April 28, 2018: Lighting Joy

3 gifts orange:

• the cover of a new book I'm enjoying
• the flame on her birthday cupcakes
• the clementine mandarins my husband loves

April 27, 2013: The Beauty of Weeds

3 gifts ugly-beautiful:

• a dream sacrificed for greater love
• gray hair, in increasing numbers
• dirty fingernails from digging up weeds

April 25, 2013: Still Cooking Up Gratitude

A gift cloth, steel, wood:

• a spring jacket, finally warm enough to wear
• my trusty pan set, still cooking after 28 years
• the old desk that sat in my grandparent's living room for as long as I can remember, now holding our computer, a daily reminder of them

April 26, 2013: Movement of Joy

3 gifts moving:

• the robins in my backyard, flitting about looking for worms
• the spring breeze, bringing with it warmer air
• my husbands car, knowing as he turned in the driveway this evening that we have a lovely weekend to look forward to

April 24, 2013: Handle with Prayer

3 gifts fragile:

• hopes for her new job
• spring blossoms
• a sister's heart

April 23, 2013: Glory Awakening

3 gifts reflecting:

• truths learned from Naomi and Ruth, sisters of old
• His glory in the earth awakening
• God's grace on the anniversary of a new life

April 21, 2013: My Position

3 gifts found in Christ:

• every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
• God chose me (Ephesians 1:4)
• glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6)

April 22, 2013: Hope is Close

3 gifts close:

• God's presence as I worship.
• Jesus, to the suffering and brokenhearted
• the hope of spring

April 20, 2013: Stacks of Love

a gift stacked, stashed, stilled:

• dishes in the dishwasher after a big family dinner
• leftovers in the fridge, ready for lunches next week
• the tile saw after a hard day's work

 

April 19, 2013: Joy on the Grill

3 gifts square:

• a GPS unit to guide when an alternate route was needed
• a book to pass the travel time
• a grill cooking up dinner and family time

April 18, 2013: Tax-Free Inheritance

3 gifts inherited: 

• a faith heritage from my parents
• a gift for hospitality from my grandmother
• a love of reading from my other grandmother

April 17, 2013: Woven in Love

3 gifts woven together:

• a jacket with a hood for a rainy evening
• our lives with longtime friends, the richness of history shared a true treasure
• her days and the fact that I can trust God's perfect plan, believing that none will be wasted

April 16, 2013: Running Hard After Joy

3 hard eucharisteos:

• a too early morning alarm
• the tragic ending to the Boston Marathon
• a prodigal still far from home

April 15, 2013: A Box of Memories

A gift in a bag, a box, a book:

• a loaf of crusty multi-grain bread to pair with tonight's soup
• my recipe collection, full of memories old, new, and yet to be made
• the blessing of this truth:  "Love did that, made families where before only strangers had been." Randall Wallace, The Touch

April 14, 2013: Up Please

3 gifts found looking up:

• a songbird, high in a tree, sweetly singing its Maker's praise
• reminders of God's glory.  Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?
  He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.
  Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26
• my husband's loving smile

April 13, 2013: Sparkling Joy

3 gifts bright:

• the sunshine after clouds and hail
• the shine on the bathroom mirrors after a good cleaning
• the Morning Star “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16
  

April 12, 2013: Never a Bridesmaid

3 gifts worn:

• smiles at two good reports from friends undergoing medical tests
• warm slippers on a cold night
• the most beautiful bridal gown   I delight greatly in the Lord my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

April 11, 2013: Hope Blossoms

3 things budding/blooming:

• the big maple tree in my backyard, progress monitored daily via the window over the kitchen sink
• the day lilies along my front porch, steadily rising up out of the earth, reaching toward summer
• her English skills, and along with it her confidence

April 10, 2013: Opening the Door to Joy

3 gifts opened up:

• God's Word as we studied together
• the door when I stopped for a visit, the blessing mine as always
• my mind at a free seminar, worth much more than the price of admission

April 9, 2013: Holding Hope

a gift hiding, held, heard:

• God's Word in my heart, always a blessing when it wells up
• a class schedule, plans with hope
• thunderstorms, bringing needed rain and green

April 8, 2013: The Gift of Another Day

3 gifts rising up:

• the sun, another day of life from the Giver
• tulips, from a vase on my kitchen table, bringing soul joy
• bulbs from the earth, awakened by the warmth of spring

April 7, 2013: Waiting for Spring

3 gifts waited for:

• spring!
• the beginning of a new Bible study
• our new pastor

April 6, 2013: Nails and Love

3 gifts nailed together:

• the cross where my Savior died for me
• picture frames holding photographs of those I love
• the foundation, walls and roof of the home where I raised my family

April 5, 2013: The Gift of Friendship

3 gifts at 11:00, 2:00 and 6:00:

• finding really cute decorations for the birthday party
• lunch and laughter with the girls
• an evening out with friends

April 4, 2013: Blessings in His Word

3 gifts in His Word:

• This amazing blessing: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,  and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelation 1:4-6
•  This truth: He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
• This encouragement: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Isaiah 60:1-2

April 3, 2013: Dollar Joy

3 gifts surprisingly found:

• a good idea for an upcoming birthday gift, courtesy of my creative daughter 
• shared laughter during our impromptu Spanish lesson
• a book I am very much enjoying, purchased at the dollar store

April 2, 2013: Simply White

3 gifts white:

• the sweet smelling Easter lily in my office, a thoughtful gift
• a loaf of bread, sliced for french toast casserole
• tulips in a vase on the kitchen table, a sure sign of spring

April 1, 2013: Where It Stops, Nobody Knows

3 gifts round:

• a freshly sharpened pencil
• a homemade M&M cookie
• leftover rolls from Easter, just right to go with our pasta for dinner tonight