A Thoughtful, Holy Experience

I read a lot of blogs. LOTS of blogs. I find them intriguing, especially ones with beautiful photographs, or brilliant, original poetry, or inspiring Christian content. So I was so pleased to find a blog that rolled all three of the elements I look for in blogs into a single place: Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience.

She writes this poetic prose that reads like free verse; the way she puts words together is simply magical. Yet her words go far beyond the merely beautiful -- in fact, they express her title perfectly: they are indeed A Holy Experience. And the addition of her stunning photographs to her deep, contemplative words and phrases. If I could only read one blog for inspiration and edification, Holy Experience would be it. Definitely.

At the bottom of her page is a short, lovely poem that explains why she writes her blog:

In the experiences of a simple/crazy life,
farming Canadian dirt, raising
half a dozen exuberant kids,
stringing sheets out on the line....

I'm praying to slow and see
the sacred in the chaos,
the Cross in the clothespin,
the flame in the bush.

Just a bit of listening, laundry, liturgy... life.

Under her "Meet Ann Voskamp" page, she writes:

Sure is good to cross paths with you in this corner of the web...
a less-traveled, quiet place for the God-hungry and true-Beauty seekers...

I'm plain Ann without the fanciful "e."
I'm a farmer's wife. I homeschool our six crazy fun farm kids.
I deal with a lot of dirt.
Especially in my own heart.
When kids & washing machine sleep,
I scrub my real dirty laundry
with words and The Word.

Every bush burns
and this place is about the flame
and the (dirty) bare feet...

Truth is, I'm a broken and bruised woman. And my life is about learning gratitude because the joy we are all looking for begins with one word: thanks. A Gratitude Community has grown up around this place, a bit of an oasis for dry souls living in the rain of Joy. Consider joining us?

...And other words just quietly linger here.
Words about how to live sacramentally.
Words about how to see God everywhere and give Him glory.
Words about how to live the sacred everyday.
But the only words that matter are the ones that I live....

It'd be grace to live The Word together...
All's grace,
Ann Voskamp

I have added her label on the sidebar of my blog (just above my music player) as a testament to my appreciation of her artistry and deep, deep faith, a faith that inspires and teaches me to live and even think more like Christ. And I encourage those who have not yet experienced Ann's Holy Experience to do so sometime. It's truly a place of hallowed ground in the blogosphere.