Meet the lovely Ms. Ann Voskamp…
She’s a wife. She’s a mother of six adorable children. She lives on a 600(?) acre farm with several thousand pigs. Oh, and she just so happens to be a brilliant photographer and a fantastic writer…
Ten months ago, my wife, Jessica, and I had the following conversation… Jessica was sitting on the couch reading something on her computer… Looking up from her computer, she says…
Jessica: Gosh, I hope I get to meet her someday.
Me: Who are you talking about?
Jessica: Oh, a blogger that Angie and I love to read…. her name is Ann Voskamp. You should really read her blog. She’s an amazing writer…
Me: What does she write about….
Jessica: Jesus… but not like most bloggers write about Jesus. She’s different… a good different…
Me: What’s the name of her blog?
Jessica: It’s called ‘A Holy Experience’… but seriously, I think she’s anointed. And I’m not sure I’ve ever used that word before, but that’s the only word I know that comes close to describing her: she’s anointed.
Me: Is she Pentecostal?
Jessica: She’s Canadian…
Me: She could still be Pentecostal…
Jessica: Does Canada have Pentecostals?
Me: Pentecostals can exist anywhere, Sweetheart… but if they do live in Canada, they’re probably different than the ones that live in Missouri or in Orange County…
Jessica: Well, whatever she is, I love her and the things she writes about make me want to be a better person…
Since that conversation, Jessica and Ann have had the pleasure of meeting a couple times and actually becoming friends. They talk on the phone a few times a month… And I can tell whenever Jessica has talked to Ann… she walks away from those conversations feeling a little stronger, purposeful, and loved.
I must say: My wife is right about Ann; there’s something very special about the way she communicates her life, her passions, and her faith in God. She’s the kind of writer, whose stories and prose make you wish you could spend hours with her in a coffeehouse somewhere Williamsburgish and just listen to her share life…
Even if you don’t agree with every one of Ann’s sentiments and beliefs about God, I think you’ll appreciate her writing, storytelling, and passion to love deeply and to become grateful in the here and now…
Ann’s first book is now released on Zondervan… It’s called One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are…
Sadly, the cover of Ann’s book implies it’s a book for women… and while parts of it might lend itself for a female audience, this is a book for people… people who believe in God or have some sense of belief in God…
Anyway, if you’re wanting to read a book by a Christian who I think might be “anointed,” but not in the TBN sort of way… you should sit down and open up the pages of Ann’s book One Thousand Gifts… you might just finish reading and desire to be more grateful… for what you have…