Thanksgiving

thanks·giv·ing [thangks-giv-ing] noun 

1. the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God.
2. an expression of thanks, especially to God.
3. a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.
4. a day set apart for giving thanks to God.

The concept of thanksgiving has very prevalent in my life lately. Now that it’s officially November, I have a feeling that this will be coming up a lot more in the near future.

Back in September, I started reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Although its been hard for me to stay consistent with my reading, I have undeniably been impacted by Ann’s words. I am most inspired by her choice to make a list of 1,000 things she’s thankful for. From the small parts of her day that bring a smile to her face, to the big ways she has been blessed. The impact of this list is so apparent in her life. Her attitude and outlook are radically changed. What would it look like if I actually took time out of my day to identify the things I’m thankful for? What if I actually acknowledged the ways God blessed me? My stress would minimize, and my fire to she His truth would be ignited.

So this post…its my humble admission that I do not practice gratitude. I fail to celebrate the wonderful little things in my life.This post is my call to change. To begin living in a way that takes the focus on myself and give the glory to God. Starting today, I am going to list out the things I’m thankful for. I am starting my one thousand gifts list. {Stay tuned to see how its turning out}

As I wrote this post this song kept coming to mind. It is currently one of my favorites, and I believe it is quite fitting for the topic.

Will you join me? To go beyond the superficial “thanksgiving” that is associated with this month, and dive deep into the things we are truly thankful for.

One Thousand Gifts: A Word to Live…and Die By

I’m really starting to see why everyone loves this book. Chapter 2 was powerful, and humbling. Voskamp focuses this chapter on one word: Eucharist. Not the meaning I first associated it with, regarding Catholic tradition, but the true meaning behind it all.

“Eucharist [thanksgiving] is the state of the perfect man. Eucharist is the life of paradise. Eucharist is the only full and real response of man to God’s creation, redemption, and gift of heaven.”   ~Alexander Schmemann

Ann opens the passage with this quote. It’s powerful stuff people. Break it down? We are called to only one response to God’s work….His unfathomably amazing work. Thanksgiving. Not just once a year, but all of the time. Thanksgiving in everything we do.
Voskamp exposes her experiences with cancer in her own life and how they numbed her and shook her to the core. But she also talks about how these harsh realities ignited her to seek more. To live fully. Her search leads her to a Greek translation of the bible, where she finds Jesus giving thanks as eucharisteo. From this word, you can derive grace, thanksgiving, and joy. Ann’s mantra for these meanings spoke to me through the pages of the book. God spoke to me through these words, to truly identify this eucharisteo and its place in my life. If thanksgiving means “giving thanks in everything,” have I met my potential? Do I truly give thanks in everything?


I think about the fact that I meant to write this post yesterday, but was too busy to actually find the time to sit down and do it. Multiple things throughout the day left me flustered and overwhelmed. I stressed about unnecessary problems and in no way showed thanksgiving or gratitude. It wasn’t until my friend pointed out that these things weren’t a big deal and pointed me back to God that it clicked. I had non-eucharisteo. I wasn’t living out the very thing I had just learned. God calls us to live out His truths, and I needed to do that. 

I could go on with more of my thoughts on Chapter 2, but I realize that’s not the point here. God is calling me to eucharisteo. He calls us all to it. So to anyone reading this, choose grace. Choose thanksgiving. Choose joy.

Choose eucharisteo.

Linking up Here:

Annie // Margret

One Thousand Gifts: An Emptier, Fuller Life

A few weeks ago, I came across this post over on Annie’s blog. I love that her and Margaret and hosting this virtual book club…especially since I’ve heard such rave reviews about the book they chose. That being said, it is my great pleasure to link up and share my thought on the first chapter of “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp.

It is clear from the first page that Ann is an amazing writer; her descriptive words immediately drew me in. She describes the raw pain of losing her sister and how that changed her family’s view on faith and God in general. But she also talks about her burning desire for something more.

Ann’s journey for God is fundamentally the same as the rest of us. The constant “hunger for filling in a world that is starved.” Questioning God’s sovereignty when hope seems lost. These struggles are real. The world is filled with brokenness, but God did not intend it that way. He intended harmony. He intended communion with us. Ann sums it up best by quoting 1 Corinthians 2:7 ”His secret purpose framed from the very start is to bring us to our full glory.” God’s plan is greater; He is bigger than the pain we feel.

I am deeply encouraged by chapter one. Encouraged by Voskamp’s immediate vulnerability, and encouraged by the hope she seeks to give in the coming chapters. My desire is that, as I read her journey, I too can learn “to fully live—to live full of grace and joy and all that is beauty eternal.”

Annie // Margret