ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

I can't tell you how many times my online friend Ann Voskamp has blessed me through her writing. I probably should say that God has blessed me through the gift He has given her. She is a regular columnist here and has recently issued a challenge to start a gift list, a very different gift list. In this challenge, we are supposed to start a running list of the gifts God has given us, sort of a gratitude list. I know this is nothing new, but the goal of this list is to direct us back to our heavenly Father who is the author of all good gifts. I can't think of the exact quote and I'm not exactly sure who wrote it (I think C.S. Lewis) but the idea the author was trying to express was using the gifts we've been given to direct our attention back to the giver. The picture painted was one of following a sunbeam back up to the sun. I think it's from Lewis' "Meditations in a Toolshed" and I'll try to find the quote in the next few days.

Anyway, click on over here to read about the challenge and maybe consider doing it yourself. Almost 100 people have added their blogs to the list of those taking up the challenge. This morning, as I was starting to think of this, several gifts came to mind ~

the look in my dog's eyes - unconditional, trusting. Thank You Father for creating animals for us to enjoy their companionship.

my daughter's laughter - Thank you Father for the ring in her sweet voice which will not be there in the same way years from now.

That's two out of one thousand. I predict my attitude will be changing soon and, by God's grace, my heart will be enlarged to take in all the splendor around me. May I turn around and lift up the cup of thanksgiving in response to a gracious Father.