1,000 Gifts

About a year ago, I was introduced to this amazing writer, Ann Voskamp.  She blogs at A Holy Experience.  This woman has been through some trials in her life.  She began writing down things she was thankful for each day.  She calls it a dare to live fully, right where you are.  I decided to take her dare and I've been recording my gifts for the past few weeks. 

Here is a letter from her that is on her website:

A Letter From Ann

Dear Friend…

Haven’t we met before?

I’m the lady around the corner trying to keep up with all the kids and the laundry and the bills and the dishes and who can never find the last library book that was due yesterday, the one finding the planet all spun a bit so fast that life can make her dizzy.

You too? Small world.

Maybe you too are looking to really, fully live, right where you are?

We have got to find ways.  For the ways we live now is the way we live.

Life isn’t an emergency.

Can I tell you what I did, that changed my life? In the deepest, most meaningful ways? I wrote a book about the whole radical journey and what really happened… (You can read what people are really saying about it here.) …

But this is how it began… and it’s sort of crazy, and it seems ridiculous, even trivial. I named daily blessings, literally counting everyday gifts – all the way up to one thousand – more!

But this is how the change started:

1. Morning shadows across old floors
2. Jam piled high on toast
3. Cry of a blue jay high in the spruce

I know. I didn’t think I was fixing anything in the beginning either. But this literal counting of everyday gifts — all the way up to one thousand — more — what if it’s this wildly simple way to move our focus beyond burdens of life to the blessings of now?

I’d no idea that that this making a list of blessings  it’s actually guaranteed to change your life. I mean — if I told you that that doing this one thing increases your happiness, improves your physical health, and is exactly what God made you for –  would you do it?

Researchers said of those who do this one thing of keeping a gratitude journal:

“Participants who’d kept a gratitude journal felt better about their lives as a whole and were more optimistic about the future … they were a full 25 percent happier than the other participants.

They sleep 1/2 hour more per evening, and exercise 33 percent more each week and

felt more joyful, enthusiastic, interested, attentive, energetic, excited, determined, and strong.”

That’s exactly what writing down 1000 gifts did to me. It woke me up to really living.

This dare to count a thousand gifts from His heart, it became the ultimate love dare, counting all the ways He loved me.

So this is the thing, friend: What if finding love is as simple as recording 1000 gifts?  We may be women weary. We may be women wounded. But we are women wooed. What woman doesn’t long to be loved, to be treasured, to be showered with gifts? A thousand — more!

Oh friend,  just begin – and wake to find yourself loved.

Every Monday morning, a whole community of us gather together at my place and share our lists and the joy. Isn’t that the memo every Monday needs: that  joy’s possible even here and thanks is the only way to breathe.

We’d love for you to join us and breathe deep — alive.

And the rest of the week? We can meet here. Meet here and change our lives.Meet and share a few gifts, share a picture, share the joy and together encourage each other to slow down because life is not an emergency and taste and see the goodness here and this place is made to be what David speaks of in Psalm 35:18:

“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.”
Together, we can all list a thousand, more, and fill the world with our thanks, a thousand, endless thanks!

Together, right where we are, we could gather at this community watering hole — and drink from the holy grail of Joy.

Lets…

All’s grace,
Ann

“This book is the Song of Solomon for our century.

It is a love letter between Jesus and a woman he has been wooing for a lifetime. And when we read it, we realize her story is our storyand the love language she learns, is one we can also learn.

This is the story of a passionate love affair with a God that is not a distant lover.

This is Mere Christianity from a woman’s perspective.

This book is the love song you will want to listen to on repeat until you know the words by heart.”
~Lisa-Jo Baker,  DaySpring

And here are some of my gifts so far:

1. For a husband that loves me

2. For beautiful Sunshine

3. For quiet during naps

4. For God's Word

5. For finishing the Book of Daniel!

6. Sunrises

7. Getting up for my quiet time

8. Sleeping with my girls in my bed:)

9. A hard working realtor

10. That Jesus Loves us, Oh how he loves us

11. A creative Aunt Gale

12. Being able to do Abbie's shower

13. a nephew

14. forgiveness

15. sisters

16. Last minute visits with friends before I leave Charlotte

17. AWANA

18. heat

19. Life, school

20. Having lunch with Mom , Pam and Sheri

21. reconciliation in a friend's marriage

22. Megan

23. iphones

24. face time

25. DVD players in cars

26. That Jeremy stopped by the school to see his girls

27. smell of clean laundry

28. being able to bless a family in need

29. Africa

30. Gracie's Servant's heart

31.. Clean bathrooms

32. Warm weather in February

Don't you wanna join me?  It's been so neat to count blessing everyday.  God is faithful!