Counting Blessings

If you are not familiar with Ann Voskamp's new book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, you need to check it out.  It is amazing, to say the least.  I was intrigued by the premise, but I have read many books claiming to help you live your best life or to help you become your authentic self.  Those books that I have read never really seemed to live up to the hype.  This book delivers!  I'm a pretty tough critic when it comes to books like this, but I have to say, it has changed my life. 


Ann explains that in order to get rid of old habits, we have to drive them out with new habits.  It's like the way you would have to drive in a new nail to drive out the old one.  Eucharisteo (living a life of thanksgiving) is at the heart of the matter.  It has challenged me to view all of life as grace, and to start my own gratitude journal.  Since we can only experience one emotion at a time, any negative emotion can be replaced with thanksgiving.  Each Monday on Ann's blog she invites others to link up and count their blessings.  I'm starting now, and each Monday I'd like to make an on-going list of my joys from the previous week.  I hope that you will join me in starting a gratitude journal, either on your blog or on paper (or both).  Let me know if you do!  I'd love to hear about it.

My 1000 Gifts:

Blessings #1-10

1.  The sound of my two boys playing and laughing.

2.  Going barefoot in the grass.

3.  The late evening light just before sunset.

4.  A risen savior.

5.  Memorizing scripture.

6.  Hearing the boys recite scripture.

7.  Singing hymns together as a family.

8.  Planning out my week in my calendar book.

9.  Seeing an old friend.

10.The smell of clean laundry.

Have a blessed day!
-Kel