Beauty & Blessings this week …

Ann Voskamp is a beautiful soul. She is an incredible author, dedicated wife/mother, and a heart who has fallen in love with Jesus. Her best-selling book ONE THOUSAND GIFTS: A DARE TO LIVE FULLY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE is an invite, a quest, and a desire to live fully amidst the craziness, chaos, and complexity of life.

[As a child, her sister was crushed under a truck in front of her and her mother.  Consequently, her mother checked herself into a psychiatric hospital and her father couldn’t find God.  As an adult, she stood beside her brother-in-law as he buried his first two sons.  Voskamp is a wife and mother who does not grin through the pain but battles to believe that in God is joy, and that there are as many gifts amid the grittiness of life as in the moments of celebration.

  • Where is joy in the midst of cruelty and chaos, duties and despair?
  • How does one slow down enough for the soul and God to live in synch?
  • How in the world do we learn to find God and live fully?

The laundry keeps piling up, dishes never end, kids fight and people die.  But regardless of circumstances, the dare of the “gift list” shows Voskamp a way to live even through the dullness and hurts of life.  Through the aches and triumphs, she finally sees what she’s been missing, something that so many women can’t seem to find in their everyday lives. ] -excerpt from onethousandgifts.com

What I love about Ann is her invite to you and I to seek out the beauty and blessings of each day. This doesn’t mean that you and I will become immune to troubles and challenges. What it does mean is that troubles and challenges no longer become the lens we view life through; rather they are a vessel that more often than not hold the most precious moments and miracles.

Here’s to YOU. Here’s to me. Here’s to life and the #1000gifts (and beyond) that are waiting for us to discover.

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I mentioned to my mother-in-love Andi that I had never tried a butter tart (because they usually contain nuts) so what did her sweet self do? She made a batch of nut-free butter tarts and as she says, “you are no longer a butter tart virgin!” They were delish (note: despite their deliciousness, I did not eat them all)!
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My favourite letter:). L is for…
FAITH…something I am learning more and more about each day. (An excerpt from Your Beautiful Purpose by the lovely Susie Larson.)
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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.”-2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV
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I absolutely love Goodness Me! (@goodnessmetweet) Their wall of organic herbs, spices, and teas is just magic awaiting to happen (think: spice rubs, ayurveda recipes, teas, etc). Click image to check out their website or consider visiting one of their many locations. P.S. they even have their own organic farm!
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Though small in size, the Dark Horse (@darkhorsecafe) was the home to some big ideas and potential this week!
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Another stunning sunset…
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Supporting @madegoodfoods-a local company dedicated to doing good and doing well. These yummy granola bars are made of organic ingredients and contain one full serving of vegetables in each bar! Now that’s what I call a sweet treat:)

About Joann Lim Lesiuczok

Lifestyle Designer. Catalyst. Connoisseur of Life. Perfectly Imperfect. Foodie. Allergic to Nuts, Shellfish, and Mediocrity. Love Naps. Thought-Provoker. Soul-Stirrer. Multi-instrument Musician. Professional Dreammaker. Drew's Wife. JE SUiS. 1 Corinthians 14:1. When We Change The Way We Love, We Change The Way We Live. When We Change The Way We Live, We Change The Way We Love. #dangerouslove #generationamazing #lifeclass