"Every breath's a battle between grudgery & gratitude. Give thanks -- & you win joy."
"Life is not an emergency. Life is a gift. Just. Slow. Down."
"Do not disdain the small. If we miss the small moments, we miss the whole."
"The way to give thanks in all things: give thanks in this 1 small thing. The moments add up."
"I only deepen the wound of a hurting world when I neglect to give thanks."
"Thanksgiving makes time. Give thanks, slow time down with all your attention, & time multiplies."
{Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts}
This book has stirred quite a phenomena of sorts in the Christian world - with women, blogging, and chat boards. I started it when it arrived (as a pre-ordered gift from the sweetest husband ever) but slowed down about half-way through. I finally picked it back up when several friends were asking to borrow it when I was done, so I finished it quickly. Ann has one main line, one story woven in every chapter - the book never goes beyond the simple phrases "give thanks" & "Eucharisto". Some have started reading and then keep waiting for the continuation, the plot to thicken, but it doesn't. Ann skillfully narrates her own journey of God teaching and speaking to her on this one and only topic. She is a poetic, emotional writer. Again, a point of criticism for some. I actually appreciate Ann sharing her heart in a very real way with her readers. Growing up in more reserved circles, it was an encouragement to me to love Christ with passion, with great fervor, and to fully embrace this gift we call living. I didn't necessarily agree with all Ann's theological leanings and therein lies my one criticism of the book, or at least my one caution as we pass this books to all our friends, neighbors and acquaintances. Ann's audience is very clearly Christians. There is no clear gospel presentation, no concluding at the cross each chapter. In a round about way, she, of course, speaks of her relationship with Christ, her faith-building circumstances that began with Christ's body broken and blood split, but there were some passages that I yearned for her to speak more plainly the ultimate story. To drive home the one message that makes the rest of the book make sense. To point people to the One Person, that deserves our highest praise, honor and thanks. Again, this was done in a mostly veiled way, in Ann's soft way of writing. Overall, I enjoyed reading this wise woman's voice and it has prompted me to start my own 1000 gifts list.
If you've read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Do you also read Ann's blog or was this the first you've read of her? Are you avoiding reading the book because of the massive hype, good and bad, surrounding it right now? Have you started your own gratefulness list?
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