September Joy Dare

725. Gardening
726. Late nights outside
727. BBQ's
728. Grass
729. Fresh Flowers
730. Box Tops
731. Sunflowers
732. Squash
733. Fresh peaches off the vine
734. Breeze early morning
735. Fresh zucchini bread from oven
736. Sun tea
737. 1st Day of School
738. Nip in the air
739. The garden
740. Corn Chopping
741. Dustin!
742. Hair
743. Time
744. Garden goodies
745. Smiles to a stranger
746. Canned dill pickles
747. Discipline moment
748. Seed to fruit - amazing
749. Artwork on fridge
750. Sunrise
751. Family vacation photo
752. Wall art
753. Big hand on the clock
754. School bus
755. Hummingbirds
756. Pain
757. Self-control
758. Tough love
759. Refuge
760. Higher Place
761. Law of the Spirit
762. Lavender
763. Lesson Notes
764. Baby blanket
765. Tree by the river
766. Map
767. Dustin's creations
768. Joy & tears
769. Peanut butter & jelly
770. Cake & ice cream
771. Meals
772. Prayer
773. Chores
774. Rotten Bananas
775. Old scar healing up
776. Lawn mower
777. Towels in cupboard
778. D's nose
779. Honesty
780. Sharing each others burdens
781. Encouragement
782. It's not @ me
783. Free to receive
784. It's all about faith - Believing in Him alone
785. Instant + i____.
786. Knowledge
787. Connected
788. Brakes on white truck
789. Cucumbers in the garden - slowing down
790. A coffee mug
791. Morning - alone Birthday with Jesus
792. Front porch sitting
793. Sunday afternoon nap
794. Dog kisses
795. Pockets filled with rocks
796. Half eaten graham crackers
797. Laundry
798. Bills paid
799. Canning plum jam
800. Heart to grow in truth
801. Cucumbers still coming out of the garden
802. Love
803. Soccer jersey "Coach"
804. Change - again & constant
805. Addressing bullying
806. A toddler
807. A stray dog
808. Chickens
809. Sewing projects
810. Books
811. Dust
812. Pearls
813. A smile
814. The Sun (SON) Glory

Day 1: Rejoice

This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm  118:24

Celebrations can vary in their styles and ventures.  You don't have to have the biggest party or the largest reception hall with the greatest number of guests in attendance.  No an audience of One will do for me.  Just knowing that today is a new day that the Lord has made just for me to enjoy.  So enjoy I will.  The warmth of the fall sun reflecting off the golden leaves flapping in the tall trees makes me smile.  I take a deep breath and exhale.  I'm alive.  I'M ALIVE.  Yes my past haunts me as I sit still in my recliner this morning, reflecting on chemo poison trickling through my veins.  But I celebrate because I am an over-comer.  I drink deeply the light of the morning and embrace what may come before my path today.  Be happy and show it to the world around you.  I smile more.  I laugh more freely.  I love more unconditionally. I live in the moment for that is all we have.  Time to rejoice and celebrate once again all He has done. 

I'm Alive by Peter Furler

31 Posts in the Month of October

I am taking a blogger's challenge.  Today I will start a 31 day challenge to write on one topic for the month.  Each day will be a new post within this topic.

Read More here to join the fun!

The drum roll please...to announce a topic for this 31 Day Challenge...

31 Ways to Celebrate Beating Cancer - 

Things I've learned after facing the biggest challenge in my life.  How my outlook on life has changed my heart and purpose here on Earth.

Stay connected -- links to each day's postings!

Day 1: Rejoice

Day 2: Embrace Serenity

Day 3:  Simplicity Counts

Day 4: Lessons in Waiting - Part 1: Hope

Day 5: Lessons in Waiting - Part 2: Strength

Day 6: Lessons in Waiting - Part 3: Attitude

Day 7: Letting Others In

Day 8: Log-in to the Logos

Day 9: It's All Small Stuff 

Day 10: A Clean Cup

Day 11: Blessed to Bless

Day 12: Courage

Day 13: Bring Beauty In

Day 14: Extravagant Love 

Day 15: Be Pepared

Day 16:Conquering Perfectionism

Day 17: How to Answer the Question of Why

Day 18: Laugh

Day 19:

Day 20:

Day 21: 

Trusting Builds Strength

When I am weak then you are strong.  Why then do I feel so weak?  Why do I feel so inadequate to accomplish the tasks before me?  It's only in this moment that I realize it's because of my weakness I rest upon your strength to carry me.  His sufficiency sustains.  My lack of focus and ability to see the super in the natural sits on the curb.  I allow the pressures of the day and the distractions of the moment keep me from fully trusting.  That is really what it boils down to.  Trust.  Simple faith expresses itself in total surrender of trusting a Mighty God who is able to do more than I can imagine.  I recognize in this moment that I am in a state of neediness so desperate for a Savior.  In rides the white horse...Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father -- he saves the day again.  In my weakness I begin to sing the song of thankfulness.  I am truly thankful for the opportunity of weakness that forces me to recognize my great need for God in my life.  I can't say it enough...in everything, give thanks!  Every obstacle becomes a tool the Master uses to shape us into His image, turning ashes into beauty and making something out of nothing. Once again I know I am just where He wants me.  Totally and utterly dependent upon Him alone for He sustains the weak.

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." James 4:6

"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for thiers is the Kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

Fall Links (Ideas to Encourage You)

Ideas for a Fresh Fall

Maybe it's time to re-visit those New Year's resolutions.  Just in case you are like me I have forgotten completly about them and need a fresh start.  Fall is just a perfect time to start fresh again.. With the kids back in school I feel a sense of fresh order in the house.  Its the perfect time to clean out the basement, organize a few closets or do some painting.  No that I really have time to do all that, but the thoughts are there.  So here is a list of a few things I am pondering in my neck of the woods this Fall.

Project tips for the home

Organizing  your child's room (fun times!)

Painting Tips

Talk About Sharing (Money) Kid friendly too!

Autumn Leaves Activity Book (PDF downloadable for the kids!)

Must Reads...or read it again!

1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Why study God? An article from Focus on the Family

Improve Your Marriage (How to be Thankful)

Photos to enjoy over and over again

Scripture to meditate on always and forever

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only begotten Son.  That whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life. John 3:16

Be joyful always! Pray Continually; Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

 Philippians 2:3

He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13

For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind.  He turns the lights of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth.  The Lord of heaven's Armies is His name! 

Amos 4:13

In Light of Eternity

What really matters? What are the tasks before me that, in the end will really count for something great?

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal:  "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."  "For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." Mathew 6:19-21

In the midst of my crazy, busy and often stressful day I am bombarded with choices.  How to spend my time.  Where I give my devotion to or for.  I sense a deep pulling a tug-of-war in my soul.  Everything is pulling at me.

• Family
• Friends
• Laundry
• Cooking
• Cleaning
• Animals
• Garden
• Yard work
• Bills
• Email
• Facebook
• Pinetrest
• Netflix

It's the struggle I know Martha was too familar with.  So many tasks to do in a day.  Feeling like know one even cares or notices how many things I have to do.  Yet in the early morning, before dawn, in the silence I make a radical decision.  Yes I said radical.  Jesus was radical.  I begin my day as I listen, I wait, I ponder, I medidatate, I pray.

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

In that quiet moment I hear His voice, above the noise and distractions of my life and long to do list. My sense of direction is restored.  I am now ready for battle.  My mind, body and spirit are prepared for action.  I have laid down all those things that pull at me.  My heart has been changed.  I begin to see things differently.  Things that really don't matter - in light of eternity.

The weeds have overtaken my yard and for that matter the farm itself.  Yes at some point they may come under control, but for now they can wait.  It is far better to sit here at the feet of Jesus.

I have noticed a shift in my thinking.  It doesn't happen all the time.  But, it does happen more often.  I hear a voice and it's the Spirit prompting me to pray - to pray for others and not to focus on self.  All my wants can be surrendered.  I can trade them for the burdens of others in Christ.  This happened to me the other day, so I thought I would share...

We have been working on our sprinkler system and landscaping.  My pump for the grass is non-operational.  So for now I drag hoses around the yard and move a sprinkler to get the grass watered.  Honestly it's not that hard to do, but I have made it hard.  My attitude and heart were jaded, bitter and resentful.  As I sat the other afternoon in the the shade, breeze blowing I heard the Spirit's quiet voice speak loudly.  He said, Anna, Anna why are you so worried about many things?  You're concerned about how much water your grass is getting to stay green -- yet in other places on earth people do not have Water (Living Water) to sustain them.  What about their worries?  What can you do about that?  I was convicted.  Immediately I thought of faces of children in Sudan -- here I am bent over worried about grass.  Grass that is here today gone tomorrow and has no soul. So I close my eyes and pray.  Because that is really all I can do.  It's so much better than worrying about green grass.

Now when I I have these feelings of anxiety and stress floods my earthly tent, I am reminded that this life is short.  I have an opportunity to choose to lay up treasure in heaven or not to.  To choose to continue to seek gratification in the "perfect green lawn."  It really doesn't matter.  What matters is how my heart is.  When I choose to replace my worries with prayers for those in greater need than my self, it keeps me humble.  It takes the pressure  off and lifts the burden of those things pulling for my attention.  Amazingly I am re-energized and able to face the tasks before me with greater strength and a better attitude. Just maybe the grass will stay green.

Prayers to pray:
Lift up our Christian Brothers and sisters in the Middle East and northern Africa whose lives are threatened by Islamic terrorists.  Pray God will use Christian organizations to save lives, strengthen believers, spread the Gospel in the face of persecution.

Missionaries around the world to be encouraged and strengthened in their personal faith and relationship with Jesus.  Pray for opportunities to build relationships with the people and communities they live in.  Pray Christ is glorified in their work.  Pray also for safety for them and their families as they travel and preach the Gospel.

Pray for orphans, widows and the poor.  That God would be merciful and hear their hearts cry and send them food, resources and Hope.

Pray for America. 

Pray for teachers in our local schools.

Pray for your Pastor and his family.

Pray for your family.

Simply pray and store up treasures in heaven, for that is what matters in light of eternity.

August Joy Dare

Join me in counting gifts! View the PDF file at: August Joy Dare
633. White trim
634. Glue sticks
635. Paper plates
636. Peppers
637. Chocolate
638. Smoothie
639. Clean house
640. New table cloth
641. Cool evening breeze
642. Dogs
643. Pondering
644. Calm - Stillness
645. Peas from the garden
646. Air conditioning
647. Alphabet letters on fridge
648. Algae eater still alive in the fish tank
649. Squirt gun fight
650. Cleanses
651. Psalm 142
652. I call & You listen
653. Hebrews 12:11 fruit of righteousness
654. Late nights
655. Sleeping in
656. Popsicle's
657. In my favorite comfy jeans
658. Summer peach pie
659. Glass of fresh OJ
660. Forgiveness
661. Waiting again
662. Holy humbling
663. Spatula
664. BBQ tongs
665. Wedding ring
666. Magic of an airplane ride
667. Power outage
668. Pennies
669. Freshly mowed grass
670. Plants in my bathroom
671. Grandma's birth stone ring
672. Garden hose
673. Soccer ball
674. Tough love
675. Discipline
676. Standing together
677. Unity
678. Sharing
679. Laughing
680. Clean rugs
681. Dirty mop water - clean floors
682. Garden delights
683. Tomatoes galore
684. Who is like our God?
685. Blog writing
686. People
687. Serving people
688. The WORD preached & taught
689. Chara
690. Gratitude for the opportunity
691. Growth as a leader
692. Straight rows of sweet corn
693. Odd shaped cucumbers
694. Placing lids on canning jars
695. Sun rays early morning
696. Flashlight and batteries that work
697. Night light in kitchen
698. Nannies cedar chest
699. Photos of family
700. Iron skillet
701. Quad
702. Children playing
703. Dogs running
704. Bud vase
705. Roses
706. A child's heart
707. Sunflowers from the garden
708. Apron
709. Wrangler jeans
710. Flowers from a friend
711. Serving Plate
712. Napkins - pretty
713. Blue ribbons at the county fair
714. School to start
715. Blackberries to be ripe
716. One tea bag
717. Two eggs from the coup
718. Three dogs on the bed
719. Sweet raspberries
720. Miniature roses
721. Cherry tomatoes off the vine
722. Hay bales
723. Eating fair food & loving it!
724. Facetime