This past week a friend and fellow GriefShare leader recommended a book by author Ann Voskamp, “one thousand gifts.” I bought the book and took it with me to read on vacation. What a life-changer.
Ms. Voskamp issued a challenge to make a list of a thousand gifts for which I am thankful. Gifts God gives me each day. Gifts I brush aside or fail to notice. Gifts for which I never say thank you to my loving Father for giving, just because He loves me.
I took Ann’s challenge and this week’s blog will be a compilation of my musings and photos taken while on vacation to Hilton Head Island and Charleston, South Carolina, where I stopped, took notice, and thanked God for these gifts, precious things to me.
I pray you too will be compelled to pick up your pen and paper to begin your list. And while you’re out and about, pick up her book at your local bookstore. It’s so worth the read. It will change your life. Let me hear how your list is changing you.
The pungent odor of salt-water marshes that tickle my memories of collecting fiddler-crabs with my Dad. Thank you Father for these brackish swamps filled with life.
Gray wisps of Spanish moss dangle and swirl from ancient live-oaks like ghosts from ages past. Father, how I’ve missed these giant trees.
Waves that ripple and race along the shore line then retreat with a whisper to the sea. How often I chased them as I grew up along the Florida coast. Thank You for the ocean waves, Father.
Waves that swell and crest then crash in bursts to weave lacy patterns on the wet beach sand. The power of these currents place an awe in my heart and mind for you, O God.
Little girls in pony-tails and ruffled brims. Squeal and splash through ocean pools left in the sand. What precious gifts these children are, Lord. Thank You.
Small boys racing, nets in hand, chasing gulls from their place in the sand. The wonder of a freckled-faced boy, Father. Your creation.
A toddler stomps to see splashes form. Then wiggles his toes in the water so warm.
Sea grass and sea oats, green and gold,
kissed by summer days, gently waving
in the sun.
Historic oaks with branches sprawling,
dapples of sunlight dancing on the
ground.
My pallet colors streak across the morning sky, melting
to a puddle where sea and sky collide.
Thank You Father!
God’s silent promise. Dawn. A new day.
“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth,” (Psalm 50:1 NAS).
Like the last one. His mercies are new every morning. BTW super pix! And of course great descriptive writing.
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Julie, thank you for reading and commenting. If you haven’t read Ann Voskamp’s book I encourage you to do so. My learning curve went way up tonight posting all those pictures. Some spacing problems but I’ll work on that next time.
DiAne
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A wonderful book and a wonderful way to remind ourselves of God’s grace in a fallen world. List on!
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And Gail, I thank you for your support and for your wonderful blog. My list is growing each day. I don’t want to miss one opportunity to thank God and those who are gifts from Him to me. Thank you for your writings too. They bless my soul.
DiAne
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Such beautiful pics, Diane & true words. In November, Live will have a story I wrote about “Attitude of Gratitude.” Nothing like thankfulness to paint new pictures in your heart. Thanks for an uplifting post, my friend. God bless you today.
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Thank you Janet. I’ll look forward to reading your article in Live. Being thankful sure is the only lens to look through on this difficult journey.
DiAne
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Love the challenge and I love your post today!
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Lori, I am so grateful for the hours of encouragement and teaching that you’ve poured into me. Thank you. And thank the Lord for the Magnificent Seven, The Literati.
DiAne
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How refreshing your words and pics are to the soul, DiAne. God’s Spirit shines through. The art of using your gift to bless others is another thing you can place on your list. Thank you for sharing and challenging each of us as we enter in to what we set aside as a season of thanksgiving. Very timely. Be blessed!
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Starr, you are such an encouragement to me. I believe in this dark time in our nation we must tap into that bubbling spring of water that our Lord places in each of us. Ann Voskamp certainly has made that connection. May that living water flow from all of us today.
DiAne
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DiAne, Thanks, for a refreshing look at Gods amazing creation. Your topic brought back memories of numerous times in hospital with sons cancer treatments. This particular time lasted over four weeks. The treatments were causing Scott to become weaker every day. Watching him I grew weary by the day also. I tried to stay positive for him, but just focused on the negatives. Well you know what happens with negative thougts, They GROW AND GROW. IT became unbearable. Calling a dear freind & sharing the pain cut it in half. The adice she gave was a tall order one I thought impossible. Setting in agloomy hospital room, making a gratitude list are you for real. She said ” JUST DO IT “. Well it was like pulling teeth. As I began to list the many things God brought to my mind. Great nurses & doctors, wonderful freinds, amazing GOD, the sunshine burst thru that gloomy dark room straight to my heart. Yes atall order but works miracles for a negative. Just what THE GREAT PHYSICIAN orders. THANKS again for challenging me to think on the truth & whats real. Phil.4:8 W.W.J.D. Have a blessed day.
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Isn’t it horrifying to realize how our fickle emotions can direct our brain functions, Deborah? I’m reminded about the old illustration of either being a thermometer or thermostat. A thermometer reacts to what goes on around it, up and down like a roller coaster, and a thermostat controls the temperature around it. Thankfulness is the highway to becoming that thermostat.
DiAne
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Rejoice always . . . give thanks in all circustance, for this is the will of the Lord in Christ Jesus for you. So easy to memorize and so hard to remember. But is IS His will for us, and when we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!
Thanks for this lovely reminder, dear Diane.
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Kat, thank you so much for the encouragement. Hope to meet you one day soon.
DiAne
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I’m halfway between Shreveport and Little Rock — anywhere near?
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Reblogged this on DiAne Gates and commented:
With the Thanksgiving Holidays upon us, I revisited this blog and realize since the time I published this a few years ago, many, many more of you have joined the ranks of those of us who’ve lost loved ones. And the holidays are often very difficult. We wish we could go to sleep today and wake up January 1, 2016. But the better thing we could do would be to talk to ourselves…and the Lord…about what we’re thankful for. Hope this brightens your holiday as you join the ranks of those who choose to be thankful today.
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What a lovely post, DiAne! The pictures and reflections you shared were beautiful.
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Thankfulness spills from your heart and life each day, Danele. You are a treasure to all of us. Happy Thanksgiving!
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DiAne – thank you for this wonderful post. The beautiful pictures of the beach took me back to Galveston where I spent many grand days along the shore while I grew up in nearby Houston TX. You have definitely inspired me to start my own “Thank you, God” list. It was also very nice to read some of the other comments from our Heart”wings” sisters. All of you will be my very first “thank you” on the list. j
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