One Thousand Gifts

Yesterday I finished One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  I had heard of this book months ago, but had also heard some mixed reviews.  Recently one of my good friends was talking about how much she had enjoyed this book, so I decided it was time to read it for myself.

One Thousand Gifts not only has a beautiful cover, but it is also beautifully written.  Ann Voskamp has a  very poetic style of writing which does take a bit of getting used to.  The book begins by the author describing a tragic incident from her past, and the rest of the story describes her journey of learning how to turn grief into a blessing and discovering the depths of God's love for us.

Early in the story, the author is challenged to make a list of one thousand gifts that have been provided by the Lord.  She soon discovers how many blessings can be found in the everyday lives that we lead.  The author shows how many times in the Bible it is mentioned that we should give thanks for all things.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  Many times while reading it I felt convicted of how much I take for granted and how God wants his people to be grateful for all of the gifts he has given us.  This book is not a light read; I definitely read this book at a much slower pace than normal because I needed to contemplate and think about the author's ideas.  I know that some people have read this book after experiencing a loss and I do believe that it would a special book to read at that time in their life.

Unfortunately, once I read the last chapter of the book, I was disappointed.  It is titled "The Joy of Intimacy."  The author described intimacy with God and chose to compare it to intimacy of a sexual nature.  I do not agree with this belief and in my opinion, it is not a Biblical truth.  Because of that chapter, the book will have a lower rating.

Rating:  I would give this book a 3 out of 5.