I was reading a dear friends blog. Kari’s blog is in my “must read” folder on my reader, that is overflowing with too much too read, so that I don’t miss a post.

For this I’m so thankful for. For the other day she was writing about a book she was reading, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

For some reason I was thinking it was a devotional. Some reason I felt like I needed a devotional even though bible study was starting in only a week or so. But the way my friend described the book pulled me in and I quickly added it to my kindle wishlist and as soon as TJ came home I asked if I could buy it.

I was surprised to find that it was more of an autobiography, but her prose pulled me in quickly. When I figured out the meaning behind the title I wanted to know more. I wanted to know how she did it. I wanted to count my own gifts. I wanted her experience of seeing the world in a new light.

Then I started to count my gifts and my heart lightened and my world brightened.

Driving home from a job that is hard on my soul my eyes opened up. I looked out beyond the highway and saw the scattering of dark clouds that threatened rain and I thanked God for them. I thanked Him for the beauty of the sun rays that seeped through the cracks between those clouds. I found myself being filled with His love and His beauty and my heart was no longer heavy from the day.

I want to share my list with you, though I’m not sure how I will do this yet. If I will do as Kari is doing and post my list every weekend. I thought this would be a wonderful meme, but meme’s are so hard to build. I have also thought that creating blessings in images would be beautiful and even have started counting some of my blessings on my pinterest.com.

I stopped, I don’t know why, too busy to take a pause that is so important. But I’m starting over, I’ve been slowly adding it in and today I will share with you my gifts.

  • Waking in the middle of the night to rock my baby who had a bad dream
  • The feeling of his weight draped on me
  • Hearing him suck his thumb as he snuggles back into his blankets, he only needed a few minutes of love
  • Watching the light start seeping through the blinds as the morning dawned
  • A new day
  • Listening to the shower as my husband gets ready for his day
  • Being awake enough to say good bye to him
  • A little more sleep
  • Little boys who climb into my bed to snuggle
  • Listening to battle hymns being song by my little boy
  • Finding forgotten grapes in the bottom of the fridge
  • Little toddler “ank ooos”
  • Peanut Butter Sandwiches
  • Crossing things off my to do list
  • Listening to a toddler try singing with no words
  • A wonderful husband that lets me sneak out of the house for a little while to go thrift shopping after bedtime

God fills our lives with amazing little gifts that we forget to stop and thank him for, but I am going to take the time to pause and enjoy these moments, to  count each one.

This summer we may be doing a book club at my church, maybe I will try and do a book club here also. Maybe I will do a dare to see who can count to a thousand with me. I’m not sure but I know that this book was an amazing life changer for me, so I hope you will read it!

What are some of the gifts you received today?

Written by

Pepper Ferguson

Hi I'm Pepper. My family and I are sharing pieces of our lives.
We hope to inspire you by showing that even small changes can make the biggest differences in your life. You don't have to go to extremes to become healthy. Just do it one habit, one meal, one walk, and one hug at a time.

Let's work together one piece at a time making better habits, eating healthier, getting moving, and most of all loving our families.

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