A LOVE Dare

Joy.  True joy in it's purest form.  I've seen it in the eyes of the worn face that has aged too quickly.  I've heard it in the bubbling vocabulary of the young twenty-something carving her path.  It shines, it's desirable.  But where does it come from?  How do we obtain it, and after we do, how do we hold onto it and not allow it to flee?  Joy that presses on and overshadows, not just when life is good, but when life is hard.  When it's unforgiving, unloving. 

"Joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped.  God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy." - Ann Voskamp ~ One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

 

I am currently 4 chapters into Ann Voskamp's book.  I can't put it down. Despite a traumatic childhood memory that ripped the hearts of her family, Ann has learned to find true joy in the everyday life.  Through Thanksgiving no matter the circumstance.  I highly recommend her book. And as you begin to read, prepare to unwrap the pure mystery and wonder of God-given joy.

My One Thousand Gifts...

#1....the moon shining through the haze of night
#2....the trees raising bare branches in praise
#3....a house full of love and laughter and dust
#4....tulips bursting forth in spring
#5.....cool, crisp spring air entering the nostrils after a harsh winter
#6....a husband who protects and loves and needs
#7....The soft massage of the Potter's hands on my heart

I dare to be changed.  Do you???