One of my favorite books is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It was one means God used to give me a toolkit for coping with negative thoughts whenever they become intrusive. There are gifts all around us, no matter what else is going on - and it is so important for us to turn our minds back to the giver of all good gifts.
Here's a partial list just from Tuesday (my birthday).
1. A quiet kitchen early in the morning while I read my Bible
2. The smell of cardamom in baking waffles
3. The blown-glass chicken-shaped egg cups I hardly ever use
4. My favorite purple plumeria patterned dress
5. My glittery purple violin-shaped earrings that remind me of my youngest violin student
6. Modern technology that allows me to see the other members of Community Bible Study Leaders' Council
7. Birthday greetings from other people in Bible study
8. A phone call from my aunt in South Africa
9. Good books to read to my little boys
10. The smell of fresh bread filling the house
11. Kransekake, a Norwegian recipe, behaving well in the tropics
12. The elegant mathematical order of the 18 rings of the kransekake
13. A phone call from my parents
14. Lunch with my whole family
15. The anticipation of staying in my room while my husband and children worked on a secret project
16: Clean, dry laundry for everyone in the family that I could do standing up the whole time
17. Baba ganoush, tahini sauce, falafel, home baked pita bread, and manaeesh that reminded me of Jordan
18. An amazing play written and performed by my whole family, including 3 original songs (their secret project)
19. New clothes and books and money for things I like
20. The fun of 21 candles to represent my age on Mars (and save a trip to the grocery store)
And I could go on, and there are more yesterday, and more today. What gifts have you seen recently that point you back to God?
Here's a partial list just from Tuesday (my birthday).
1. A quiet kitchen early in the morning while I read my Bible
2. The smell of cardamom in baking waffles
3. The blown-glass chicken-shaped egg cups I hardly ever use
4. My favorite purple plumeria patterned dress
5. My glittery purple violin-shaped earrings that remind me of my youngest violin student
6. Modern technology that allows me to see the other members of Community Bible Study Leaders' Council
7. Birthday greetings from other people in Bible study
8. A phone call from my aunt in South Africa
9. Good books to read to my little boys
10. The smell of fresh bread filling the house
11. Kransekake, a Norwegian recipe, behaving well in the tropics
12. The elegant mathematical order of the 18 rings of the kransekake
13. A phone call from my parents
14. Lunch with my whole family
15. The anticipation of staying in my room while my husband and children worked on a secret project
16: Clean, dry laundry for everyone in the family that I could do standing up the whole time
17. Baba ganoush, tahini sauce, falafel, home baked pita bread, and manaeesh that reminded me of Jordan
18. An amazing play written and performed by my whole family, including 3 original songs (their secret project)
19. New clothes and books and money for things I like
20. The fun of 21 candles to represent my age on Mars (and save a trip to the grocery store)
And I could go on, and there are more yesterday, and more today. What gifts have you seen recently that point you back to God?
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