“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
Very happy things in that bag!
What a precious idea. I’m continuing cancer treatment via chemotherapy which I’ve been having for a year now. I’m trying to be Gods witness through all this an even started a snack ministry at my cancer center. But some days are really tough even with God and so many holding my hand through this. Not going to be able to get to the beach this summer so this would be a nice treat. Thank you for thinking of us.
Oh wow! I would love to win this and smell like the beach 🙂 Me and my husband have been trying to plan our vacation and June is nearly here! I think we are now planning for sometime in October for our anniversary 🙂 It’s hard to go on vacation when you own your own business, especially since it is vending machine business, we have a lot of pools this summer! Thanks for thinking of the *unvacationers* {is that even a word, ha ha} this summer!
~Molly P
Jody Starr, Forest Grove, OR… What a blessing!!!
This is so fun!
Jayne Patterson
How like all of you there to want to make people smile:-) The picture of your “boy” did just that!
How fun =) You are so thoughtful!
Please enter me in the drawing. I am a single mom of a autistic child living in the Midwest, beach vacations just aren’t in the works for us. This giveaway would be a great substitution. Rebecca Trowbridge
Well now, aren’t y’all the sweetest things wanting to make someone’s summer special? Thanks for sharing God’s love.
Thank you for the chance to win!
My vacation will be spent taking care of my one year old grandson who we have temporary guardianship of. This vacation in a bag is wonderful!!
I love all things summer!!
Oh how I long for a beach escape…but this would definitely make it seem real!
Karin Wizer from TN. Lovely giveaway. Thanks for all you do.
How fun, thank-you for the give a way.
No vacay for this mama who is feeling oh so frumpy in the “I just had a baby stage.” In case I feel bad for myself while my husband spends sometime overseas sporting his Army greens, I’ll kiss my sweet littles and remember THIS is the season and place God has me. Grateful.
Love the picture of your puppy! Reminds me of my sweet Bella’s that I had for 10 years 😉
The beach to me is where I feel closest to God. This package will definitely be a blessing for someone!
love this post, thanks melissa!
blessings, blessings, blessings
So fun!!!
Yes please!! Bring on the summertime:)
Thank you for the lovely giveaway! Great fun!
I will get a break this summer but would love to treat myself to some of the special goodies you are giving away. I promise to share!
My husband and I along with 17 other people from Arkansas are launching Pinnacle Church in September here in Spokane WA! So excited but no beach this year!!
mom to 2 under age 4. married to a youth minsiter who will be out of town half the summer. full time behavioral counselor with children in our area. full time grad student working toward guidance counseling degree. no break for me! i’ll be building sand castles in my dreams also! 🙂
Oh, Melissa, I have been loooooonging for the beach! But, alas, I will be spending my summer doing clinicals at the hospital four days a week, finishing up my surgical tech program. Instead of taking walks on the beach, I’ll be standing on my poor, tired little feet all day in the O.R.! I won’t even have time to go to a waterpark, much less the ocean. Oh, well, enough whining! Have a blessed summer. 🙂
Now those are some fun little pieces of summer!
The beach is my happy place, would love to win this.
Heather Marshall, Fullerton, CA
Pick me! Pick me!!!
Awesome giveaway! The LPM blog and ladies are such a blessing!
I,m so sorry you got so sick…no fun..but thankfully it sounds like you are better. I am not familiar with any of the products in your give-away so your thoughtfulness in what you have chosen to include is a blessing to me. It,s always fun to learn about new things that are not in our “normal”real life. Thank you so much. Numbers 6:24-26
Linda
Fun!!!
Please enter me!
Im so very homesick for Puerto Rico beach
Ooo…how fun!! I’ll lay on the “woe is me” business if it helps ;-), by saying not only will I not get a vaca. this summer but I haven’t had one in 3 years.
Either way, this is SO fun! Congrats and warm, warm blessings to whom ever is blessed to recieve this package! 🙂
Opening a salon/ antique store this summer! Exciting stuff but no vacation this year or perhaps the next 5! I shamelessly hope I win! 🙂
Single mom with three boys. Doing it all on my own. Any break I get is a few minutes from heading to a full time job or school or a knock on my bedroom door needing something.
Planning one graduation party this summer and sending two children off to college. We are literally married to our small family operated business way up in Northern Maine so no summer trips for us but thats ok because God is good no matter where the sun shines on us 🙂
What a fun give-away! Just to feel like I am at the beach would be awesome during a stressful time! 🙂
I love trips to the beach and silly dogs who eat strange things!
Our beach vacation this year will be putting a handicap accessible ramp in our house for my son ryan. I am super excited because he has not been able to access the upstairs of our house in almost a year.
How awfully sweet of you Melissa!!! I will get a vacation this summer thank God!! We are taking out RV to Yellowstone National Park with the family!! We go every other year and it is so awesome!! May God bless someone in a special way through you girl!!
I could use some sunshine!
Such a nice idea. Thank you for thinking of others.
Yes please!!
Love everything, especially those sunglasses! Enter me too please!
Jessica Butler
awesome!!! here is my name 🙂
thanks!
What a nice gift!