Gifts for yesterday and today

A Gift Handmade, Held, Happy
-Handmade:  Gifts and cards from my children.  I never really understood why parents liked the cheesy school project gifts until I started receiving them.  They're very precious.

-Held:  My hand.  In our living room, we have two recliners - one for Rob, one for me.  In between the chairs is a little end table.  Every so often, Rob will extend his hand and say "handser" and I will put my hand in his and he'll hold it for a while.  My love language is touch and he knows it.  I love his hugs and shoulder rubs and the way he holds my hand.

-Happy:  My mood.  Just moments ago, I could feel myself getting angry and grumpy.  I didn't have any reason to be that way.  I find that those are the worst kinds of moods, the ones that are bad and you have no reason for feeling that way.  Anyway, I knew I needed to catch up on my "Joy Dare" from yesterday and today.  I didn't feel like it, but did it anyway.  Now, as I'm reflecting on these gifts of joy, my mood is on the upswing.

3 Gifts in Community
-Strength:  It is difficult to go it alone.  Having others join you in this walk gives you people to lean on, depend upon; and then you can do the same for them.

-Accountability:  This is something we don't see as much of these days, but it is so very important.  In real community, there is sharing of joys, sorrows, and struggles.  We can count on each other to straighten us out when our walk gets a little crooked.

-Camaraderie:  This is the truly fun part of community.  We get together.  We share experiences.  We bond. We become family.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts Preparing

-Helping the kids get ready in the mornings

-Studying for Anatomy & Physiology class

-Preparing our hearts and homes for Christmas

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts Ugly-Beautiful

-Exercise:  I dread it beforehand, I don't really enjoy it during, and I'm quite certain I look very, very ugly as I run or bike or lift.  But the effects are very beautiful.  I feel better.  I have more energy.  I am healthier and I even wear the same size jeans as when I was first married.

-Childbirth:  It's hard and it hurts.  A very private area is exposed and, quite frankly, looks worse than it ever has.  The baby comes out all messy and screaming.  But, oh the beauty.  If I could bottle that moment and relive it over and over, I would be drunk on the beauty of it.

-My life: I have made some very poor choices and have sinned a million times over.  I have experienced hurts and fear and loneliness.  When I look at all that and focus in on just that, it is ugly and painful.  I heard a speaker describe it like a tapestry.  When we experience life with all its twists and turns and failures and hurts, it looks like a jumbled up mess with no sense at all - the back of the tapestry.  But from God's perspective - the front of tapestry - he sees the beauty and intricacy and design of all those twists and turns.  Beautiful.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts Humble

-To be counted worthy of the life I have been given humbles me greatly.  I do not deserve the way that God lavishly and ridiculously blesses me time and time again.

-Christ being born in a stable is the humblest of gifts.  When I do a good deed, shamefully I want it announced with fanfare and I get a little grumpy if the proper appreciation is not shown.  But the co-creator of the universe, Lord of all, King of Kings, son of God came to Earth as a poor baby in a manger.  His arrival was the gift the world had been waiting for and hardly anyone even noticed.

-Christ dying on a cross was the humblest of sacrifices.  The savior of all mankind, the holy lamb of God could have called down legions of angels to rescue him.  Instead he chose to give up his life in a gruesome, unworthy manner; and he did it for you and for me.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts Only in Christ

Salvation - 
-Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
-Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36)
-And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Hope - 
-Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
-Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3)
-For in this hope we were saved.  Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience (Romans 8: 24-25)

Purpose - 
-Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28: 19-20)
-The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

A Gift Grateful

Facebook Gratefulness - I love Facebook in November.  Even people who are normally pessimistic and tend to complain, choose to post the daily "thankful" statuses.  It's a refreshing change and does my heart good to see people appreciating the blessings they're given.  There is always...always something to be thankful for.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts Family

-Family I was born into:  Over the years, I have grown closer and closer to my two sisters.  As with most siblings, we didn't always get along growing up; but I always knew they were there for me.  Now we live far apart, but I think we're closer than ever.  My mom and dad are wonderful.  Still happily married after 41 years.  They love us girls and all our crazy kids.  I also have a very large family of cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents.  I love them all.

-Family I helped create:  Over sixteen years ago, I married the most wonderful man.  Five years later, our little family grew and two years later it grew some more.  I can't begin to describe how blessed I am with this family God has gifted me.

-Family of friends:  Living far away from family and being in ministry makes it difficult to get "home" often.  God has placed wonderful friends in my life who have become family to me.  They are so very precious to me.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

Yesterday's & Today's Joy Dare

3 Gifts Autumn
-Beautiful Colors: God paints the most gorgeous pictures!

-Jeans and Hoodies: Even though I prefer the hot weather, I do love when it's cool enough to bundle up in a comfy hoodie.

-Church & Family Gatherings: Weinie roasts, Trunk-or-Treats, Thanksgiving dinners


3 Gifts of Traditions
-Prayer: When Meg was a baby, we started praying the same nighttime prayer with her.  Then Robby joined us after he was born.  It went unchanged for years.  We all had it memorized and it was our nightly tradition for years.  As our kids got older, we realized that the words were losing their meaning because we had recited it for so long.  Now when we pray at night, it is whatever comes from the heart of whoever is leading us.  More often than not, Robby volunteers.  His prayers bring me joy and humble me all at the same time.  He almost always remembers to pray for people to come closer to Christ and for those in our life who are struggling.

-Gathering: I love having a house full of people.  I love gathering together for holidays, or just for the fun of it.  For the past several years, we have had a group of people over for New Year's.  It's always so much fun, food, games, and a silly string fight at midnight.  The past couple years, we have had Thanksgiving here at our house.  We are not able to get together with extended family, so instead we gather with good friends who are also on their own for the holiday.  This year, we are adding another friend to our numbers.

-Sunday Mornings:  I grew up attending church services every Sunday.  I went a couple years, as an adult, without a "church home."  But other than that, nearly every Sunday morning of my life has been spent with fellow believers.  The gathering doesn't always look the same or do the same order of worship, but that makes the tradition all the more sweet.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

A Gift Made, Shared, Passed On

Made - Christmas in Joplin: We get to spend Christmas day with my parents, and sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews.  As if that weren't a great enough gift of joy; my sister suggested that we do homemade gifts this year.  Not only will this cut down on the expense, but the gifts will come from the heart and will be oh-so-fun to put together!

Shared - Struggles and joys: This life is made so much sweeter because I get to share it with my love, my family, my friends.

Passed On - Knee pads: A young lady at our church has befriended my daughter and has encouraged her to take up volleyball.  Tonight, she passed down a pair of knee pads so Meg would have the proper equipment to get started.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts of Laughter

1) My family's silly sense of humor - I'm quite certain we are not nearly as entertaining as we think we are, but we have so much fun together.  Laughter is a very common occurrence in the Petersen home.

2)Baby giggles - Really, is there anything better?

3)Gathering with friends - Retelling the same old stories and laughing just as hard as you did the first time you heard it.  

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

11/15 and 11/16 Gifts

3 Gifts Golden
1) The golden rule - So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).  What an important and simple rule for life!  It's not always easy, but it is always right.

2) The golden years - I have the sheer joy of spending time with many in their golden years.  I always learn something from my time with them.  Usually it is a lesson in grace, wisdom, and patience.  I pray that I hold onto those lessons through my own golden years.

3) Bands of gold - I have posted previously about my wedding set and how much it means to me.  Rob has recently started wearing his wedding ring again.  I love seeing that circle of gold on his finger.  My heart is filled with pride and joy in knowing that he is my husband.  This may be TMI, but I also find it extremely sexy when he wears it.  That's right, I'm a preacher's wife and I find my husband sexy.

3 Gifts Hard Eucharisteo
1) Cold weather - I love summer with the heat and the sun.  I love spring with new life and warming temps.  I love early fall with the changing leaves and jeans and sweatshirts.  I don't love late fall and winter with dry skin and grey skies and the bare landscape.  Cold weather months are just hard for me.  But, what would spring and summer and early fall be without the colder months.  There would be no new life unless the trees were stripped bare.  Every season has a purpose and a place.

2) The miles that separate me from family - It's hard being six hours away from my parents, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma.  I hurt over this when one of them is sick.  I am jealous when they gather for a birthday or holiday or just for fun.  However, the separation makes the time with them even sweeter.  I also believe that one reason I am so close to my husband and my children is because we are the only family we have close by.  We have also been forced to discover the joy of making friends into family.

3) Death - I can't say I will ever be thankful for death, but there is good to be found in it.  Cancer claimed the lives of two very godly, beautiful people very recently.  As much as they will be missed here and mourned over, there is hope in their passing.  They will suffer no more.  Cancer can't touch their glorified bodies.  They are with their savior and we will see them again.  Also, death gives me a very hard reminder that this world is not my home.  I will never find perfection here on Earth.  Death sends me running to the arms of Christ.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

It's Another Two-for-one

3 Gifts Behind a Door
1) My beautiful daughter - A few days ago, I opened the door to Megan's room and she was inside dancing.  In that moment, I was struck with how beautiful and grown-up she is.  She is becoming quite the young lady!

2) Our remodeled bathroom - We've been keeping the door closed so the cats won't get in there while there are still holes, etc for them to get in.  It's coming along well and going to be very nice when it's done.

3) Carl Dahlquist - A dear, wonderful man of God, I just can not say enough nice things about him.  He went to be on the heaven's side of death's door yesterday.  He is in the midst of his savior and friends and family who have gone before him.  Cancer has never touched him there.

3 Gifts Silent
1) The moments before anyone else is up - This morning I was actually grumbly about these moments.  I wanted to sleep in, but knew I had to get up.  My husband was still in bed.  I hadn't gotten the kids up yet.  I trudged around the house, grumbling about every little thing that irritated me.  I realized later in the morning that it's good that I'm up before everyone else.  I can get my grumpies out and be woke up enough to greet them pleasantly when they get up.

2) Coffee time - I know, another post about coffee.  The kids have already gone off to school.  Rob is in his recliner sipping coffee.  I am in mine doing the same.  We're not always completely silent, but sometimes we are and we are both comfortable being silent together.

3) Isaiah 53:7 - He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts at Noon

1)Butternut squash made by my sweet hubby.
2)Eating that soup with my hubby & the contractor who's working on the bathroom.
3)Did I mention there were pita chips with the soup?  Did I mention I really, really like pita chips?

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts of Remembrance

1) The weekly gathering around the table honoring my savior who lived, died, and rose again to give me new life. - a joyous remembrance

2) The children's church kids holding flags they colored and reading a poem honoring our veterans.  One little girl, volunteered to read and recite a prayer because she is very proud of her daddy who is currently serving the country. - a tender remembrance

3) The memorization and recall of muscles and bones and cells and organs for Anatomy & Physiology.  This practice has given me a greater appreciation for the intricacy and wonder of the human body and for our creator. - a necessary and enlightening remembrance

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

2 Days for the Price of One

I never got around to posting my Joy Dare for Friday.  It was a busy day, but I also had some trouble with thinking of my answer.  The prompt was "3 Gifts Harvest."  Here are my musings...

- Memories: Through 16+ years of marriage and 11+ years of mothering, I have gathered a bountiful harvest of memories.  Some are sad, some are dark, many are happy, or funny, or tender.  All of them, from one end of the spectrum to the other, are precious and make up the relationships I have with my family.

- Garden:  The garden is done for the year.  I need to pull out the tomato cages and let one of our farming friends come mow it over and turn over the ground.  I usually look at that time and I'm saddened.  I think about the second-rate tomatoes that I'll have to buy from the store.  I scold myself for not doing a better job of weeding or tending this past season.  This year, I'm choosing to look at the clearing of the dead plants as the beginning of next year's harvest.

- Souls:  Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."  All too often, I despair over the state of our country and world.  I worry that so many are lost and that there is nothing I can hope to do about it.  But that's looking at the situation through sin-colored human glasses.  God sees a harvest, ripe for the picking. 


Saturday's prompt is "3 Gifts Bible Reading"

- If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy going or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. - 1 Corinthians 1:1-3  (This is becoming my plumb line for all I say and do.  If my actions are not rooted in love, then I need to rethink what I'm doing.)

- The story of Cornelius from Acts 10.  I've always liked this story because it is the moment when Peter and then the rest of the church realized that gentiles were invited to the party as well.  Today, when we were listening to it, I realized something else.  Cornelius was noticed by God because of his prayers and alms.  He was doing the "right" things and probably living a pretty good "Christian-style" life.  But God knew that it was best for him to be part of a body of believers.  He told Cornelius to send for Peter and then urged Peter to go to him.  He made sure that Cornelius and the gentiles were not on their own in the Christian walk.  Having a body of believers around you in vital even today.

- For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12  (His Word is just as real and true and important today as when it was written.)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

A Gift Sweet, Salty, Sipped

Sweet:  Snuggling up next to Robby to wake him in the morning.
Robby is a snuggler.  He always has been, even before he was born.  Megan is more than she used to be, but touch has never been her love language.  When I was pregnant with Megan, she would push out with a hand or foot.  If I touched that area of my belly, she would quickly pull in back in.  She was our little "touch-me-not."  With Robby, on the other hand, when I would touch the area where his little foot or hand was, he would push it out even more.  It was almost like he was trying to come through my skin to get to me.  Now he is a big 9-year-old boy, but he still likes to snuggle up in the mornings.  When I wake him, I crawl into his bed and wrap my arm around him, and he hugs me tight.  I know these precious moments will only last so much longer.  He will come to a point where it is just weird to snuggle your momma.

Salty:  Pita chips that I just couldn't get enough of last night.
Seriously, these things are really yummy!  I kept rolling up the bag and putting the chip clip on, only to take it back off again a few minutes later so I could reach in for another handful.  Salty snacks are my downfall.

Sipped:  My morning cup of coffee.
I really do enjoy coffee, especially that first morning cup.  Over the years, I'm afraid we've become coffee snobs.  We buy whole beans from Starbucks that we grind fresh every morning.  Lately we have been putting some Saigon cinnamon in with the grounds when we brew a pot.  Then I wait for that "beep," letting me know I can pour a cup.  Three Splenda and a generous amount of creamer, and I'm off to my recliner.  I catch up on Facebook, Fox News, Today's website, while sipping on that rich, creamy goodness.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts Government

Here are my entries for today's Joy Dare:

1) Religious Freedom - No man dictates how I worship and serve the LORD.
2) Right To Vote - I exercised this right today.  Hope you did too!
3) Freedom To Teach My Children & Others About Christ - I do not have to be secretive or fearful about sharing my faith.

Rejoice always,

pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts Acorn-Small

Here are my Joy Dare entries for today:

My Wedding Ring Set - I've worn it so long, it seems like it's part of me now.  It's a constant beautiful reminder of the love I have and the promise I made and that was made to me.

Legos That I Step On In The Hall - Those little boogers can sure hurt my feet!  But Robby really likes his Legos and he is so very creative with them.

Coffee Beans - God sure knew what He was doing when he created these.  Then he gave someone the bright idea of roasting the beans and pouring hot water over them - Brilliant!

Rejoice always,

pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

A Gift Gathered, Given, Good...

     Today's Joy Dare assignment is "A gift gathered, given, good."  I immediately thought of one answer that fit all three criteria.  In our garden this year we planted peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, and loads of tomatoes.  With the drought, we did lose some plants, but we were still able to gather quite a few veggies over the months.  It was just a wonderful feeling to cultivate, plant, tend and then see those little plants growing and producing.  We were able to give some to friends and family as well.  As far as good?  If you have to ask then you've never enjoyed Rob's eggplant parmigiana, or some scalded tomatoes with ranch dressing, or fried zucchini.

Rejoice always,

pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

3 Gifts That Start With "N"

Continuing on with Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare, here are my entries for today...

1. Nursing School

     Though I'm not "officially" in the nursing program yet, I will be soon enough.  I am so enjoying going to school and have been really encouraged about the career path I'm on.

2. Naps

     I came home from a day of shopping and visiting with wonderful friends, and immediately laid down for a nap with my sweet hubby.  I just love snuggling under the warm covers and drifting off to sleep.

3. Neighbor Kids

     Nearly every day, our backyard has a few extra kids in it.  I love that our kids have friends to play with, that our house becomes the fun hangout, and that parents feel safe with their kids being here.

Rejoice always,

pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you.

Joy Dare

     I was recently introduced to Ann Voskamp's blog (http://www.aholyexperience.com/).  Let me tell you, God has truly gifted this woman and she is using those gifts to glorify him.  She has a book entitled One Thousand Gifts, in which she encourages her readers to find joy in the here and now.

     In her blog, Voskamp has issued a challenge to find one thousand gifts throughout 2012.  In her Joy Dare (http://www.aholyexperience.com/joy-dares/), she has assigned prompts for each day in order to help the participants.  Today's prompt was "3 Gifts Worn."  When I first read this, I was thinking of clothing and I was struggling a little with finding mine.  I mean, I like clothes and all, but I couldn't think of three specific items that brought joy to my life.  Then I saw some of the entries on her Facebook page.  "Oh," I thought, "not worn, as in clothes; but worn, as in threadbare."  It took me a little bit of time, but I thought of two worn items that cause me irritation and one worn item that I never really gave much thought to.  Here is what I came up with...

-The corner of our living room rug

                                        

     We have a large rug in our living room.  Originally purchased to cover the stained carpet underneath, it is now fraying at the corner and is looking...well...worn.  Whenever the frayed corners catch my eye, I start critiquing the rest of my less-than-perfect house.  I want beautiful things in a beautiful home that others marvel at.  Quite honestly, I want people to be impressed when they walk in.  But here's the thing.  Those corners, they're frayed because people do walk into my home.  People use that rug a lot - neighborhood kids that play the Wii, adults who rest their feet there while visiting, dinner guests walking from the door into the dining room.  My beautiful family lays on that rug or walks over it dozens of times a day.  God bless those beautiful frayed corners.  They are an indication of a house full of people, which makes my heart positively sing!

     - Robby's socks 

     If I've told my son once, I've told him approximately 55 million times that if he goes outside, he either needs to wear shoes or go completely barefoot.  In stead, more often than not, he runs around in his socks.  His socks that used to be thick and white are now stained and holey.  The stains are from the grass and dirt he runs through.  The holes are from the trampoline which seems to be the place where good socks go to die.  It aggravates me every time I see him walking through the house with a toe sticking out of a newly worn sock-hole.  Today, I realized that those holes and stains are something to be thanking God for.  My son is healthy.  He has feet that work.  He likes to occasionally turn off the video games and go outside.  Each hole and every stain is evidence of my boy living and playing and doing what kids do.

- The cover of Rob's preaching Bible

     For years, My husband used the same NIV Bible to preach from.  Over time, the black, leather cover started to curl and look really rough in the spot where he holds it every Sunday morning.  He traded in that Bible a short while ago for a new ESV version.  When I thought about his old Bible, this morning, it warmed my heart.  I have a husband who loves the Word.  I have a minister who preaches a sermon from the Bible every Sunday, which is sometimes hard to find these days.  Rob's hands have left a permanent mark on the cover of that Bible, but more importantly what's inside the cover has left an eternal mark on Rob.  Through this, I am exceedingly blessed.

     So, I'm coming a little late to the Joy Dare party, but I'm going to attempt to keep this up for at least a year, starting today.  I'm challenging myself to find thankfulness and joy not only in the obvious, but more importantly in the things that I allow myself to feel grumpy about.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you