November 29, 2012: Seeing Red

3 gifts red:

• a beautiful red poinsettia, a gift from an equally beautiful sister
• a delicious red velvet cookie, a lunchtime surprise from a friend
• a crimson tide, flowing wide to wash away my sins.  Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

November 28, 2012: Taking Up the Mantle of Prayer

3 gifts in community:

• prayers raised, hands laid on a sweet sister with an achingly empty womb
• the comfort that we are not alone in our struggle to be more like Christ
• the echo of joyous laughter and the way it lifts my spirit to laugh together

December 27, 2012: Happiness Held

a gift handmade, held, happy:

• a potholder handmade by a friend as a surprise gift, a sweet reminder of her generosity as I pulled dinner out of the oven tonight
• my phone held in my hand, texts received from praying friends to lift me up on a down day
• the happy feeling I get from plugging in the Christmas lights when evening falls

November 26, 2012: Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

3 gifts preparing: 

• my house for Christmas
• a favorite dinner for my family plus a guest
• room in my heart for Him

November 25, 2012: Uneven Joy

3 gifts ugly-beautiful:

• praying with my son as he left to go back
• a friend's daughter leaving her abusive husband
• my Christmas tree, the ornaments unevenly distributed, hung by an excited 11-year old girl decorating a tree for the first time ever

November 24, 2012: Joy at Home

3 gifts humble:

• sharing a relaxing dinner with my son, home for the Thanksgiving weekend
• a quiet evening, the whole family at home
• a fresh baked cookie, still warm from the oven, a gift from my daughter to her brother

November 23, 2012: The Gift of Fellowship

3 gifts in Christ:

• the fellowship of believers. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. . I John 1:7
• the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14
  
• the fellowship of Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9

November 22, 2012: A Full Nest

3 gifts grateful:

• grateful to have all my chicks in the nest, nothing makes me happier
• grateful for the entire family around the Thanksgiving table
• grateful for a movie night with my daughter

November 21, 2012: Those Who Know You Best

3 gifts family:

• my loving husband, who appreciates and values me
• my sisters-in-law, who make family gatherings fun
• my mom, who always has a listening ear

November 20, 2012: Traditional Joy

3 gifts of traditions:

• thanksgiving dinner with the whole family, all the cousins together at one table
• decorating the house for Christmas, the anticipation beginning
• the memories behind each ornament hung on the Christmas tree

November 19, 2012: Soups On!

3 gifts autumn:

• sleeping with a blanket on the bed
• anything and everything pumpkin flavored
• weather cool enough to make soup

November 18, 2012: Passing on Joy

A gift made, shared, passed on:

• Christ's sacrifice made on my behalf, remembered in his supper at church today
• a long walk shared with my husband on a sunny fall afternoon
• sewing lessons passed on from my mom to my daughter

November 17, 2012: Filled with Laughter

3 gifts laughter:

• a hilarious card sent in the mail by my sister-in-law that made me laugh out loud
• a funny joke sent via email by a friend
• a humorous cartoon posted on Facebook

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”  Psalm 126:2

November 16, 2012: Hard Questions

3 hard eucharisteos:

• boxes yet unpacked
• the conviction to begin anew memorizing God's word
• one young woman expecting while another waits and wonders why

November 15, 2012:Gifts of Gold

3 gifts golden:

• a beautiful sunrise, only seen because I committed to be at the gym this morning
• the delicate, old fashioned ring of my grandmother's that I wear on my right hand, a gift from her parents on her sixteenth birthday
• God's prayer bowl. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. Revelation 5:8

November 14, 2012: Silence is Golden

3 gifts silent:

• my house this afternoon, enabling me to get some long procrastinated tasks done
• the sun, glowing yellow and orange, as it slipped beyond the horizon
• my Savior, despite being falsely accused--oh, that I would learn from him to tame my tongue. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7

November 13, 2012:Opening the Door to Joy

3 gifts behind doors:

• behind the refrigerator door, leftover broccoli cheese soup to bring to work for lunch
• behind the oven door, my favorite chewy oatmeal chocolate chip bars
• behind the front door, a group of brothers and sisters coming for our final discussion of the book of Acts

November 12, 2102: Midday Gifts

3 gifts at noon:

• a visit from my dad, who stopped by to see me at work
• a lunch date made with a friend
• anticipation of time to spend in Bible study this afternoon

November 11, 2012: In Remembrance

3 gifts of remembrance:

• gratitude, remembering our veterans, active military and their families in church
• increased trust, remembering God's blessings
• humbleness, remembering what I once was

November 10, 2012: Gifts Written and Read

3 gifts found in Bible reading:

• knowledge
• encouragement
• hope

 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4

November 9, 2012: Gifts from the Lord of the Harvest

3 gifts harvest:

• pumpkin anything and everything
• honeycrisp apples
• cranberries

 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Psalm 85:11-12

November 8, 2012: Joy in a Nutshell

a gift sweet, salted, sipped:

• a sweet slice of the pumpkin cinnamon chip cake my daughter made for my birthday
• the leftover half of a goober burger (sauteed onions and peanut butter) that I ordered last night at dinner out with a dear friend
• a cup of hot honey chamomile tea

November 7, 2012: Joy Looking Out

3 gifts from your window:

• a promising pink sunrise
• a glorious clear blue sky
• an expansive starry night

November 6, 2012: Blessed to Be an American

3 gifts in government:

• that it is of the people, by the people, for the people
• that it seeks liberty and justice for all
• that it is ordained by God

November 5, 2012: Joy with a Little Cap on Top

3 gifts acorn-small:

• the scoring blade for my trimmer that I thought I had lost, but found today
• strawberries on a delicious salad enjoyed at lunch with a precious friend
• actual acorns that my Grandma gave me years ago.  It makes me happy to fill a bowl with them every fall.

November 4, 2012: Birthday Gifts Not Found at the Store

a gift gathered, given, good:

• the spent flowers my husband gathered from the yard, perhaps the best birthday surprise of all, a task that I was not looking forward to completed
• the time my sister-in-law has given to spend the weekend with me
• my daughter's good plans and efforts to make my birthday happy

 

November 3: 2012: Counting It All N

3 gifts that start with n:

• neighbors at nearby tables at a scrapbooking event who made the weekend even more fun
• nineteen birthday wishes on my Facebook wall
• nature's beauty, a reminder of the Creator's love

 

November 2, 2012: Wearing Grace

3 gifts worn:

• my wedding ring and the 27 years of commitment and love that it represents

• humility, an embarrassing assumption made of a friend and the grace received in return
• a new RED tank top--been wanting one for a long time and found just what I've been looking for yesterday on sale!

November 1, 2012: Taste and See

3 gifts eaten:

• a crunchy, juicy apple for lunch
• dinner with my daughter, who stopped by unexpectedly
• a fun-size Snickers (yes, leftover Halloween candy)

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8