A Splash of Colour

A wonderful gift from ‘A Splash of Colour’ ladies conference, held at New Life Christian Centre, Croydon.

I’m at an amazing conference, ‘A Splash of Colour’, put on by New Life Christian Centre, Croydon. I’ve been here since this morning about 9 o’clock, and we’re on a break now, shortly to go into the final session of what has been so far an amazing day! We’re due to finish at 8 pm and, honestly, it doesn’t seem like we’ve been here that long.

The thing that stood out for me was about extravagant excellence: God’s extravagance towards us…me, and the inspiration for us…me to be extravagant in living for him.

This afternoon, one of the ladies made a presentation that centred on Ann Voskamp’s book, ‘One Thousand Gifts’. I am not even going to attempt to recapture the atmosphere in this post. But perhaps you can catch a glimpse here:

I sat in my seat wondering if I could squeeze the purchase of this book out of my budget this month. I’ll definitely put it on my ‘to get’ list at any rate. Can you then imagine my joy when the conference’s main organiser, Natasha, announced that as part of our attendance here today we would each receive a copy of the book? Awesome!

“Like most readers, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists about once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

“‘How,’ Voskamp wondered, ‘do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does a life of gratitude look like when your days are gritty, long, and sometimes dark? What is God providing here and now?’

“A beautifully practical guide to living a life of joy, ‘One Thousand Gifts’ invites you to wake up to God’s everyday blessings. As Voskamp discovered, in giving thanks for the life she already had, she found the life she’d always wanted.

“Following Voskamp’s grace-bathed reflections on her farming, parenting, and writing life, you will embark on a transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling gifts. Along the way, you will discover a way of seeing that opens your eyes to gratitude, a way of living so you are not afraid to die, and a way of becoming present to God’s presence that brings deep and lasting happiness.”

So reads the dust cover to Voskamp’s book. By all accounts, she’s an awesome writer who paints beautiful word pictures—the lady who did the presentation today described Voskamp’s style as poetic prose—and I can’t wait to delve into this New York Times bestseller which is, as described on the cover, ‘a dare to live fully right where you are’.

Thanks Splash of Colour for a wonderful gift and an awesome and well spent day. x x