Welcome to Day 13 of 31 Extraordinary Days to Be… Or…simply: Be…
Together, we will learn to Be… to live fully and beautifully in our “skin”
and in our homes and beyond. If you missed The Introduction or you’d like
to follow the entire series, you can find each post listed here.
Do you live in a spot where you can view a sunrise or sunset?
Right now we’re living at the beginning of a private cul de sac. It’s a half mile from beginning to end. This little road runs from east to west. Or west to east depending on your perspective. The beauty for me is that each morning I can sit in my chair and look out the window and watch the sun rise. And in the evening, if we time our dinner just right, we can step out for a walk and watch that fiery ball drop in the west. It’s such a wonderful blessing. I marvel in my quiet time at day break. And it never fails that I look out the window and draw everyone’s attention to the dramatic colors in the sky each evening.
I could live in a place without this view. But instead, God has blessed me with these spectacular sights to begin and end each day.
…when morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy. Psalm 65:8b
A FREE 5×7 printable of this image is available below.
My heart is always filled with joy at these spectacular sights. At these times I am aware of God’s beauty, his creativity, his glory and splendor, his majesty, and his love. How he must smile in my delight of his awesome creation. Though I don’t sing them aloud, my heart is filled with songs of joy.
Hmmm. I wonder if God created the beauty of the sunrise and the sunset for any other reason that his joy and pleasure…and maybe for ours too?
Day 13 Challenge: When you see a sunrise or a sunset do you stop and take in the beauty? Stop and quiet your soul when you see either the rising or the setting of the sun. Allow this small refection of God’s glory to permeate your being. Tell God how glorious he is. Choose to purposefully see the sunrise or the sunset, or both, each day if at all possible. Notice the intricacies and the difference in the beauty.
Hallelujah!
You who serve God, praise God!
Just to speak his name is praise!
Just to remember God is a blessing—
now and tomorrow and always.
From east to west, from dawn to dusk,
keep lifting all your praises to God!
Psalm 113:1-3 The Message
It’s Joy Day!
Today is the day when we look back on the past week and count ‘seven.’
It’s a favorite time for many of you. It’s good to thank God no matter what. That means we give thanks, count our blessings or gifts, no matter what life has dished out.
I’ll begin…
God I thank you for
- being able to wear sandals in October!
- your Word that gives me life.
- delicious butternut squash sauce from Aldi.
- a broken fuel line in the car and the long wait for a repair.
- giving me the discipline to push through and prepare a post each day. (13 already!)
- gorgeous sunsets.
- encouraging friends.
Now it’s YOUR turn!! Please join me by tapping in your ‘seven’ in the “Please Share Your Extraordinary Thoughts” section below. Something happens when we take time to list out our bits of gratitude. I guarantee your joy meter will rise.
Want even more joy? Take the Joy Dare here.
**Click here for a FREE printable of the sunset and verse from Psalm 65.**
Thank you for stopping by today.
I appreciate you and your sweet comments make my day.
Joyfully…
Diane
I hope you’ll consider visiting each day during this #31Day series.
All the posts in the series will be added to this page each day of October.
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What a wonderful adventure this will be as we journey together to Be…
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A Holy Experience + Coastal Charm + The Dedicated House + Cozy Little House + A Stroll Through Life + My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia + Cedar Hill Farmhouse/The Scoop + Kathe with an E + Cupcakes & Crinoline + Our Home Away from Home + The Gunny Sack + Home Stories A to Z + Carolyn’s Homework + A Bowl Full of Lemons + Cornerstone Confessions + With a Blast + Elizabeth & Co. + The DIY Dreamer + Savvy Southern Style + Clean & Scentsible + Oh My! Creative + DIY by Design + Faith Pearls Lace + My Freshly Brewed Life + Rurality~The View From Right There
Your photos are stunning! Thank you for the free printable!
Today, I am thankful for:
1. Ny nephew and his girlfriend finally tying the know (after 12 years together).
2. Others being inspired to do art through my art testimony.
3. God’s gentle and loving discipline.
4. A new red dress.
5. Fresh squeezed Orange Juice!
6. Movie night with the girlfriends.
7. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.
So much goodness in your ‘seven’ Barbie!
But…I must say #4 caught me eye!! So happy for you. 🙂
May your week be stuffed full of JOY!!
Beautiful, beautiful pictures that go along with a beautiful message. Thank you Diane for sharing. Reposted on Deliciously Inspired.
Awwww… thank you sooo much Debbie!!
[hugs]
I love you posts you are a wonderful blessing!
I am thankful for today:
1. Waking up this am. ( that is always a plus) 🙂
2. Spending quiet time reading God’s word
3. The beautiful sunshine and cooler nights.
4. My husband and his way of making me smile.
5. An answer to prayer, my husband noticed an improvement in his eye today ( So Praise The Lord!!!)
6. Talking to my son long distance on his birthday this week. ( It sure brightened my day especially since I miss him)
7. York Peppermint Patties 🙂 some of my favorite waiting for me in the refrigerator. 🙂
Thank you Babette for taking time to share your ‘seven.’ 🙂
What wonderful blessings in your week. God is good! I’m rejoicing with you at #5.
May your new week be full of JOY-filled surprises.
~Diane
1. Being able to wear sandals all year long!!!
2. The magnificent beauty of nature!
3. For the twenty years I had with my late husband.
4. For the 6l years I had with my Mom.
5. For the wonderful Godly women friends in my life who have loved and supported me through everything.
6. For the awesome bloggers that I have met in the last year via internet and FB
7. For FINALLY learning how to be content with my circumstances and to live one day at a time!!!!
And #8 for good measure! Thankful for being guided to Diane’s blog which as so enriched my life!
I love #1 Debbi!!! 😉
You’re grateful heart is so beautiful.
Thank you for #8. You too are a blessing to me.
[hugs]
~Diane
I don’t feel well. But I watched TV church. My neighbor stopped by and we chatted. I shared Jesus with her as I always do and tell her how proud I am of her efforts to get into a small bio lab (she’s in the crime lab now).
I had a sad incident in afternoon and pain in foot and headache and I don’t know where to fit in in my closed world. Of pain and confusion and deep sorrow but I read Gods Words. Pray. And tonight sang song after song from hymnal.
I am in a place of difficulty and confusion and isolation where I miss my Dad for he’d understand. So I cry to Jesus. Oh I was able to finish grueling weeks of neuro testing and gave a verse I’d chosen and stand I’d made of wire. But I said it was for the drs wife. A part of verse is from I Peter where we work with the strength God has given us for the glory and praise of Christ Jesus. What little I do on earth is not for personal gain but to honor God and glorify Jesus. I feel honored my neighbor comes back to hear my encouragement from Christ about burdens…for her bumper stickers declare her atheism. But I love her anyway! And just naturally talk to her and my other atheist friend about Jesus and am open about all these struggles of brain yet where to go but Jesus? Oh my head hurts
“What little I do on earth is not for personal gain but to honor God and glorify Jesus.” That you do, and do it well, Gwen.
You are a wonderful encourager. What blessing you are and have been to me.
Praying for you and asking our Father in heaven for strength and healing and rest for you and your brain.
Big [hugs] my friend.
Wow….phenomenal photos. Just more proof of how loved and cared for you are. Wow..
Sunrises and sunsets are a regular here. And moon gazing. The frost this morning might get in the way of how I view them, but we’ll still have those moments, me and The Big Guy. I feel the shift in my heart everytime….and it’s good.
And ohhh the joys!!
* the gorgeous golds of the tree outside the study’s window
* the moment of discovering I can lift that left leg without assistance
* the trip to the pumpkin patch
* the pumpkins and squash and gourds that called “take me home, take me home” LOL!!
* the gift of watching a mom and child that love each other like crazy
* the sunhine on my toes…. on the patio
* the tractors chugging along with harvest filled wagons
Thanks for helping me stay grateful. 🙂
You know, Mel…I selfishly believe they are just for me. 😉 I enjoy them so very much. That evening walk was quite amazing. I think I did more stopping and standing and looking than walking. Well…eventually I covered all the ground. Ha!! I like “the shift in my heart.” I know exactly what you mean.
Thanks for sharing your ‘seven.’ So much goodness in a week. And it’s all there for the taking. Oh how HE loves giving it out, too.
[hugs]
Oh I love the way you think – what beautiful pictures and beautiful thoughts about our Lord! Saw your link at Cozy Little House, thanks for sharing over there.
Mary
Thank you so much Mary!!! And thanks for taking the time to leave your wonderfully warm and encouraging words!
[hugs]
~Diane
Wow now that’s gorgeous! And I love the seven thoughts to praise God for. Let’s see:
1. Waking this morning to God’s loving care through the night
2. The cooler weather
3. Coffee every morning
4. Time to sit and read my Bible and praise God
5. My wonderful husband
6. Freedom
7. God working in my heart to give me a changed heart to love Him and do for Him.
Doni, we do have so much to be grateful for… Thank you for taking the time to share your ‘seven’ too!
May your new week overflow with HIS Joy!!!
~Diane
What wonderful photos! I posted sunrise photos yesterday too, and like you, feel so blessed to be given these wonderful gifts.
I’m thankful for Jesus, our Rescuer.
I’m thankful for the beauty that still is here, even in a fallen world. (Imagine what it will be like when it is fully restored!)
I”m thankful for a husband who loves me and is kind and generous.
I’m thankful for my friends Bible study group.
I’m thankful for my family.
I’m thankful for my dogs and cat (who are actually a part of the family too)
I’m thankful for spring, summer, and fall to live in WISCONSIN (I won’t mention winter here.)
I’m thankful for a heritage of God-fearing-God-loving-God-worshipping parents.
I’m thankful for books.
I’m thankful for my piano.
I’m thankful for my piano.
I’m taking up way too much space on your blog, but I could go on and on and on! 🙂
Hello! Thank you for sharing that wonderful moment with me through photos. 🙂
How fun that your post was a sunrise, too!
I love your gratitude list!!
Doesn’t it just bless your heart to tap out a list of thanks? It even blessed me to be reading your heart’s joy.
Blessings!!
Watching the sunrise, or set, is a splendor. If one can capture the beauty on their camera, even better! Beautiful shots and versus.
I like your 7 Thankful thoughts! I enjoy attending Church, especially when the sermon is meaningful to me. Makes me think about life.
My Mother-in-Law made a squash for supper last weekend. It was delicious.
#6 and 7 are always important.
I am visiting from Rurality today.
Thanks for sharing in the joy of the moment captured in those photos Robyn, and for your kind words, too.
Yay for your heart of gratitude…and for sharing. 🙂
May your week be Extraordinary!
How magnificent! Praise for this moment, this breath, here, now!
Amen!!
beautiful photos and message!
Thank you sooo much Tanya!!
Wonderful post and how blessed you are ~ gorgeous photography ~ thanks, carol, xxx
Awwww….thank you sooo much Carol!! [hugs]
You are indeed blessed to see both sides of the sun♪ My 7 for today would have to be…lunch with my good friend & neighbor, running into another neighbor at Panera, avoiding rain during my postal rte, enjoying the flight of geese in formation, stockpiling some wood onto my screened porch, not having anywhere to go this evening so I can catch up and comment on a couple of blog hops♫ Have a wonder filled week! http://lauriekazmierczak.com/amazing-grace/
It’s so true. What a gift to be able to see both the sunrise and the sunset. I look forward to my quiet time each morning…seeing the sun rise.
Thank for sharing your ‘seven’ Laurie! Truly seven blessings!! [hugs]
I certainly love this challenge & this post & especially these pictures. It has been a radical sort of week, and I have many things to give thanks for. I’m thankful for…
1. the goodness of God, never failing, always being poured out on us
2. loving parents
3. a dear brother who lives an inspiring life of joy
4. discovering new interests!
5. the blessing of new friends
6. being able to bless others with words & actions
7. the ability to love our God
Sending blessings your way.
xoxo,
Allie
http://framedbygod.blogspot.com/
Allie…your thoughtful remarks are so encouraging. Thanks for taking the time to leave them and your blessed ‘seven.’
May your week be filled with joy and blessing!
[hugs]
Beautiful pictures!! 🙂 Love how you added a verse to your photo.
Thank you so much Sarah. I’m grateful you like the verse on the photo. I know some people think I mess up the photos by adding verses.
Hope your day is Extraordinary!!
How could a verse mess up anything? I’m sorry some people feel that way.
Awww…thanks Sarah!! [hugs]
Thank you for coming by to share on Rurality Blog Hop #41!
It’s my pleasure Madge. It’s so fun to see what everyone links up.
Hope your weekend is Extraordinary!! 🙂