One Thousand Gifts

     Recently, I referenced that a friend had sent me some much needed relief in the form of a book.  That book, One Thousand Gifts ~ A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp, is quite possibly the best book I have ever read.  I can not recommend it highly enough.  It is heart challenging and mind challenging.  It is soul challenging.  And yet, soul refreshing at the same time.  I can say that I have read the book, but I can not say that I am finished with the book.  It is a book that has continuously lured me back to its pages for another glance, another thought, another challenge.

     The heart of the book could be looked at quite simply as a mere challenge...can you name one thousand blessings, or gifts, in your life.  But to say that is the crux of the book is in fact, doing the book a disservice.  Looking for the gifts is the top layer of an ice cream sundae...the mere candy sprinkles of what God has in store for those who seek the gifts.

There is so much more and at the heart of the challenge,

the sweet taste of the ice cream itself, is 

Eucharisteo.

     Eucharisteo...the Greek word that translates to Thanksgiving.  But inside that word are two more words...Charis which translates to Grace, and Chara which translates to Joy.  To me, being thankful for Grace brings an abundance of joy.  Ann Voskamp eloquently writes, "Eucharisteo always precedes the miracle."  When we have the mindset and the heart to look at life through the eyes of eucharisteo, we begin to see life as the miracle that it truly is.

     For me, this is but the beginning of what I have learned and continue to seek.  I am a work in progress and this work has taken a new form recently.  I have been more mindful and heartful of the gifts that are put in my path to discover, simply because I am loved by the God of the Universe.  That last statement is one gift that I am still trying to unwrap.  That He would care enough about me, to give... 
 

I have to pause there.   

I have only untied the bow.

     In the meantime, I did accept the challenge.  I began to look and list my One Thousand Gifts.  I have a journal that is with me and the pencil has been busy.  Funny though....I know I have missed many of the gifts the Giver has intended for me. 
 

I am unaware.  

Still I seek.

      So below, I humbly and cautiously, share my list.  Since the gifts are personal, I am becoming vulnerable here.  The list is just the beginning and I will add to my list in other entries as I go.  They are but a mere glimpse of the gifts that I taken the time to record.   Can you ever really record all the Gifts given by the Giver?  He gives lavishly, abundantly, mercilessly, gracefully.

  For ALL is Grace.

     All is Grace.  That has been the biggest gift that I have received.  Everything is Grace...this life I live, this husband I love, these children I raise, these friends I touch, this breath I take....All is Grace.

Eucharisteo...Thanksgiving yields Grace yields Joy

1.    Grace

2.    Relief

3.    Breath of life

4.    Pausing to breathe

5.    Vacuum cleaners that drown out the world, but allow the heart to reflect

6.    tongues on children that stick out in concentration and thought

7.    smells of freshness that calm the soul

8.    husbands that come home early and are proud that they have

9.    a car to pick up a daughter when practice is canceled.

10.  a recipe written in a friend's pen that fills the stomach, heart, and mind

11.  white chicken chili ~ the smells of onion, garlic, and cumin

12   music that calms the spirit and engages the mind

13.  a child engrossed in a book ~ sailing to magical lands filled with pirates, fairies, and mischievious  little boys

14.  having a child who gives reason to celebrate Chinese New Year by eating noodles and making baozi buns

15.  making silly faces, receiving the joy of laughter

16.  dancing to silly songs

17.  husbands who pickup groceries on their way home from work.

18.  homeschooling with happy attitudes

19.  playing the Wii Star Wars Lego game and having no clue as to what I am doing (but having fun none the less)

20. Toothpaste!

21.  little girls in fleece footie pajamas

22.  daughters who are obedient, respectful, and loving enough to text when they get to boyfriends house to let you know they are safe.

23. curling up in bed with a book, a dog, and a daughter

24.  a chickadee taking shelter from a storm on a wildly swinging bird feeder

25.  frost that appears as diamonds, glittering on surfaces in the morning light

26.  strong husband arms that cradle and allow tears to fall when no reason can be found

27.  the ability to relate to "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day!"

28.  the smile of a child you have encouraged with words

29.  understanding on a heart level that "Only in darkness can we truly see The Light"

30.  a red-tailed hawk sitting high in a tree, plumage of splendor aglow in the morning sun

31.  pot of beans simmering on the stove top

32.  an opportunity "out of left field" that brings a calm to the heart

33.  a friend of 11 years who is still in your heart, even though the distance of has separated, but never the heart

34.  The friendship of Army wives!

35.  a stranger calling a stranger via a mutual friend to give aid, extend grace, provide information, and share her heart

36.  the network of women!

37.  our miseries that God hears as melodies

38.  beautiful, the mess we are

39.  honest cries of breaking hearts

40.  new spring grass coming forth in vibrant green

41.  glimmers of sunshine on pampas grass stalks on a cold, rainy, gloomy day

42.  wanting to SEE ~ truly SEE God in everything

43.  thinking back to hearing God say to my spirit, "You are doing it again!  You are trying to control! Let me be in control! Thank me for the opportunity first!  THANK ME!"

44. mercies new every morning

45. bird melodies

46. learning a new word "spaghettification" and using it unmercifully with my teenage daughter

47. sunny days, blue skies

48. field trips- learning about black holes and space and thinking that God is even bigger that all of this, yet He knows exactly where I am

49.  Warm Springs, Georgia

50.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt

51.  The cure for polio and a President committed to ensuring that people with disabilities lead/live healthy and full lives

52.  birdwatching

53.  kind park rangers who enjoy their job and want to make sure they spread joy and wonder to children (and adults)

54.  family hiking trips

55. the activity of letterboxing

56.  the crunching of leaves

57.  signs of spring

58.  seeking

59.  discovering

60.  the thrill of the hunt

61.  cameras that capture memories

62.  going off the beaten path

63.  black and white settings on a point and shoot camera

64.  sunlight

65.  shadows

66.  picnics

67.  revealing childhood moments of ignorance and stupidity to my children and laughing at myself (jawbreakers, tight places, staples)

68.  through above laughter, opening lines of communication and showing my children that they can survive embarrassing moments - and teach from them 

70.  seeking THE TREASURE!

71.  chats with yoga instructors about gifts, moments, and life

72.  long walks in God's creation

73.  People who preserve land in order for others to enjoy 

74.  yoga classes- discovering the ways my body was created by God to move, twist, flow

75.  little girls singing at the top of their lungs over the noise of a hairdryer!

76.  in~laws and the blessing of a very special relationship, oh what incredible voids they fill, thank you God one thousand times for them alone!

77.  This quote, "The whole of life-even the hard-is made up of the minute parts; and if I miss the infinitesimals, I miss the whole!"

78.  And this one, "Slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life!"

79.  One more, "When I give thanks for the seemingly microscopic (like Mary's soul magnifying the LORD at the Divine Conception~Luke 1:46), I make a place for God to grow in me!"

80.  the reminder that I need the Voice that asks, "What do you see of Me here, love?"

81.  A verse repeated by several, think I should make it mine ~ Isaiah 26:3  "You will keep her in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because she trusts in You!"

82.  Wrestling with The Moment and trying to stay/appreciate The Moment that currently is

83.  Purple crocus on fields of new spring green reaching heavenward for but the Glory of God ~ revealing the Treasure of their purpose!

84.  Giving thanks slows me down.  Thanks slows time down.

85.  Spring air, crisp, filled with song

86.  chapel organs resonating on a lake

87.  the beauty of spring that pushes out the dead empty decay

88.  color

89.  evening sun

90.  birds taking flight

91.  the report of hard work rewarded

92.  conversations that leave a foundation upon which to build love

93.  books bought for a friend that spark conversations upon which such foundations will be built

94.  reports of health easily received for the asking

95.  concerned husbands that willingly run errands

96.  weather that begs a daughter to play golf and she obliges

97.  books

98.  happy, smiling faces of daughters engrossed in a book

99.  pencil and paper.

100.  husbands who fear God and love boldly

101.  new pot holders

102.  new recipes

103.  laughter that bubbles from the depths of a little girl's tummy ~ all over a silly word

104.  the silly word, "patootie"

105.  appetites and palates of girls who will try new foods

106.  scallops and spinach and grapefruit

107.  alternatives to wheat

108.  quinoa

109.  crazy cats that are frisky during coming storms

110.  the weather channel

111.  cats that knead and paw at laps until they find just the right spot

112.  afternoon naps on blustery days

113.  turning leftovers into "al forno"

114.  melted cheese makes everything better

115.  banana splits for breakfast

116.  the ending of a book, the beginning of a journey

117.  "every breath is a battle between grudgery and gratitude and we must keep thanks on the lips so we can sip from the holy grail of Joy!"

118.   phone calls from traveling husbands that say, "I made it, but I miss you!"

119.  storm clouds rolling

120.  shades of gray

121.   pretty girls + Pretty dress =a daughter who has become a young woman

122.  handsome young men in JROTC uniforms

123.  time-sometimes passing far too quickly

124.  good nights sleep

125.  ice cream for dinner!

126.  having a sister in Christ that would rush out and buy 1,000 Gifts on my recommendation and having an intimate enough relationship with her that we will be able to share Eucharisteo together

127.  praying for an unknown friend of my friend and knowing God hears and honors those prayers

128.  a conscientious daughter who not only keeps curfews, but keeps in contact about her evening.

129.  unexpected hugs from my oldest daughter - I cherish these and will NEVER get enough of them!

130.  AWANA Grand Prix race

131.  children racing blocks wood down a track and the joy it brings

132.  the winning design ~ the toothpaste car!  The winning smile coming home to this household!

133.  praising God through a tube of toothpaste and 5oz. of weight

134.  petting a cat in just the right spot and hearing the purr of satisfaction

135.  birds singing sweet melodies awakening the dawn

136.  too common is the sin of forgetting that the Holy Spirit lives within us.  It is the highest form of ingratitude ~ like slapping Grace in the face!

137.  Grace ~ ALL is GRACE!

...The list continues...

Treasure Hunt

      Many years ago, when Ashlyn was in Fourth Grade and we were living at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, our family engaged in a pastime known as Letterboxing.  As Winter has given leave and Spring has begun to spread her wings here in south Georgia, we decided to revisit that exciting adventure, this time introducing the young explorer, Addilyn, to the great hunt and thrill of this family event.

     Letterboxing is much like treasure hunting.  It is a simple, inexpensive way to engage all members of the family in a quest and get everyone outdoors and into the midst of God's Creation.  Like all good quests and treasure hunts, a treasure has been hidden and the seekers must locate the hiding place.  Unlike Geocaching, you do not need a GPS.  You simply find the clues on the internet at a maintained site.  Then the search begins.  Each letterbox that is hidden is filled with a simple hand carved stamp and a log book.

The seekers must follow directions and riddles to unlock the mystery location of the letterbox.

Carefully looking in every crack and crevice. Under rocks and leaves. Beyond the obvious.

Digging deep.

Until Discovery!! 

Joy for the Seeker!! Praise to the Hider!!

The box is found and the stamping begins!! One for the Seeker's own log book that proclaims victory!! And one for the Hider's logbook that announces trespassing and allows the Seeker to leave her mark!!

Now, carefully replace the contents, ever so carefully.  Exactly as before, so that the next quest hunter will find the Treasure.  It is now that I am part of the thrill of the hunt.

 So when recently we located the clues and set off into the woods at a local state park, I started to reflect about the Treasure that has been hidden for us to discover.  We are all on our "letterboxing" adventure.  We seek to find our way through life following directions and answering riddles. 

     We have to first yearn and come to a knowledge that there is A Treasure to seek.  Someone introduces us or something deep inside us longs for The Treasure and we begin seeking, desiring to know more.  We wrestle with directions, terminology, a compass.

 



 Yet, something in us desires to keep searching, keep questing, keep seeking.  Obstacles stand in our way, landmarks fade, erode.  But the desire for The Treasure still stands.

We re-read clues, go back and pace off our footsteps once again, scan the surroundings, and ponder.  We think and re-think. And we dig.

And there hidden, amongst the rotting stumps, the fallen leaves, the piles of rocks...

      THE TREASURE!!!!

How long has it been since it was last discovered? Who was the last Thrill Seeker? Who will be the next? 

 

      I have pondered the origins of Letterboxing.  I stand amazed that there is a North American Letterboxing Association and that they maintain a website (www.letterboxing.org).  I am amazed that there are boxes hidden all over North America.  I am amazed that the boxes are maintained and cared for by those who find them.  I am in in awe, however, beyond amazement, that first and foremost, people have hidden a treasure simply for the pure joy, satisfaction, and enjoyment of someone else. Simply for someone else to seek and be amazed.

                                                 

    

It costs the seeker nothing but the quest.  It costs the "Hider" time, dedication, sacrifice, and above all, a desire to be sought after ~ a desire to be found.  Ultimately, the "Hider" sets forth the Treasure, not for himself, but for the joy of others, for the pure pleasure of the Seeker.

   

In all of this treasure hunting, I wonder if there is a parallel the THE Treasure ~ 

Is there a parallel to God?  

Is He SEEKING me so that I will SEEK Him?

          Has he invited me on the Hunt of His heart? Does He simply desire to be found...all for my joy?  In the everyday moments of life, do I look for His Directions? Do I follow His instructions? 

Do I use that Compass~ His Word~ to unravel the riddles of this life? 

Do I count off paces, retrace steps, and look for Him in my horizons?  Do I search the terrain and the heavens for a glimpse of His glory?

Do I dig?

  He is the TREASURE that I seek in the everything of life.  He has hidden Himself in it ALL!! And all for the pleasure of the Seeker! All for the joy of the one who finds!

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you,  SEEK and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  ~ Luke 11:9