My most wonderful friend Michelle gave me a book last week for my birthday. It's called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. This book moved me beyond words...really got deep into my heart.
The cover states "Dare to live fully right where you are" and the book is about how to find joy in the midst of life. It's deadlines, debt, drama and daily duties. What does a life of gratitude look like when our days are gritty, long and sometimes dark? What is God providing now? She wrote so deeply from her heart about how she discovered more of God, and grace and the life shes always desired by having gratitude for everyday moments, her one thousand gifts. Some days (well alot of days it seems) over the last six years of autism living here there have been many moments devoid of joy in our house. To be honest some days I stumble to my bed late at night exhausted, angry and deeply heart sad. I think that's why this book shook me to my core. That I can choose to see my life, just as it is, as a gift and a blessing. I want that, I want to offer that kind of life to my children, that despite hardships and heartache there are so many more moments of joy that can fill us up to overflowing if we choose that way of living. So that's why Ive decided to challenge myself here to 30 days of gratitude. Will I be able to post here everyday? Realistically, probably not. But I want to record and share with anyone who feels like reading some of the daily gifts I see in my life. :o)
1. Snow in June...(that means I live in Canada! LOL!!) For real, this just happened!
2. New stack of pretty dishcloths from the farmers market in beautiful colors.
3. Amazing Peony flowers that just beg to be admired and touched and smelled.
Hope you will all join in, and maybe have your own posts of what you are grateful for. It is so wonderful to be thankful for what we have been given. 4. I am thankful for all of you sweet readers! Have a super day! xoxox Tam
Well, I can tell you straight away, that I am grateful to have a wonderful friend like you in my life. So full of encouragement, so full of inspiration, so full of talent!
ReplyDeletethis is a beautiful book, i am still reading it. Ann's sentences are full, takes me time to soak them in. it is an amazing thing that hurt, hardship, pain...and joy can occupy the same space, but i am learning it can. and i do believe being intentional about what we are grateful for does something in our hearts.
ReplyDeletegrace and peace
I am grateful that you are sharing your journey with such an open heart and commitment to creativity. You inspire me ♥ Piper
ReplyDeleteI love reminders like this, too....one of my favorites is changing a statement from "I have to do (whatever it is)" to "I get to do (whatever it is)"....changes my perspective and focuses on how lucky I am, rather than burdened.
ReplyDeleteI get to clean my house...so thankful we were able to purchase one recently in the midst of so many losing theirs.
Sometimes it is hard to see the good things in the mundane chores of life. I'll look forward to coming back and reading more of yours :)
this book sounds amazing.
ReplyDeletedo you think it would be good for my friend that just got diagnosed with MS?
i love you girl. i love your witness and your heart and your art and. and. and. oh, and those dish rags!!!! :)
I'm so thankful for you!! How many times can I count the same gift? xo
ReplyDeleteWhat Michelle said! I'm also thankful for your talented photography. Amazing pictures!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how one person's blog can lead you to another and you find the words your soul so desperately needs to hear. I am a big believer in finding "the gifts" that have been sent each day to me. This is my first gift of the day. Thank you. I will run to the book store for a copy of this book.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in my twenty's I worked for an after school program that had children with autism. I would offer to stay with some of those pre-teens so their parents could shop for Christmas, or have a date night. I didn't realize then what that short amount of time did for them. It is only now, at 51 that I understand.
I am sure you as a mother have read everything there is to read about autism, but when a blog leads me to another I just have to think that it maybe a gift for the writer as well. I have a daughter that has a brain disconnect. Long story, but my point is, we used a doctor that did bio-feedback and it helped a lot. He had a little boy with autism and I watched from the first meeting until 8 weeks later when I saw him again. The difference was truly amazing. For him. You may already know this technique, but if not, take a few minutes to look it up on line. It is not a proven method. If it works, it works.
thank you for sharing your gifts though words and photographs. Have a blessed day.