one thousand gifts

Have you read this book yet? If you haven't, you should! This is my all time favorite book.

I had read a few blogs that I follow on occasion, and this book was being mentioned in several of them. I didn't really give it too much thought until the day that my husband and I were in Denver. We had just returned the night before from our vacation, and on this particular day we were waiting on our son to fly home from his Leadership Retreat. We had all day to wait, so we went to a Barnes & Noble to sit in their Starbucks lounge. While waiting, I had my iPad and was looking at some of my favorite blogs and there was this book again. The person writing about it had made a mini-album after she had read this book. She wanted to list all of the things she was thankful for in this mini-album. She also said that she had read and reread the book several times. Well, I'm in a book store with not a whole lot to do, so I decided to go and try to find it. I found it in the Inspirational aisle and it was the only one on the shelf. I took it back to the coffee lounge and began to read it. After a few paragraphs I decided that I had to buy it, I had to have it. I couldn't put it down. I do believe that the Lord put it in my hands just at the right time.

Mentally, I was not in a good place. I was grumbling to God for some things that had taken place in our lives. I think He showed me this book in that blog because He knew I needed the message that it gives. It talks about being thankful; not just for the big things in our lives, like getting a good job, or a new baby being born. Although those things are wonderful and we should thank the Lord for those big things, this book talks about being thankful for everything. Ann Voskamp, the author, had a very tragic thing happen in her life when she was just a child and because of that she had a hard time seeing the good in life even though she had a wonderful husband and beautiful children. A friend challenged her to write down 1,000 things that she was thankful for or things she saw as blessings, gifts. She then began to study this word "thanks' in the Bible. She shares in the book her insights from her studies. You will never look at your everyday life the same again after reading this book. Have you ever had a hard time trusting in God? Give thanks for all things, all days, and you will not be able to not trust God again.

So go and pick up this book. Go to your local book store today or order it on iTunes, Kindle or Amazon, as soon as you can. Then while you are reading it begin your own 1,000 gifts list. I made a framed board and hung it up in our house. Now everyday we write down something that we see as a gift from God. (I'll show you pictures at a later date.)

Dare to live fully right where you are.