Ann Voskamp's New Book One Thousand Gifts

This WONDERFUL book finally came in the mail!  I had pre-ordered it at the Relevant Conference back in October and it was painful waiting for it's official release date!  I had been reading an internet copy of the book, but you booklovers know this just isn't the same as holding it in your hand, underlining and notating those passages that just make you stop and rethink again and again!

I was so pleased to be able to have a face to face conversation with Ann when we met in October.  It was like we were old friends(ok, you can tell from the pic that I was a little awestruck that she knew my name and blog!)  She was so incredibly gracious!  She is such a down-to-earth, lovely woman who truly loves the Lord with all her heart.  I wish I could go spend a week at her farm.  It seems like the most peaceful place on earth.  Her photography is always beautiful as well.

The book is the story behind how she began counting the blessings in her life.  You may be familiar with her uber popular Multitudes on Mondays at her blog, where she has listed over 1000 gifts from above.  I've read through Chapter 6 and I've been blown away!  Let me share with you a few quotes:

"from all of our beginnings, we keep reliving the Garden story.  Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren't satisfied in God and what he gives.  We hunger for something more, something other."

"His intent, since He bent low and breathed His life into the dust of our lungs, since He kissed us into being, has never been to slyly orchestrate our ruin.  His love letter forever silences any doubts:  'His secret purpose framed from the very beginning is to bring us to our full glory'(I Corinthians 2:7)  His secret purpose-our return to our full glory."

"why do I spend so much of my living hours struggling to see it? Do we truly stumble so blind that we must be affronted with blinding magnificence for our blurry soul-sight to recognize grandeur?"

It is the kind of book that I can and will read again and again.  I haven't put it down since it arrived in the mail, and I know it will have the same effect on you!  You MUST get this book.  If your local book store doesn't carry it yet, you can purchase it here through Amazon:

Now even more good news!  Over at incourage beginning February 6th, this book will be featured for the book club discussion, and we have all been invited to join in on the fun!  So head over there for the details about the book club and how the discussions will work.  I know you won't want to miss it!

Ann recently recorded this beautiful youtube book trailer, and I thought you would like to hear her reading from a passage in the book: