Joy Dare Trial Run: October 6-7, 2021

This concludes my first week so I guess I'll drop the "Trial Run" part in the next blog title. I'm already seeing the benefit of doing this so I'm all in for 90 days. One interesting thing I've discovered is that you can be grateful for something that isn't necessarily a happy memory. I didn't expect that.

October 6, 2021 - 3 GIFTS REDEEMED

Redeemed is a word I've heard all my life, but I suddenly found myself questioning the meaning and had to Google search it for verification. By the way, Merriam-Webster had some powerful definitions to ponder. The more I dwelled on the word, the more I was taken to a distant memory of a song I haven't heard in years. Big Daddy Weave released "Redeemed" in 2012. As I listened to the lyrics, gratitude poured over me, even as I was convicted by some of the words. Yes, I am grateful to BE redeemed, but I am grateful for the song "Redeemed" today as it reminded me of many things I'd forgotten. I don't always live like I'm redeemed and set free. I can rattle off a lengthy list of past failures because I allow myself to be bound by them instead of living free. The line I am most appreciative of today is the reminder to, "stop fighting a fight that's already been won." Being reminded that He's not done with me yet makes me hopeful when I fail to meet the expectations I've set for myself. I'm not in control and I need to stop fighting. Thank you Big Daddy Weave for "Redeemed." This gal right here needed to hear it again. If you do, too, take a minute to listen at the link below.

Take a listen to the song here:

I am also reminded today of a gift certificate I redeemed for a relaxing hot stone massage and an amazing outside soak in the midst of a busy and chaotic work season. My boss at the time gave this to me so I could experience a time of respite and restoration. I had been pretty drained and was in the habit of taking care of everybody else instead of myself. There wasn't anybody else at the soaking pool that day and the sunshine was just bright enough to be enjoyable and soothing without risk of sunburn or overheating. That was a fun treat, and I am still grateful for that day.

Sometimes I have rotten days. We all do. While I cannot recall a specific day to write about, I know many of them have been redeemed by something good that occurs later in the day. It may have been any of the following: a fight with my spouse, nothing but bills in the mailbox, a flat tire, feeling ignored at the staff meeting, spilling a soda, or countless other things. But dinner with a friend, a playful time with my dog, a funny movie, or a good book has redeemed many a rotten day.

October 7, 2021 - A GIFT BAKED, STIRRED, EATEN

I come from a family of great bakers, and that passion continues with me. I knew this would be an easy one, but it turns out it can be just as difficult to select one from many options as it is to find one when it doesn't come easily. The one gift baked that stands out the most is my mom's cherry pie. It isn't because it was the best memory for baked, but because of what it represented. Yes, cherry pie has always been at the top of my favorite desserts in case you're looking for the way to my heart. I can remember as a very young girl, eating at our favorite local buffet where dessert was included and always wanting the cherry pie. Mom would assure me each time, "You're not going to like it" and point me to something else. Eventually, I tasted it and she was right. Apparently, there are two versions of cherry pies. The one you typically find uses cherry pie filling, often from a can. It's terrible! The pie my mom baked used a filling made from scratch where she cooked canned pie cherries with other scrumptious ingredients before filling the crust, topping it with another crust, and baking it. To this day, it's still my favorite pie. This is special because she chose to make my favorite dessert special for me on numerous occasions. She did it just for me, to show me her love. My appreciation for this has only increased as she no longer bakes.

Stirred also comes from family. Aunt Mary, who is actually my dad's aunt, and married into the family (even though I could swear she's one of us) made the best English toffee to ever cross my tastebuds. I grew up enjoying Almond Roca until I tasted Aunt Mary's toffee. Now I can barely stand the commercial stuff. At least three decades ago, she hand-wrote the recipe on a paper card and shared it with me. It is one of my prized possessions. I've always loved her so much and this is the one small piece I have of her, her handwriting and personal recipe. We have had lean financial years and have been able to make batches of this to sell, allowing us to pay bills or splurge on Christmas festivities. We have made dozens of batches we boxed up and gave as gifts. Other than the taste, the one thing I remember most about the recipe is the stirring. It always felt endless. Often we had to alternate stirring a few times because we were exhausting the shoulder muscles. It has to reach a precise temperature before you add a particular ingredient and then stir continuously, as in, without any breaks at all, for what felt like hours. I know, a quick recipe check would probably show me it was only about 15 minutes. But stirred is the one action I remember most from our toffee-making days. I haven't done this in years, maybe 2021 is the year of toffee returning. 

We moved to a large city, not knowing anybody when we arrived. Six years later we had a handful of friends from church but were still feeling pretty alone around the holidays. Within a few years, we received an invitation to join multiple families for Thanksgiving dinner at a new friend's home. It was a large group, some were strangers when we arrived. None were by the time we left. It was the first time we had eaten with people who would become our family away from home. I'll always be grateful for Thanksgiving dinner at the Martin's home. I still have our name tags in our keepsake box.

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