Joy Dare~ Gifts from God

So I've been reading this book titled, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to LIVE FULLY Right Where You Are, by Ann VosKamp. I've only read half of it so far. There is so much in it that I need time to take in what I am reading. I have also underlined several things. It has made me stop and think of where I am in my life and where I am going. It has made me look at the JOY I have in my life each and every day. And to count EVERY Blessing God has given me and my family. Every month Mrs. Ann post a monthly calendar filled with Gifts 3 a day on her blog, http://www.aholyexperience.com/. For the last several months I have made a copy of this calendar and each month it gets lost in the paper on my desk and I forget. Well this month, August, I finally left it out where I can see it. Front and center, no turning back. And I have been posting these gifts has my status on Facebook. Have I kept up doing it, actually Yes, I have only missed a couple of days of writing them as my status but the days I haven't wrote them I have thought about them. Instead of sharing them I have stored them in my memory bank. So now that I have this blog, I will be putting them on here. So I can go back and see when I get down and out and see how much I am truly Loved by God. So here is the list for the month of August so far...............
Day 1 ~ 3 Gifts white: a blank sheet of paper, Kleenex, a cold glass of milk. 
Day 2 ~  3 Gifts from God: 3 Gifts Eaten: Oreos, homemade salsa, popcorn~
Day 3 ~ 3 Gifts at 10am, 1pm, 10pm: hugs from Isaiah, phone call, sleep~
Day 4 ~ 3 Gifts sitting: watching Saturday morning cartoon with the kids, sitting enjoying a cup of coffee, sitting watching the kids play
Day 5 ~ 3 Gifts outside, inside, upside down: Rain falling, worshiping at church, and kids turning life upside down in a good way :)
Day 6 ~ 3 Gifts in Water from God: the rivers and ponds I fished in with my Dad, my ice cold cup of  water, and my hot shower of the day
Day 7 ~  3 Gifts in His word: unconditional love, forgiveness, eternal life
Day 8 ~  3 Gifts of Summer: all the kids at home, cookouts with Family and Friends, a yummy food from our garden
Day 9 ~ A Gift Hole, Whole, Half....... Hole~ The hole I dig when I plant something to watch it grow or to be able to eat, Whole~ my life that is Full, Half~ Daniel as my half, I couldn't be the Mom or Wife I am with out him. So I guess together we are a Whole~ we complete each other
So I stopped writing them on the 10th through the 15th day but I did say, Thank you Lord for them, in my head and out loud. 
Day 16 ~ 3 Gifts of Family: Daniel- my Fireman- he keeps me grounded, my Kids- my laughter every day, my Parents- my Dad who was always in my corner and my Mom who is a Rock- they showed what true marriage vows mean.

By just counting 3 Gifts a day has shown me there is more to my day. It makes me want to be a better Wife, Mother, and Friend. And It is really hard to stop at 3. Lucky for me there is no rule in just counting 3 a day, just a start to make you think. If you are feeling down and out of sorts, take the Joy Dare of 3 Gifts and see how truly Blessed you are!

I will keep posting my list if not every day at least once a week. 

hugs and prayers~ KMS