Beth Hildebrand

Jan 5, 20153 min read

Starting 2015 With Joy

All the empty boxes slid down the attic ladder and then down the stairs.

The gifts put in their right places. The ornaments taken off the tree. The manger scene gently wrapped back up.

Being it’s time to take them down isn’t necessarily a joy, because it does make me kind of sad. But there’s so much joy to think of and remember this past month between Thanksgiving and this new year.

Today I’m counting these joys and thanking God for all He gave me this past month.

This year, I challenge you to take the JOY DARE. I took it for the first time on January 5, 2012. It’s worth it. So worth it. It makes me remember what God has done for me – what He gives each day. Gifts. Love. Grace. To me. And to you.

So here’s the end of 2014 and I’m looking forward and looking up to Him with gratitude already for what 2015 holds.

~~~~~~~

#2282 The feeling of walking out of the library with books in your arms

#2283 square dancing with dear friends celebrating a special birthday!

#2284 decorating for a friend’s party

#2285 raking leaves

#2286 eye doctors

#2287 not a long wait on time crunch afternoon

#2288 telling others, most I don’t know, about the IF:Gathering at a meeting

#2289 hearing others stories

#2290 bananas at its perfect time to eat

#2291 IV students here for dinner

#2292 hearing students lift each other up in encouraging words and prayers

#2293 tradition menu at Thanksgiving

#2294 time with family in Cary

#2295 the time and love my mom and aunt put into cooking

#2296 laughter about our dog eating the apple pie while we were out shopping the night of Thanksgiving and the story that will live on

#2297 shopping with my daughter and niece

#2298 our fam ice skating with my sister’s fam and watching/skating with nephew for his first time

#2299 mom playing Christmas music on her piano singing carols with her grandkids

#2300 back at church I grew up in decorated for Christmas

#2301 seeing sweet Polly

#2302 watching Gran play her organ

#2303 Church Chrismon tree and ornaments

#2304 Christmas shopping and coffee break and conversation with sis and bro in law day after Thanksgiving. Just the 4 of us.

#2305 looking at Christmas tree listening to Visioncast

#2306 my husband’s job

#2307 on a walk and seeing houses and homes decorated

#2308 hearing “You’re Here” by Franesca Battistelli

#2309 stories and ornaments from Ann Voskamp’s Unwrapping the Greatest Gift

#2310 our family time together reading about Jesus’ lineage most nights in December

#2311 friends who gave us that book

#2312 husband making Nativity gifts for friends

#2313 annual reunion with college friends

#2314 our server who asked us to pray for her

#2315 our SMC Advent Bible Study

#2316 the words women shared in the Advent study

#2317 the tree stump – in the Word and on my walk the next day

#2318 annual cookie decorating tradition

#2319 a bright, loud, beautiful, colorful mess

#2320 being in the Word with our people – our small group

#2321 Singing a Christmas carol to our neighbor “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, Hey!” with cookies flying off the plate the same time as Hey is heard! Much laughter followed.

#2322 unexpected Saturday before Christmas snow