1000 Gifts: A Book Review

I have three reasons you should not read 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp and only one reason you should.

The first reason you should not read the book is because it is written by a homemade-bread-making-domestic-goddess who classically educates her six children while simultaneously traveling the world with a non-profit to fight hunger and homelessness where it reigns, OH and authoring books.
That is just annoying.
It makes the rest of us look bad.
Just pick one.
Your kids can learn Latin but either the bread baking or do-gooding has to go.

Number 2. Her writing style is as halting and complicated as her Canadian farm life is fluid and simple. I like to read. I don't particularly like to re-read and re-read a simple phrase just to make sure I got the hang of it. Maybe Canadians don't speak American- but I have never encountered this problem before. This forced meditation upon the daily tasks and attitudes that brim my own domestic life was a bit much. Must we dwell there? Really, haven't we all got better things to do than read about a housewife's journal of thankfulness. Haven't we all got better things to do than make a journal of our own?

And finally, this book is bothersome because this woman is a literalist. One who molds her life around cliches – builds life upon such principles as, “pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18. She takes that stuff seriously. And a million other little phrases tucked deep within the Bible that I am sure were meant for greeting cards and hall plaques only – not to be lived – surely not to be meditated upon during an entire 9 months of potty training.

But the reason, that perhaps you should consider picking up this book, is that from the conviction between it's pages I feel a warmth in my heart that is starting to melt the ice cold heart of the 3 reasons to put the book down. The freezing self-loathing and not-measuring-up/never-good-enough hatred of everyone who “is” - the frosty judgment of others and hurry of my own life – the deadly cold to the Word of God and the God of His Word – the fear – the discontent. They have melted a little as I turned one slow page after another. It isn't the quick thaw that I would like – the 65 degree day of today that vanished 4 inches of snow before lunch. But rather that .5 degree overall global warmth of a soul. The small difference that they say will melt icebergs and glaciers – and change our world. Like the sacred Work of Worship that Ann's own book is based on, there is a power in the Truth that can transform our lives. The truth that God loves me and is loving me in every moment of my life has the power to warm my frozen soul. .5 degrees ... one thanksgiving at a time.

Thank you Andrea for the book – thank you for the grace. Always.

NOTE: Please do not assume I agree with or am even comfortable with everything in this book (or any other book I recommend)... I sift as I read...

gift 42: Friday afternoon dress up:


gift 45: New finality to an old love/ a picture of a chosen son/ Jonah's adoption


gift 44: the five year old behind the camera


gift 46: The genius of a museum with an indoor sandbox in winter

King Abdullah's snow ice cream

How we spend our days is truly how we spend our lives. We eat my life every night – at least 1 hour of my day. We eat it. We tramp our snow dripping boots all over my life today. We will again tomorrow. My life is wiped away on a kleenex, with snot, with a tear, with saliva from my niece's tooth that she has been “loosing” since 2010. My life is typed and printed, one Bible study sheet at a time, one basic English assignment at a time – two pages of sentences using the word “enough”.
It's never enough.
There is never enough life to be lived – time to be shared – experiences to be had – when you share your life with so many... who speak SO slowly. And the days that you truly know you have “sucked the marrow out of life” - you feel more deeply that life has sucked the marrow out of you. There is little time for contemplation in this life – this “new normal.” I am learning to contemplate during morning Yoga with Seonjin, between phrases with Saad, and rocking Lucy for 2 minutes before her nap (if she doesn't fall asleep in the car) but rarely does it translate itself onto a page or into my memory. And I find I have spiritual amnesia and EQ of a two year old.
Lessons relearned for the first time tomorrow, I guarantee it.
But I sit here tonight in peace – with my life eaten today, printed today, vanished to everyone but this page. These days make for a good life.
We threw a party for the return of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. An 89 year old man in failing health, returns to his country after months of recuperation abroad. And Salah says, “The whole country is in celebration. It is good he returns.”
“Yes,” I say, “It is good he returns for now Bahrian and Yemen look unsettled too... maybe your country will have some trouble.”
“No,” he is firm, “no trouble in my country – all the people happy – all the people love the king.”
Saad stands in salute – more passionate than I have seen him, “I love YOU king Abdullah!”
I responded that we should celebrate too – for this king I know nothing of – who I am sure I would not love as a covered and hidden woman in his country – but I am moved my their sincere adoration of this man. That somewhere in the world people are actually happy to have their king return – and someday in this world – I know a righteous king will return. They move me.
Now I have been thanked a hundred times over for the falafel, the hummus, the homemade pita, the red velvet cake with the photo of King Abdullah. And the homemade snow ice cream in Abdullah's honor, and the Chinese vs. Jarod ping-pong game that followed. Yes, this is how we spend our days – they are special. I venture to guess we are the only people on planet earth who made snow ice cream and played ping pong in hour of the return of an old Middle Eastern King tonight. This smashed between Junie B. Jones and a beautiful Bible Study. What a day. What a life.

Tomorrow we venture to teach Zumba to 11 Asians and 4 Baptist. I just don't know when to stop.