One Thousand Gifts

I read One Thousand Gifts in 2017 and it inspired me to slow down and find God’s hand in the little things. The book is like poetry, it is written so beautifully. She writes about how we can find joy in the midst of chaos and despair (something I feel is so prevalent in our lives lately!). Just hours before Jesus was executed, he took bread and gave thanks. Giving thanks is so important towards our happiness, but instead of the same old boring “gratitude journal”, I decided to follow her challenge and write down the little things that bring me joy as poetically as I possibly can. I don’t force myself to write down something every day but instead, I focus on those moments that stop me in my tracks or take me off guard for the tiniest split second. Instead of forgetting it a minute later, I write it down with the date. It’s an easy way that I can remember God’s grace through gratitude and it has helped me live fully right where I am. I recommend reading her book and joining the challenge with me!

#78

February 27, 2024

The familiarity of a breeze brushing the warmth of sun-kissed skin

#77

January 01, 2024

Coral hues reflecting off an early morning wall

#76

December 30, 2023

Five familial unison circling in the corner of my eye

#75

December 27, 2023

Pinks and purples behind hazy blue mounts

#74

December 10, 2023

A deeply content heart smile on a hilly drive with happy family howls

#73

December 02, 2023

Watery light reflected above during a moment of rest

#72

November 28, 2023

Sweetly kissing a soft cool buttery hand

#71

November 15, 2023

Rolled back eyes of milky delight

#70

November 14, 2023

Soft cold cheeks on my forehead and pudgy hands in my hair

#69

July 27, 2023

Bedtime back light filtering through the newly washed and comb curls

#68

June 14, 2023

Feeling the life-giving flow of milk between my fingertips

#67

June 09, 2023

Running mini wrestler buddies

#66

June 08, 2023

Water running over dirty pudgy toes

#65

May 01, 2023

Looking up from a peaceful study and seeing only sky and new leaves dancing in the wind

#64

April 22, 2023

The weight of the cuddled baby head on a shoulder who will soon no longer be the baby

#63

August 07, 2022

As momma rocks, so does she. A reminder that what she sees is what she will be.

#62

July 30, 2022

A tilt of the head brings an unexpected delight

#61

May 29, 2022

Calm leaning weight on the crook of my neck after a cuddled nap

#60

May 08, 2022

A bright canopy of yellow above with a blanket of softened gold below

#59

March 17, 2022

An unsolicited hug and ”I love you” after reading her birth book

#58

March 01, 2022

A sandy beach waddle as seagulls fly by

#57

January 11, 2022

Little tickle giggles in a warm breeze

#56

August 28, 2021

When Daughter copies Dad and no one notices but Mom

#55

August 08, 2021

A bird watching over our buddy

#54

July 31, 2021

A mini torso shimmy on a lap

#53

July 31, 2021

Little toddler snack smacks

#52

July 31, 2021

Daughter scribbles on top of Dad’s foreign doodles

#51

July 12, 2021

The natural instinct to find and use a little walking stick

#50

July 10, 2021

A kiss perfectly fit in the bridge of a nose

#49

June 09, 2021

The back of a little head as it bobbles away in a bike trailer

#48

May 30, 2021

Little window view of a persistent toddler and patient puppy

#47

May 15, 2021

The remnants of a styrofoam meal with a daddy and a baby fork

#46

May 06, 2021

Jittery excitement after a late night with friends fully accepting

#45

April 30, 2021

The sweet reunion of a toddler and a forgotten stuffie

#44

April 27, 2021

The smell of sleepy baby sweat

#43

April 26, 2021

Smiling eyes that take you straight to the soul

#42

April 06, 2021

Slender fingers under a fabric cocoon

#41

March 08, 2021

A tiny smirk at mom between stroller naps

#40

February 24, 2021

A little bum finding the perfect seat on a dishwasher door

#39

February 23, 2021

Tiny, perfectly washed shoes to be stored for a brother

#38

February 08, 2021

The quick wave of two friends passing in cars

#37

January 03, 2021

The graceful flight of geese across a winter wonderland

#36

December 23, 2020

An outstretched hand running to catch up to Mom’s hand

#35

November 27, 2020

The purest love in a toddler’s eyes staring up in a crib

#34

November 04, 2020

Floppy arms in water wings

#33

October 30, 2020

The soft caress of newborn baby hair on a cheek

#32

October 28, 2020

Extra long cuddles from a sick toddler

#31

October 25, 2020

The weight of a baby ball curled on your chest

#30

October 01, 2020

The quiet stillness of independent play

#29

August 20, 2020

Little dimpled hands curled around a swing

#28

July 25, 2020

Purple flowers pushing through concrete, growth in an unlikely place

#27

May 29, 2020

Large fields of long grass moving like ocean waves

#26

April 08, 2020

The yellow-green color of sun-filtered leaves

#25

February 17, 2020

The soft heavy breathing of a focused child

#24

November 14, 2019

Muted colors that whirl you to a memory of a grandparent’s backyard

#23

November 05, 2019

A perfectly, tiny symmetrical face in the rear-view mirror

#22

October 28, 2019

Tiny leaves endlessly falling as snow

#21

October 09, 2019

The flash of a swinging child’s head over a fence

#20

September 01, 2019

Little pools of water in baby knuckle dimples

#19

February 09, 2019

Holding your child for the first time

#18

December 06, 2018

A good night’s sleep on a pregnancy pillow

#17

August 30, 2018

When the light and shadows on a face create yellow and blue.

#16

August 26, 2018

The kicks and dances of a baby in the belly

#15

May 14, 2018

A well fitted dress

#14

May 12, 2018

The evening sun behind green trees

#13

April 27, 2018

Spinning in a long dress

#12

April 19, 2018

Perfectly shaped swirl down a drain

#11

April 18, 2018

Big flurries of snowflakes falling slowly

#10

April 17, 2018

Smallest sliver of a moon

#9

April 15, 2018

Jolt of energy at a usual draining place

#8

April 09, 2018

A sincere random compliment of beauty

#7

April 07, 2018

Holding hands down a busy street

#6

January 08, 2018

Loving soft hands on my cheek

#5

December 12, 2017

Bright moon on a clear morning

#4

November 05, 2017

Birds in a row on a freeway ledge

#3

October 28, 2017

Light shining down through our little kitchen window

#2

October 01, 2017

Sun peeking through misty mountains

#1

April 13, 2017

Trees morphing into climbing giants on a mountainside