Joy Dare

I've been working on this 1000 Gifts list for a long time now, and I find myself constantly amazed by the gifts of every day. If I wrote here every day, I would totally be to 1000 by now...way past 1000. Every day is a gift, every sunrise, every sunset, every visit from a friend, every meal, every cup of tea...

I started keeping this list when I found that someone else on my mom-ing message board was keeping a list. Then I found my way over to Ann Voskamp's blog and discovered who she is and where the idea of 1000 Gifts comes from. This fall I read parts of the book. (Then I had to return it to the library.) And now this winter, my Bible study group is going to use the DVD small group study produced by Ann Voskamp.

I am still keeping a list. And, for now, I think I'll use the prompts suggested by the Joy Dare that Voskamp created last year to push me to broaden the scope, to notice things previously unnoticed. I may even pull Mane into the project (I see a craft book on the horizon). But, first, I need to get started myself.

I want to begin with the beginning of January. Each day has a prompt for 3 gifts. Today is the 23rd. So, I'll play catch-up for a while.

Anybody want to join me? Here's the way I roll: There are no rules. Nobody says you have to do the days in order, that you have to do it every day, that you have to follow the prompts, that you can't forget or have life get in the way. Those things get in the way of gratitude. It's called guilt...or shame...or perfectionism... But, the feeling that you have to do this in a certain way at a certain time or else it doesn't count is a distraction. It gets in the way of actually doing anything. So, do Something. One Thing. Anything. Whenever you can. It's better than No Thing.


January Prompts:
1. 3 Gifts Heard
2. A Gift Inside, Outisde, On a Plate
3. Graces You Overheard
4. A Gifts Old, New, Blue
5. Something you're Reading, Making, Seeing
6. One Thing in your Bag, your Fridge, your Heart
7. 3 Graces from People You Love

Those are the prompts. Here's my list (adding to my current list):
401. Fire in the fireplace
402. Humming heater in the kitchen to keep our feet warm on these cold, cold days
403. Those beautiful windchimes can be heard, even in the house, even in the winter, even with the door closed.
404. The stained glass window over the couch in the living room
405. Snow blowing off Lake Calhoun on the way to the salon...This got Mane all excited. It looked like a crazy blizzard, but it wasn't even snowing.
406. Enchiladas. I still remember learning to make them with Vespera and her story of how when the tortilla separates into layers in the hot oil it means that you'll have company for dinner.
407. Mane singing in the shower
408. Axel in the back seat of the car
409. The women of my Bible study catching up with each other and really working toward building a community of care and support.
410. My mom's rings
411. Mango's new video venture
412. Levi's hats
413. Pastrix
414. Cabbage Patch Hat for Mane
415. The red house across the snow...Thanks to my mother-in-law, there are some houses in the neighborhood with some COLOR!
416. Arnica
417. Spinach Dip
418. poor sick, sleeping family members - Mane and Mango. I love them to pieces.
419. Those words that Mango always says, that come so easily now from Mane because he led by example, "Is there anything I can do to help you?" What an amazing thing to teach our children. And I am spoiled that they are always trying to help me!
420. Photo books from my friend...so we can always remember.
421. Facebook messages from Vespera in Oaxaca.

Beginning with 376

376. Encouraging words at Bible Study
377. Time to write in the blog
378. Hashbrowns for lunch!
379. Blankets all over the living room
380. Advent candles at night
381. Finding another Anne Lamott book at the thrift store
382. Funky shop next to Savers where I can buy hair accessories for stocking stuffers
383. Swim practice is going SO WELL for Mane
384. Mane is having a great time doing her first fundraiser
385. The sun shining on the pool at the Y
386. HAVING to come to the Y three days a week for swimming
387. Kind police officers when our house alarm goes off for no apparent reason
388. Mane didn't panic about the house alarm!
389. Running into friends at the Y
390. Internet access at the Y
391. Candy from Mexico (goat milk caramel!!)
392. Sleeping under a quilt I made myself!
393. 7 years later I'm finally ready to THINK about making another quilt
394. Reconnecting with old friends
395. No staff meeting tonight for Mango
396. The scarf my sister in law made for me
397. My mom's pearl earrings
398. My gray fuzzy sweater
399. Birds outside the kitchen window
400. Loads of bird books all over the house

Starting with 361

361. The five of us in the living room with guitars and sheet music, laughing and playing and singing.
362. Movie clips of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
363. The quiet of my living room in the early morning.
364. The ticking of the clock on the mantle.
365. Chanukah lights.
366. Finding out that the Judaica store is still open.
367. Realizing that Advent begins in less than a week!
368. Realizing that I really enjoy making pumpkin pie.
369. Sweet coworkers.
370. Grateful clients, despite what a long difficult day it's been for them.
371. Quick reply to a phone message yesterday.
372. Sleep, enough sleep.
373. Homemade almond milk hot cocoa.
374. Messages from my cousin on facebook.
375. Cleaned out sunroom!!

Starting with 346

346. Mane getting excited about learning Spanish
347. Mane starting swim team at the Y.
348. How much more friendly that Y is than our previous gym.
349. My blood pressure is OK.
350. Seeing Vespera & Niteo today over tea at the kitchen table.
352. Staying calm in the costco craziness...maybe even enjoying seeing people getting ready for the holidays, rather than freaking out over the chaos.
353. Bubbly water with ecodrink.
354. Eyore pj's for Mane for $1 at the thrift store!
355. The book I wanted coming in sooner than expected at the library.
356. Mango's computer works! Yay!
357. My head is OK.
358. Our Thanksgiving jar is filling up!
359. Clay mug with celtic knots for drinking my not-no-coffee this afternoon.
360. Not-no-coffee. Don't ask. :)

Starting with 341

341. FOUR people responding within half an hour to my email plea for someone to bring treats to Bible study this morning!

342. The gentle words of so many grace-filled Christians in my podcast stream over the last few days. I am so proud of the new voices coming out of the church and all the messages of love, grace, peace & humility finally coming from the Christian community. If you haven't heard them, I recommend:

• Nadia Bolz-Weber
• Rachel Held-Evans
• Anne Lamott
• Ann Voskamp

343. So many women's voices in the larger church community!!

344. The soft yellow of the kitchen walls in the morning

345. Funny little orangutan videos on youtube

Starting with 326

326. Chicken Chili in the crockpot

327. Egg muffins in the oven to make a week's worth of breakfasts for Mango

328. The teapot heating on the stove

329. Heating pad on a sore back

330. Sprouted wheat bread

331. Lasagna from Vespera

332. Trail mix from Great Harvest

333. People responding to my sympathy post on facebook

334. EcoDrink & bubbly water

335. Homemade candles on the counter

336. Great new/used coat for Mane at savers (spent $19 on a coat that would have been around $200 new!!)

337. A productive, though daunting doctor visit for our sweet little friend, after years of trying to figure things out

338. the Twin Cities mug

339. cell phones when you need them

340. the Bible study blog

Anne Lamott - podcasts

Since I'm sitting here with a concussion, all I can do is listen to podcasts.

Today's collection is all about Anne Lamott!

on This American Life:

Writer Anne Lamott presents an example of what we can learn from music outside of formal classes. She tells the story of an airplane trip, a song, and a small miracle.

on WAMC:

Renowned author Anne Lamott, whose latest work of non-fiction is Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers is in town this morning to speak at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy at 11 AM. We are thrilled she stopped by here first.

on NPR:

As Thanksgiving draws near, many of us are thinking about what we're thankful for — taking time to consider how best to appreciate what we have in our lives. This year, novelist and memoirist Anne Lamott has focused on using prayer to help express our thanks. Many of her books explore how individuals can transform their lives — how one moves from being troubled to feeling whole. In Lamott's case, she suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse; after hitting rock bottom, she found her faith.

on her new book Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair:

Best-selling and beloved author Anne Lamott calls life “erratic, beautiful and impossible.” There is so much that makes us happy, that is incredible and joyful in life. But sometimes, life punches us in the gut. And it hurts—a lot and for a long time. Death, illness, national tragedies—they can tear our lives apart. And it doesn’t seem fair, or right. How we deal with these moments, how we make it through—that can define us, she says.  In her new book — “Stitches”— Anne Lamott discuss how to cope with grief and hard times. Up next, On Point: Anne Lamott on dealing with the tough and the sad.

  Anne Lamott Shares Personal Wisdom in 'Plan B':

Anne Lamott is known for her quirky, opinionated and decidedly left-wing take on life. The author of nine previous books, including Hard Laughter and Operating Instructions, Lamott has earned a devoted following — especially among baby boomers — for her essays on faith and everyday life.