“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
Wo! Thank you so much!
This is FUN giveaway!
Stormy
Thanks for the opportunity. 🙂
Fun items for summer!
Working all summer. Missing my four great kids!
Count me in, Thanks!!
I really enjoy lists like this of things other people like. I’d love to know what those nail polish colors are! Thanks!
What a perfect summer giveaway. Thank you for sharing.
I would love this!
What a wonderful giveaway!
Would so love to be picked – would share with my awesome daughter and her little gals. Sticking at home all summer…:(
Awesome and totally delightful! Would love a little beach pick me up as we spend our summer vacation money on residing the house! Thanks for sharing!!
Might as well throw my name in the pot! 😉
All those things just made me smile–for me or for anyone else. thanks!
Lisa
Wow! Awesome give aways!! Thanks so much!!
My husband is a bi-vocational minister right now, looking for where God is leading him to fulltime again, anyway, we will not be able to go anywhere this year because he has used up his vacation time with funerals and weddings. Just the thought that you are doing something like this makes me smile. Thanks for the smiles. We will dream!
I would love this! Thanks for the opportunity.
Thanks for this wonderful summer give-away!
Missy Moore 🙂
Beverly Rucker
Love the fun summer gift!
What a great idea. Thank you for such a fun opportunity.
THanks for the chance to win such a great giveaway!
I could use a little summer sunshine!! 🙂
You are a blessing!! Thank you for blessing me!! What a lovely thoughtful gift!
What a great idea & blessing!
Single mom wish I was takin my kids to the beach but blessed to say we just rented our own place!! God is good! You guys are a tremendous blessing to so many!!
Amy Knight, my sister, deserves this giveaway. Single mom of 4, living with our parents…yep…she needs some sandcastles in her dreams 🙂
Julie Gresham
Yippee!!!! How much fun!!!!
Hi, what a blessing it would be to get this give away!!!! So much to share but I will tell you that this summer I am working writing teaching lessons for next school year. I am a school teacher who is trying to make some extra money and God blessed me with the opportunity to write lessons for teachers to use next year. No plans , no get aways and missing my 2 children. One left to go to school in Boston and the other is in Louisiana. This is the first summer without kids and miss them so much 🙁
love your blog and look forward to read the next posting.
Anastasia Pothoven…I am feeling lucky tonight:)
Thank you for your giving heart. Have a wonderful summer!!
Summer is a busy season for this children’s pastor so this would be perfect.
great idea – love it!
Sounds fun!
I am sending my daughter-in-law’s name as she encouraged me take the James Bible study with her. We have done some together before and always enjoyed them. But James was the best..
I have been going back and forth to Florida to be with my aging Dad who is having some serious health problems….and will probably spend my summer doing the same thing. Not exciting or exotic – but I do it with love for a man who lived his life for the Lord – and hasn’t stopped even though he can hardly walk!
Thank you for thinking of us this summer – and I want you to know, Beth, that I continue to pray for you and your family. Besides my own parents, you have been the one who has helped me fall madly in love with Jesus – and I can’t thank you enough! I know I don’t have to say it, but lean heavily on Him – He can take it. I learned that from you. 🙂
This is AWESOME! Hope your neck feels better soon Melissa : )
I would love to win this because I never get to take a vacation.
Oh how I could use some sunshine!!!
Pray your neck and puppy are doing alright,
In Christ,
Rachel
No fancy vacations for me this year, but ONE DAY!
Great idea!
WOW!
Please enter my name…the picture and the wonderful imagination…made my eyes water….what wonderful thoughts:)
Praying that the beach and I will find each other
Thank you for the best gift when you said “you are loved” Can’t hear that enough.
What a neat idea! Thanks for being thoughtful.
We’re staying home this summer with our three daughters. Vacation money for these years is spent on our two in college. We are though, thrilled to have them home for the summer and storing up sweet memories while they are still living under our roof. Time is fleeting – but wouldn’t have it any other way!!
For the thousands who don’t win, we’ll have some good ideas of things that can at least make us feel like we’re taking a fun, beach-y vacation!
I Love Summer!?!?
Tara Hannon
Patti, Clemmons, NC
You are wonderful. I’m so glad someone will be blessed by your thoughtfulness. I plan to pass this idea along in my Bible study group.