a gift for Jesus.  I told her  my five year old would like to give a gift for Borneo.  She replies with a couple of choices for my girl.  We discuss.  My five year old chooses.  I cry. I know Jesus will love His birthday gift of chickens for Borneo.

See, I’ve said before that God is all over his Social Media thing. I met Joy through her blog and we connect every week on Twitter. We chat on Facebook and email back and forth.  I met her in real life at Relevant (Isn’t she cute?) She truly is my sister in the Lord (Remember her amazing Grace Story?) And this week, God is using her to show my five year old, when you listen to God stir your heart, He will show you great and mighty things.

Do you want to know the rest of the story? Trust me, you do. It is even better than the beginning. You can read it over at Joy’s blog called The Grace Full Mama right now!

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