A name

We lost our dog of ten plus year right before Christmas. I though that we would not get another dog soon since we already have two small dog already, but David really wanted another "real dog" as he would put it.
I have two small maltese dogs that together only weight 13 pounds so David does not see them as real dogs.
So for his birthday we begin to look. We found one on Monday. He is a mini Aussie so although he will be bigger he will not be 50 pounds :) my only real request.

Without due here is our new puppy who is looking for a name still. (i want to name him Nomeo but no one is agreeing but Little D)

3 things blue

This summer I did a book study, with 2 other women, using the book "One Thousand Gifts".  It has turned out to be one of the best books I've read.  I have blogged about how it has changed the ay I look at things around before but I will say it again....I love this book and how it has changed my life.

The Joy Dare for the 24th was to capture 3 things blue.  It just so happened to be the day that I received  several boxes with something I had asked a friend to make for me.  Without knowing how much it cost and not caring because I knew I had to have it, I asked her to please try and make this

Ok not the book....the nest.  This is what I received from her today.

She did a wonderful job!  Actually she made me several for a few women I care a lot for.  I love it.  It reminds me of the study we did and how it has change me.  

And it happend to have 3 things blue on it :)

3 gifts from God's Word

David and I are currently memorizing different passages of scripture every week. At the end of the year we will have memorized over 200+ verses from scripture.  Some are passages/bigger sections of scriptures and some are just single verses.  

I don't have any conviction one way or another how people memorize scripture just that they do it.  I believe hiding Gods word in our heart is our best weapon against satan.  

Right now I am working of verses about God's word which happens to be the exact gifts that I'm looking for today.  3 Gifts from God's Word that I have been reading are Matt 4:4 which reminds me that I need to make sure that I am in scripture because man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.  Also, in Jeremiah 15:16 is the reminder that I need to have a daily feeding of God's word because it is there that I will find my joy. Finally, in Hebrews 4:12 I read about how alive and active Gods word is.  

I'm so excited by God's word and how no matter how many times I read a passage of scripture God Word is never stale and it is always working in my life if I let it.  

One that made me Laugh, Pray, & be Quiet

I have excepted a dared  in 2012 to count 1000 gifts.  This has been something that I been doing regularly since reading Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare  to Live Fully Right Where You Are.   I absolutely love this book.  It has been life changing for me.  I love looking for things to thank God for.  Sometimes great things that happen that day or something m kids do that make me laugh but I'm also learning to find joy in difficult circumstances, which is new for me.

If you don't know me very good then you might not know that I love challenges and I love dares, especially if they bring me closer to my God.

So today I have been looking for gifts that make me laugh, pray, and be quiet.

Laugh:  I got to take some time out of my day top teach my son how to shoot a basketball.  He was practicing when he shot the ball straight up in the air and it came down and hit him right in the head.  I could not help but laugh as he looked directly at me as if I had done it.  Love that kid.

Pray:  I have been praying a lot for my oldest baby Jelissa.  She has an amazing future ahead of her if she continues to follow God and his leading.  I had the privilege of praying for her and then talking to her about my prayer.

Quiet:  I was able to sit with a friend and listen to her as she spoke of her prayers for her son.  I love that I can do this.

Yellow gifts

I am taking the "gift dare" challenge from a holy experience, and I have been counting my gifts regularly each day but today yellow gifts have just not shown up. Instead I got....

42. A good pathology report from my doctor
43. A husband who woke up from a procedure which he had to be put under
44. A great report regarding my husband and being cancer free :))
45. A hug from the man I love the most in this world as he counted blessings
46. Came home to a father daughter game night
47. A daughter who is working and getting close to being potty train.
48. Time with kids that I love dearly tonight at church
49. Ice-cream and rootbeer floats with kids that love Jesus
50. Good conversations with friends
51. Birthday surprises

I might not have found anything yellow to be joyful about but I did find a whole lot of JOY!!!

Joy

I am taking a dare to write or take pictures of thinks I'm thankful to God for. I would like to do this for the whole year with pictures but we will see. Here are pictures from the first 8 days of January.