A Heart Full of Thanks: Counting One Thousand Gifts (295-307))

What is a gift?  The Free Dictionary defines "gift" as "(s)omething that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation."  Imagine receiving something from someone and not having to do or pay something in return!  No strings attached!

I know it's a little early to be thinking about Easter.  After all, we just celebrated Christmas.  But if you'll bear with me, I can explain.

Looking at the image, what do you see?  Three empty crosses, you say?  Look again.  Close in on the one in the center.  Don't you see something else there?  Can't you see Jesus hanging there?

Jesus hung on that cross because God chose to sacrifice him, to give him up for each of us.

"God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die."

 (John 3:16) (CEV)

God's gift to you and me.  All we have to do in return is have faith in him.  And then we are privileged to give him thanks for the many gifts, the small gifts, in our lives.

295.  Freedom from pain.

296.  Fresh eggs for breakfast.

297.  Sun up above.

298.  First daffodils of spring.

299.  Blue skies.

300.  Earth turning green with signs of spring.

301.  Loving kitty rubbing against my legs.

302.  Words whispered by my husband, "I love you."

303.  God's whispers.

304.  Listening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

305.  Healed relationship with my mom before she died.

306.  Spared life of a young physician friend.

307.  Changes taking place in our grandson's life.

Have you thought about counting your gifts?  Linking up over at Ann's today to share.  Come join us!

A Heart Full of Thanks: Counting One Thousand Gifts (261-287)

A Holy Experience

Have you read it?  Maybe you've heard of it.  Have you been counting?  Maybe you're asking, "What is it? And what would I be counting?

It is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and reading this book is and can be life changing.  Ann's unique style of writing transports the reader, at least in my case, to a height of awareness that may have never been experienced before.  The senses become more perceptive to even the smallest of gifts, God-given gifts, around you.

And then you begin to count, each tiny gift, each awe-inspiring gift, one by one until you reach 1,000!

But in this new year of 2012, a new challenge has been brought to the forefront.  It seems Ann agreed with a radio interviewer to challenge the station's listeners to count 1,000 gifts in this year.  And Ann agreed to count with them.

Now, she has challenged her community of followers online, via Facebook, and throughout the space we know as cyber to count along with them -- counting 1,000 gifts in the year 2012.

It won't be hard to do -- 1,000 gifts in 365 days equals out to three gifts per day, and Ann provides on her site, A Holy Experience, a month-by-month Joy Dare list of things to be looking for in your life's days.

I don't know about you but I'm accepting this challenge.  I had started counting last year, but hadn't come close to the 500 mark when I read Ann's post about Joy Dare.  So, here I go covering the first nine days of January:

261.  Good health
262.  Attitude of compassion
263.  Giving nature
264.  Sun breaks
265.  Loving husband
266.  Fresh fruit
267.  "My grace is enough for you."
268.  "The Lord is my Shepherd."
269.  "And you shall call Him Jesus."
270.  Memories
271.  Everett's growth in these three months of life
272.  Peeks of blue sky
273.  Book of James
274.  Working on baby quilt
275.  Hints of spring all around
276.  Time to work on cardigan I'm knitting
277.  Healthy food
278.  Promise to practice more grace
279.  Patience from my husband
280.  Prayers from Margie
281.  Compassion from Genevieve
282.  A tiny ray of sun
283.  Seeing myself in others' eyes since surgery
284.  Hummingbird feeder's shadow on family room floor
285.  Ability to reach out
286.  Buds showing on the hellebores
287.  Sitting next to my husband at a concert

I'm joining Ann and others on her site to share our counting of gifts.  Won't you join us?

A Holy Experience