My Journey With 1,000 Gifts

This summer I was in a Women's Bible Study where we used Ann Voskamp's book, 1,000 Gifts to learn more about what it might mean to live lives that are reflective of "giving thanks in All things". I don't know how many Bible studies I have done over the years, but this study by far challenged me and transformed me more than any other.




Let me start by going back a few years, probably about 5. I have a friend, Karla, who often gets messages from God, because she spends a great deal of time listening to Him. We were at a Ladies Retreat which was a silent retreat, where for most of the time, we all spent time with the Lord by ourselves and then we we come back into a large group and describe what that experience was like and if we wanted to what God spoke to us. That day, Karla was given several names for different women and she told me that the Lord told her my name is "Joy". I found this very surprising because one of the things I constantly have to fight in my flesh is a critical spirit. I am definitely more of a glass "half empty" type of personality. But since that time I have often thought about the message from Karla. Later she gave me a Christmas ornament with Joy engraved on it, and it hangs from a lamp near my chair as a constant reminder.




All the while, the Holy Spirit has put the desire on my heart to be less critical and more joyful. Small steps. Then I had a friend here in the Springs tell me about 1,000 gifts and how much it changed her life. I had not read the book, but just stepped out in faith that it would make a good Wednesday Night study for our ladies.

Ann Voskamp is a mother of six and she and her husband are pig farmers (600 pigs + babies) in Canada. She starts out the book telling the story of when she was 4 years old, her 18 month old sister was crushed on the road in front of their farm by a delivery truck, who did not see her. She shares the effects that event had on her and her family. Ann's mother ended up in an institution for a time and Ann had times of cutting herself, to becoming an Agoraphobic. Several years ago a friend challenged her to find 1,000 things to be thankful for. She began to blog as a way to keep herself accountable for counting and somewhere along that journey, 2 editors came across her blog and offered her a book deal.




What is it about the book that changed me? Well, that will be what I blogging about for a couple of posts.

There are two scriptures that Ann brings to our attention, I Thessalonians 5:18-"In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you", and Philippians 4:4-"Rejoice in the Lord, always, again I say rejoice." I think the two words in those verses that everyone balks at are "everything" and "always". How is it possible to give thanks in everything, or as other versions say ALL things? And how can we always rejoice? And even if we could why would we rejoice in death, or in a cancer diagnosis or a DWI accident that leaves you in a coma for three weeks and rehab for 2 years OR______________ (you fill in the blank)?




It is our choice. In another book I just finished, Choose Joy by Kay Warren, Kay agrees with Ann that we have the choice whether we will be thankful or not. If we are not joyful in a situation, it is because we chose not to choose joy. Is that possible? I beginning to believe it is, but like anything else that I find difficult, it requires discipline, which I am usually in short supply of. But I think that Colossians 3:2 holds the key, "set your mind on things above". Whenever I am feeling down or having a pity party, it is usually because I am focused on myself, definitely not on God. I also find comfort in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18-"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." The best way for me to choose joy is to have an eternal perspective.


On my next post I will describe how I am in the process of developing that eternal perspective.

Is The Church About Me?

James 1:27


"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."





Lately there have been a lot of blog posts and Facebook status' on why younger people are leaving the church. One article will say we need better media, another article will say we need to use women more in leadership roles, another states that millennials are more interested in social justice and authenticity, or if the church just showed more compassion toward the homosexual, lesbian, and transgenders, our churches would be overflowing with young people.






Finding fault with the church is not new. Citing what the church is not doing correctly is not new. Every generation has wanted to change something about the church. But why is it now that the church is declining? In my opinion, and this is just my opinion, it is because we have become more and more a "what about me?" society. I have the right to have my needs met, and I am not really concerned about your needs. When you look at our grandparents, they were a part of a generation that needed each other to survive. Families lived close in proximity to each other and helped each other out. My success did not really matter if you weren't also succeeding. There were shared resources. They did not live by the motto "how much can I get" but "how less can I get by on". Today the prevailing thought is "I deserve". I want it and I want it now is the outcry. How many of us drive a car that is more than five years old? They can't create a new IPhone fast enough to replace the one I just got a couple of months ago. Look at the size of televisions. No longer are Big Screen TV's enough but there must be media rooms with sub woofers and 3D television to satisfy. You get my point. I could go on and on.






So what does this all have to do with church? Basically, what I am reading about why so many are leaving the church has the underlying message of "if church isn't what I think it should be then I just don't need to go." After all, I can worship God anywhere and the church is full of hypocrites, so God understands why I don't go. The problem is, by it's very design, church was never meant to be about "me". The church has always been about Jesus. Once again, it is just my opinion, but the questions I think we should be asking is how can you and I serve Jesus together? "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet." John 13:14 What can I do to help you know Jesus better and how can you help me draw closer to Him? How can we be the church that Jesus told us to be and cause the community to be drawn to us because we are known by our love? "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35






Going back to the James 1:27 verse I posted at the beginning of this blog post, what are the things that God says make up religion? Taking care of the widows and orphans and keeping ourselves unstained from the world. How am I doing in that arena? How about you? How do those things have anything to do with whether I as as a woman am empowered and allowed to serve communion or read a scripture, pray,etc.? It isn't the LGBT population that should be getting my attention but the widows and orphans. Don't misunderstand me, I think the church definitely needs to create a loving and safe place for all sinners, but when is the last time I visited one of my elderly brothers or sisters and asked them what they needed? How does what God is asking me to do have anything to do with whether I like to sing traditional hymns or modern worship songs?






What if we took Romans 12:10 to heart? " Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Would the conversation go something like this? "What can I do for you?" "Oh please, the important question is, what can I do for you?" "No, no, I insist please let me serve you"..... If I am trying to outdo you in showing honor how is there room for "me"?






So when I read a post from someone about why they have given up on church or what is wrong with church, etc. I don't know what to do but pray for them. I pray that God will speak Truth into their hearts and they will see that God wants us to encourage one another, not tear the church down. I Thessalonians 5:10-11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up..." I don't stay away from church because my needs are not being met, I come beside you and do whatever it takes to build you up and encourage you. We serve together, side by side. Who get's the glory? God does, not you, not me. Perhaps, you will say that I am an idealist. Maybe so. But since it is all about God and not about me, I will trust that He will equip me to do what He has asked me to do. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."






Do we have any idea at how many Christians are dying every day for their faith? All the while those of us that live in the freest country in the world, sit and squabble about things that don't even make a kingdom difference. Do we really think God is up in heaven concerned about who leads a prayer versus who is advocating to bring an end to human trafficking? Perhaps we should reread Matthew 25:34-46 "Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’


“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’


“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”






And I cry out "Lord, forgive us. Lord, forgive ME"