Multitude on Mondays - Redux

I'm going to catch up for January on my gratitude list. Just because Ann dared me. I like Ann. I think this is a pretty safe dare! I dare you to join me.

1. Three things about myself I am grateful for.

• I'm generally healthy
• I love deeply
• I have a voice

2. A gift outside, inside, on a plate

• the amazing Alberta sunrises and sunsets
• my sweet, warm, soft, cuddly canine companion, Bernadette
• the pot roast we had for dinner

3. Three lines I overheard that were graces

• A son speaking of his mother: "I have never heard her say anything negative about anyone." Would that it were me, perhaps I can start now.
• "Mercy triumphs over judgment"
• My colleague speaking of his spouse: "My wife is a Proverbs 31 woman." What beautiful praise.

4. One gift old, new and blue

• Old: A parishioner asked me to find audio of "The Servant Song." The lyrics are a gift and a reminder of my calling to be a servant as a follower of Jesus. Click on the title to listen to the song in YouTube.
• New: A dear sister in the church who has gifted me with her time as a volunteer to spend an hour each week folding bulletins.
• Blue: The Alberta sky

5. Something I'm reading, making and seeing

• Reading: Project 51, from YouVersion Bible on iPhone. Reading the New Testament and Psalms in the Message translation over 51 weeks, at about one chapter per day. The best gift today was Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount.
• Making: Strides (in gratitude listing and in the spiritual discipline of being in God's word).
• Seeing: a physiotherapist who is helping heal my physical pain.

6. One thing in my bag, my fridge, my heart

• Bag: A new wallet to replace the one stolen. All the contents are replaced, with minimal impact.
• Fridge: Raspberry Syrup, my son's favorite. Reminds me of him every time I see it.
• Heart: Tremendous gratitude for the people who love me unconditionally.

Tomorrow I will post a separate entry with the three things for January 7. I dare you to join me on this journey to list one thousand gifts, three per day. By the time the year is up, we will have posted or journalled our gratitude and recognition of at least 1000 Gifts. If you'd like to get your own January Joy Dare, go to Ann Voskamp's blog post here and look for the clickable link to the free download.