What I Just Finished....a while ago.

Almost a month ago, I wrote about Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.


I'll have to say that it took me a few pages to fully appreciate her writing style, but once I realized how she was crafting her story, I was hooked.


It's not an I-can't-put-this-down kind of book.  For me, it was an I-need-to-put-this-down-and-think kind of book.  Voskamp challenged me.


I thought I was thankful and grateful and all that happy jazz, and I found out I was deader than dead wrong.


In the book, she allows her readers a view into her journey of learning how to really live, how to really love, and how to really be loved.  It all starts with tragedy followed by a dare to write down 1,000 gifts from God.  Not one of those lists five year olds make at Thanksgiving where they have to sit down and really think.  This list is spontaneous.  She leaves a notebook on her kitchen counter and records little gifts and bits of joy throughout her day.


She uses her explanation of her journey to answer hard questions about faith, life, and difficult times.  I kept waiting for her to skate around a question she couldn't answer, but she didn't.  Instead of avoiding the tough stuff, she called on her faith.  


She admitted her faults and weaknesses with an incredible frankness.  It was refreshing.
Being fully present is something I so desperately need to work on, and, as a result, I found this book incredibly inspiring.

I would highly recommend!

And, if you're wondering (which I feel like maybe you are because I would be), I'm making a list of 1,000 gifts, too.