December Joy Dare

Remember when I said I was going to do a picture-a-day challenge in October... and then didn't. And then I said perhaps I would get to it during December... well I'm not going to. Exactly.

I found something much better. It's Ann Voskamp's December Joy Dare. I'm reading her book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are. It's amazing. I'll write more about it after I finish, but it led me to her website and facebook page and her Joy Dare.

So let's play catch up.

Joy Dare, Day 1: Three Gifts White. I read this while sitting on our couch, with a cold, bundled up in my favorite white sweater, under our coziest handmade white blanket, and blowing my red nose into my never far from my side white hanky.

I didn't have to think, or even move. God had blessed me with three gifts white right there on my couch, in the midst of my cold.

 Joy Dare, Day 2: Three Gifts Bright. I woke up to heavy, loud, slashing rain. The fourth day in a row. It was dark. So the brightest things were the lights on our various trees. And then I thought one of the greatest gifts is the plain, but bright light bulb. The one I read by, cook by, sort laundry by, quilt by, live by.

 

Joy Dare, Day 3: Three Gifts Shining.

After days of monsoon like rains (no exaggeration!) the sunshine this morning was brilliant. I love our star. Jared picked it out when we lived in Enid (our first Christmas tree together) and puts it on top of our tree every year. The pretty, shiny red and green balls were actually a lovely wreath last year. Until a wind storm came along and did major damage. These are the salvaged remains, that safely sit in a bowl on the dining room table this year.