This book has been like that for me. I would say it is a book that has changed me - which I'm not sure I can say of many books. "This book will change your life" - but usually it just doesn't quite do it. But this one is different.
Ann Voskamp is a mother of six and married to a Canadian farmer, and she went through a tragedy as a young girl. She grew up into a stressed, anxious, Christian woman who knew this wasn't quite right. And through a dare she was given, to list one thousand things she thanked God for, accompanied by a lot of just looking around at the world, writing, talking to God from her laundry piles and kitchen sink - she found the key to Joy, which is, Thankfulness.
As I said before, I have started my own list... I thought I would give you a few of my favourite quotes from this book, which I thoroughly recommend to all of you!!! It is just wonderful.
" From all of our beginnings, we keep reliving the Garden story. Satan, he wanted more. More power, more glory. Ultimately, in his essence, Satan is an ingrate. And he sinks his venom into the heart of the heart of Eden. Satan's sin becomes the first sin of all humanity: the sin of ingratitude. Adam and Eve are, simply, painfully, ungrateful for what God gave." p 15.
"The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it means to live...He has penetrated the whole mystery of life: giving thanks for everything." p 34 quoted from John Piper.
" "A nail is driven out by a nail; habit is overcome by habit." Erasmus said that... I look down at the pen, this pen I keep wielding, one writing her way all the way to one thousand. This pen: this is nothing less than the driving of nails. Nails driving out my habits of discontent and driving in my habit of eucharisteo." p 49
" This, I think, this is the other side of prayer. This act of naming grace moments, this list of God's gifts, moves beyond the shopping list variety of prayer and into the other side. The other side of prayer, the interior of his throne room, the inner walls of his powerful love-beating heart. And I see it now for what it is. this dare to write down one thousand things I love. It really is a dare to name all the ways that God loves me. The true Love Dare. To move into his presence and and listen to his love unending and know his grace uncontainable." p 59
Well, I had better not go on and quote the whole book... By the way, Ann Voskamp also writes a blog which is like a continuation of her book: www.aholyexperience.com
Here are a few of the things I have on my list already:
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