One Thousand Gifts

It's been creeping into my thoughts for awhile now. "There's got to be more then this. There should be more joy, more happiness." Less anger, less emptiness. Less of the going to be each night and waking up each morning to the "same old same old".

And then I was blessed by the internet. Because it was on the internet that I kept seeing pictures & blog post with the book One Thousand Gifts in them. For some reason that I don't know I resisted buying it. Not enough money; not enough time to read; it won't be worth it.

But was I so wrong. I finally ordered it then stalked my front door for 3 days waiting for it to arrive. And arrive it did. And I placed it on the table and didn't open for a few MORE days. I opened it last night and didn't close it. Until I got a pen and a journal (that I had bought awhile ago just for this purpose) and began counting my 1000 gifts.
10 gifts to start but what a start it is! How happy it made me to write them down and name them. The "small" blessings and gifts that God bestows on me each day.
I went to bed feeling lighter then I have in a long time. Just by writing down 10 gifts! I can only imagine the feeling as I go on, each day becoming more aware of all the beauty that God has placed in my life.
To live a life of Thanksgiving in order to have Joy. How simple it sounds this act of giving thanks & praise in EVERYTHING. It forces my eyes to be open to THIS moment and that is the biggest blessing I can be given at the time. To live fully present now; not to worry about the future or fret over the past. How blessed I've been by Ann Voscamp and I've only "known" her for a few days. I'm excited to see where this journey will lead me. But I can wait. Right now I want to live in the now to see the joy that is available to me in each "present" of my life.
1. Sweet baby hugs

2. Rainbows of flowers

3. Sharp colored pencils

4. days spent with my love

5. blankets to curl up in

6. the love of my parents

7. words on a page

8. red tulips

9. the Love of God

10. New life