THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS FROM ANN VOSKAMP’S ONE THOUSAND GIFTS
There is a way to live the big of giving thanks in all things.
It is this: to give thanks in this one small thing. The moments will add up
If gratitude is an antidote for anxiety…and giving thanks is a real cure for stress—
why relegate thanksgiving to a holiday *when giving thanks can revolutionize our whole lives?*
So I just keep doing this, recording the gifts, gathering the moments of His grace like manna.
Because joy is always a function of gratitude — and gratitude is always a function of perspective. – And if we are going to change our lives, we’re going to have to change the way we see.
This recording our gratitudes, this looking for blessings everywhere, this counting of gifts — this is what changes what we are looking for. *This is what changes our perspective.*
Thanksgiving is the lens through which God means for us to see joy all year round.
Because Thanksgiving is more than a holiday—
So wherever you are, count your blessings, collect gifts, count it all joy.
Because it’s the brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful, who give thanks for it & discover joy even in the here and now —they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the world.
YOUR TURN
- What good and beautiful things are you focusing on today?
- What joys can you give thanks for and bring light to the world around you?
