Gifts Found in June 2015 - Part 2

The second half of June is well on its way!  Check out Part 1 of "Gifts Found in June 2015" and join me as I continue through the remainder of the month.  Searching each day for God's amazing gifts has has opened my eyes to what God has given and continues to give!

Try it - like Mikey and the Life cereal commercial, "Try it; you'll like it!"

June 8th
3 Gifts Empty

1.  The Gift of Emptiness - Some days I wish I could empty my mind of all thoughts, and just wait in the silence and emptiness to hear His Word, His Voice; but there is so much filling my mind...

2.  The Gift of Observance - The glass is half empty; or, is it half full?  It is all in the way we look at things -

Do we see the part that is empty?

Or, the part that contains half of the drink?

Are you looking at the negative in life (empty);

Or the positive (full)?

God "has our back"; He has already laid out the plans to a positive life!

Let us continue to see and observe the positive life!!

3.  The Gift of Entertainment - "Empty" is life without...

A Television?  Not!

I could life a long time without one!  Give me a radio - music!

I don't need to have a TV anyway...

But that is what the hubby does - he says he doesn't watch that much of it; but, he does!

And I'm not sure what he will do now - he says just go buy one...

Not that easy...

Well, here's "the rest of the story" - my daughter and her hubby blessed us with a new TV the same evening after our ancient model dies!

Yes, we do use it as a means of entertainment; so we are thankful to them for gifting us with this new modern TV!

June 9th

3 Gifts That Really Made You Smile

1.  The Gift of Silence - "Silence" as in ... the TV just went out!  Literally just stopped working!  I smiled thinking two thoughts:

a) Awww, sweet silence! and
b) What is he going to do now?!

So sad to have life controlled by the TV!

{This "gift" and yeserdays seem a bit out of order; but some days I get behind in writing my gifts...so it seemed right to include this one for today!}

2.  The Gift of a Letter - We came home from our errands and doctor's appointments, checked the mail...

I smiled BIG when I saw I had a letter from Melissa K.  We connected through our blogs, and became "Pen Pals" in December/January when we did the FMF(Five Minute Friday) Snail Mail Party...

Happy to keep connecting!

3.  The Gift of Kindness - I received a phone call, but didn't get to the phone in time; so let it go to voice mail...

An elderly-sounding woman was thanking a "fine young man" she had met earlier "under these circumstances"...

After listening to the voice mail, I knew it was a wrong number; so I called back to let her know...

She had been in an accident earlier, and that was how she met the young man.  I am not sure if he was in the other vehicle or a bystander, or what ...

But she was very thankful I let her know she'd called a wrong number.  She said, "There are good people in the world!"

That made me smile - for the young man she spoke so highly of; and for her thankfulness that I returned the call.

June 10th

A Gift at 8 am, 12 pm, 2 pm

8 am - The Gift of Faith - "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11:1 NRSV)

The Thought for Today in my devotion this morning is:  "Remembering our faith stories leads us closer to God."

This scripture from Hebrews begins a vhapter full of faith stories from the Old Testament.

We do need to remember, and share, our faith stories.

12 pm - The Gift of Summer Showers - The clouds darken and fill the sky; a breeze begins to blow through the trees; a distant sound of thunder becomes a closer sound...

The rain falls quickly - and then just as quickly, moves away!

That's how it is - when you're in Florida in the summer!

2 pm - The Gift of Reaching Others - After relaxing a bit, I checked my e-mail and Facebook; I had a reply from a comment I made to a post by Ann Voskamp...

She replied to my comment!  And there were 18 likes to my comment (at that time; later I noted over 30...and more!!).

I guess what I had to say - reached others!!

June 11th

3 Gifts Painted

1.  The Gift of Talent - Highlighting another gift of art - another painting by Candy Waters, the Autism Artist;

A young lady, full of talent, sharing her paintings with the world!

2.  The Gift of Paintings - Art Around Town has come to Jacksonville - again!

{This is one of the last Artistic Statues that we had scattered around the area, in 2009; I went around taking photos of all of the turtles - which is when I became a major "turtle lover"!  This turtle still sits outside the Jacksonville Zoo.}

Now, thanks to Jacksonville's Cummer Museum and Gardens and "Jax Outings" ...

It is part of a "worldwide movement to bring the beauty of Museum collections to the streets" ...

By putting up "pieces" of paintings on buildings around town.

I think it is great,, and need to check them out!  Here is one of them:

3.  The Gift of Nature - A "natural" painting, that of beautiful purple flowers, shared by a bloggin' friend, unfortunately I don't remember who posted it!!

June 12th

3 Gifts Full

1.  The Gift of Enough - I was so FULL eating salad, breadsticks and about half of my lasagna at Olive Garden last night; I ate the left-over lasagna for lunch today!

We were celebrating my friend's birthday - which was back in May!!  So happy to be able to get together with her as often as we can!

2.  The Gift of Life - My life is FULL of things to do with my family, friends, my church ...

Places to go; mini trips and vacations, outings with family and friends, scrapbooking, church activities ...

People to connect with, both in person and via Internet!

Thank you God for a FULL life!

3.  The Gift of Health - The Bible says we should be thankful "in all things" ...

Good or bad?!

In "sickness and in health?!

As I continue day (whatever!) of this nasal congestian and a full nasal passage ...

I can be thankful: a) it isn't worse; b) I am not in the hospital; c) it isn't contagious; d) I can still be active, as I can manage it; and e) I am retired and don't have to worry about missing work - 

so, in sickness, God, I give you thanks!

June 13th

3 Gifts Smelled

1.  The Gift of Baking - Right now I am smelling a delicious Corn Casserole baking, my "covered dish" for our dinner at church tonight...

To celebrate the years of service Marilyn gave as organist/choir director.  Sure hate to see her to!!

2.  The Gift of Aged Cheese - Checked my cheese needed for the above recipe - yuck!  It was molded!!

Not a very pleasant smell - had to send hubby out to buy more so I could get the casserole into the oven

{It would see I reversed the above 2 gifts; but the cheese is sprinkled on the top after it bakes!!}

3.  The Gift of Ministry - Walking into the fellowship hall at church, I see tables draped with black cloths, little white sparkly dots sprinkled all over the tables.

In the center, a mirror with three small candles - the smell of burning candles all around.

We are celebrating 26 1/2 years of ministry - our organist/choir director, Marilyn, is retiring!

And, the candles burn throughout the evening, as we celebrate with a meal; the choir - as a flash mob - surrounding Marilyn as they sang "The Music in Me"; a number of speeches and presentations, including a song that was commissioned by the choir to be written in Marilyn's honor, and premiered after dinner!

Yes, she will be missed!

June 14th

A Gift Unexpected, Unwanted, Unlikely

The Gift of Music, Ministry, and Marilyn - Today was a wonderful service of music, celebrating the years of service (ministry) Marilyn shared with us as our organist/choir director.

She received many gifts and cards ...

And she gave each of the choir members a card; even me, who hasn't been able to participate in a while.

She is a special lady!  And, when I opened my card, it said on the front, "Just a Note"...

I had to laugh; the card I gave her was one I made - and it says, "Just a little note!"


This ends Part 2 of "Gifts Found in June 2015"!  Stay tuned for Part 3...