#Ann Voskamp

[rainintheevening]

--Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

[novelmonger]

How do you count on life when the hopes don't add up? ... The hopes don't have to add up. The blessings do.

- Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

[aparticularbandit]

The most important reality is that nothing can ever happen to change the reality of God’s love for you.

At the heart of whole universe and the holy Word, you do not find…

“For God was actually so disappointed with you … that He shook His head in gutted despair and begrudgingly went to the Cross for the failure of you. “

Or that “God was so disgusted with you … that He shamed you by passively aggressively dragging Himself to the Cross because of the mess of you …“

Or for “God was so full of wrath toward you… that He thundered to the Cross in volcanic rage that He could hardly contain because of the vileness of you.“

Rather… at the heart of the whole universe and the holy Word are the words that are the very heartbeat of holy God:

For God so loved the world — you — that He gave Himself … and for you who believe in a purifying, perfect, protective love like His, you get to live forever with Divine Love Himself.

Father God loving you, Jesus Christ saving you, Holy Spirit wooing you — the Triune God never stops working all things into the good of being closer to you because of unassailable delight in you, and the good of getting to be with you.

When we were still deep in our sin, “God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, [as] Christ died for us” (Ro. 5:8).

-Ann Voskamp

[fightinglikeaman]

[tristansherwin]

SON OF MAN | AM I DANGEROUS? (MK. 14:27-52)

SON OF MAN | AM I DANGEROUS? (MK. 14:27-52) 'It reminds me of those scenes in the Frankenstein movies, or Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, when the villagers gather together with their pitchforks... We can't be trusted to decide who the monsters are.'

Here’s my longer sermon notes from this morning’s Metro Christian Centre service (dated 24th November 2024), continuing our series flicking through some of the epic scenes of Mark’s gospel. You can also catch up with this via MCC’s YouTube channel (just give us time to get the video uploaded). ‘I am the thorn in your crown | But You love me anyway | I am the sweat from Your brow | But You love…

[joybreathingdragon]

1000 Gifts 2024, November 11

Today I am grateful for long conversations with good friends who have offer different perspectives because sometimes those new perspectives can be the place where hope lives, and goodness, can that change everything.

I also had a great afternoon with my brother. We talked about books, movies, and life changes. We haven't always gotten along. In fact, for a long time he hated me. Now we talk, laugh, and share cool things we are learning. It is an absolute gift for which I am inexpressibly grateful.

How about you? How was your Monday?

[gmendel72]

Even If . . .

“Even if today didn’t go as planned, Lordand if it’s not at all what we hoped,and if “we’re* not yet quite what we hoped,and if life’s not unfolding to our Plan Aand if it’s not even close to Plan Band if the diagnosis is not greatand if the forecast is not goodand if not… and if not… and if not…You still are. You still are Good & You still are God.And we will be the people who will still…The…

[martyschoenleber]

Great Quotes to Start Your Week

Sunday is not the end but the beginning of the week. So, here’s some encouragement to start your week well. God’s best to all of you this week as you fight the good fight of faith. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.” #BicycleBeast “Great peace have they who love Your law;        nothing can make them stumble.” Psalm 119:165 “The birth of Jesus the Christ…

[lookingjoligood]

What Is Behind the Façade?

I few years ago I came across a quote by Ann Voskamp that truly made me pause and reflect: “Façade only end up suffocating us all, it’s only telling the truth that lets you breathe.” This quote reminds me of a verse from the Bible, John 8:32, which states, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” This post is one of the ones I mentioned I began writing years ago, and it…

[evenaturtleduck]

“I know there is poor and hideous suffering, and I’ve seen the hungry and the guns that go war. I have lived pain, and my life can tell: I only deepen the wound of the world when I neglect to give thanks for early light dappled through leaves and the heavy perfume of wild roses in early July and the song of crickets on humid nights and the rivers that run and the stars that rise and the rain that falls and all the good things that a good God gives. Why would the world need more anger, more outrage? How does it save the world to reject unabashed joy when it is joy that saves us? Rejecting joy to stand in solidarity with the suffering doesn’t rescue the suffering. The converse does. The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the world. When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows. How can this not be the best thing for the world? For us? The clouds open when we mouth thanks.”

one thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp

[its-all-down-hill]

[novelmonger]

I discover that slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life. A lifetime of sermons on "thanks in all things" and the shelves sagging with books on these things and I testify: life-changing gratitude does not fasten to a life unless nailed through with one very specific nail at a time.

- Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

[rainintheevening]

Put in the tags the book (or books) your reading right now.

[aparticularbandit]

For today.

[rheseoneseon]

“A good relationship is like a game of chess; the Queen should always protect her King.”

- Ann Voskamp

Credit goes to @valartrion2, go check out their other arts!

[zemagltd]

Everyday Poetry - "Sometimes you don’t know when you’re taking the first step through a door until you’re already inside." Ann Voskamp