Joy Dare: February 25th-26th

Feb. 25 - A Gift Worn Out, New, Made-Do
I am grateful for my brain.
I am grateful for my Book of Irish Names that was provided for me just before I made up a story which has an Irish character.
I am grateful for Mom's snow boots that she, Camrynn, and I share.

Feb. 26 - 3 Gifts Seen As Reflections
I am grateful for the observation of how Aunt Cass, Tadashi, and Hiro from Big Hero 6, all reflect each other in the things that they say.
I am grateful to see that a mom's attitude, good or bad, reflects in her family and the lesson I can get from that.
I am grateful that, because of God's grace, my soul reflects the pure white of the snow I walked through today.

Random, but I like the song It Is Well and I found a cool acapella arrangement. I'll put the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG525x2mUTU

Joy Dare: February 24th

Feb. 24 - 3 Gifts Before 11 AM
I am grateful for Camrynn complimenting my outfit.
I am grateful for the Trail To The Tree devotion found on the blog A Holy Experience.
I am grateful for the song "Multiplied" by Need To Breathe.

Joy Dare: February 23th

Feb. 23 - A Gift Of Tin, Glass, Wood
I am grateful for the Tin Man from Veggietales The Wizard of Ha's.
I am grateful for my water jar.
I am grateful for my desk.

Joy Dare: February 22th

Feb. 22 - 3 Gifts That Changed Today
I am grateful that even though I normally don't enjoy Christmas songs at non-Christmas times, I had a few stuck in my head today and liked them.
I am grateful for the warmer temperatures today.
I am grateful for my change in plans in dealing with the mistake I made on my cross-stitch project.

Oh, and I wanted to say that if you like any particular thankfulness prompt, you could comment your three things. I would love to hear them!

Emily's Story

Today, I am having a guest writer. My younger sister, Emily, wrote a short story and she said I could put it on my blog. I think it is quite funny and cute, I hope you enjoy!

The  Foolish Pigs and the Wise Wolf

A wise wolf was traveling in the woods when she heard something: it was two foolish pigs playing in the mud. She was very hungry and she wanted to eat them and she had a plan.  One day she said to them, “Do you want to go to the circus?”

The two pigs looked at each other and smiled. They said, “Yes!” at the same time. And they did not know that wolves were dangerous.  The circus was fun! But with all the fun, the wolf forgot her plan and she did not eat them. She was really hungry she came up with another plan. One morning she asked the two pigs, “Do you like vegetables?”

“Yes,” they said at the same time again.

“I know a great garden filled with lots of vegetables!”

“Yum!” they said at the same time, once again!! At the garden, the pigs ate lots of vegetables, but the wolf did not eat any of the vegetables. Wolves don’t eat vegetables you know. The two pigs got very fat, and the wolf’s mouth watered. When people’s mouth water that means that they are very hungry.  She was so hungry that she did not see the pigs go. They went home to tell their mother how much food they ate. The wolf was very angry! Every time she had a plan it did not work! “Why can`t I eat these foolish pigs?!!” she said. “If they are foolish why can`t I eat them?”

Then in the morning she had another plan, but that plan still did not work. She tried every plan that popped in to her mind. Then the wolf thought, What do the pigs like to do the most? “My plan is AWESOME!” she yelled, and then quickly covered her mouth. And she hoped that the pigs did not hear that.

She said out loud, “But how will I know what they like the most?” She tried to think of a plan that would work. She thought really hard to think of a plan. The pigs have no home so I could take them, she thought. So one morning she got up really early so she could get the pigs without anybody seeing her. But she was out of luck, the mother pig was awake and even worse the mother of the pigs was building a house!  Well it is bad for the wolf.

“Oh no! What am I going to do?” she yelled, and she covered her mouth. She hoped that nobody heard her. The wolf was really angry. The mother pig is building a house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She yelled in her mind. But wait, she thought, that house is very small, like for… her hopes raised up, “Like for one person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” she accidentally yelled.

The mother of the pigs said to them, “You need to build your own house; you are big boys now so you need to live by yourself.” The two pigs were very happy.

“We get to live by ourselves,” the two pigs said at the same time again. “No one can tell us what to do,” said the older one.

The mom said to her sons, “You need to build a house.” And the two pigs nodded at their mother.

The younger pig said, “Hay is soft, my house is going to be made of it, and that means that my house is going to be the coziest house in the whole wide world.

The older pig said, “Wood is smooth, my house is going to be made out of it, and that means that my house is going to be the prettiest house in the whole wide world.

So the two pigs got to work. They had the plan of their house in their mind, but they had no hay and no wood. The two brothers looked at each other. And they waited for something to happen. The younger brother said, “Maybe we will not be able to build our houses.”

So they waited and waited. They decided not to wait, and find the wood and hay themselves. They looked and looked, but could not find any wood and hay. So they gave up, and sat in the grass. While that was happing, the wolf was watching the whole thing. And she was very happy, They can`t build a house, she said in her mind. But still, how will I get the pigs. I`m v-e-r-y hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she said in her mind. She spent all afternoon thinking of a plan that would work. Lots of ideas popped in to her head and on each one she thought that it would work, but on each one she convinced herself that that plan would not work.

Mean while the pigs where on the down side too, but then the pigs heard a voice that said, “Come get your wood, come get your smooth, nice hard wood here!” And he did not stop yelling.

 After a while the older pig decided to get the wood for his house. So he went to the man and said, “May I please have some wood for my house?”

The man said, “You are a pig. But, okay here is some wood.” And the pig was very happy, and he started to build a house.

Now the younger pig heard something, it was a man and he said, “Get your hay here. Get your soft hay here.” And he did not stop yelling.

Immediately the younger pig went to the man and said, “May I please have some hay to build my house?”

 And the man said, “You’re a pig but okay.” And he gave the pig some hay. And now the younger pig is happy.

But the wolf was walking away so the wolf did not see what happened. She was so much in thought of how to get the pigs that she did not see that she was walking in to the sea. And she was mumbling her thoughts, so when her head was under the water she sounded like this,” bubu bu bu bubu bu.”

But then she saw something way under the water and she went to see what it was. It was the lost city of Atlantis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No one was home. Then she remembered that the Atlantis trident can do anything. So the wolf went inside Atlantis and took the Atlantis trident.

And the pig’s houses were now built. The wolf went to the wood house and knocked and said, “It’s your good friend the wolf.” The older pig gladly opened the door. Then right as the pig opened the door, the wolf zapped the foolish pig and the pig was gone but in the pig’s place was a great pile of bacon. And the same thing happed to the younger pig. And the wolf got her supper.

The End

Joy Dare: February 20th - 21th

Feb. 20 - A Gift At Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
I am grateful for the book about the stories behind Easter songs that we read during breakfast.
I am grateful for grilled cheese.
I am grateful for homemade pizza with the movie The Rookie.

Feb. 21 - 3 Gifts White
I am grateful for the new snow that fell today.
I am grateful for notebook paper.
I am grateful for my vase holding my plastic rose.

Joy Dare: February 19th

Feb. 19 - 3 Gifts That Were Plan B's
I am grateful that we decided to move here with Dad rather than us staying behind for a while.
I am grateful for the college major that I chose.
I am grateful for the change in plans of Emily's birthday present.

Joy Dare: February 17th - 18th

Feb. 17 - 3 Gifts Found Giving/ Serving
I am grateful that I gathered clean snow to make snow-cream.
I am grateful for the joy I get in picking out and giving my family gifts.
I am grateful for serving at the nursing home with Life Christian Academy Student Council.

Feb. 18 - 3 Gifts On Paper
I am grateful for the fun essay prompt from my Government book. I had to come up with a bill and write about the benefits and drawbacks to it.
I am grateful for printed Trim Healthy Mama recipes.
i am grateful for the Joy Dare prompts.

Joy Dare: February 16th

Feb. 16 - 3 Gifts In Shadows
I am grateful that you can tell someone is approaching you by their shadow.
I am grateful for the mysteries that can hide in shadows.
I am grateful for God's love overshadowing my sin.

Joy Dare: Feb. 15th

Feb. 15 - 3 In Losing, Finding, Making Something
I am grateful for losing myself to Christ.
I am grateful for finding myself dressed in Jesus' righteousness.
I am grateful for the special Valentine's I made my family.

Joy Dare: February 13th - 14th

Feb. 13 - 3 Gifts Behind A Door
I am grateful for having my own room.
I am grateful for the springy door-stopper that doubles as an instrument.
I am grateful for the will of God that waits behind each door He opens for us.

Feb. 14 - 3 Ways You Feel The Love Of God
I am grateful that God reveals Himself and His love through His Word.
I am grateful that God doesn't just give me what I ask for, but literally comes to dwell in me.
I am grateful for God making my problems and emotions align with my devotion for that day.

Joy Dare: February 12

Alright, first things first: a quick explanation is needed to make this post make since. The word eucharisteo means thanksgiving in Greek.

Feb. 12 - 3 Hard Eucharisteos

I am grateful for PMS that teaches me to overcome my emotions and hormones and makes me rely on God.

I am grateful for our recent move to Maryland from Alabama. It was hard and painful but I have grown a lot from this experience and I know God's plan is better than my own.

I am grateful for the college decision stress I have been going through lately. I believe it has made me more responsible, thoughtful, and mature.

Joy Dare: February 11th

Wow, the month has passed so fast. It's the 11th already?

Feb. 11 - 3 Gifts In Working
I am grateful for the sense of accomplishment when I finish a job.
I am grateful that the hot water warms my hands when I am rinsing dishes.
I am grateful that working gives me the opportunity to think about problems, stories, etc.

Joy Dare: Feb. 10

Feb. 10 - 3 Times You Heard Laughter Today
I am grateful for the discreet giggles during dinner.
I am grateful for Dad, Mom, and I laughing over a word that Camrynn said wrong.
I am grateful for Camrynn's and my laughter when she comes into my room before bedtime.

Joy Dare: February 9

Feb. 9 - 3 Surprise Gifts - Unexpected Grace!
I am grateful for the bad, warning reviews I read about PCC today before I could make my final decision about my college path.
I am grateful for Google documents so I can write a story with my friend who lives in another state.
I am grateful for remembering that I didn't have to double up on my Writing Strands today.

Joy Dare: February 6th thru 8th

Feb. 6 - 3 Gifts Found Outside
I am grateful for Costco.
I am grateful for playgrounds.
I am grateful for our mini-van.

Feb. 7 - A Gift At 11:30 AM, 2:30 PM, 6:30 PM
I am grateful for the patterned Valentine-card-making paper Mom bought for me.
I am grateful for watching Legend of Korra while making cards with Camrynn.
I am grateful for watching Pokemon with everyone while eating dinner.

Feb. 8 - A Gift Broken, Fixed, Thrifted
I am grateful for our trashcan that is still usable even though the lid is broken.
I am grateful for our black laptop that I can Skype on.
I am grateful for my purple formal dress.

Joy Dare: Feb. 5

Feb. 5 - A Gift Stitched, Hammered, Woven
I am grateful for my handmade skirt that I'm looking forward to wearing in the summer.
I am grateful for the hammered gold lamp-stand used in the tabernacle.
I am grateful for over-sized green sweater.

Joy Dare: February 3-4

Feb. 3 - 3 Gifts Found In Writing
I am grateful for the creative outlet I have in writing.
I am grateful for the truth that can be revealed through writing.
I am grateful for the escape I can take in other people's writing.

Feb. 4 - 3 Gifts Found When Bent Down
I am grateful for the bathtub faucet which I saw when I was cleaning it.
I am grateful for dishwasher detergent so that I don't have to wash all the dishes by hand.
I am grateful for my drawer fill with books and notebooks. It is not a shelf, but it keeps them organized for now!

Story Scene

The following scene is from a story I am writing right now. I don't know the title to the story or the scene though, but here it is. Info: Seth and Jamie are young adults and Matsu is a young Japanese girl that Seth rescued.

                Jamie quietly snuck into Seth’s bedroom. His back was turned toward her, but he acknowledged her presence with a small gesture.

                “Is she still asleep?” she whispered, peeking over his shoulder.

                “Yes, she was pretty tired out,” he replied, gently rubbing his thumb across Matsu’s plump hand. “She refused to let go of my hand, even if I was sitting right beside her.”

                “It’s so sweet of you to do this, but it doesn’t look like you’ve gotten much sleep. You got to bed and I’ll stay with her,” she suggested.

                Seth shook his head, “That’s a good thought but I can’t. Not yet anyways. She’s had everything taken from her in so short a time: she needs at least one thing she can depend on.” He sighed and continued in a quieter voice, “I know what she feeling and I can’t leave her floundering.”

                He lowered his head as painful memories flooded his mind. Jamie sat down next to him and stroked his arm, hoping to comfort him. She let the silence hang for a moment before bugging him with a question.

                “How are you going to accomplish your missions if she has to stay with you all the time?”

                “I don’t know. I’ve thought of a few options, but it will all depend on how Matsu behaves. We’ll see.”

Joy Dare: February 2

Feb. 2 - 3 Gifts On Paper
I am grateful for the questions I wrote down to ask Pensacola Christian College.
I am grateful for the beautiful watercolor paintings I saw today.
I am grateful for the new Pride & Prejudice song I am learning on the piano.

Oh, here's the link to the paintings, they are super cool.
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/01/colorful-new-architectural-watercolors-by-maja-wronska/

New Month...Already?

I can't believe it is already February! Well, a new college option has been recently brought to my attention and so I am rethinking my college path. Prayers for wisdom and strength would be appreciated. Thanks. And without further adieu, here are today's three gifts.

Feb. 1 - 3 Gifts Red
I am grateful for auto-correct's red squiggly line that helps me while I'm writing.
I am grateful for the Mexican chicken soup we had for dinner tonight.
I am grateful for the red tape that attaches a feather to a pen I like to use.

Joy Dare: Last of January

Jan. 31 - A Gift On A Paper, In A Person, In A Picture
I am grateful for my most recently written scene. I am trying to apply something I learned about slowly revealing a character's back story and I think it is turning out fairly well.
I am grateful for humor, especially my dad's, William's, and from the show, Downton Abbey.
I am grateful for the antique coin-operated binocular in my desktop background.