April 8, 2012: Hope Rising

3 gifts rising up:

• the sun on this beautiful Easter Sunday.
  
• voices in praise of our risen Lord Jesus at church this morning.  
• hope and joy within my heart.  So good to see a loved one today who seems to be moving in the right direction after a time of derailment.

April 4, 2012: The Ultimate Gift

3 gifts in his Word:

• This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations. Luke 25:46-47
• For it is by grace  you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
• Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.  1 Peter 1:3-4
  

March 31, 2012: Hope is Faith

a gift heard, a gift held, a gift hoped for:

•  music on Pandora Radio.  I have a personalized station of contemporary Christian music that lifts my spirit.
• my daughter as I said goodbye to her tonight.  She is a gift of God.
• those I love walking with the Lord.  It is my heartfelt desire, my constant prayer. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:2

March 17, 2012: Gifts of Spring

a gift turned, a gift folded, a gift hung:

• forsythia bushes turned yellow. A gift of spring, of promise, of joy.
• sheets folded to make up a bed on the air mattress in my son's apartment.  Such a blessing to spend a weekend visiting him.
• a camping chair hung on the hook in my son's closet that I can take it outside to enjoy sitting in the sunshine.  Simple pleasure.

March 11, 2012: Reading of God's Love and Faithfulness

3 gifts read:

• Psalm 108 read in unison in church.  I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;  let your glory be over all the earth. v. 3-5
• the lyrics of Chris Tomlin's Everlasting God sung in worship. Our God, You reign forever.  Our hope, our strong deliverer. 'Cause You are, You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God.  You don't grow faint, you won't grow weary. You're the defender of the weak, you comfort those in need.  You lift us up on wings like eagles.
• an email from a friend setting a date to get together for dinner.

For what it's worth, I attempted to change the comment section so that you can leave a comment without being a Google member.  Give it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts about what gifts you're counting today!

March 6, 2012: The Gift of Hope

a gift bent, a gift broken, a gift beautiful:

• God's ear to hear me when I pray.  I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.  Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. Psalm 17:6-7a
• the separation caused by sin. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation. Ephesians 2:13-14
  
• the weather today.  Sunshine and warm temps. The hope of spring. 

March 5, 2012: The Hope of Spring

3 gifts found:

• a sign of spring.  Spotted my first robins today.  The gift of hope.
• perspective.  (again).  When I was feeling sorry for myself this morning about having to go back to work after being on vacation, I logged into an online community that I am part of and read updates on some of the trials that others are facing.  Oh, that they had as little to complain about as I do.
• an idea. My daughter asked me to help her make invitations for a friend's bachelorette party and I found a cute idea that's not too difficult to make.

March 2, 2012: The Joys of Spring

3 gifts green:

• a comfy green T-shirt I'm wearing tonight.
• bougainvillea bushes in bloom.  I just learned today that the flowers are not the colored part of the plant.  The flowers are tiny and white hardly noticeable in the midst of the brilliantly colored bracts (just like poinsettias), the leaves are green.  Whatever the parts are called, they are altogether lovely.
• the green of spring.  It does my soul good to see the earth springing back to life. A sign of hope, of new life after the cold and death of winter. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

January 26, 2012: Gifts Around the Clock

a gift before nine am, gift before noon, a gift after dark:

• a gift before nine am: time spent reading "Jesus Calling" this morning before work.  The best devotional I have ever had.  I've recommended and gifted it to more people than any other book ever. The author, Sarah Young, helps focus my thoughts in one or two brief paragraphs.  She is scripturally sound and truly inspired of God.  I love the way she writes in first person, as though Jesus is talking right to me.
• a gift before noon: an email devotion from Proverbs 31 Ministries that I read at work which blessed me and gave me hope and encouragement today. It was about praying for your kids with other moms.  So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it. 1 Thessalonians 5:11(MSG)
• a gift after dark: a phone call from my daughter telling me that she has a second interview for a new job.  It's a gift to see God working and moving in her life.

January 23, 2012: The Gift of Hope

3 gifts found in Christ:

• A free makeover. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17
• Freedom. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Galatians 5:1
• Hope. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:2

January 22, 2012: Grace, Sometimes Wrinkled

one grace wrinkled, one grace smoothed, one grace unfolded:

• One grace wrinkled: Lately, I've been so blessed by reminders of God's forgiveness.  Grace. Then today the Spirit whispered within me that as I've been forgiven, I also must forgive.  A friend has caused me pain and I feel that God is telling me it's time to let that go.  This will not be easy. My friend has not asked for forgiveness or expressed any regret for my pain. Sometimes grace is wrinkled.
• One grace smoothed: I wasn't quite looking forward to church this morning, knowing I would be going alone.  In spite of my attitude, it was a blessed morning. So glad I didn't miss it.  Wonderful worship, a thought provoking message on Acts, and best of all--a flash mob in the middle of it all.  True joy.  Grace gone before me, planned ahead and smoothed out.
• One grace unfolded: Phone calls and texts that are signs of hope and encouragement.  Grace continues to unfold in a relationship undergoing restoration.

January 18, 2012: Good and Perfect Gifts

3 gifts from God's Word:

• a precept:  Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
• a promise: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11
• a prayer: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

These are three of my favorite Scripture verses.  God's Word is so chock full of gifts, it was hard to choose, but these three have spoken hope and encouragement to me many, many times. The verse from Proverbs hangs in my home as a constant reminder to me to keep trusting God, even through the hard times. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17