“My husband is in Afghanistan and a few ‘favorite things’ would brighten my day!”
How about that, Sisters?!? OK, Edie, please contact Living Proof Ministries at toll free (888) 700-1999 and give us an address. Please ask for Kimberly or Susan. Knowing what we now know, all of us here would want so much to send you to the beach…but, instead, we’re sending the beach to you. ENJOY!!!
PROCEED WITH CAUTION: this post will embody most everything you anticipate and perhaps even despise about women’s ministry. There will even be pink nail polish. As the great Professor Thornbury said a few weeks ago on the Twitterverse “something is not a stumbling block if you can see it coming.” So, consider yourself warned.
Colin and I just returned from a week at the beach in Mexico. It was crazy fantastic. I slept. I read classic literature. I also swam with a dolphin named Duey. And on the day I returned home I was greeted abrasively by a stomach bug and a crick in my neck so bad I could barely move my head. Oh, and then my 100 lb puppy Winston ate my over-priced prescription eye-glasses. But how can I really be frustrated with this bad boy?
Anyway, since this weekend was the Memorial Day holiday I scrolled through numerous tweets from people who were somewhere fabulous while I was at home with a bag of frozen corn under my neck. And I began to weep for the serenity of the ocean and my dolphin Duey.
But enough about me.
I want to talk about you.
I got to thinking that there may be some of you who won’t get a break this summer. While nearly everyone you know is off to some fabulous island, you won’t get a moment’s rest. For whatever reason, you won’t be able to retreat to the beach or the mountains or to wherever else makes your heart happy. We want to send a little fun and lots of love your direction so we’re doing a random give-away. And it will not include commentaries, concordances, or anything super useful or meaningful.
This giveaway is simply full of some of my personal favorite summer things including: Bobbi Brown Beach parfum (seriously smells exactly like the beach!), classic Ray-Ban aviators, Votivo Candle in White Ocean Sands, a pair of bright yellow Moleskine notebooks, Tea Forte’ Pomegranate Blackberry Iced Tea, and America’s Test Kitchen Best Summer Dessert recipes. See the contents below:
There are really no conditions for this giveaway. My hope, of course, is that this gift makes it into the hands of someone who simply can’t get a break this year and not someone who is heading to the Maldives or Bora Bora next week to stay in one of those little huts with glass floors sprawled across sparkling turquoise waters. But truly, if this gift brings a big smile to a single one of your faces that is quite enough for me.
So, please enter your name in the comments section if you could use a little sunshine in your world. We’ll do a random drawing and announce the winner at noon on this Thursday the 31st.
You are loved.
Melissa
Love the picture of Winston!!
I have been staying at the hospital with my husband who has had 3 major surgeries in 3 weeks-This gift sounds like wonderful therapy for me when we get home!
What a fun idea Melissa! I will not be doing any sunning on any beach this summer – maybe on Spring break next year. This year God has something else in mind for me. A wonderful weeklong conference in beautiful Colorado Springs, just a couple hours from our home, a great weekend at the upcoming Beth Moore conference in the same city, and then a visit with my hubby to see my folks in Palm Springs – no beach, but much rest! For this i am grateful. LOVE the ocean though and long to hear the crashing waves! Thanks for your special give-away! God bless!
This looks like a tiny dream come true! Tiny. Dreamy. A wonderful gift from siestas to siesta! I’m new to the blog and I’m sure someone is more deserving of something like this than me, but if somebody’s got to win… let it be me! Yay!
Love it, what a sweet summer idea! A mom of 3 boys would love some fun girl things.
What a generous gift!!!
I would love to win this! No vacation planned for me and my husband this summer. It’s the busiest time of year workwise with both of us. I refrain from looking at instagram just so I won’t be tempted to be jealous of my beach bound friends!
This is the sweetest thing ever! How wonderful to think of people in this manner. I am not interested in the give away as I have some get aways this summer. So, please do not include me. But this has made me think of some women I know who do not have a get aways and of ways I can help this summer. thank you for the inspiriation!
I don’t believe Winston could do any wrong, he is such a cute pup. I bet he thought those overly priced glasses were an out of date prescription, and he was simply helping his momma.
Since I moved from a beachy place in SC to the mountains of Colorado, this would be a blessing for sure.
In Him,
Joan
I could use a little sunshine!
so so FUN, Melissa!!
since I lived w/in 30 minutes of the beach, if I win, I’d like to send mine to a friend who doesn’t get out to one often and lives in the Middle of the country!
xoxo,
rachel
Sounds wonderful..so glad you received the God given rest and to enjoy the spendor of our beloved.God bless..looking forward to some
AWESOME-ness!!!
Oh Melissa you read my mind. Who doesn’t love a beach vacation in a bag! What a fun giveaway.
This would be an awesome gift for one of my beach buddies that can’t go with us this year due to some health problems!
My 2 daughters are about the same age as u and ur sister Amanda. In fact my older daughter’s name IS Amanda! We r very close like ur mom is with u. Wellll. This summer the 3 of us will be separated. One in Colorado, one in Houston, and me in Dallas. Mamas nest a little too empty this summer. Sniff, sniff.
My mom passed away last June and we are coming up on the anniversary. Her parents estate in WY was never settled over 50 years ago and my husband and I have the “job” to do by the end of June. My husband lost his job in I.T. 10 years ago. He has lead worship at our church for almost 30 years. He is trying to make it teaching guitar and has written a Christian song called “Light the Fire” back in the 80’s that brings in a few royalties. Our daughter and son-in-law and our first grandchild and furry grandchild are moving in because they sold their home and have not been able to purchase another (a housing boom here in CO.) We are exhausted (I am a cosmetologist at a nursing home/rehab and minister to the elderly.) There is NO vacation in sight for us…we are in our late 50’s…Help!
Thanks for thinking of us:)
Please enter my name….Lisa Thompson
What a fun selection of gifts! Karen Hart
so fun!
Tj
I’m one of those who is not vacationing this summer. My husband and I are going on a mission trip to England for the third year in a row, and our kids get a week at my parents’ house. I’m spending the rest of my summer organizing my home for our first endeavor into homeschooling. Even if I don’t win the giveaway, I might have to get a candle that smells like the beach so I can close my eyes and go there in my mind! Thanks for doing this!
Thanks for thinking of those who won’t get to go on a summer vacation this year.
Hooray! It’s summertime
Sitting here planning our next Beth, Bible Study about to start in 10 days. So excited to be together with the Lord and His word and our wonderful girls again. But would love a beach getaway (not in the schedule this summer!) Blessings for all that you all do to make these wonderful studies available and FUN!
What fun!!! It’s the little things that usually produce the biggest smiles!!!
Enter me….. Helen Mercer
What a treat!
What a thoughtful gift! May it be a blessing to the one who most needs it:)
What an awesome idea! Thank you Melissa & God bless you! This mom & gramma could use a little getaway & relaxation.
I will be dreaming of beaches this summer! Thanks for the thoughtful offer! Hope you are already better!
Expecting my first grandchild in July so I’m for so not going anywhere. Don’t want to miss a moment!
Okay, so I’m going to a small town – Joseph, OR – to the lake for a bit of time with my family so I won’t even ask for the giveaway, although it is beautiful. I do have a question—–where did you get the beautiful bag in the back of all of those gifts? What brand is it as I’ve been looking for one like that for years!?!?! God Bless You for giving away such a beautiful bundle of goodies.
Such a great giveaway!
How sweet! Would love to have my name picked!
Looks like a perfect summer collection!!
How very sweet of you 🙂 I will be spending my “summer vacation” working in vbs so this would be great !!
As a stay at home Mamma of two beautiful boys. The closest to the beach I will get this summer is the 36″ round plastic pool from Toys r Us that is in our backyard. This will be fun… But I would love to pretend to be at a beach!
What a lovely gesture! But what I REALLY want to know is who is Professor Thornbury?
This makes me think of having a girls night! Sometimes I have to have a nervous girly breakdown after being the only girl in a house with my husband and two small boys.. Gosh, even the dog is a boy. I wouldn’t have it any other way, stepping on Legos in the middle of the night trying to kiss those faces. What I wouldn’t give more to just sit and have coffee with one of you and share our stories of our God. Thank you for the sweet idea of encouragement!
I was trying to thank you but accidentally hit enter….this is great! Thank you for being so thoughtful.
we have no trip planned for this summer so thank you so very much for wanting to spread some sunshine around – it sounds so awesome! hope you’re feeling better! 🙂
Makes me yearn for summer even more. Great giveaway!
oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please…
This is so fun! I would love to give this to my mom. She works so hard! And deserves a wonderful treat!
Calgon, take me away….
I would LOVE a break.
Thanks for the giveaway – how fun!
Oh this would be wonderful! My job requires me to work every weekend and a lot of hours. No vacation for me 🙁 please enter me! Thanks!
The Ray-Bans. Neal would be so, so jealous of me.
Oh how I need a pamper package