the joy dare ... a treasure hunt for twenty-twelve

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

Proverbs 13:44 (NIV)

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Take the the Joy Dare. Isn’t that what Aristotle said– “We are what we repeatedly do.” Then Christianity isn’t an act — but our faith is expressed only in our habits.

via

Remember the foreign (relatively speaking) language I set out to attempt to speak fluently a short while back? Well, the author of ...

click the pic

...that motivated me toward that end is offering up some timely encouragement to press on.  She dubs it The Joy Dare  - but I see it more as a treasure hunt of sorts  ...

{Download to print here}

 Three gifts a day. 

So simple. 

 Just grab a notebook/journal/this planner/something/anything! to write on


and start

seeking AND finding

joy


in places 


you might never have thought 


to look! 

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Eucharisteo.

You don't hear it spoken much in our day and age where 

"Entitlement" is the native tongue.

There's Just. One. Word. you need to know:

Thank You 

("You" is capitalized for good reason)

But

  - it is important to note three things:

One 

 That word is 

entwined 

like a strand of three cords

with 

Grace and Joy.

Charis. Grace

Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving 

Chara. Joy

(via)

as if to 

commune-icate 

that it is 

impossible

 to have one without the other. 

Two

Eucharisteo is a means of

commune-icating with God.

For some

 this may be intimidating at first.

Three

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Rejoice 

always; 

pray 

without 

ceasing; 

in everything give thanks; 

for this

 is God's will

 for you

 in 

Christ 

Jesus.

I Thessalonians

 5:16-18 

emphasis

added

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Mastery.

 This is the hard part

that might very well require

an entire lifetime of

 practice.

²⁶ While they were eating,

 Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks,

 he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

 ²⁷ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying,

“Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matthew 26:26-29

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If you decide to to join me on this treasure hunt thru' 2012 please let me know so I'll know I have a new traveling companion :)  The more the merrier!  Then head on over to


 A Holy Experience 


to join in with who knows how many others?! 


Still need a bit more motivation?


Well, here you have it! 


Our host (guide?!), Ann Voskamp, is offering those who successfully record 1000 gifts in 2012, the right to enter a drawing for this:

 cick the pic! 


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The fears I’d been feeling, the overwhelmed and uncertain — Is every failure to experience joy because I made an excuse to not give thanks?

via

"practical"-ly perfect - & pretty too!

Strike has a couple of "hobbies", if you will. At least in the sense that she has quite a collection of both costume jewelry and scarves.  I must say, the girl's got nice taste and a style all her own. She can make fancy rhinestone/sparkly earrings, a pretty scarf and a hoodie sweatshirt (seriously!) look as if they were destined to be together!  She found a clever way to organize her earrings by "tacking" them onto a cork/bulletin board - and I believe I've stumbled onto a practical-ly perfect (& pretty!) solution for her necklaces - and perhaps her scarves too. One with the potential to be a fun project for me as well! :) And, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure Playmaker would like one too... ;) 

via

12 picnics of 2012

I had an idea - that being to picnic our way, at least once a month, thru' 2012. And my husband is on board :) Soo -- that's the plan. From experience we both know that half the fun of picnicking, at least when/where we go, is getting there :)  Could get interesting during some of the colder months here in New England - but it's only January and it's really cold out as I type - yet, evenso, I can hardly wait to get started.   I have visions of familiar mountaintops, waterfalls, parks, seashores, shade trees, - and sunrises and sunsets in my head as I type but I'd like to try to fit in some off the wall/unconventional places to picnic too - and preferably at least a few places we've never been before. Hmm...where to go first?! 

How about you? Have you ever picnicked someplace unusual? I'd love any atypical suggestions for places to go, how to get there, what to pack, etc :) 

planning ahead? what if....

edited a bit 

As I was making a few plans for this new year and considering how I hope 2012 will shape up based on the things I plan to do, I stumbled (sometimes it seems as if this is my main mode of transportation) on this:

“God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity when we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.” -A.W. Tozer

via

It has God's "autograph" written all over it.  Relationship (with Him and others).

And I wonder....What if I made a few such plans to do some things that I couldn't possibly do by myself?  But I have a hard enough time making and following thru' with plans that I feel I will have some semblance of success in accomplishing on my own - let alone planning things for which I have to wait for and rely on God and/or others to do their part!  So, in regards to the quote above, immediately I do what I have a knack for doing. I take the most direct route possible to the worst case scenario by starting at "But, what if....." and heading south from there.  I don't get very far at all tho' before a Still Small Voice whispers that I have no good reason to go there and I'm reminded of how it seems in God's Word and from personal experience that God has custom made plans for His children. Even for those of us who don't step out in faith near enough. Plans that, when tossed from the hand of God into the daily mix of what is likely a much more comfortable and independent than God ever intended it to be life I've carved out for myself, will no doubt challenge and stretch and shape me into becoming more of who He created me to be. And I get the impression that God has a sense of humor - in that I can't help but chuckle at my next thought. That being, just that this always seems to happen  ... while I'm busy making other plans ;) 

  Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21(NIV)

first things first

I've decided to keep a list on my side bar of things we do for the first time ever this year. Figure there's no more timely time to begin this list than this, the first day of the new year - especially considering that I already have something to add to it :)


Today, for the first time ever, we made homemade corn fritters. So easy! - and I don't care if I never make regular cornbread again! These tasty morsels are to die for :)  We served them plain with a big pot o' steaming hot chili ... but with butter and maple syrup they would be more like dessert. 

click HERE for the recipe. 

We used gluten free flour - and they were yuuuuummmy.

Happy New Year - SWDB

Please join in with us over at....

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Outside my window...Cold. Bright Sunshine. Clear blue sky.

I'm thinking...about using this planner to help me better manage my home & my time:

via (where you can find a free/blank/printable template)

I'm thankful ... for a fantastic year long celebration of 25 years of marriage to my best friend. Yesterday we enjoyed our last hurrah in that regard by taking the family to a nice  old restaurant:

- and - I'm also thankful for ... the past week and a half where we were free to do almost nothing (key word here) that we normally do :) 

I'm creating ... still working on the quilt that was supposed to be a Christmas present for my son - which is now slated to be a birthday present instead. 

I'm wondering...Do you know what is black and white and green all over??

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Answer: 

For the tutorial to make your own, click HERE

From the learning rooms... I really want to learn how to make the newspaper gift bags above. It doesn't look too difficult. 

I'm reading ...

 Well - actually, I'm just waiting for it to arrive in the mail.

The following caption introduced me to it and motivated me to begin 2012 by placing this children's story/fairy tale at the top of my reading list.

When we read this book , there’s this character that puts on her “habit.” A little hand here pats my shoulder and asks, “What’s a habit?” The amaryllis on the sill, it’s swelling in hope. And I tell Shalom this: a habit is something that is worn. She flickers recognition, nods, turns back to the page. She waits for me to read the next line. I’m sort of struck: A habit is what we wear. A habit is the way we wear our days. Wear new habits and your life gets a makeover. Consistently do things at the same time everyday and find yourself a new person.

via

&

"The theme is as old as the fairy tales, and it is written with a haunting beauty of wording and atmosphere . . . A book to cherish, to read again and again and again." (The Saturday Review )

via Amazon.com

I am looking forward to ... getting back into a routine of sorts.  The fact that I'm actually feeling kinda ready for this is one indicator of how restful our Christmas staycation has been!   :) 

Around the house ... is where I plan to spend most of the day - tho' I think we're gonna head out later for a hike.

I am pondering ... 

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

Sally Edwards

& 

... I'm considering some things I might like to do for the first time in 2012.

In the kitchen...is where we cooked lobstah for the first time evah on Friday evening :) Note to self:  Do not name them before you boil them :/

One of my favorite things...

A few plans for the rest of the week ... Deep cleaning

Here is a picture for a thought I am sharing...