Thought For The Day
The journey of a thousand miles
Begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu
Last month, I received a wonderful book called Selections From One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. The book contains excerpts from Ann’s best selling work, One Thousand Gifts, along with stunning photographs and the echoes of a challenge she once received from a friend:
Can you list a thousand things you love?
A thousand blessings?
A thousand gifts?
Ann’s writing is transformative. She speaks to your heart and your soul. I have not been able to get her book out of my mind.
So, I am preparing to follow in the footsteps of Ann and those before me who have chronicled their personal journeys of gratitude.
This week, I found a beautiful journal from which to start my journey of a thousand loves… a thousand blessings… a thousand gifts…
And a second journal, in the hopes that I will fill my first one with so many expressions of gratitude, that my thankfulness will overflow into a second book!
I cannot wait to discover the paths these journals will take me down… and to find out where I will end up at the end of my journey!
Have a wonderful week, dear friends!
Shared at the Random Journal Day Link-Up
Wonderful inspiration… love your new journal books.. Enjoy! Have a happy week, Hugs May x x x#34
I have a whole house full of gifts and I can’t even imagine 1000. Rocking horses, maybe, but never gifts. Of course, I have a long way to go to get to that many rocking horses (grin). Happy WOYWW from #4
That’s an awesome inspiration! waving hi from the hills of North Carolina 🙂
What a lovely book. Like many, my gifts also go into overflow there are so many. Lovely post. Hugs Rita 17 xxx
Twitter: breathoffaith
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Oh, I so want that book! I love the journals…maybe you can link up to Random Journal Day soon! 😉 Journals make me smile. Enjoy filling yours with your many blessings…
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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Thanks Dawn – I hope to share with you when your new link goes up! 🙂
Twitter: breathoffaith
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Oh, and I can’t wait to see what will be inside! Maybe I will share mine! I made one with some of Anne’s free printables! Glad to see you at our gathering!
We all need to read inspiring sayings, and connect with positive people. Nice post.
Judy #26
…the book sounds wonderful & if you’ve been touched then it’s done it’s job…I always think a good book should get ‘under your skin’ …I’m intrigued myself & may have to check it out…thanks for sharing…Mel 🙂 #27
I agree they say that those that remember their blessings and list them each day are far happier and in better spirits than those that don’t! Lovely journals enjoy them!
Lovely book and a wonderful idea to start jotting down all the things we are thankful for on a daily basis.
Sandra @36
oh, i just love Ann’s writing and i follow her blog. your journals are beautiful and once they are filled up, they will even be more so.
blessings and hugs,
peggy aplSEEDS
enjoy filling up your journals with all that inspiration
have a fab crafty week
kay #52
How lovely that a book can have such an influence on you, must be very well written indeed. Love your new journals, I am sure you will be filled with inspiration and the journey will be a wonderful one. Happy WOYWW, Anne x #24
Wonderful book!
Helen, 16
Awesome thought! 1000 loves, gifts, etc. I think sometimes to give thanks for the small things and don’t consider them a ‘gift’ but you know they aren’t a given so it must be a gift. Thanks for sharing and have a great week. Vickie #51
What a lovely journal.
Happy WOYWW
Zoe #60
WOW! That sounds really intrigueing and life changing too! I am off to look for that book right now.
Your journals are beautiful! Happy journaling
Happy WOYWW
Wow, where will you start? Alphabetical? Random? Numbered? Bet you get past 1000! Lovely journals, how nice to find a book that speaks so thoroughly to you.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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Random for sure – whatever inspires me in a given moment!
The challenge won’t be filling the books – the challenge will be finding the time to write in them! 🙂
Those are very pretty journals – whenever I find my hand hovering over a nice one I always tell myself that I should be buying a plain one and ‘altering’ it, lol, but the one I use most often is just as I bought it!
Helen S #77
Yummy journals and such inspiration, in fact, just by reading your post you’ve made me think of a poetry book I have, so I’m going to pull it off my shelf right now. Take care my WOYWW friend. Zo xx 65
It is a gift in itself to pay attention and acknowledge the gifts we enjoy in life.
This sounds like a wonderful book. I will add it to my to-read list.
I am a journal junkie. I love all sorts and write in them daily.
I have not become addicted to online journaling but do miss daily blogging.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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You will love this book! 🙂
What a wonderful idea! I hope you thousand upon thousands blessings to fill many journals! Thanks for sharing
God bless your counting! Once it gets going, it can get rolling, like a snowball, building up momentum, and gratitudes to fill journal after journal!
What a beautiful idea…thanks for sharing. I think today is a good day to begin!
You are going to LOVE that experience! I have been working on my 1000 gift list since November and will probably break my 1000 mark this month. (And no, I am not stopping there.) It is an incredible way to keep our eyes peeled for God in every area of our lives.
Oh, and I would say you have your first two “items” on your list already: Being deeply inspired and really cool journals 🙂 Blessings an enjoy your gifted journey!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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I love your enthusiasm and encouragement – thank you for sharing! 🙂
Gorgeous journals on the out side ….I wonder where the insides will take you …an amazing journeyI think.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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Beautifully put – I can hardly wait to begin! 🙂
Happy counting — adding up your joys in your journal! Will you be sharing your “gifts” online, or just in your journal? Did you know that Ann has an online community? Each Monday, people link their lists to her blog at http://www.aholyexperience.com.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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Both, I think! I will probably not share every entry (or at least that isn’t the plan at the moment) – but I do have a sense I may want to share certain things I chronicle along the way. I’m really not sure where this will take me…at the moment, though, I’m in a reflective (rather than a list-making) mood, so I’m preparing for a rather extended journey! 🙂
Thanks for sharing Ann’s link, by the way! I have visited her site and I did get a sense that she offers that, although I haven’t quite figured out how that works yet!
New journals hold such promise! I hope you enjoy the process! Happy WOYWW!
I go to a blog that lists her gifts. I love it. In my comments I list some of mine – although I haven’t written them down in a journal. You’ve inspired me to do just that. Most of my “gifts” aren’t things that I’ve received. It’s the moments in life. I love that so much.
Happy WOYWW
Hugs,
Kay #114
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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I agree, Kay – most of what I appreciate tends to be intangible too! I’m so excited to hear that I’ve inspired you to start a gratitude journal as well! 🙂
Fun inspiration and whoo hoo–very pretty journals. Just looking at them should inspire you to write-a great undertaking.
Your journals are beautiful! I love a pretty journal 🙂 I’ve also heard wonderful things about 1000 Gifts, and it is on my “to read” list – your post has been another reminder that I need to follow through with that and actually read it!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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It’s amazing – and if you check the comments, it on the Summer Book Club Reading list at Katherine’s Corner (a fabulous blog!)
Twitter: goaskkatie
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Lovely! One Thousand Gifts is on the summer reading list at the Katherines Corner book club xo
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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Thanks for letting me know, Katherine – I just signed up! 🙂
Beautiful journals. Happy WOYWW!
Sophie
#81
What a lovely book and a great idea to journal! I know when I appreciate the blessings in my life, life becomes magical. 🙂 Happy WOYWW! Warmly, Tracy #93
Love, love the journals. Do you have a “thing” for journals, too? They call my name–all of them. That is if they open flat. Nothing is worse than having a journal that only half opens. I’ve received a couple as gifts and I have a hard time writing in them. I’ve recently changed my opinion on spiral bound. I didn’t use to like them because of the hugeness of the spiral. NOW I’ve discovered they are perfect for when you want to paste and play in one. They expand easier. My favorite to write in are Paperblanks or any with homemade paper. Now you know more about my journal preferences than you cared! I just love journals. Like to read them, too!
Those are beautiful journals.
Thank you for sharing at “Tell Me a Story.” I am glad Ann’s book has inspired you to begin your own personal journal of gifts. Each day is a beautiful gift from God, and how we spend it can bring glory to him, (or not). I purchased several copies of Ann’s book and have given them all away except for one I kept. The gifts and blessings continue.
Happy WOYWW! I love your journal. That book has brought me so much joy, the story, the thankfulness, everything…… may your journey be beautiful and full of all things thankful.
Good luck with filling your lovely Journal. And wow, a second book just standing by. #147
Your journal is beautiful! I just used a spiral notebook and when I reached 1000 I only had 7 pages in it left. 🙂
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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I know you must have had an amazing journey! 🙂
Enjoy the journey through journaling your 1000 gifts and more! I have found Ann’s book to be a life-changer for me. I hope you experience the same.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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Thank you Sherrey – I do not see how one can read Ann’s books and walk away unchanged! 🙂
Have you ever looked into art journaling? By the look of your blog, I think that you would enjoy that! Have fun with your journal. {:-Deb
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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I love art journaling and have kept a few art journals in the past! 🙂
I kept a gratitude journal years ago….I would love to start another one! I’ll look for this book, too! How inspiring!
Twitter: thenanahood
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Great idea and I love journaling. Been doing it since I was fourteen, which was a few (ahem) a lot of years ago!
Teresa
There is always something special about starting to write in a fresh new book on crisp white pages. x Jo
I have my 1000 gifts journal beside me as I type! I’m on #67. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing and linking up with us at NOBH.
Thank you for your kind words. I will be sure to pop on over to Wordless Wednesday and the Inspire Me sections.
I’m sure you will see more of the furballs each week as they grow.
Hugs
Emily
Beautiful journals I am sure you are going to find some wonderful words of inspiration from the book and then fill your journals rapidly.
Happy Crafting
Eliza #50
http://queenartoypia.blogspot.com.au/
Twitter: Patsypat
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Wonderful ,that you have a second book already in anticipation of the first being filled up right away! I count my blog friends as blessings! I receive so much encouragement from all of you! Patsy from HeARTworks
Believe it or not, Two will never be enough and your hand cannot write all that we have and are to be thankful for!! I have been writing a gratitude journal or should I say journals for many years and I must say it’s the first thing I encourage people to do when they’re down about their life or circumstances. Even though, the greatest gift of this is not having to be down to be grateful!!! Start with what people call “the basics” roof over my head, food in my stomach, health, family, etc…Btw, these are not basic @ all, but somehow I’m sure you already know this!! What a wonderful adventure you are beginning..I’m sorry if this sounds preachy, but it didn’t originate with me, the very best advice I ever got was to start it in the morning, early, and not at the end of the day. Oh my, this changed my life!!! When you start your day in a gracious place, there’s so much to see that you have or you are. When you write it @ night, if you’re like I was, you’re tired and it’s one more on the list of things to do and you start wracking your brain for what good happened that day. I know you will be so Blessed by this new endeavor, so pleased to see your Beautiful Blog and wish you sooo much Joy with your journaling!!
Many Blessings! ~Theresa.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
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Thank you, Theresa, for blessing me with these amazing thoughts! 🙂
Wonderful inspiration…great idea!