Taking the Joy Dare

Oh dear I am getting a late start... not that unusual. I have decided to use the prompts of Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience Blog. When you visit, scroll down till you see One Thousand Gifts in 2012~ the Joy dare for the month of January. You can print this pdf for yourself and you too can get into a good habit in this new and promising year of 2012. I am going to do 2 a day until I am caught up and on track.

Joy #1:3 things about myself I am grateful for.

• I am a creative thinker. I don't like looking through the same lens as most people. I feel that life should be lived in full color and out loud with lots of laughing, preferably at the beach.

• I am a resolution seeker. It is difficult for me to function in life if a problem is not resolved. I don't sweep things under the carpet easily... now if you were to actually look under my carpets you would find plenty of dust and treasure but that is a different story

• I am an adventure finder. I love to travel and I am always up for a day trip somewhere. It is getting everyone else to board my boat that is the hard part. I don't mind change because I know it is good for me and gets me to grow in other ways, like getting out of my comfort zone and going somewhere new.

Today's Joy #6:One thing in my bag, my fridge, my heart

• I am always trying to dance the dance of the purse. Keeping it functional, with enough room for all I need, when I need it, but then again, not loading it in such a way as to throw out my back. With that said, I have my sons's Hot Wheels car cam-recorder in there because you just never know when I will get the chance to do cool skateboard trick and need to record the bird's eye view of it! See I am already on my way to the Chiropractor...

• Eggs. Colored eggs. Home-raised eggs. We have a flock of 12 girls who have been very good to us. So good, that we have started an egg route in 2021. I now have 4 folks on it.

In my heart...all silliness aside. One thing that has been on my heart is how to navigate parenting high schoolers gracefully. I want to transition into the mentor/encourage-er role and leave the high-alert, duty filled, character training, over-protective, worrier mom behind. I want to let go and enjoy my older kids. Make memories, have adventures, get to know the person emerging. The days of hard-core parenting are fleeting and I am not sure I am acclimating well to the new job description. I am so glad that God's grace is new everyday. And that I don't have to do it alone. He is the greatest parent there is and even knows who and what my children will become. He has plans for them. To prosper them. Plans for their future and their hopes. So what am I all worried about? This promise is for me as well.