Six Hundred and Seventy Three Gifts

One Thousand Gifts. One year for my birthday three different people bought me the book, One Thousand Gifts, written by Ann Voskamp. Those that didn't give it to me casually mentioned it in conversation saying they thought it might be a book I would like. I felt like it was a more than obvious sign I was supposed to read it. So I rebelled and didn't read it for a while. Then I did.
It was written in a way that caused my heart to ache. I related to her battles. I loved how God spoke to her and how she responded. I will never look at the tiny bubbles that come out of my dish soap dispenser the same again.
The book challenges you on many levels but one thing that a lot of people have decided to do is to write out their own one thousand gifts list. So dutifully I got my book and was faithful for a while. Then I guess I got more and more UNgrateful and didn't want to focus on my gifts but my sadness. Anyway so I stopped. I found my book a couple days ago and was looking through some of the six hundred and seventy three gifts I had written down.
There is something powerful in taking your thoughts captive. Eyes opened to the gifts.

I started my book May 1, 2013 and wrote

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart ~ William Wordsworth

'I find the breathings of my heart are mostly negative and ugly. I despise this ~ enough that I want to give myself real opportunity to change. I am inspired through reading Ann Voskamp's book to attempt to keep a record of purity and beauty translating to thankfulness; hoping that by filling this book my heart will be more filled with purity and beauty and therefore thankfulness rather than impatience, unthankfulness and depression.'

My first entry happened as I was driving down a country road. I was turning left and it was 7:00pm. The sun was filtering through the leaves in the soft light of coming evening. Coming towards me around a curve in the road was a royal blue Model T Ford from years ago. For a moment I was covered in chills, and I felt like I was intruding on a time that had already happened long ago ~ I had been transported back for just a second ~ it was breathtaking. The light, the spring leaves, and the origional beautiful vehicle.

Here are some others:

11. How my little cat Wednesday waits for any spare moment on my lap
14. Hot summer sun's first kiss ~ you stagger a little at the intensity
22. Watermelon juice dripping out of everyone's mouths
37. Freshly shaved legs ~ feeling like I'm trying
44. My wind chime from Heather
80. Ferns uncurling
95. My little bowl from Emily
121. A field of Queen Anne's lace in the middle of the highway
144. Piles of driftwood
164. Wild sweet peas
172. A love filled look - so full of life when accepted
254. The smell of hay
264. Grief - giving me eyes to open wide and to remember
292. Finding a dish towel when I need one
315. Baby teeth
371. Piles of glistening purple star fish
403. Suntans and freckles
438. A scuttling skunk outside my little fence
445. That walls can always be re painted
448. A pee free bed
488. My grandmother's braided rugs
511. My boy wanting a loin cloth made for him
528. Beautiful bright snow
610. That I could have a midwife
623. The high I get from craft fairs
634. My babie's dimples when he grins
661. Patches of sunlight on the side of a mountain

All of these are every day happenings. They slip by and are gone. However when you are consciously looking for them, looking for the wonder in them; hoping for thankfulness to flood your soul ~ This little list that quickly is not so little....impacts you. It helps you set your heart aright.

Life is
Beauty
Full

Eucharisteo

I wish I could express the wildness and wonder that my heart explodes with when I watch the children that have been gifted to me. When I see my husband living in the moment full to the brim of amazingness and life. When there are smiles and laughter and moments of deep connection. All of this did not just happen. It was not by accident. All these moments come because of choices we have made and I am grateful.

Thank you to my friends who know me and who love me and who bought me this book.

If you have not read One Thousand Gifts, and would like to, let me know and you can borrow one of mine.xo