And the Winner Is!!!!!!

Thank you to all of you that helped me kick off this first giveaway!!!  I wish I had a book for each of you....

The winners are: 

Teresa and Robin

Please contact me with you mailing information and I will get the books right out to you.  Send your info to:

dailygrace@bellsouth.net

Thanks again to everyone that signed up for this and for all the new visitors to the site.  I will be having another drawing for a new book in a few days, so check back.  AND I actually have some new post ideas running around my head that I want to get written up in the next day or so.

Hugs to all of you, have a wonderful day!!!

Debbie

For the drawing, I used Random.org......  just so you know.....  :)

Book Review!!!

I am so excited,  I have been selected to be a book reviewer for Zondervan.  You're shocked to aren't you???  LOL  On a serious note, I have always been jealous of my friend, Jen, who reviews lots of great books and is always in the know about what is coming out.  Being in school, I haven't had the opportunity to read as much as I have wanted....so this is a great way to jump back in.

Sooooooo......drumroll please, the first book is:

This is a book that I was talking about in an earlier post.  I have am really excited to have the opportunity to share this first book with you as it has made such an impact on me. 
From this book, I have learned about the word, Eucharisteo.  This word and this book are about the wonder of Grace, Thanksgiving and Joy. 

"That Thanks-giving might literaly become thanks-living."

-Ann Voskamp

In the past I have kept gratitude journals.  I can tell you from my experience that daily listing the things you are  grateful for will change your perspective on your life.  It is so easy to get caught up in all the negative that can surround you with work, family, church, the cranky neighbors......and you begin to act like a gerbil on a treadmill running the negative over and over in your mind.  Taking a deep breath and writing down those breezes that God sends our way each day stops all that noise.

Ann shares with you in this warm and heartfelt book her story.  She shares the hurts of her family.  The lifechanging moment of seeing her baby sister die before her.  So many reasons to mistrust, to hold God at arms length.  But through a dare from a friend, she starts a list of 1000 gifts from God.  Scribbled on pieces of paper and notebooks, the list grew and grew.  A change began....a life lived with thanksgiving for all that she had and hadn't even noticed.

I know you will love this book.....I know that if you allow yourself to be drawn in and begin your own list of 1000 gifts it will change you too.  SOOOO.....  let me help with that.

The wonderful people of Zondervan have gifted me with two copies of "One Thousand Gifts" to give away.

I LOVE having the opportunity to share this with you and I want to make it easy.  So here is how to win a free copy of your own....

There are three ways you can enter:
1.  On the left side of the blog, you can scroll down and to the box that says "Sweet Friends" and follow me. If you are already a follower, that is ok....just leave a comment that you follow me.

2.  Post about this giveaway on your Facebook.  (leave a seperate comment)

3.  Post abot this giveaway on your Blog.  (leave a seperate comment)

See, told you it was simple!!!  We will make this short too as I have another book to add in a few days.  You will have till midnight Tuesday, April 12 and I will post the winners on Wednesday, April 13.  Be sure to add your email address so that I can contact you.

Thanks so much for participating in my first book giveaway!!!!!!
Love you all......  count your blessings tonight!!!

Disclaimer:  Zondervan has provided books for this giveaway and for my review.  I am not required to write a positive review....I am only asked to review the book as I see it.

They are watching......

We all have a "happy place"...that store or place you go that just makes you happy.  For me, it is Hobby Lobby.  I know it seems silly, but I grew up with a mom that made our clothes, curtains, knit, crochet and tried her hand at all the other crafts that came our way.  I inherited that love of the "hand made", but with school and just life lately, I haven't had the opportunity to play with all the craft supplies that are stored around our house.  But Saturday I decided to make it a play day and go find some fun things to work with when I am on break.
Strolling down the aisles, I was finding lots of fun stuff to work with and was very happy. That was until the yelling started.  There were two women a couple of aisles over having a progressively louder, very heated discussion.  Apparently one woman had a young daughter with her that was getting into everything.  The mother in exasperation said she was going to beat her behind (insert another less appropriate word) if she didn't stop.  Woman #2 decided it was her job to correct this woman and show her the error of her ways.  Sadly, Woman #1 didn't see it that way......so the war of words began.  To be very honest, if it was just the two women, it would have been humerous because the comments that they were throwing back and forth were getting more and more absurd.  And then there was Woman #2's parting shot that she hoped... "God Bless You too"....yes, you need to add dripping sarcasm here.  I don't really know how God got dragged into this mess, but there you go.
While two women behaving like the village idiots...well, that is one thing.....but what got me as I rounded the corner looking to head the other way, away from these two, I caught the look in the eyes of the young girl that was in the middle of all this mess.  The sadness in her eyes watching these two go at it made me stop in my tracks.  It was so sad to see her.  You know, it was a huge reminder that we never know who is watching us.  We may think it is no big deal....but it is.  We need to step up and be the heros in situations around us and not those that just simply are content to make a mess wherever we go, just so that we can "speak our minds".
As I was thinking about this I found myself headed down another aisle....and who would be coming my way....Woman #2 with HER mother.....  her mom was telling her that she should never have started that mess and there were just times to be quiet.
I guess we never get to old to learn something from our moms.

Hugs,
Debbie