Much Needed Joy... Day 2

The day started off fine.  I was excited to tackle Day 2 of the Joy Dare I'd started yesterday.  I even took a photo, first thing when I came downstairs because I knew what my "outside" gift was today (more on that later).  I busied myself in the kitchen, baking a carrot cake for Abide kickoff tomorrow morning and making pastry for the Turkey Pot Pie I was making for dinner.  Julia Child would have been proud of me!  Yet, somewhere in the middle of the afternoon things went south and all godliness went on a mini-vacation.

I'm so not proud of myself, nor do I long to admit that I am the biggest sinner going, (thanks be to God's great gift of grace and forgiveness!!), but this afternoon... um... I could have made a sailor blush with the pent up frustration that spilled out of me from who know's where as things fell on my head from overhead cupboards, and fell on my feet from the under the sink cupboard.  "Calgon... take me away" was the cry of my heart... (that and JESUS.... HELP ME!!!!!).

So... it is with MUCH NEEDED focus on the gifts of gratitude and the need of Jesus' JOY, I bring you Day 2 of my Joy Dare.  Today's challenge (if you're playing along) was:  a gift outside, inside and on a plate.

For my outside gift today I chose this:

Sunshine!

Waking up to the sunshine in the winter is a warm and wonderful gift from God above.  Doesn't this picture make the sun look like a) a star and b) a snowflake? (Thanks to my dirty windows it looks like icicle particles on the edges of the sunburst).

For my inside gift a few things had popped through my mind - my oven (as I was baking the carrot cake for tomorrow morning), the furnace... but it was while talking to my sister in NC, and I was telling her about Ann Voskamp's book (from which this Joy Dare comes), she gave me this... as my inside gift:

My Cordless Phone and Headset

I love my cordless phone and headset!  There are days when my sister (who lives a 14 hour drive away) and I sit for hours on the phone, talking, laughing, praying... all while cleaning our homes with our handy dandy phones strapped to our waistbands and headsets safely attached on our heads.  "Would you like fries with that?"

Lastly, for my "on a plate" gift, I chose this... our dinner tonight.  

Turkey Pot Pie

In this deep dish pie plate, covered in "love" pastry, holds our dinner tonight, for which I am grateful for the gift of plenty.  Our bellies never go hungry (for long), our cupboards and fridge always contain something in which to prepare a meal (even if it's just a PB&J sandwich).  I'm grateful for the gift my Grandma gave me in teaching to make my own pastry that is light and fluffy (and almost melts in your mouth).  I am grateful for my oven after all, for without it, dinner would not have been served like this tonight!

I am humbled by this exercise in "Joy" as at times today, gratitude and joy were replaced by grumbling and anger.  I am ashamed that victory was not mine, but am SO grateful for the One in whom my victory can be found!  Jesus!  I need more of Jesus!!

Well, better go finish prepping for Abide tonight.  May God grant me all I need as I feel SO inadequate to be leading tonight!  But for the grace of God go I....