Make It Count

It's week 4 of the book club which means we read chapter 4 of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

You can read my thoughts from Week 1,  Week 2, or Week 3 if you missed them.

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J.R.R. Tolkien

Time....there never seems to be enough of it. I have thought a lot recently about how we spend so much time running from one thing to another. We have so many devices and technology today that are to make our lives easier, yet we're busier than ever. Sometimes, I think I would like to move to a community where I can live a simple life-kind of like The Village without all the secrets and lies or The Amish.

I decided long ago that I didn't want to spend my life chasing after wordly success. This isn't what life is about. I guarantee you that no one on their death bed has ever wished for more money or more stuff, but I bet they wished for more time. So, I decided that I want to try and make the most of the time I've been given.

This is one of my favorite quotes EVER from my favorite movie. 

This is my life motto. You have to treat life as a gift. You have to make the time you have count.

Another movie that really made me thing about life was Tuck Everlasting. I read the book as well, but don't remember it as well as I remember the movie and I do remember that they were different. So, I'll be referring to the movie only.

In case you don't know, the movie is about a family who can live forever because they drank some magic water. At first, the idea of living forever (on Earth) seems appealing, but then you start to think about how painful it may be. You can't get close to anyone (but your family) because everyone you know is going to die. You can't fully enjoy your life because you know that your time is unlimited. 

In one scene Mr. Tuck is talking with Winnie (who is not a Tuck and is trying to decide if she wants to drink magic water and live forever too). He tells her that the Tucks aren't really living. He says: "What we Tucks have, you can't call it living. We just... are. We're like rocks, stuck at the side of a stream." He later adds:      "Do not fear death, but rather the unlived life. You don't have to live forever. You just have to live."

This is just another beautiful reminder to fully live your life.

So...I know all of this may seem a little random. I mean, I'm supposed to be reflecting on a chapter of a book and instead I'm quoting movies. This is what this chapter made me think of. 

Ann continues to point out how Eucharisteo (or giving thanks) is the answer to making the most of the time we've been giving. She quotes John 6:11 which says, "Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted." This is the miracle where Jesus fed the 5,000+. Jesus took something that was not enough, gave thanks for it, and it became more than enough.  I believe that this points out how God can change our perspective on things when we are aligning our hearts with His. 

In the spirit of thankfulness, here are 3 more things I'm thankful for today:

1. Ornaments for Adoption has kicked off 

2. A good book

3. A blanket to cuddle under

What are you thankful for today?