One Thousand Gifts...

What if

Instead of consuming our minds with what is not good in our lives

We began to see that the small trinkets of blessings in our lives
added up together 

are BIG gifts from the 

heart of God?

What if

Instead of dwelling on the pain that is ever present

or the loved one who is NOT ever present

the loneliness

the illness

or the money that never stretches far enough

We began to see that all around us, 

just past all of these things that stop us cold

there is a storehouse of good things

and treasures of plenty

that are ours already...

but what if 

we miss them.

What if

 we stopped dwelling on the huge inconveniences that overwhelm our lives

and push them aside so we can see these

 tiny 

but

IMMENSE 

moments 

that God places in front of us all day long.

And what if 

we began today to practice being THANKFUL for those things.

We would probably have to 

slow life down

We would probably have to 

open our eyes

And then we would probably have to 

CHOOSE

to give THANKS to God 

for the immeasurable ways He lavishes His

LOVE

on us

And in this process

we might start to see a new heart emerging from inside of us

A thank-filled heart

We might also begin to see the difficult things in a new light

I told you about this book before

and I'll tell you again,

  if you haven't read it

you should

The author has not come up with a new concept

she's not someone to be idolized

She is you

and me

{albeit with an incredible "OTHER world" perspective that is simply not found everyday}

She shares her story of discovery

The discovery of the small and simple

That is really the VAST and MIGHTY

The challenge 

is to lift the chin and gaze 

to what is right in front of you

today

this moment

And find the blessings of God 

right there beside you

It is a challenge to name 1000 Gifts 

that are found in the 

ordinary...

EXTRAordinary

 all around you

To find God's eye is on you 

To live a THANKFUL life

A JOYFUL life

A NEW life

So, here's my plan.  I'm on this journey too.  And in some Bi-Polar-ish way, I have been for some time... yet with an unfocused heart of thankfulnesss.  But, this concept of always looking and intentionally SEEing and WRITING down what I see in the form of a list,this is a new challenge.  

I'm not a consistent list-maker, but I'm up for it. 

 I'll share some, and keep some...just for me.

Here we go...

One Thousand God Gifts

{"The naming of Grace moments"}

1. The first breath of the morning

2.  Children sleeping down the hallway

3. Sun streaming in the window of a quiet house

4. A hot cup of coffee

5. The sound of my washing machine running...

water coming from somewhere outside -soap, cleaning

6. Chapstick found at the bottom of the washer

 that may or may not have put greasy stains on the whole load

a reminder of a young woman emerging 

7. The sound of the wind, the breathe of God, 

blowing outside my window

8. Handmade pottery

9. Healthy hands of the boy who shaped the clay

10. Food on our table 

every

single

day

11. The Bread of Life that we share at our table

12. The reminder of the cross around every corner 

of our home today

13. Words whispered quietly for the one who is absent

"What will a life magnify? 

The world's stress cracks,

 the grubbiness of a day,

 all that is wholly wrong 

and terribly busted?

Or God?"

Ann Voskamp

"In every thing give thanks"
I Thess. 5:18