Part 4 continues posts written for "Gifts Found in April" following Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts", and the monthly list of "gifts". Read the other gifts found in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
{I apologize before you start reading - this post may be quite lengthy as it covers April 23rd - 30th; and I am not a short and concise writer in these "Gifts". Perhaps next month's will be shorter!}
April 23rd
3 Gifts Reflecting
No matter what you feel or think about yourself, always remember these words from Aibileen Clark in "The Help":
"You is Kind.
You is Smart.
You is Important."
And these words found on Pinterest:
Found on Pinterest
Shared by upworthy.com
These words extend what Aibileen said in "The Help", adding to the fact that "You {we} are not alone"!
2. The Gift of Example - What do others see when they look at you; observe what you do; how you act or react? What do they hear you say to or about others?
"Be a reflection of what you'd like to see in others. If you want love, give love. If you want honesty, give honesty. If you want respect, give respect. You get in return, what you give." (These words were shared on Pinterest by lovethispic.com.)
What others see in you...
Reflect who you are!
Make it positive!
3. The Gift of Image - Now! Look in the mirror again -
SMILE!
What do you see?
A Child of God...
Reflection of God's own image!
We are made in God's Own Image -
Our lives should reflect that person!
April 24th
3 Gifts Fragile
1. The Gift of Flowers - The petals of a flower blooming on the edge of the yard are beautiful to look upon.
Yet, if held in my hands, are fragile...
If I squeeze too hard, these beautiful petals will fall apart.
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Photo by BJLondon
A flower's petal is so fragile...
Hold them carefully!
Hold them carefully!
2. The Gift of a Child - A child's mind is so fragile, so open to what the world has to offer; and that world can often times be cruel and hurtful to a small one.
Their mind is still learning; their hearts are so full of love; and their life is in our hands, so precious...
A Child is so fragile...
Hold them carefully!
Hold them carefully!
3. The Gift of Heart - A heart is a fragile organ each of us must handle them with care...
For without our heart...
There would be no life.
When our heart is broken, our life is broken;
We are fragile beings...
When our heart is whole, our life can be whole - and complete.
Found on Pinterest
Shared by flickr.com
And, a comment to this image:
"Be so very careful of what you say - you can never press unwind when it's said."
We don't know what our words may do to a person unless we know what is held deep within their hearts...
"Be careful of what you say..."
A heart is so fragile...
Hold them carefully!
A heart is so fragile...
Hold them carefully!
April 25th
A Gift Cloth, Steel, Wood
The Gift of the Nativity: In December 2014, I was excited to be part of FMF Party Snail Mail with a group coordinated by Kaitlyn. We each had a list of names; the list I was on had a total of six ladies, including myself. Once per week for a 5-week period, we sent a card or letter to one of the ladies on the list.
Since it was during Christmas, I also sent each one a Christmas card.
One of the cards I received included a beautiful wooden ornament with the Nativity carved on it...
This Nativity ornament still hangs by my computer, reminding me every day of the gift of a Baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, born in a lowly stable!
1. The Gift of a Smile - Grocery shopping, carts moving this way and that...
Most people rushing through the aisles...
With little thought to others who are also passing by.
Then, somebody stops, smiles;
And motions to you...
Showing a kindess that says,
"You go ahead..."
And smiles again as you, in turn, smile and say, "Thank you."
SMILE at others; you may not know what that smile may do for them - that very moment!
2. The Gift of Acceptance - Today I read a very touching - moving - story on Facebook...
{wish I could find it again so I could give proper credit!}
I will try to relate the story from memory...
A family was enjoying a meal in a restaurant; their young child was sitting in his high chair,
Suddenly he began laughing and giggling -
Very Loudly!
His parents tried to quiet him down, but they were curious as to the reason he was being so loud. When they looked in the direction the child was looking, they saw a homeless man was talking to him from across the room; he was playing peek-a-boo and giggling and carrying on - loudly enough for everyone to hear!
They hurriedly finished their meal and the father stayed back to pay their tab, while the mother and child headed towards the door...
On the way out, the homeless man came up and passed by them, smiling and continuing to talk to the child...
The child reached out and, before the mother could do anything to prevent it...
The child slipped from her arms...
into the man's arms - and laid his head on his shoulder!
The smile on the man's face was so full of love and thankfulness for being allowed to share such a special moment...
The tears in his eyes, as he remembered those of his own that may have done this very thing at some point...
ACCEPT others; you don't know where they have been or what they have been through.
3. The Gift of The Holy Spirit - Leaves on the trees blowing - moving - in the breeze; a reminder of the Holy Spirit, moving in our lives...
Reminding us that He is always with us; carrying us through the hard times - as well as the good times. Carrying our prayers to God when we don't have the words to say...
Remember, we are not alone with the HOLY SPIRIT moving within our being!
1. The Gift of God's Creatures - A turtle, with its dry, rough skin and hard, dark shell, may appear "ugly" at first look. But, a closer look reveals how beautiful and perfectly-made they truly are!
Slow down and "see" God's Creatures!
2. The Gift of Wonder - Gray clouds usher in an afternoon thunderstorm. Though ugly at first, the rain falling is peaceful and calming. Even the lightning and thunder though they can bring ugliness - can still bring about a sense of wonder.
Close your eyes and "hear" God's Wonders!
3. The Gift of Self - My naked body; nobody sees this but me...
The scars and bruises; the not-so-beautiful shape.
My inner soul; only One sees who I really am...
The scars and bruises I carry inside from the experiences of life; the not-so-beautiful I hide inside, away from other's eyes.
I am not beautiful; but I am not ugly...
Created by God...
In His Image!
To me, I may feel "ugly beautiful";
To Him, I am beautiful!
Open your eyes and "know" you are God's Child!
1. The Gift of Refreshment - There's nothing like a glass of Orange Juice for a refreshing, delicious, healthy drink in the morning - or anytime!
2. The Gift of Dance - Two couples on last night's episode of Dancing with the Stars danced to a song with lyrics including these words - "the orange sky". While I don't remember the whole song, or the title, the word "orange" caught my attention.
Dancing releases joy - a joy that you feel deep inside that moves through your body rhythmically...
And releases a joyful dance! I would so love to dance like they do on the show...but - well, joy and movement and happiness; those are gifts I can enjoy...Amazing dance talent...not so much!
3. The Gift of Color - I love color! Especially bright, happy colors...
Like this flower:
This is just one of many beautiful paintings done by Candy Waters, a young girl only 12 years old - with autism. She comes alive through her art that can be seen on her facebook page noted above.
Not only is Candy the awesome artist of this orange flower, she is a red-head...more like a "carrot-top" orange than "red"!
Check out her art...she IS amazing!
1. The Gift of Rescue - A news story caught my attention the other night; one about a group of rescuers freeing a man who had been trapped for over 80 hours following the earthquake in Nepal!
They worked tirelessly for over six hours to free him...
A miracle, for sure!
Then...
Another miracle! A four-month old baby found...
ALIVE!
Stories like these abound when we hear news stories after a disaster...and other stories of life ended too soon.
We have all needed to be "rescued" in one way or another at some point in our lives.
Thank you God for the rescuers...
and for rescuing us from our many and varied "traps".
2. The Gift of a Stone - Quietly sitting on the steps in front of our apartment, a small section of grass and dirt caught my eye. Buried partially beneath thesw dirt were several small stones...
A reminder of another "stone" - much larger -
That held our Savior after he died on the cross;
But what I remembered was not the closed tomb...
I remembered the "stone" that was rolled away -
Showing the world that "He is not here"!
Thank you God for your Son who died, was buried, and rose again...
For us!
3. The Gift of Innocence - A little boy, playing happily in the dirt...
So innocent!
He doesn't know anything about the world around him; all he sees is love, a love he shares with everyone he meets.
Does he know that man down the street may be a criminal? Does he have any idea those children playing across the street may be hungry, or sadly, victims of abuse?
His innocence can be seen in his eyes as he happily plays in the dirt, unaware of things in his world that are not so good. He only knows love and sweetness; he hasn't yet learned that all is not love and sweetness...
So, he continues playing in the dirt...
Innocent and unaware.
And I know he is innocent and unaware; and I pray we can keep him that way -
Until he learns.
As I come to the end of this month of looking for blessings - gifts - in the "every day" things...
Today I received a Gift - Given and Made -
A box full of chocolates donated by Sweet Pete's for our fund-raising retreat this weekend. Maybe not a sacrifice to give...but given and made.
And I think about another gift given many years ago;
A gift given, a sacrifice made, a gift given sacrificially...
The greatest gift of all...
Given by God, who gave His Only Son...
Who Sacrificed His Only Son...
So that we may have life!
So that we may have life everlasting!
And if I haven't learned anything else from looking for Gifts in the Ordinary of Every Day -
I have learned that there are many gifts given to us each and every day...
We just have to look for the Gifts that are right in front of us!
{I plan to continue my journey with Ann Voskamp and "One Thousand Gifts" into the month of May and beyond. At this time I am pondering how to share them on my blog - without it being so long!}
Since it was during Christmas, I also sent each one a Christmas card.
One of the cards I received included a beautiful wooden ornament with the Nativity carved on it...
Photo by BJLondon
This Nativity ornament still hangs by my computer, reminding me every day of the gift of a Baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, born in a lowly stable!
April 26th
3 Gifts Moving
1. The Gift of a Smile - Grocery shopping, carts moving this way and that...
Most people rushing through the aisles...
With little thought to others who are also passing by.
Then, somebody stops, smiles;
And motions to you...
Showing a kindess that says,
"You go ahead..."
And smiles again as you, in turn, smile and say, "Thank you."
SMILE at others; you may not know what that smile may do for them - that very moment!
2. The Gift of Acceptance - Today I read a very touching - moving - story on Facebook...
{wish I could find it again so I could give proper credit!}
I will try to relate the story from memory...
A family was enjoying a meal in a restaurant; their young child was sitting in his high chair,
Suddenly he began laughing and giggling -
Very Loudly!
His parents tried to quiet him down, but they were curious as to the reason he was being so loud. When they looked in the direction the child was looking, they saw a homeless man was talking to him from across the room; he was playing peek-a-boo and giggling and carrying on - loudly enough for everyone to hear!
They hurriedly finished their meal and the father stayed back to pay their tab, while the mother and child headed towards the door...
On the way out, the homeless man came up and passed by them, smiling and continuing to talk to the child...
The child reached out and, before the mother could do anything to prevent it...
The child slipped from her arms...
into the man's arms - and laid his head on his shoulder!
The smile on the man's face was so full of love and thankfulness for being allowed to share such a special moment...
The tears in his eyes, as he remembered those of his own that may have done this very thing at some point...
ACCEPT others; you don't know where they have been or what they have been through.
3. The Gift of The Holy Spirit - Leaves on the trees blowing - moving - in the breeze; a reminder of the Holy Spirit, moving in our lives...
Reminding us that He is always with us; carrying us through the hard times - as well as the good times. Carrying our prayers to God when we don't have the words to say...
Remember, we are not alone with the HOLY SPIRIT moving within our being!
Found on Pinterest
Shared by
April 27th
3 Gifts "Ugly Beautiful"
1. The Gift of God's Creatures - A turtle, with its dry, rough skin and hard, dark shell, may appear "ugly" at first look. But, a closer look reveals how beautiful and perfectly-made they truly are!
Slow down and "see" God's Creatures!
A Diamond Terrapin
Photo by BJLondon
Close your eyes and "hear" God's Wonders!
Found on Pinterest
Shared by maxsteffen.com
3. The Gift of Self - My naked body; nobody sees this but me...
The scars and bruises; the not-so-beautiful shape.
My inner soul; only One sees who I really am...
The scars and bruises I carry inside from the experiences of life; the not-so-beautiful I hide inside, away from other's eyes.
I am not beautiful; but I am not ugly...
Created by God...
In His Image!
To me, I may feel "ugly beautiful";
To Him, I am beautiful!
April 28th
3 Gifts Orange
1. The Gift of Refreshment - There's nothing like a glass of Orange Juice for a refreshing, delicious, healthy drink in the morning - or anytime!
2. The Gift of Dance - Two couples on last night's episode of Dancing with the Stars danced to a song with lyrics including these words - "the orange sky". While I don't remember the whole song, or the title, the word "orange" caught my attention.
Dancing releases joy - a joy that you feel deep inside that moves through your body rhythmically...
And releases a joyful dance! I would so love to dance like they do on the show...but - well, joy and movement and happiness; those are gifts I can enjoy...Amazing dance talent...not so much!
3. The Gift of Color - I love color! Especially bright, happy colors...
Like this flower:
Original Print by
Not only is Candy the awesome artist of this orange flower, she is a red-head...more like a "carrot-top" orange than "red"!
Check out her art...she IS amazing!
April 29th
3 Gifts in Dirt
They worked tirelessly for over six hours to free him...
A miracle, for sure!
Then...
Another miracle! A four-month old baby found...
ALIVE!
Stories like these abound when we hear news stories after a disaster...and other stories of life ended too soon.
We have all needed to be "rescued" in one way or another at some point in our lives.
Thank you God for the rescuers...
and for rescuing us from our many and varied "traps".
2. The Gift of a Stone - Quietly sitting on the steps in front of our apartment, a small section of grass and dirt caught my eye. Buried partially beneath thesw dirt were several small stones...
Photo by BJLondon
That held our Savior after he died on the cross;
But what I remembered was not the closed tomb...
I remembered the "stone" that was rolled away -
Showing the world that "He is not here"!
Thank you God for your Son who died, was buried, and rose again...
For us!
3. The Gift of Innocence - A little boy, playing happily in the dirt...
So innocent!
He doesn't know anything about the world around him; all he sees is love, a love he shares with everyone he meets.
Does he know that man down the street may be a criminal? Does he have any idea those children playing across the street may be hungry, or sadly, victims of abuse?
His innocence can be seen in his eyes as he happily plays in the dirt, unaware of things in his world that are not so good. He only knows love and sweetness; he hasn't yet learned that all is not love and sweetness...
Photo by BJLondon
So, he continues playing in the dirt...
Innocent and unaware.
And I know he is innocent and unaware; and I pray we can keep him that way -
Until he learns.
April 30th
A Gift Given, Made, Sacrificed
As I come to the end of this month of looking for blessings - gifts - in the "every day" things...
Today I received a Gift - Given and Made -
A box full of chocolates donated by Sweet Pete's for our fund-raising retreat this weekend. Maybe not a sacrifice to give...but given and made.
And I think about another gift given many years ago;
A gift given, a sacrifice made, a gift given sacrificially...
The greatest gift of all...
Found on Pinterest
Shared by atthepicketfence.com
Who Sacrificed His Only Son...
So that we may have life!
So that we may have life everlasting!
And if I haven't learned anything else from looking for Gifts in the Ordinary of Every Day -
I have learned that there are many gifts given to us each and every day...
We just have to look for the Gifts that are right in front of us!
{I plan to continue my journey with Ann Voskamp and "One Thousand Gifts" into the month of May and beyond. At this time I am pondering how to share them on my blog - without it being so long!}
Keep counting Barbara!!! I am enjoying your posts :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am still counting...but trying to keep them shorter...at least I am up-to-date as of today!!
DeleteThanks for reading and commenting!