February 29, 2012: Squeaky Clean by Grace

a gift dull, a gift shimmering, a gift cleaned

• the dull pain in my arm.  I am trusting that it is a gift, healing, mending together.
• the water shimmering, reflecting the landscape around it.
• a clean heart. Available anytime, all I need do is ask. Grace.  Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Hebrews 10:22

February 28, 2012: The Gift of Remembering

3 gifts from the past that help you trust the future:

• my wedding ring.  The vows my husband made when we were married help me trust that he will still be there for me in the future.  That he will still love me, still be faithful to me, still cherish me.  That forever means always.
• my job and the timing of it helps me trust that God will provide a new job for my daughter too.  When I began looking for work over six years ago, I thought I'd find position by the time school started in September.  Not so.  I didn't begin until January.  But His timing was perfect after all.  My job is flexible and supplies the funds I desired to help my kids with their college tuition, exactly as I prayed for.
• God's promise in Jeremiah 29:11 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.  These words were written by the prophet thousands of years ago, yet the promise is still true today, and tomorrow. 

February 27, 2012: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

3 ugly-beautiful gifts:

•  rules. My first instinct when I see rules like these pool rules is to rebel. How dare anyone tell me what to do?  These rules are ridiculous!  But, really upon further thought, they are only for the safety of everyone using the pool. They are for our good, not meant to ruin anyone's fun but to ensure the enjoyment of all.  Really it's the same with God's rules. Sometimes they feel restrictive, but in actuality they are for my good, even for my blessing, my joy. Blessed is the one...whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,  which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:1-3
• feet.  Ugly, yet they are also beautiful in function.  They carry me everywhere I need to go and I certainly would never trade them.
• the cross.  What could be uglier than an instrument of torture and death, yet it is also the most beautiful symbol of mercy and life. 

February 26, 2012: Reflections of Love

3 gifts reflected:

• This bird loudly singing God's praises today reflected the Creator's glory and brought me joy.
• The vibrant beauty of flowers reflect God's love for us.  As I admired a bush covered with brilliantly colored fuchsia flowers, I thought about how God created so much beauty in the world, much of it with no other purpose than our enjoyment. 
• My husband's support of the ministry and volunteer work I love reflects his heart. He could pressure me to get a full-time job, but he values me and the passions God has given me.   As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19

February 25, 2012: The Gift of Family Fun

a gift nearly worn out, a gift new, a gift made-do:

• my nearly worn out slippers.  My slippers are most always nearly worn out.  I wear them pretty much every day, all year long, when I am in the house.  I slide them on when I come home from work and they stay on my feel until I go to bed at night.  Then they sit next to the bed, waiting for me to  put them on when I wake up in the morning.
• playing cards with my husband, parents and brother.  My husband and dad almost never play games with us, but tonight everyone played and it was great fun.
• a made-do connection of what we call "Dutch cable" to watch a couple of basketball games tonight via the internet on the computer. 

February 24, 2012: Joy in the Morning

3 gifts before 11:00 am:

• The gift of being warm and cozy inside when it's snowing and blowing outside.
• The gift of a caring, compassionate physical therapist who encourages me to keep working.
• The gift of God's Word from David's Psalm 103. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse,  nor will he harbor his anger forever;  he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;  as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (verses8-12). Hallelujah!

February 23, 2012: The Gift of ASKing

a gift of tin, of glass, of wood:

• a tin sign that hangs over my kitchen sink.  It reads, "Ask, Seek, Knock" (Matthew 7:7) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  A reminder of the gift of prayer.  God invites us into a relationship with him, we are welcome to ask him for the things we need and even the things we want.  
• a glass window in the stairwell of the second story of my house.  It is the only window in the house that faces east and it is a wonderful spot to peek at the sunrise in the morning.  
• a wood table that sits in my front entryway.  A gift from my husband and children for Christmas.  I love the fact that my daughter picked it out and it is perfect for a spot that really needed something, but I didn't know what.