We can all point out things we are grateful for, but have you ever given thanks for a thousand things? Join author Ann Voskamp as she shares with host Mike Farris how she began her journey to count a thousand gifts, that’s today on Home School Heartbeat.
Mike Farris:
Today, I’m joined by Ann Voskamp, who is the author of the delightful book One Thousand Gifts. And she’s also the homeschooling mom of six children. Welcome to the show, Ann!
Ann Voskamp:
No, thank you so much for grace. It’s a privilege to be with you!
Mike:
Ann, in your book, you describe how you chose to count 1,000 things to give thanks for. What inspired you to do this?
Ann:
Well, actually, it was just before Thanksgiving, and a friend dared me to write a list—a list of 1,000 things that I loved. So I grabbed a piece of paper, began jotting down things that I loved just during the day, and I realized that it really was a dare to write down a thousand ways God loves me—just through common grace: the gift of sunlight across the floor, blue jays calling high up in the pines, and through Christ’s grace, the gift of salvation through the cross alone, the comfort of His presence—never leaves nor forsakes—just all this crazy love, this crazy grace. And research actually indicates that if you write down what you’re grateful for, it increases your happiness by 25%, and who doesn’t want that? And God’s word says (I Thessalonians 5), “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Who doesn’t want to know exactly what God’s will is for them? So it was this dare that was really worth taking—a dare to fully live.
Mike: Ann, thanks so much for sharing those profound thoughts. I’m Mike Farris.
