Fullness of joy is discovered only in the emptying of will. Ann Voskamp More Quotes by Ann Voskamp More Quotes From Ann Voskamp The prayers we weave into the matching of socks, the stirring of oatmeal, the reading of stories, they survive fire. Ann Voskamp reading fire prayer 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? Ann Voskamp broken rain joy A life contemplating the blessings of Christ becomes a life acting the love of Christ. Ann Voskamp acting blessing christ The cynics, they can only speak of the dark, of the obvious, and this is not hard. For all it’s supposed sophistication, it’s cynicism that’s simplistic. In a fallen world, how profound is to see the cracks? The sages and prophets, the disciples and revolutionaries, they are the ones up on the ramparts, up on the wall pointing to the dawn of the new Kingdom coming, pointing to the light that breaks through all things broken, pointing to redemption always rising and to the Blazing God who never sleeps. Ann Voskamp wall dark sleep God reveals Himself in rearview mirrors. And I've an inkling that there are times when we need to drive a long, long distance, before we can look back and see God's back in the rearview mirror. Maybe sometimes about as far as heaven -- that kind of distance. Ann Voskamp distance mirrors long Your naked body deserves the honor of being shared only with someone who is covenanted to never stop loving your naked soul. Ann Voskamp loving-you soul honor Gratitude is at the center of a life of faith. It sounds to simple to be true, but isn't that the sign of all deep truth: so simple we're tempted to dismiss it, and so hard, it is exactly what God uses to change our hard lives. Ann Voskamp hard-life gratitude simple God’s purposes are not for me to understand His plans: His plan is for me to understand Who He is. Ann Voskamp plans purpose The whole of the life -- even the hard -- is made up of the minute parts, and if I miss the infinitesimals, I miss the whole. These are new language lessons, and I live them out. 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 will add up. Ann Voskamp thanksgiving missing add How long does it take your soul to realize that your life is full? The slower the living, the greater the sense of fullness and satisfaction. Ann Voskamp soul doe long Expose your life to real need. Visit a developing a country. Take a short term mission trip. Write an inmate, send a letter to a sponsored child, serve in the inner city, at a food bank, with a crisis pregnancy center. Make time for shut-ins, the elderly, the sick, the single-parents, the new believers. Just find one way you can make your awareness of your gift-graced life intersect with a real place of need - and Christ in us will do the rest. Ann Voskamp real country children I think God calls us to small things, to faithfulness right where we are, to just do the next thing. Ann Voskamp faithfulness next thinking Thanksgiving-giving thanks in everything-prepares the way that God might show us His fullest salvation in Christ. Ann Voskamp thanksgiving might way Do I really smother my own joy because I believe that anger achieves more than love? That Satan's way is more powerful, more practical, more fulfilling in my daily life than Jesus' way? WHy else get angry? Isn't it because I think complaining, exasperation, resentment will pound me up into the full life I really want? When I choose-and it is a choice-to crush joy with bitterness, am I not purposefully choosing to take the way of the Prince of Darkness? Choosing the angry way of Lucifer because I think it is more effective-more expedient-than giving thanks? Ann Voskamp crush powerful jesus I have to seek God beauty. Because isn't my internal circuitry wired to seek out something worthy of worship? . True Beauty worship, worship of Creator Beauty Himself. God is present in all moments, but I do not deify the wind in the pines, the snow falling on the hemlocks, the moon over harvested wheat. Pantheism, seeing the natural world as divine, is a very different thing than seeing divine God present in all things . Nature is not God but God revealing the weight of Himself, all His glory, through the looking glass of nature. Ann Voskamp glasses moon fall You can give up the need to compete in the world- when you accept being complete in Christ. Ann Voskamp giving-up world needs Be radical about grace and relentless about truth and resolute about holiness. Ann Voskamp holiness grace inspirational As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Ann Voskamp gratitude joy long Faith thanks God in the middle of the story. Ann Voskamp thanks thank-god stories Joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy. Ann Voskamp joy giving reality
