Skip to main content

I'm struggling with the September joy dare because her gift topics are hard to find. Instead of feeling challenged to look even harder, I keep procrastinating writing out my gifts. I want to do the joy dare perfectly, but I can't. Instead of waiting for that magic moment when I will have a perfect answer for each 3 gifts each day, I have decided to just write out 3 gifts from each day and skip the categories.

September 6:

  • #351: Another crazy-busy day that I pray to make it through
  • #352: My quiet, reflective celebration as I replay the events of the day on my ride home from work
  • #353: Excited anticipation of a weekend away with mom, dad and extended family

September 7:

  • #354: Sharing ourselves through hours of conversation in the car
  • #355: Gathering with extended family to celebrate a marriage
  • #356: Excited hugs and smiles at our reunion
  • #357: Getting inside right before the rain starts pouring down
  • #358: Funny and engaging conversation about Meyers-Briggs and everyone's personality preferences

September 8:

  • #359: Breakfast at Peppermint's
  • #360: Restaurant coffee that actually tastes good
  • #361: Midday at The Old Toad
  • #362: British accents and laughing loud
  • #363: Megan and Chris' wedding
  • #364: A beautiful night of celebration and conversation with family

September 9:

  • #365: Sleeping in
  • #366: Brunch and more conversation
  • #367: Visiting Grandad and touring his home
  • #368: Pita pizza's
  • #369: French films with their bizarre story lines and stunning cinematography

September 10:

  • #370: Sleeping in the car and waking up in a new state
  • #371: Finally finding a starbucks!
  • #372: Coming home
  • #373: How the intensity of my week stretches before me and I find myself praying desperately

September 11:

  • #374: Welcoming visitors in my office
  • #375: Seeing 10 people in 1 day, 9 within a 7 hour period
  • #376: How God sustained me in what was impossible
  • #377: The quiet burn in my stomach that warns me I'm pushing it too much

September 12:

  • #378: New contacts
  • #379: Samples of face wash, an answer to a secret prayer
  • #380: Cancellations that feel welcome because it gives me time to breath, to pray, to read and to think
  • #381: Going out to eat
  • #382: When I can really share my heart
  • #383: A friend who really understands

September 13:

  • #384: Another long day of work
  • #385: Being surprised by time I didn't know I would have
  • #386: Watching TV with my mom to unwind at the end of the day

September 14:

  • #387: My first Rotary Academy meeting
  • #388: Feeling excited to work with students in a school setting again
  • #389: When I turn my office in a room of prayer
  • #390: The start of the Aglow retreat
  • #391: My mom and how I forget how absolutely amazing she is and then feel overwhelmed with gratitude and joy when I remember it again

September 15:

  • #392: When I prepare for one thing and something totally different happens
  • #393: When I feel uncomfortable by what God seems to be doing in other people
  • #394: When I realize that my heart is hard toward God
  • #395: The way it hurts when I choose to let me heart be tender again even though that makes it vulnerable
  • #396: Being able to teach what God is teaching me
  • #397: Praying for women
  • #398: Singing

September 16:

  • #399: Nespresso in the morning
  • #400: Fresh waffles
  • #401: Playing with Ava, Noah and Kingston
  • #402: Resting on the day of rest

September 17:

  • #403: Clean teeth
  • #404: Choosing to go to the HOP during the day since it's been hard to get there at night
  • #405: The way I feel close to God when I am there
  • #406: A quieter work week with time and space to enjoy God, take care of responsibilities and connect with people
  • #407: A new season of Bible study under my mom's gifted leadership

September 18:

  • #408: Being at the House of Prayer in the middle of the day, for the 2nd day in a row
  • #409: Getting to leave work early and feeling peaceful about it
  • #410: Babysitting and how excited those kids are to see me

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3 weeks ago today

I got married three weeks ago today. I’ve been thinking a lot about our wedding since that day. This was my first week back to work, which meant that I got to talk a lot about that day and show pictures, because everything is still fresh and new and people are anxious to know how it went. I have missed writing. Several times during our honeymoon, I almost grabbed my laptop because I had the urge to write. I never did, but I wanted to. I think that it felt too intimate to record in some ways. And, in others, I was just enjoying being lazy and carefree. I plan to write about what I remember from my wedding. (Maybe even some things from our honeymoon. We shall see…) I don’t know what I will share, but I want to make a record of my memories and experiences from that day. Just three weeks later, but the feelings are less vivid and the mental pictures are less crisp. Fortunately, our photographer did an amazing job and I am thankful that I have those images to remind me....
2 comments
Read more

Back to School

Well, after four years away from school counseling, I have decided to return. Yes, I'm keeping my private practice in counseling. I will be reducing the number of clients that I see on a weekly basis in order to work 20 hours a week as a school counselor at Rockford Christian Elementary School. This comes in the midst of conversations that I have been having with God about desire. In fact, pursuing this position kind of started those conversations. My good friend Mackenzie, who works in the business office at RCS, told me about the position innocently enough. She wanted me to have the information about the position in case I had any counselor friends who might be interested in applying. What neither she nor I could have known, was how desire would stir in my heart as soon as she started to describe it to me. There are things that I have come to absolutely love in private practice counseling. I love being my own boss, setting my own hours and having complete freedom over...
1 comment
Read more

Wow, it’s March already

I haven’t written anything during the whole month of February. I thought about writing several different things, but never got around to it. I had ideas and I made plans. Unfortunately, they were never realized. It has been a busy month. I got engaged two weeks ago. Ben did an amazing job of surprising me by proposing at 9 PM on a Thursday night, when I thought we were going outside to start my car so I could go home. We stood on the exact spot where we first met in October of 2010, outside what was the barn at Anderson Organic farm, and remembered that first day. He offered me a chocolate, I discovered a ring hidden in the box, he got down on one knee and there were fireworks. (Yes, actual fireworks!) So, we’re getting married in September and I’m excited, but also overwhelmed by all the change and planning. In addition to such a significant change in my personal life, I’m preparing to make some major changes in my professional life. I will continue counseling because I lo...
1 comment
Read more