January 11--3 yellow things as fresh mercy

3 yellow things that strike you as fresh mercy--this is what we are to tell about for the 1,000 gifts challenge at
http://www.aholyexperience.com/  where we are basically counting 1,000 things (by 3s) this year for which we are thankful.


These are three that are part of one! Looking at a lit candle with its golden flame ..while eating a gluten free chocolate donut and drinking from my Outerbanks coffee mug! The outerbanks of NC always bring pleasant memories to my heart. We have gone there to totally unwind, sleep , walk, read, eat, and sleep some more. Since I have a cold the ONLY THING I CAN TASTE FOR SOME REASON is CHOCOLATE!!  So the combo of these three things is very relaxing to me!

We go to Okrakoke (not sure if I am spelling it correctly)--this is a very empty beach filled place--except for the one area with lots of cottages. It is always a fresh mercy to have nice calm filled memories.

Now this I am thankful for because when there is often just one eating lunch or snacking this makes for quick clean up!! (I am not worried about germs in the sponges...I can nuke the bottom one.....I rarely am sick and this cold is not due to the sponge , but do to a grandkid visit!)

This little stick thingy is an orange peeler and I love it!! Saves for lots of trouble when I want a freshly peeled orange!

A last fresh mercy is this poem/prayer  I read in a diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

                                           Oh My God

"When I look into the future, I am frightened,
But why plunge into the future?
Only the present moment is precious to me,
As the future may never enter my soul at all.

    It is no longer in my power,
    To change, correct or add to the past;
    For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
    And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to
              God.

O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire,
I desire to use you as best I can,
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence.

And so, trusting Your mercy,
I walk through life like a little child,
Offering You each day this heart
Burning with love for Your greater glory.

January 10-1000 things to give thanks (3 at a time)

Today we are to give thanks for something sweet, sour, and just right . My hubby bought these oranges for me since I have  a very nice head cold!

Really, there is something so refreshing about a nice juicy, cold orange. It is especially nice when you have a cold.  As far as something sour? It would be these tangerines....

I thought they were Clementines when I purchased them.....Clementines tend to be sweet. However some of the tangerines are sweet and others are plain ole sour!! So these are being eaten at a much slower pace!
Last of all, something just right? Well, I am not going to go to the food area, but to an area I find comforting when I am cold and wanting some sun.

Now I didn't catch it when the sun was pouring in, because I took this late in the day. This is a cozy place by the window to sit for awhile and enjoy the sunniness of the day.

It is amazing how we take all the different tastes, and temperatures for granted at times. This is making me a bit more aware.

Sweet and Sour
by Christine

Sweet
Cake, Apple
Icing, Eating, Crunching
Dessert, Candy, Salt, Lemon
Puckering, Squinting, Drooling
Bitter, Tart
Sour

January 9, 1000 gifts, 3 at a time

the gifts or blessings today are: a gift in the hand, a gift you walked by, a gift you sat with.   I am going to show these in reverse!

A gift I sat with is this handmade knit blanket. I have had a head cold this week and even though the temperatures got into the 70's!!! yesterday I had the chills.

This was handmade by a lady who is now living in Spain. She spends part of her time here in the states and part in Spain. What I love about handmade things is that I am always reminded of the person who made it which in turn gives me a good , warm , feeling all over. It also reminds me to pray for the person.

Next is the gift I walked by---now I did not really walk by this since I was sick--but I saw this out my window and it made me smile (which is a good thing to do, eh?!)

These dogs were jumping around, swimming and frolicking. The black one was much more bold! I love the freedom and fun they exhibited.

The last thing--a gift in hand is this book my son gave me for Christmas


I will close with a prayer from it that spoke to me "

"My Son, speak thou thus in every matter, 'Lord, if it please Thee, let this come to pass.  Lord, if this shall be for Thine honour, let it be done in Thy Name.  Lord, if thou see it good for me, and approve it as useful, then grant me to use it for Thy honour.  But if thou knowest that it shall be hurtful unto me, and not profitable for the health of my soul, take the desire away from me! For not every desire is from the Holy Ghost, although it appear to a man right and good.  It is difficult to judge with certainty whether a good or an evil spirit move thee to desire this or that, or whether thou art moved by thine own spirit.  ........Therefore, whatsoever seemeth to thee desirable, thou must always desire and seek after it with the fear of God and humility of heart, and most of all, must altogether resign thyself, and commit all unto Me and say, "Lord, thou knowest what is best; let this or that be, according as Thou wilt.  Give what Thou wilt, so much as Thou wilt, when Thou wilt.  Do with me as Thou knowest best , and as best shall please Thee, and as shall be most to Thine honour.  Place me where Thou wilt, and freely work Thy will with me in all Things.  I am in Thine hand, and turn me in my course.  Behold, I am Thy servant, ready for all things; for I desire to live not to myself but to Thee...."

Light and Shadow

In giving thanks today for the 1000 gifts (3 a day) --the joy dare involves "light that caught you, a reflection that surprised you, a shadow that fell lovely. This first picture is of light that caught me


My hubby had opened the curtains wide and the immense pleasure of the light spilling on the tabletop just made me smile.  The next picture --a reflection that surprised you-- was on this little unique vase that sits on the tabletop


This vase holds just one flower. It is made of pottery . My son purchased this for me in the Mountains of Saluda, NC. I loved how the sunlight reflected on the top of the vase.



Last of all a shadow that fell lovely---this one was a surprise for me! It also includes a reflection




This is a pond that sits outside our window. It has a large fountain  which causes the rippling of water which is reflected on the grass. The larger shadows are the tree trunks of the pine trees---why are they bent?   It has to do with the shadows in the water and then on the grass-- it struck me as beautiful.  I am thankful for light and how it changes things. I can apply this whole thing Spiritually too, of course! We celebrated Epiphany this week which includes the concept of Jesus being this light of the world. Light changes things! Jesus is the great light spoken of in Is 60:1--and as John 1 says--The Light of the world. The beauty of regular light and all of its splendor can speak to me about his greater light.

Here is a poem written by a sixth grader:

Light
Heavenly, Bright
Shining, Warming, Uplifting
Colorful, White, Shaded, Playful
Cooling, Dancing, MockingMischievous, Cantankerous
Shadow


I am linking to Spiritual Sundays here:http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

January 7: giving thanks

 Today we are to give thanks for 3 graces of people we love in our lives.  I give thanks for my Husband who has been very patient with me this year as I have been exploring a deeper faith.

I give thanks for my sons, and in particular my oldest one , for the grace of debate--I find tossing ideas around to be very helpful in my learning.

And last of all , I am thankful for my 3 grand children and all the vigor of life they express, the wonder of all that is around us, and the fun part of their expressions of love and of thought. People are one of the greatest blessings and such a means of grace in our lives.

linking to:http://onethousandgifts.com/  Ps. just have to say, my two sons were trying to give me a weird look in the middle picture I posted--not sure if they brought it off! ha!

What to do with old Christmas Cards

I had my Christmas Cards hanging in this doorway and decided to re-invent their use. I glued family photos--mainly from the past two months on the cards. It has made me happy for  now!


 so  The above are  pictures of some of the pictures I have glued to the cards so this is why they are blurry.

Giving Thanks challenge Jan 6

 Today, January 6  Ann Voscamp's joy dare asks us to count the gifts in your bag, fridge and in your heart. The above notebook I  use to journal in....I have found these in Walmart and they are about 6 by 9 --they have a magnetic clasp which is nice and a ribbon to mark your place. These have been an aid in study, prayer and confession---a place to put ideas and poems too. I have found them very helpful in my walk with the Lord.

 In my frig-is this goat cheese with chives which really adds flavor to many dishes , but is great on rice crackers--I love thinking about all that would go into making this.
    As far as what is in my heart......I would say I am thankful for thankfulness and mercy. Mercy from God that enables great thanksgiving. I am so thankful for the richness of the Christian faith. 


I am linking to Ann V.'s facebook here:https://www.facebook.com/onethousandgifts