I am so thankful for Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Life Fully Right Where You Are. During reading it, I was challenged to see the gifts, the blessings, of each day.
You can read more about Ann here, get more details on One Thousand Gifts, and visit her blog – A Holy Experience.
Not long after reading this beautiful, poetically written and challenging book, I began counting my gifts and this has made such a difference in my life! It has taught me to see gifts of God’s grace and love in each and every single day…no matter how mundane or how downright bad and challenging those days may be.
From the description of One Thousand Gifts:
Just like you, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. ‘How,’ Ann wondered, ‘do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long–and sometimes even dark? How is God even here?’ In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God’s gifts. It’s only in this expressing of gratitude for the life we already have, we discover the life we’ve always wanted…a life we can take, give thanks for, and break for others. We come to feel and know the impossible right down in our bones: we are wildly loved–by God. Let Ann’s beautiful, heart-aching stories of the everyday give you a way of seeing that opens your eyes to ordinary amazing grace, a way of being present to God that makes you deeply happy, and a way of living that is finally fully alive. Come live the best dare of all!
Don’t you want to live that dare?
Living it has had a huge impact on my life and it can on yours, too!
Here are some of the blessings I am counting this week…
870. a failed cake saved (thanks to a facebook comment, a trifle bowl, vanilla pudding and some fruit)
871. enjoying Chick-fil-a for the first time since moving to El Paso
872. learning a new math concept
873. big sister feeding Jenny, “chugga chugga choo choo…into the station”
874. visiting the Farmer’s Market in Las Cruces
875. fresh fruit and vegetables
876. sweet daughter adoring art
877. an impromptu botany lesson
878. popcicles!!!
879. my four blessings…ten thousand beside
880. Daddy & Daughter date to the art museum after chapel
881. glorious sky declaring God’s majesty on a Monday morning
882. family dinner out at Cracker Barrel
883. my boy…funny, sweet & full of charm
884. afternoon art
885. getting an early start on the school day
Giveaway of One Thousand Gifts
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to give away a copy of One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are to one of you! This would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift to your mom, another mom in need of encouragement, a friend, or even to yourself.
To enter all you have to do is comment below telling me of a blessing or a gift of God’s grace that you are counting today. This giveaway will run through tomorrow morning at 10 am EST at which time I will draw for a winner.
Disclaimer: I read One Thousand Gifts on my own and have not received a review copy of the book. I was offered to giveaway a copy to a reader by the Publicity Company, Shelton Interactive and gladly accepted.
Laura C says
The blessing of being able to stay at home with my kids and to make desserts to bless the teacher’s at their school for all of their hard work!
Monica says
Congratulations, Laura!!!! You won the copy of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp. Just respond to this e-mail with your full name & address and I’ll have your book sent to you! I’m so glad you won it!! 🙂
Jennifer Scruggs says
The blessing of HOT WATER, of a hubby handy enough to fix the broken hot water heater, of a friend willing to come help my hubby fix the hot water heater. The blessing of God’s perfect timing— receiving his provision in one area which gives us encouragement for the area where we are still seeking his plan.
Excited about this giveaway, Monica! I haven’t read this book yet, but have been wanting too!
Kari says
The blessing of visiting with a dear friend and fellow chaplain’s spouse this afternoon before her family PCS’s.
Tarissa says
Right now, I’m thankful for God’s grace in giving my family an income. We completely trust in Him to take care of our financial issues. Thank you for offering this book as a prize!