One Thousand Gifts... and a Giveaway

Awhile back, a very dear friend of mine passed along the book, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.  The cover of the book defines it as, "A dare to live fully, right where you are."  I took the challenge, and it has been absolutely life changing.  

What if, instead of living consumed with the daily stresses, the worries and the fears of life, I merely took time, to be thankful?  What if, instead of choosing to dwell on what I don't have and all those things that I think would make me happier, I stopped to dwell on the many, many blessings that I can see throughout my days.  Finally, what if I realized that this was not only a list of things I was thankful for, but truly a list of the many, many ways that God loves me?  

What if I wrote a list of one thousand gifts that I was thankful for?  

If I did... it would probably look a little like this:

And it would include:

19.  Jumping on the bed with Ellee.

24.  Neosporin (really, I'm a big fan... that and a little hydrogen peroxide, and you can fix just about anything)

39.  Ryke's Bakery (best bakery in Michigan)

45.  Getting lost, then getting found

102.  Strawberry Lemon Tea, from a tea house in Boston

116.  Chili's and bad ribs that became good ribs, that became free ribs.

145.  Sweet potato fries

180.  Our yard bunnies... the only other pets that our kids will get for now

218.  Desiring to live big, not small

276.  Ellee telling Christian, "That's not appropriant."  

Just to name a few.  

I'm proud to say that I'm currently on number 279 and counting.  It's been good...  so good, to try to live my life focused on what I'm thankful for.  Focused on blessings.  Focused on those things that make my life what it its.  I know that I will get to one thousand... and then more.  And I'm so excited to see how living fully, living in thanksgiving continues to shape me into the person that I want to be.

If you're looking for a good book, and a good way to live your life you should totally check this out.  

Grab a notebook, and start your list.  Be broad.  Be specific.  Be changed.

Speaking of notebooks, I'm giving one away.  Peggy, of BlacqeeK sent me this amazing hand bound notebook to giveaway to one of my readers.  

This amazing notebook is full of character and would be perfect as a journal, or maybe the perfect place to start your list of one thousand gifts...

Along with the notebook, I will also be giving away 8 of these adorable tags, created by Ashlynn of Sillycyclops.  Ashlynn is an Etsy shop owner and creates amazingly adorable jewelry pieces along with perfectly crafted cards and tags.

These tags can be used to write special notes for just about any occasion.

To enter this giveaway, please check out BlacqeeK and Sillycyclops.  

Leave a comment below, with something that you are thankful for, and then share one of their shop items that you would be "thankful" to have.  

This giveaway will run through midnight on July 28th, after which Random.org and I will pick a winner.


This contest is open to the US only.
 I was sent both items from the shop owners with permission to give them away :)