“…this world, though fallen, is filled with delights and experiences and marriage and food and sunshine and beauty. And none of it is the permanent possession of the ungodly. These experiences and delights were invented by God and distributed to us by Him with the original intent of blessing His children and stirring our hearts toward thankfulness.

If that is true now in our daily lives, how much more will the new creation be our experience of God’s ceaseless outpouring of gracious gifts, given to us as we thank and worship Him forever!”

-John Piper

What’s stirring your heart toward thankfulness today? I’m still counting gifts, and praise God, He’s still sending them!

Tuesday’s theme was three gifts burning:

1. the warm autumn sun

2. the fiery orange maple leaves

3. the rubber on the soles of my Keen hiking shoes as I flee from yet another garter snake sunning itself in the grass

Wednesday’s theme was three gifts ugly-beautiful:

1. a Boxelder bug creeping on the wall

2. the story of the Exodus

3. the process of cleaning out the refrigerator and pantry

Thursday’s challenge was a gift shared, a gift saved, a gift surrendered.

1. shared: the stick of birthday bubble gum kindly shared by the youngest daughter

2. saved: her creative writing assignment nearly lost forever in the deleted abyss of Microsoft Word

3. surrendered: the school newsletter surrendered to the hands of the helpful print shop lady

Each day’s theme comes from the Joy Dare calendar at A Holy Experience, which is a lovely site overflowing with thought-provoking words about pursuing joy. Don’t miss the latest post, “Why the Battle for Joy is Really Worth It.”