March Joy Dare 4, 5, 6

4. 3 gifts hard to give thanks for

• Work.  I feel like I'm not cut out for work-work, but I know that if I don't work, I'd kill my soul with habitual laziness.  And, I must pay back the mountain-high pile of student loan debt.  And, it's something Father commands of us, for our own good.  Dang it.

• Conflict.  I hate it.  I avoid it like a plague with friends, and find myself in it too often with my family.  But...only close and loving people experience conflict, correct?  The sign of intimacy.  And it's a chance to learn to resolve conflicts in a healthy, loving, reconciliatory way.  The only conflict that seems unresolved-able is between the blue and red -->   Incidentally, there's a wikipedia page O_O; 

• Trials and hard times.  Causes stress.  And yet...
• "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." ~ James 1:2-3

5. 3 gifts found

• my phone, every time: all my friends know that I often carry around a bag resembling a bottomless pit.  Combine that with a fear of losing my phone (after having lost one during a really stressful time, and then being gifted with an iPhone for my birthday couple years ago).  So, every time I have to change locales, or even in between, my friends will hear those infamous words, "Wait, where's my phone?"  and then, rummage rummage rummage.  

• A 10-lb bag of potatoes for $1.99 at Smart&Final.  Such yummy and scrumptious potato salad thanks to MrsRock!

• Pretty clothes for Narutoloverbridesmaid, I had such a great time hanging out with her and A at our JCPenny Shopping marathon.  :)  Shopping without the spending!

6. a gift bent, a gift broken, a gift beautiful

• My elbow.  When I was four, I fell off my training-wheel bike and broke my right elbow.  Luckily, I had a great doctor who fixed it.  So, though it doesn't turn out correctly, it works just fine, and I continue using both my limbs, like typing up this post.  Huzzah!

• My broken yet still functional phone case.  Still protecting my phone from endless falls to concrete. Hang in there, case!

• Today is the first day of Spring.  It's so pretty, and somewhat warm!  I'm enjoying the weather. Contented sigh.