Ann Voskamp's 'One Thousand Gifts' - a review, of sorts

My sisters and I wanted to read a book together, but since half of us live in the North West and half of us live in the South, we used a Google document to keep the conversation going. Of the sisters, R writes in purple, B writes in blue, L writes in green, and E writes in red. The book that was chosen was Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, and here is the conversation that my sisters had no idea I was going to put on the blog. Do you dare read the full thing? It is lengthy, I'll admit...

7/3/11 - So BOOK CLUB!!!! I’m assuming everyone has their book now so we can begin. My thoughts are to start this Google document, and everyone can write their thoughts as we read through it. You can catch up on reading what everyone else wrote when you post your own thoughts.

You are supposed to write down 1,000 gifts before it’s all over with. I thought using the journals mom gave us would be nice - carry it around with you and write as things strike you. Write thoughts about reading here (does not need to be a tome) and post SOME of your 1000 gifts - maybe the best or most interesting ones.

7/7/11 - Chapter One
I could have written this book if I had the talent so a lot of my thoughts from the first chapter reflect the author’s. The author has a candid honesty about struggles in her life and has found the right answers. She talks about keeping the body moving to keep the soul from atrophying. Busyness keeps us from focusing on the hard things, things we don’t want to confront. “How do I fully live when life is full of hurt?” “No, God, we won’t take what you give.”  There are things I don’t have to say. "Like all beliefs, you simply live them." Why does God not give me what I want, need, the desires of my heart? Why is my life not always happy?  He has a secret purpose to fill me with glory. He is making me into His image. Since the fall, our sin has been ingratitude with what God gives. I do not give thanks in ALL things. I wonder why I should give thanks for things that don’t make me happy, things I think need to change. It is a choice to open our hands to freely receive whatever God gives. The choice to not only take His grace offered at the cross, but also to live life filling with His grace everyday. Grace in the hard things.God’s grace is a mystery. I don’t know why things happen, but do I have to? “Maybe you don’t want to change the story, because you don’t know what a different ending holds.” Like the author, I have found myself groping along, famished for more, and I have refused to let the mysteries nourish me. The holes in our life can become places to see, see through to God. “How do I give up resentment for gratitude, gnawing anger for spilling joy? Self-focus for God-communion?”

7/9/11 - Chapter Two

p. 32 - Eucharisteo - he gave thanks - comes from the root word Charis meaning grace. Charis - a gift for which I give thanks.  The author doesn’t start listing gifts until Chapter 3, but I’ve read part of this book before so in Chapter 2, I’ll list my first gift.

1. Sisters

7/9/11 - pp 9-41

At the top of page 15 when she says, 'Doesn't God want me to be happy?', she hits the nail on the head because I think this is a common misconception. Now, Joy can be yours, but the sooner we stop trying to make ourselves happy the better- only then can we seek God's Joy.

She has so much fear and there's nothing she can do with it. One must give it to God, it's the only way to live. This book can only get more cheerful; it's started out so mournful.

Struck w/ the thought that B. will cringe at all the sentence fragments in the book.

Was thinking that I didn’t understand these poetic types writin’! :-)

So she touches on the joy concept... (Questioning whether I do nonfiction....except of course Boethius, and for someone more modern, perhaps Sarah Baxter Emsley. Thinking I need to get R and her kids back on fiction.) Perhaps I will try the style of the author:

Today.

I wake.

Am tired.

Pot of coffee.

And another.

And another.

Full bladder.

This is how I would try to write after 3 beers. (That is a joke, btw.:)) I like what she writes at very top of page 39, that the whole life is possible when we are thankful. Thinks she must have hidden depths to be quoting Schmemann. Page 40 is also a gem.

I should never try to write a book review.

7/13/11 - pp. 36-54

Jesus gives thanks the night He was betrayed. I’ve been pondering what to give thanks for. I don’t think you have to give thanks for bad things or evil in the world. Hitting closer to home, I’m not thankful for mom’s death. I am thankful for things related to her death (lessons learned, opportunities to share gospel with others, love from family). Should I be thankful for something “bad”? Can I have an attitude of thanksgiving without being thankful for every detail?

p. 37 - I like the analogy of the wheat dying and rising again in the loaf of communion bread.

One habit must be replaced by another habit. It’s not good enough to just will to stop being discontent. You must cultivate thankfulness to drive it out.  Turning our focus to the good, pure, beautiful...gifts I’m thankful for...

2. hot showers

3. deep sleep on a comfy bed

4. long talks with friends

5. Coffee - need I say more?...

6. ...Yes, I do - Chocolate :-)

I like your poetry? haiku? How’s the ol’ bladder today? Bring on the beer...

Chapter 1&2 (pages 1-41)

First of all, thank you R for the book, the idea, and the opportunity. I love this during the summer and at this season in my life. Tonight (Wed.) I heard the testimony of Linda. The end was where she is now and what God is teaching her with her daughter having a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. She said 3 things she has learned, 1. to thank Him, 2. to trust, and 3. to praise. My small study group after the main group includes Linda and her daughter and it has been such a blessing for me these past few weeks. They are a living example of what this book is teaching. Now to the book...The middle of page 12 says, “We live with our hands clenched tight.” I’ve always liked the analogy of clenched fists being unable to receive (or see) God’s blessings. The bottom of page 13 says, “Like all beliefs, you simply live them.” What a great reminder. My view of God, of my circumstances, of my reaction to hardships and trials will be evident in how I live my life. Do I want it to be one of clenched fists or one of thankfulness, trust, and praise?

Page 14 - “That forked tongue darts and daily I live the doubt.” and page 15 talks about the sin of ingratitude. It’s so easy to look and think about what we don’t have rather than give thanks for what we do have. I do want an easy life, but I have one of the most blessed lives on earth! Instead of letting my blood pressure get awry when yet another piece of the interior of my van falls off, down, or stops working, I can thank God that I do have a vehicle to drive and that it has A/C in 103 degree weather! The list goes on. I cast sidelong glances when things aren’t easy for me.

Trust - page 17, 1 Cor. 2:7. His purpose in all that takes place in our lives is to mold us, shape us, bring us to our full glory, even the hardest trials. Amazing. Us writing the story would be a disaster (p. 21). We don’t know His purpose but we do have His promise, so we can fully trust His plan.

Seeing God - page 22 When our souls are torn open, we can react in such a way that opens our sight of God, of His heart-aching beauty and grow. We can wither and close our eyes or grow seeing God clearer than ever.

How do we live fully so we are fully ready to die? (p.29) See the wonder all around us. (Reminded me of Nate’s Tilt-a-Whirl book and DVD which I loved R,Thank you!) The goal is JOY (p. 32). Give thanks in everything. “Eucharisteo-thanksgiving-always precedes the miracle.” Thanksgiving allows us to see. (Ps.50:23 - page 39.) Seeing leads to living fully so that we are fully ready to die.