December 29, 2012: Hope:5-6

3 gifts of hope:

• rest. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6
• confidence. For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. Psalm 71:5-6
• blessing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-he remains faithful forever. Psalm 146:5-6

December 28, 2012: Love Lingers

3 gifts lingering:

• lingering in bed this morning, such a treat
• lingering over dinner with my husband and son, reflecting on all we accomplished today
• lingering on memories of Christmas, sweet time spent with family

December 27, 2012: Memories Found

a gift found, shared, saved:

• a Bill Knapp's birthday cake for my son's upcoming birthday.  memories
• a relaxing evening at my son's house, the drive behind us.  grateful
• an uplifting newspaper article about Philadelphia Eagle's wide receiver Jason Avant. inspiring

December 26, 2012: Gifts from the Manger

3 gifts in Christ:

•  salvation.  An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21
• presence. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23
• fulfillment.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11
  

December 25, 2012: Gifts for All

3 gifts in Luke 2:

• joy.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 
• hope.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
• peace. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

December 24, 2012: Perfectly Humble

3 gifts humble:

• His birth
• Christmas Eve with my family, perfect
• a late night talk with my daughter

December 23, 2012: Starry, Starry Joy

3 gifts starry:

• the candle of love on the advent wreath, flame dancing and reminding
• the Christmas story, read from Luke 2 in church
• the laughing eyes of my kids and their cousins, as they joke and tease, a blessing to watch them together

December 22, 2012: Grace in a Grocery Bag

a gift rejoicing, wonder, praising:

• rejoicing with my full nest for Christmas
• the wonder of family, the joy of relationship
• praising for the privilege of bringing Christmas dinner to a family in need.  There but by God's grace alone go I.

December 21, 2012: Star Light, Star Bright

3 gifts lit: 

• the Christmas tree, lit early this afternoon to dispel a dark, stormy day
• the darkness, on the birthday of the world. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3
• the star, lighting the way for the Magi to worship the newborn king

December 20, 2012: Where Angels Never Fear to Tread

3 gifts angelic song:

• Christmas music on the radio, reminding me of the real reason
• This Scripture in my morning devotions: For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. Psalm 92:4
• These words spoken long ago and to my heart today: Do not be afraid.  Luke 1:13, Luke 1:30, Luke 2:10

December 19, 2012: Stuffing the Stockings with Joy

3 gifts manger-small:

• treats made for her teacher, she so excited to give the gift
• her giggles as she reads aloud the stories about the snow she's not yet experienced
• stocking stuffers, ready for Christmas Day, a tradition my grown children still love

December 18, 2012: Painting Miracles

3 gifts miraculous:

• the pastels of the sunrise painted in the morning sky
• the incarnation. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:14
• God's unconditional love. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. Romans 5:8 (The Message)

December 16, 2012: A Lineage of Grace

3 gifts Bethlehem-unlikely:

• the peace of a quiet evening at home with my husband
• a lineage of constancy and courage
• family stories of God's faithfulness

December 17, 2012: Frosting on the Family Cake

3 gifts frosted:

• delicious homemade Christmas candy, frosted with chocolate and love
• a family meeting, frosted with laughter and grace
• old pictures of relatives long gone, the ability to scan and preserve them technological frosting

December 15, 2012: Golden Gifts

a gift gold, scented, bent low:

• a beautiful piece of cloth from Africa given to me by my dear sister and friend, printed with the words translated, "God is the giver of every gift"
• the perfume chosen by a son for his mom's first ever Christmas with wrapped gifts 
• shoppers searching for gifts for their loved ones, unsure of how to make a selection amidst such abundance when they've already been given more than they ever dared dream

December 14, 2012: Stamp of Approval

3 gifts stamped:

• a letter from our World Vision child in Rwanda, Africa
• a Christmas card received in the mail
• God's promises. Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. 2 Corinthians 1:20-21 (The Message)

December 13, 2012: By His Stripes

3 gifts striped:

• shadows on the living room, striped from the sun shining through the blinds
• healing from a vertigo attack, by the stripes on my Savior's back. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
• the Christmas tree, striped with gold ribbon, so pretty when the lights are on

December 12, 2012: Minty Joy

3 gifts berry red:

• plump berries on otherwise bare bushes, adding a needed splash of color to the landscape
• stripes on the free candy canes offered by the bank, a minty treat during my errand running
• bows on packages wrapped beneath the tree, awaiting Christmas Day

December 11, 2012: Cold Gifts, Warm Heart

3 gifts ice cold:

• snow flurries, looking so Christmasy this morning
• a water bottle, refreshing during my treadmill walk
• peppermint stick ice cream, a much anticipated holiday treat 

December 10, 2012: Art Frosted

3 gifts unframed art: 

• ice covered tree branches this morning
• frost etched windows 
• Christmas lights brightening the darkness

December 9, 2012: Away in a Manger

3 gifts ugly-beautiful:

• my son's church, ugly in a rented school gym, but beautiful in worship and mission
• the manger, ugly in crudity but beautiful in purpose. and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7
• rain for the drive home, ugly, but beautiful when compared to snow for safety and nerves

December 8, 2012: Nothing Better Than a Hug

A gift hung, held, heard:

• pictures hung in my son's house, making it look more like a home
• my son held in a hug, so much better than phone calls and texts
• a compliment heard from an employee in a home improvement store that my son frequents, blessing for a mother's heart

December 7, 2012: The Gift of New Life

3 gifts from your Savior:

• grace. "Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe." (Grace Greater Than Our Sin, Julia H. Johnston, 1911)
•  new life. 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
  
• my ransom. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb and they sang a new song, saying:
  “You are worthy to take the scroll
      and to open its seals,
  because you were slain,
      and with your blood you purchased for God
      persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.  Revelation 5:8a, 9

  
  

December 6, 2012: Spreading Sweetness

 3 gifts sweet:

• Amish honey on my toast for breakfast
• encouragement on my Facebook page to start the day off with a smile
• God's Word in my morning devotions: I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." Psalm 16:2

December 5, 2012: One Thousand Gifts!

3 gifts silver:

• silver wrapped chocolates, a treat from a friend
• the silver beaters on my mixer, whipping up butter and sugar for a new cake recipe
• a sweet and funny email from a silver friend  (from the song..."Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold"--one of the only things I remember from my brief stint in the Girl Scouts)

These 3 gifts are number 1000-1003.  All thanks and praise to God for the grace to keep counting for the past 334 days!  There have been many days when I didn't feel very thankful, but Ann Voskamp taught me, and the Holy Spirit kept convicting me that gratitude is a discipline.  That I must unclench my fists in order to receive His joy.  

I am still seeking and fail again and again, but I pray that God has been glorified through my list.  The dare to name 1000 gifts has been, to quote Ann, "God's necessary tool to reshape me, remake me, rename me." (One Thousand Gifts). I have seen that He is good even in the hard eucharisteos, the thanks I dread.  

And so I keep naming, counting on past 1000 because it has made me a more joyful person, and that is grace.  To Him be all glory and honor, both now and forevermore.  Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

December 4, 2012: Coronation So Undeserved

a gift circling, crowning, crafted:

• my family circling the table at dinner.
• my Jesus, replacing my shame with a crown of beauty. Praise the Lord... who  redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. Psalm 103:1 & 4
• birthday gifts crafted for three birthday girls, ready to celebrate tomorrow
  
  

December 3, 2012: Perfectly Shining

3 gifts shining:

• the sun on an unbelievably warm December day
• Christmas lights in a lovely green glass bowl, a gift from my daughter
• God's beauty. The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. Psalm 50:1-2

December 2, 2012: All Is Bright

3 gifts bright:

• the candle of hope lit on the advent wreath
• the smiles of our beloved family, every time we pick them up for church
• the one star in the night sky upon leaving church tonight

December 1, 2012: Making a List

3 gifts white:

• notebook pages with menu plans listed for a weekend visit with my son
• more notebook pages with Christmas ideas written there, because ideas are 90 percent of it
• a roll of adhesive to complete the scrapbook I am almost done making of my son's most recent backpacking trip

November 30, 2012: Astonished by Grace

3 gifts astonishing:

• The Father's love. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
  
• The Son's sacrifice. We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10
• The Spirit's indwelling. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 1 Corinthians 3:16