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One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

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I think this is one of those reviews that I'm going to take some heat over because I know this book and the author are very popular in Christian circles right now. That's why I wanted to read it myself, because I had heard so much about it.

First, the positive. I know several bloggers who are sharing their own 1000 gifts/gratitude lists and I'm always blessed to read them. I have kept my own accounting of what I call "grace notes" for years so I understand the blessing of looking for things to be thankful for. Voskamp shares from her heart with stories about her family and her own spiritual journey, and I think anyone reading this book would come away with a heightened sense of looking for God's grace in daily life whether it be having one's child come through surgery or the admiring the beauty of a full moon. I appreciate the encouragement to live life fully right where we are without feeling we need to work through a "bucket list" of daring experiences or exotic locations before we can be fulfilled.

But, this was a difficult book for me to read. Voscamp is obviously a poet at heart but the entire book is sing-songy with long descriptions and awkward word phrases and metaphors that I found distracting. It doesn't read as someone would actually talk in real life conversation.

As an example: "...tonight over our farm will rise the Great Hexagon of the blazing winter stars - Sirius, Rigel, ruby Aldebran, Capella, the fiery Gemini twins, and Procyon, and in the center, scarlet Betelgeuse, the red supergiant larger than twice the size of earth's orbit around the sun - and I will embrace the skin of a boy child that my body grew from a seed. The low heavens outside the paned windows fill with more snowflakes than stars, no two-stacked crystals the same; the trees in the wood draw in collective green breath to the still of January hibernation, and God in the world with birth ice from His womb, frost of heaven, bind the chains of the Pleiades, loose the cords of Orion, and number again the strands on my head."

Those who like this kind of poetic narrative with mystical undertones will enjoy this book. Those who don't will likely struggle to find the message in the sea of words. For me, it was just too much page after page, and it took me a while to finish the book because I had to take it in small doses.

I was also wary of the mystical/contemplative spirituality/emergent church references, as she references those known to be mystics, panentheists, universalists, or New Age authors such as Brother Lawrence, Henri Nouwen, Annie Dillard, Brennan Manning, Sarah Ban Breathnach, Teresa of Avila, and Dallas Willard, among others. The influence of the teachings of these various authors is apparent in Voskamp's writing.

In addition, I was uncomfortable with the chapter on making love to Jesus in which the author speaks of seeking communion with God in what can only be termed as sexual language, taking it to a level that I personally don't believe scripture intends. Voskamp writes, "Mystical union. This, the highest degree of importance. God as Husband in sacred wedlock, bound together, body and soul, fed by His body, quenched by His blood . . . God, He has blessed - caressed. I could bless God - caress with thanks. It's our making love. God makes love with grace upon grace, every moment a making of His love for us. . . . couldn't I make love to God, making every moment love for Him? To know Him the way Adam knew Eve. Spirit skin to spirit skin. . . The intercourse of soul with God is the very climax of joy . . . To enter into Christ and Christ enter into us - to cohabit."

Scripture doesn't teach that our relationship with God is to be a sexual, orgasmic experience or that we are to know him the way Adam as husband knew Eve as his wife. Further, what are children and men supposed to do with the notion of making love to Jesus?

Despite the doctrinal and personal issues with this book, I tried to stay focused on what I felt the author's intended message of the book was: live fully and abundantly in daily life by being thankful for the gifts that come from God's grace, no matter how small. I am inspired to live more fully in this kind of gratitude.

This review is simply my opinion of what was actually in the book and not a reflection on the author herself, whom I do not know personally. Her writing style just doesn't appeal to me and I have to question some of the "theology" in the book which is why I recommend discernment when reading it.

I am a little baffled by One Thousand Gifts. Baffled that everyone seems to love the book, baffled at the reviews, and baffled that I do not seem to be enjoying the book like I expected.

I have seen some major comment craziness over this book which causes me a little apprehension in sharing my thoughts because I don't particularly want to be stoned or have virtual banana peels throw my way. The truth is; however, I did not love it. I had to force myself to keep reading which having a review copy demanded.

Sure, I was touched by the sadness author Ann VosKamp has had to deal with and I wished it was not so for her. Plus, I think giving thanks to God is important; however, I found myself weighed down by her constant, poetical voice. It was hard to follow and taxing to read. Sometimes, I wanted her to say what she meant straight out and not make me search for the intended meaning nor be forced to reread sentences because of the unconventional wording. I personally feel that her prose works for short blog posts but not an entire book, and I wondered if the entire message of the book could be condensed into one or more blog posts that would have been just as encouraging.

As I was reading, there were sentences and sections that made me pause and want to line it up with truth. I wondered if in her manner, there were liberties taken. Just three of the parts that made me wonder were as follows:

"If clinging to His goodness is the highest form of prayer, then seeing His goodness with a pen, with the shutter, with a word of thanks, these really are the most sacred acts conceivable." (pg. 61) So, writing down or taking pictures of what you are thankful for is a sacred act and actually "the most sacred act conceivable"?
"Here is the only place I can love Him." (pg. 70) She can only love God when she writes her list?
"...discover how to make love to God." (pg. 201) When you use certain words and phrases, you think certain things (sex, not necessarily intimacy).

Perhaps these questions I had were because I was not enjoying the poetry in it all. I do understand that a new voice, a break from ordinary is refreshing and her fan base is solid. Based on bloggers I read and Tweets I am following the majority are devouring One Thousand Gifts.

I did not enjoy One Thousand Gifts, but I do like Ann VosKamp. I read her blog, Holy Experience, at times and sometimes, I link up. From my readings, I believe she loves God with all her heart and desires to serve Him; so none of that is in question here. Plus, despite the fact that the reading was laborious to me, I did close the book desiring to keep writing my list of thanks and wanting to see God's hand in all of my life, which was the purpose and goal of the book to be sure. Thanks to Ann, I have a list going that started long before her book and because of her blog.

One Thousand Gifts was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Anything but a light read, Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts; A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, has left me undone...only to be reformed by the Hand of my Master. Join me as I share a small piece of how the Savior has used it in my life.

Captured immediately by Ann's incredible gift of pen, I learned that life dealt her several seemingly cruel hands. The book begins with the story of the loss of Ann's sister, Aimee, who was literally crushed in front of her family by a trucker who simply didn't see her. As a mother of young children, the sheer angst of Ann's telling made me want to crawl in bed with my little ones and hold them close to me forever. A mother's heart wants to protect...and yet with raw authenticity Ann cracks open the question we all have asked at one time or another, "How can a good God..."

Her answer comes in what I found to be a most unlikely place. Thanksgiving.

I always thought of myself as a thankful person before reading this book. I know I have been blessed...or at least I can look at my life and see good things I call blessings...and they outnumber the bad things I call something else. But Ann made me think beyond my limitations...in fact urging me to put on a whole new set of eyes to see the deep thankfulness in both the good and the bad. A task not humanly possible.

But nothing is impossible with God. She calls it eucharisteo. And I admit to letting it roll off of my lips in those sacred moments of deep thanksgiving.

And so I began, with great excitement, counting my blessings with Ann. Little gratitudes found along the way. A soft little cheek here, a song lyric there...Before I knew what was happening, I began seeing thanksgiving in things I had overlooked for a lifetime. In a recent blog post, I wrote these words describing this new way of seeing:

"I'm seeing them EVERYWHERE of late...picture must needs! And me with no real camera! I'm eaten inside with the desire to capture the deep thanksgiving...the things the Lord seems to be doing just for me in the sky...with those clouds...and those mountains and when, tell me WHEN, did those mountains I've loved all my life begin looking so glorious in the fall? Someone MUST needs take a picture!"

Indeed...the Lord seems to have given me a new set of eyes. And rather than calling only the good the blessing, I now clearly see the radical, hard thanksgiving in the bad.

Though I say that with a hint of fear.

Because a part of me still lives in fear that if I invite God to bring me wholly into Him, great sacrifice...loss...will be required of me to get there. I know that in this world we will have troubles...and I know that suffering is means God uses to draw us unmistakably to Him. I know He can be trusted. I know He is good. But the fear remains. What if God must take something (someone?) from me to bring me to Him most fully? I cannot ask that of Him.

Angie Smith, at a recent conference said (paraphrased) about the loss of her infant daughter , Audrey Caroline, "for all that her death has brought me...the understanding of God, the opportunities to comfort others and show them God's grace...I would still rather have Audrey." And my heart nods in agreement. This describes the words of my heart.

Beautifully and fully, Ann weaves comfort to my fear when she says, "It is impossible to give thanks and simultaneously feel fear" (p. 203). And now I know the reason for the thanksgiving...the counting of the blessings...graces. So many times God calls us to remember and give thanks, for as we remember His good works, His salvation, His provisions, protection...we give thanks...and are built up, given peace and hope that He can do it again. Knowing this helps me take one step closer to the fullness of Him and realize it as an area where He continues to work.

His work is grace.

And I can not only count my gratitude, I can actually BE grace to those around me. "A life contemplating the blessings of Christ becomes a life acting the love of Christ" (p.184). And "to give the thanks away. That thanks-giving might literally become thanks-living" (p. 192).

I am not the same. Upside down in a right-side-up world and wanting to stay there. Seeking the thanksgivings of each day with a fully devoted heart knowing that I'll have to read it again...and probably again. So many are the thoughts of my heart right now...so many are the ways I feel challenged to look beyond circumstances for the thanksgiving in life. So fully have I decided to live in this dare of the right now...that all I have to say to Ann Voskamp (and to my Savior) is:

One Thousand Thank-You's friends.
Brooke McGlothlin, of A Life in Need of Change

I picked up this book because I heard it was a treasure- a book you'll keep on your bookshelf and read often. I was intrigued and very interested in reading it. When I got my copy, I thought One Thousand Gifts definitely had the look and feel of a book containing treasures. I was excited to see what lay inside it's pages.

One Thousand Gifts is largely a book about thanksgiving, or as the author puts it, "eucharisto." Choosing to look for the good gifts God gives every day, compiling them in a list of "One Thousand Gifts" and being thankful for them-- recognizing the little things as gifts from God!

The main concept of this book was great, and one that I think will be helpful to a lot of people. However, I had quite a few problems with this book. I was disappointed that nearly everything the author listed as one of her "gifts" was something that could be seen or touched on this earth. Rarely did I see thankfulness for God's many promises. If we are truly thankful to God, I believe we will be thankful for Spiritual blessings, God's many benefits, in addition to the physical things He blesses us with. I was disappointed that the author's thankfulness list rarely included Spiritual blessings or answers to prayer, both of which I consider integral, even more important than physical things when giving thanks to God.

As I began reading One Thousand Gifts, one of the first things I noticed was Ann's poetic style of writing. I've heard nothing but positive reviews, but personally, I found the writing style more annoying the further I got through the book. I had a very hard time getting through this book, especially because the writing wasn't like anything I've ever heard spoken. And I found the style to be irritating.

I also found a few theological faults with One Thousand Gifts. The first was the fact that the author seems to say that bad things that happen to us are gifts from God and we need to be thankful for them. The Bible clearly states that all good comes from God and bad comes from the enemy. "Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights," states the Bible. And we are required to give thanks "in" everything. God will certainly bring good out of the bad that happens to us, but we should not think that God brings bad to us.

The most disturbing chapter of the book, however, was when the author compares God's relationship with the church to a marriage relationship. Using sexual language to get the point across, the author took it so far, it was disturbing. I wasn't at all happy with this chapter, as it seemed that the author is coming from a sensual, rather than Biblical point of view.

From the time I started reading this book, I wanted to give it a good review, in fact, I have hardly even seen a negative review of it. But I can not recommend it. Although there are plenty of great points, and some really good advice, there are just as many negative aspects of One Thousand Gifts. I personally believe you can find much more benefit from studying what the Bible says about thanksgiving and beginning a thankfulness journal than by reading this book.

It's been over a month since I dove into the pages of Ann Voskamp's "One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are"... But, the writing, the truth and the beauty that I found in this book have lingered on, and I can't seem to shake it.

Out of the depths and front lines of some of life's hardest circumstances, Ann has come forward delivering one of God's most powerful instructions, one that we overlook, though it's the most-often used command in all of Scripture: Do not fear. Ann, in her book, says "It is impossible to give thanks, and simultaneously feel fear." So her answer, her gift that she has written out here in this book, is a profound movement of Thankfulness. Gratitude. Grace. All of these things abound within the lines and word pictures that she paints so beautifully.

One Thousand Gifts is a life-altering and heart-shaping work. Each page is rich with story and beauty... I found myself lingering on each page, drinking them in slowly, not wanting the journey to the back cover to end. This book is not only revolutionary in content, it is crafted by a master of the written word. Ann Voskamp has delivered us, and skyrocketed the art of writing into unknown heights with this book.

I have found myself in awe of Ann's story. She weaves it delicately and carefully, each word connected to another, creating lines upon lines of unending beauty. The result is a stunning basket of story, and its contents cradle one of God's greatest gifts to his people: Grace.

To say this book is exquisite is an understatement. It is a true masterpiece in every sense of the word, and I am better for reading its pages.

Do not hesitate for one moment. Buy this book and allow God's overwhelming Grace to soak in through the comfort and dazzling beauty of Ann Voskamp's words.

I have been a reader of Ann's blog for about a year and have gained much from her constant reminders to return to gratitude, peace and joy. I thoroughly enjoyed her book with many tears shed along the way. The book is sitting close by where I intend to skim through it, picking out favorite verses and quotes. My gratitude journal is plopped on the kitchen counter, although I am still haven't developed the new habit of writing things down and am mostly noting things in my head. I would give the book five stars for Ann's writing ability and the much needed focus on gratitude for this near terminally ungrateful heart.

However, a couple of things did trouble me. One tiny issue was Ann's over-use of blood & guts & veins analogies. All of life seems to happen for her on some visceral, in the veins sort of level and she tells you so a hundred different but similar ways. Maybe that's a common device in fiction, but as a non-fiction reader, it just seemed too predictable.

Another bigger issue would be the distinction I would draw between God's permissive will V causation of evil that befalls us. Ann *seems* to believe that the bad stuff,ie the evils that come upon us in a fallen world, are straight from God's hand instead of just things He allows. She makes God sound like the sender/giver of the evil. I'm uncertain if that is what she intended.

Finally, I was just really loving the book and then hit the last chapter. Ugh. It just took all the wind out of my sails. Spoiler--it's a chapter about making love to God. I trust she is just using an analogy and it doesn't seem to have bothered the other readers/reviewers, but that was just over the top for me. On the one hand, the Bible is very graphic in Song of Solomon's lover and beloved imagery, but to use near orgasmic, climactic language and to bluntly call her gratitude experience "making love to God" just evokes some weird Eros or Diana image in my head. All I could think was that either she is an incurable romantic to whom I cannot relate OR she has been reading Sex God by Rob Bell or some other post-modern emergent book OR she just recently discovered that sex is a really great thing in some mid-life epiphany and she now wants to talk about it often and much (the book, her blog). *cough* I think she went too far with the analogy. I kept thinking, "Really?! Is she gonna have her Dad read this? Her sons? Her brother? Just wow." I am a big proponent of only wearing in public things you'd want your Grandpa or the Pope to see you in; similarly one should only write what you want *everyone* to read. Is she going to read this aloud to her kids and explain stuff and she's this amazingly bold parent OR is she gonna hide this from her kids till their 18th birthdays? Probably only something I would ponder, but at the risk of sounding like a prude, I am putting it out there.

Additionally, Ann had built a whole book around the idea of experiencing God right where you are in your average everyday world and then in the final chapter she goes and has her ultimate,climactic experience of God on a trip to Paris. It just went against the grain of the "bloom where your planted" idea she had cultivated. It sounded like a reversal in the message to, "Well, actually, you do *have* to go somewhere like Machu Picchu or Patagonia to *really* experience God."

I know this book is probably more memoir than autobiography (and even then her stories are only a vehicle for the message of the book), but I wish she would have told more about some of her experiences. For example, I'd like to know more about how she met her husband and their courtship. Also, she brought up her issue with cutting very briefly and I would like to have known more about that and her way out of it (unless the whole book was about her way out of it). Maybe these and other details of her life will be addressed more fully in a future book.

As a parent currently of 4 teens, I was very relieved by her inclusion of at least a couple of examples of real life family conflict lest we think her family wears wings and halos.

All in all, the heart of the book and the author make it a wonderful read in spite of the above disclaimers.

I have resisted reading this book for some time. Everyone I knew and their sister, and friend, and, and, and- was reading it. Finally I could not take it anymore. Maybe there was something about being thankful I have missed out on that Ann had discovered? I knew the premise of this book, sat in on some conversations on it, blah, blah, blah. I will make it quick.

1-First of all it is so easy to get lost in the words. I am a writer too, and I love poetry, my eyes are skilled to read, my brain to comprehend, and yet I found both to be quite difficult while reading this.

2-It is just too lengthy. I kept screaming inside- "OK! I GET it!"

3-I have a Bible Degree. Talk about stretching the scriptures to accommodate your ideas. I see what she was trying to do, but it is a little over the top. I don't think, in many areas, the scriptures mean what she is deriving from them. Now there is a certain amount of interpretation that I think is allowed, but this, in areas, was taken too far.

4-The last chapter is appalling. As some have already said. I cannot view God in the sensual (mildly put) manner she uses here. It freaked me out. Now I am not someone who is uncomfortable with the idea of sex, not in the least. But in this context. Yucko. Yucko. Not good.

5-I feel this book, though meaning to be encouraging is in fact depressing. I don't see how focusing so much on the negative is a way to the positive. Let's just be positive. I know life is hard, and hard things happen. I think this book would be better for those who have been through trauma. It's a little more melancholic than I think the average reader with average bad days can gain from.

I am shocked in a way at all the 5 stars. It creeps me out that Christianity seems to be taking this overly emotional, and dramatic turn. (as seen in the overabundant interest in this book) I prefer a more solid view of God, and Jesus. But then I prefer to sing hymns, over sappy worship songs.

If I had to liken it to something it would be this- An iced coffee with too much syrup, so much syrup, that you literally gag on the sweetness, and your tongue is desperately searching to taste the coffee, the actual coffee, but it is just lost in the sticky, gooey, sugary syrup.

I gave it 2 stars because it has created more thankful people.

"Do not disdain the small. The whole of life - even the hard - is made up of the minute parts, and if I miss the infinitesimals, I miss the whole ... There is a way to live the big of giving thanks in all things. It is this: to give thanks in this one small thing. The moments add up." from One Thousand Gifts

Ann Voskamp's heart for the beautiful ordinary resounds with my own desire for the great sacred-secular collide in my life. She eloquently speaks to the holy plain ... and the holy pain. Reading through the pages of One Thousand Gifts crystallized lessons the Lord had been quietly revealing in my heart over the past months.

As she shares the stories of her own struggles, her own failures, and her own learning, I find myself hearing not the words of a gifted writer. Instead, I hear from the Word-Giver, He who reaches down and reveals that "ugly beautiful" that Ann lists ... He who takes her story of teaching sons to find joy through giving thanks and turns my heart toward gratitude as well ... He who moves among the one thousand plus gifts on her lists and makes the searing imprint of joy and thanksgiving - the eucharisteo - in my own heart.

Yes, her writing is poetry. Many times I have likened her keystrokes to an artist's brush, her screen to a canvas ... and all that remains true. Certainly our Lord has gifted her with words, beautiful and poignant. But in this book, in these writings, when all is stripped away - when the stories are told and the listings are finished - what remains is The Gift ... He is there. And He has called to me, "Come. Count. Cherish. Be Changed."

With gratitude to Ann for graciously allowing me to read One Thousand Gifts and with no hesitation or reservation, I urge you to add One Thousand Gifts to your must-read list in the coming year.

Teri Lynne Underwood
[...]

Several years ago a tragedy visited close family friends. At the time my mentor stated, "They have just been given a gift." I was puzzled by her words for a long time. Reading Ann Voskamp's book, "A Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are," I heard my mentor whispering in my ear again and again, "This is what I meant."

Being a homeschool mom, myself, I love that Ann is a mom of six children who works hard to teach them at home. I appreciate that she is the wife of a pig farmer. This book does not contain the words of a theologian who has been to many years of seminary, rather, Ann is a woman like me who has walked through the dailies, understanding the heart of a girl like me. Her heart beats with the desire to draw close to God. This requires a change in perspective; Ann has led the way.

This book is pure poetry. Ann paints pictures with words, words which made me weep, ponder, and praise. There are very personal stories of Ann's life growing up, as well as, her life in the present, but they are God's stories of His grace and glory. These stories give hope in God who is at work in the everyday small things and in the things we think we could never survive. Ann shows how to be fully alive in every situation we find ourselves; all is grace.

Ann is a studied writer. She will appeal to a wide range of women from many denominations because of the books she has read. The Contemplative Movement and Spiritual Formation ideas are quite popular today. These philosophies can be found in Ann's book. This was the only thing which disappointed me. I hesitate to mention it because the book has so much value, but, I feel that I must say that the book is from this perspective. Having said that, I would not discourage anyone from reading this book, only to be aware of the perspective.

I began my list of One Thousand Gifts just a few months ago. God's grace has been manifest to me in many tangible ways though this quest. Ann's book has been added to my list. Add it to your list. You will be amazed at what your eyes will see.

I was looking for an inspirational read ... this one had so many great reviews that i thought i could not go wrong ... and the lesson is "Do not assume because a book has 240plus 4/5 star reviews that it is any good!". I read A LOT (about a book a week) but i am struggling and complaining through every paragraph of this book ... i actually really want to read it ... some parts i can relate to so well ... some parts are so thought provoking ... BUT (and this is a VERY big but)... IT IS SO VERY PAINFUL TO READ !!! A single thought is sometimes chopped into 5 or 7 short, abrupt sentences ... there are random words stuck in the just anywhere ... not even in the right tense sometimes. These are just a few of my grouses with the style of this author ... am so disappointed :( It did have a lot of potential but as is, the reading and re-reading to grasp what she is trying to say makes it too much of a hassle to enjoy.