“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
Julie Hodges in sunny Texas this summer moving in July (hopfuly to our new home) or possably a fieinds rental, at any rate will be Moving…so no vacation
Fun!
Fun fun! So thankful for you and your familia…
God is good all the time! But an extra treat is nice too.
I want to try the beach perfume!
This is actually for my sister, Dianna. She is struggling in many ways right now. I feel so helpless, but know that this would brighten her day. LOVE her!
Thank you for such a wonderful idea!
God bless!
When I read about this giveaway, I immediately thought of my dear sister, Denise.
Denise has been separated from her husband for a year and half now. He’s an alcoholic and has just chosen his addiction over his family…if you knew this family, your heart would break.
She’s also experienced some very difficult times with her children…all adults, but nevertheless, heartbreaking. We are praising God for they are doing much better.
She has not had a vacation, oh goodness, I don’t even know how long it been. She works two jobs so no vacation again this year.
Not that this giveaway will mend any heart breaks, only God can do that, but this giveaway will give her a little vacation,relaxation on those long days.
Blessings to you and your ministry my friend!
How fun! What an awesome idea!
That is sweet Melissa!!
Ya’ll are so special……love you dearly!
A trip to the beach in a bag…what a great idea!
Beth you are such an inspiration!
On this very difficult morning this made me smile. Thanks Melissa!
Well I would really like to say that I’m heading for a summer vacation this year. But since I am in the military my only vacation this year will be training for the next two weeks. And after that well I am so in the middle of a hurricane with a very rebellious 14 year old. But even in the middle I will praise God for the opportunity to learn from all this.
How fun. Hope I can win a virtual trip to the beach on my birthday. Thanks for thinking of us. Love you all!
This would brighten my day and several other ladies I know when I have them over for that yummy tea!
My husband is in Afghanistan and a few “favorite things” would brighten my day!
Thank you Melissa for your words in the blog as well as in the Mercy Triumps study. I recently completed the study with my “church ladies” at Covenant United Methodist in Greer, South Carolina it was awesome, thank you.
Edie
So excited you won, Edie! I am praying that your husband is safely home with you sooner rather than later and that you are doubly blessed for the sacrifice you both make in service to our country — Thank you! MB
Edie,
So very happy you won. May the Lord bless you as you walk through this season of your life. Praying for your husband’s safe return.
Teresa
Congratulations Edie, ENJOY the goodies. Blessings for you and your’s, at home and far from home.
I’m so happy for you, Edie 🙂
HOORAY EDIE!! Bless you and your family as you support your husband’s valiant service. SOOO grateful that the Lord chose YOU for this special treat.
EDIE: CONGRATS GIRL ON GETTING ALL THESE HAPPIES. THANK YOU FOR HUSBAND’S SERVICE AND YOUR FAMILIES SACRIFICE. I AM THRILLED YOU WON AND THAT IT WILL BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY. ENJOY!
Edie! Just saw that you won the contest. Yay! My husband is deployed right now too, so I am right in the thick of this thing with you. I also live in Charleston, SC 🙂
Hooray for you!!!
~ Edie ~ so happy you won. I hope Melissa’s gifts go a long way toward brightening your day! Your sacrifice is much appreciated. Saying a prayer that God will protect your man physically, spiritually and emotionally. (((hugs))) from a sister in Christ
Edie,
My husband is deployed as well. It’s going to be a tough summer, so maybe us siestas can pull together and pray for each other. Yesterday was a bad day for me, I cried so much my eyes stung for an hour after I stopped. Just miss him so much.
Daughter-in-law on moderate bed rest waiting for our 2nd grandchild (it’s a girl!) to be born July 2nd. No traveling away from home this summer. Looking forward to just lovin on her and her big brother (3 yrs old). Best kind of vacation!
Sunshine in a bag would be perfect! Not to mention it is my daughter’s (the youngest of three) 1st birthday!!
Fun!! Thank you!!
This looks awesome! I love summer!
Shannon Bell
What a wonderful idea! Whoever wins this package will be blessed.
Thank you Melissa, it is so nice to know someone cares about those of us who cannot go on vacation. God bless you!
How fun!
Melissa – Hope your neck is feeling better, and the stomach bug is banished…
Any chance you could post a photo of you swimming with Duey?? That must have been so amazing!
Hugs,
Adrienne
How wonderful! Thanks for the opportunity to enter such a fun contest.
Blessings,
Teri Selbher
Thanks for entering me.
The nail polish pulled me in!!! I’m down to every single bottle I own has turned to concrete! I know the stuff can be bought for less than ten bucks, but I just can’t seem to remember to put that on my list, thus I keep trying to plaster this thick, globby mess on my pigs and pointers! Please, random computer…… pick me! pick me!
oh my! how wonderful. for many years i couldnot even go to to church, if my mom didnt want to get out of bed. or even having an anexity moment. what ever her excuse was. and this basket of love would have sent me to my knees and bawling my eyes out! i pray someone who is down and cant think straight like i was. can recieve this. love you sooooooooooo much for this!!
I am a mother of two and work full time in the medical field, so no time off or time off on holidays even. And expecting another in December (so excited). Melissa, thanks for thinking of those who don’t get summer vacations or time for a get away.
D’Anna Nowack
Don’t enter me in the drawing. We will get a week at the beach though in park service housing as our son is a park ranger and stationed at the beach this summer. I just wanted to drop in to say I hope Melissa is feeling better, and that I think it is a perfect antidote to the post vacation depression and blues to chose to give something away to someone else who couldn’t get away. You raised a fine daughter, Beth.
That bundle is amazing! I get giddy just at the (slim) chance of diving into it 🙂
Oh pick me! Pick me!!! I love all that stuff too! 🙂
melissa lafleur is my name.
What a wonderful way to welcome in summer and remember those who get to go on nice vacations, for whatever reason. I’m one of those people who has never been to an island, or on a cruise, or any exotic place. My vacations are spent at home doing yardwork, homework, and visiting nearby family and friends. Oh, and my fantastic grandson! God bless you for being so thoughtful and generous.
Wow that great giveaways! This summer has me running 2 children around, one getting her drivers license soon, the other one wanting it! But until then I’m still the taxi. Have a great summer!
Wonderful! Would love this sunshine!
This would be fabulous! I am home with my 3 kiddos and we are saving all my husband’s vacation time and our $$ to travel to China to adopt our 4th child. We have no idea when we’ll be going however and this would be a fabulous way to try to “escape” while here at home. 🙂 PS I LOVE your puppy. He is so cute!
I’m not going on vacation and would love this prize package.
Could you throw in that adorable puppy of yours also? What an incredibly thoughtful thing to do!
How fun! So excited!
How fun!! Thanks, Melissa!
So very thoughtful! Summertime is always an exercise in prayer and faith for us as we have no guaranteed income (my husband is on a ten-month Christian school payroll), but we always reflect back on the two months with awe at how God provides every need and even a few wants in between.
I would love to win!
Thank you! What a cute idea!
Vacation? What vacation? Besides working I have to save my money for my daughters wedding in October.
How nice, I’m in! Thank you
A little sunshine would be nice!
I would love to “getaway” with your beachy gift items! We were going to go off to Saranac Lake in Upstate NY for a week in July but the gas prices were too high to drive that far! Never made the reservations and now the gas prices are dropping! We have a nice yard to hang out in though (although it is not the beach!):)
Count me in! Hubby of 31years is going through chemo and radiation this summer, so no beach for us.