I’m Humbled to Receive Two Awards

Nov8

I am very honored to receive another award from one of my most loving and encouraging readers, Christine. She produces the creative blog: www.oursoulspurpose.com inspiring others to express gratitude, forgiveness and unconditional love in their daily lives. What a versatile writer she is! I am so grateful to the “blogosphere” for the opportunity to gather so many friends from all around the world into my life!

I can’t wait to pass this on to several deserving blogging friends who have touched my heart this past year. I’ve chosen 10 below and would have chosen more but I saw some of them had already won these already! Please nominate 3-10 special bloggers who you think would like it.

Sunshine Award – Isn’t this a pretty award? It’s going to look so great on my “mantel”!

To accept the Sunshine Award, please do the following:

1. Display the Award on your Blog.

2. Announce your win with a post and thank the Blogger who awarded you.

3. Present 10 deserving Bloggers with the Award- ‘who positively and creatively inspire others’ in the blogosphere.

4. Link your awardees in the post and notify them that they are being awarded with a comment.

Inner Peace Award

The only ‘rule’ for the Inner Peace Award is that you write a short piece on why you are accepting it. Here’s mine:

“Although I grew up in an extremely violent, tumultuous home, somehow I knew, even as a child, that Jesus was with me and kept me safe for a purpose. As a child, the Lord even then, provided a safe inner peace called hope. Looking back in hindsight, I know all the experiences in my life made me a stronger, more independent person and I praise God for them because it allows me to reach out to others today.

“Inner peace” is bestowed by Christ. Joy is a choice and how dare someone try to take that away from me! Perhaps that is why I am drawn to those who have an inner peace within themselves despite the personal storms in their own life. I choose to smile and I chose nominees who do the same.”

Then write 10 interesting things about you. Here’s mine:

The best thing about Arizona is that I can wear flowing sundresses or comfortable jeans nine months of the year!
I’ve loved living in another country and with America progressing the way it is, has made it very tempting to do so again.
But then I’d miss my daughter, son and five grandchildren too much.
As a farm girl, had unusual pets, including a raccoon and a pet skunk.
Besides writing, reading and traveling are my passions.
I enjoy cooking and creating new recipes so much, we hardly ever eat out.
My greatest weakness? I’m sometimes impulsive – but I’m working on that.
My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird.
I almost drowned in a boating accident when I was four and a half years old, which makes me terrified of being under water.
I walk twice each day with my two dogs, a Lhasa Apso and a golden Cocker Spaniel which works out to be about 2-4 miles each day. They nag me more than any human ever can!

So here’s my nominations and I am truly honored to pass these two awards on. I chose each nominee thoughtfully because every one has either overcome adversity or have inspirational testimonies, showing us how to truly sustain sunshine daily in our souls:

1. www.storyland4.wordpress.com

2. www.futureflyingsaucers.wordpress.com

3. www.homemakingwithheart.com

4. www.thoughtsfromanamericanwoman.wordpress.com

5. www.honkifyourevegan.com

6. www.freedomborn.wordpress.com

7. www.ibeatovca.wordpress.com

8. www.manfonhealth.wordpress.com

9. http://isingbecauseimfree.wordpress.com/

10. www.saminaiqbal27.wordpress.com/

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,” Philippians 1:3

Thank you for the Super Sweet Blogger Award!

Aug19

What a lovely surprise and thank you so much, C. F. Martin for the unexpected nomination for the Super Sweet Blogger Award! Christine, a member of the International Women’s Writer’s Guild and an all-round inspirationall blogger, has such an encouraging site. So those who need a little uplifting in their spirit I urge you to view it! Please check it out at Our Soul’s Purpose: http://oursoulspurpose.com/christine

Cupcake4

So as expected, I am to follow all the simple rules for this award and with that goes the pleasure of nominating 13 other sweet bloggers. (Which is always the hardest part!) But this award is great fun and as easy to prepare as that Kenner Easy Bake Oven you used to have as a kid!

Rules for this Blog Award:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.

2. Answer five ‘Super Sweet’ questions, listed below.

3. Include the Super Sweet Blogging Award Icon in your blog post. (simple, copy image above)

4. Nominate a baker’s dozen, so cute (!) 13 other deserving bloggers.

5. Notify your Super Sweet nominees on their blog.

Here are my nominees:

http://thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com (I know the answer to at least one of his questions, ha!)
http://ibeatovca.wordpress.com
http://lexiedache.wordpress.com
http://healthisfromheaven.wordpress.com
http://pickfreshfoods.com
http://farmfoodieandfitness.com
http://fit-n-fancy.com
http://hundredpercentchanceofchange.wordpress.com
http://beautifulcourageousyou.wordpress.com
http://leilaworldblog.com
http://homemakingwithheart.com
http://yomicfit.wordpress.com
http://andasprinkleoflove.com

My Five Super Sweet Questions for this Award: (You Answer the Same One’s)

1. Cookies or Cake?

Definitely CAKE. I just love the texture and mouth-feel of the it. Especially a dark chocolate one!

2. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Need you even ask???? Of course chocolate . . . the darker the better.

3. Favorite Sweet Treat?

A Pampered Chef recipe for mini Chocolate Brownie Truffle Cups – so decadent! Second choice, Chocolate Aztec Mousse cups.

4. When Do You Crave Sweet Things The Most?

For some reason right after I eat a chicken or tuna sandwich. Must be physiological lacking a nutrient like magnesium, I suppose.

5. Sweet Nick Name?

Hey “Hon” short for honey or honey will do.

My 13 nominees!

These are my nominees and I love them all. They are probably just like you so please check them out and you’ll add another new blogging friend to your world bank of acquaintances. I love all my followers and of course wish I could nominate every one of them, but then I’d never post again because I’d have no fingers left!

Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God every time I remember you,”

Extra Post: Two Unexpected Rewards, Gratefully Accepted

Jul2

Well my dear friend Liam, http://www.thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com has nominated me once again for two lovely awards, The Liebster Award and The Inner Peace Award. Blogging friends for almost a year now, he has spoiled me with his kindness in nominating me. (Since he has even more followers than I do, it is indeed an honor for him to recognize me.)

These awards happen to be more involved than others I’ve won, so nominees feel free to work on them at your own pace – you’ll discover it’s fun to learn about your wonderful followers this way!

Here are the Rules:

1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Nominate (up to) eleven bloggers for these awards.
3. Notify the bloggers.
4. Ask eleven questions the bloggers must answer upon receiving the nomination.
5. Answer the eleven questions you were asked when you were nominated and post your awards.

The Questions I was asked by Liam: (Can you tell he’s British?)
1. What is your favourite song, and why? “Go Now” by The Moody Blues, an oldie from the mid ’60s. I’ve always loved its haunting tune.
2. What is your favourite book, and why? Besides The Bible? To Kill a Mocking Bird. The perfect coming of age book and besides, I was absolutely the character Scout, same haircut and everything! As a curious kid I always was getting into trouble.
3. Which do you prefer, chocolate or sweets? Dark Chocolate, the darker the better! I used to even sneak some of the bitter chocolate used for baking, when my mom wasn’t looking.
4. Which do you prefer, reading a book inside by the fire when it is winter, or sunbathing in the summer? Being a bookworm, it’s reading books outside in our 72 degree Arizona winter. Since we used to live in Myrtle Beach it would have been sunbathing but now since we live in the hot dry heat of Arizona, I’d be a raisin in the sun if I basked in it during July and August.
5. Do you play any musical instruments? If not, what instrument would you most like to play? I was the only member of the band that the instructor practically begged to quit. Ouch. I would have loved to have played the harp but it’s just a trifle large to march with.
6. Which could you not live without, your computer or your phone? Today, with Skype, a computer can take the place of a phone and is what I would miss the most.
7. Which do you prefer, the books or the film adaptations? I much prefer to use my imagination with books, although I do enjoy movies when they are well-done. Case in point; To Kill a Mockingbird was perfectly interpreted in the movie.
8. What is your favourite drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)? a pomegranate martini.
9. What is your favourite food? Almost any Seafood: Crab, Lobster, Scallops, Shrimp (but not calamari)
10. What is your favourite movie? The Shawshank Redemption with its well written script and intelligent ending. (Finding Forrester and Man in the Moon with Reese Witherspoon, too.)
11. Where is your favourite place in the world? Sitting on Mykonos beach in Greece at sunset, simply watching the water lap the ships along the shore as the sun goes down.

The Nominees: (up to 11) who are just some who have brought me inner peace and support through their friendships.

Proverbs 27:9 “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.”

1. http://warfare4women.com/

2. http://meandtheboss2012.wordpress.com/

3. http://gollygoshgirl.wordpress.com/

4. http://wannabesupermomma.wordpress.com/

5. http://futureflyingsaucers.wordpress.com/

6. http://spiritministries.wordpress.com/

7. http://changeforbetterme.wordpress.com/

8. http://storyland4.wordpress.com/

9. http://pomegranatebandit.com/

10. http://beautifulcourageousyou.wordpress.com/

11. http://ibeatovca.wordpress.com/

Here are my questions for you to answer before you can post the awards:

Would you rather win an Academy Award, Nobel Prize, Pulitzer or Grammy?
If you could interview anyone alive, who would it be and why?
What era in history would you have loved to have lived?
Do you think parents play favorites with their children?
Do you prefer cooking at home or eating out?
What’s the best gift you ever received?
If you could be anyone in history who would it be and why?
Do you believe dinosaurs lived the same time as man?
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
If you ever had “15 minutes of fame”, what was it for?
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

Thank you and please have fun with this!

Thanks for the “Wonderful Team Member” Award!

May6

Well, what a wonderful surprise! As I logged on to my blog this morning, I discovered that my dear friend Liam, had nominated me for another award! He’s been a wonderful, loyal friend for nearly eight months now, so please check out his blog, http://thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com. Liam’s a very talented writer, musician and interviewer.

I’m extremely grateful that this is such an easy one to win. No revealing, personal attributes necessary. Whew, dodged a bullet there, didn’t we? The icon below is now sitting on my mantel with all the other awards I gratefully accepted but am not sure I deserved. Nevertheless, it’s not going to be given back!

Wonderful team member award

The Rules:
1. Nominate 14 people for the award in a post over 7 days!

Wow! Pretty simple rules as far as receiving an award goes. You can easily nominate over 7 days or all at once. All of my followers have supported and encouraged me, so of course it’s tough to choose just 14, but here are those which I nominated for this award: Note: It’s not necessary to editorialize but I like to let you know a little about their posts.

http://itsawholelifestylething.wordpress.com/ (talk about a non-selfish team spirit! Really inspires and motivates)
http://homemakingwithheart.com/ (sweet, practical and a real team spirit to assist others)
http://gollygoshgirl.wordpress.com (whimsical, yet practical posts)
http://kerrichronicles.com/ (she finds interesting ways to inspire others through written and audio posts)
http://manfonhealth.wordpress.com/ ( contains so many unique ideas to follow in any daily routine!)
http://jeanalphin.wordpress.com/ (so cute, funny and simply loves animals!)
http://bobbinsworld.wordpress.com/ (diverse, interesting, entertaining)
http://somedayfitgirl.com/ (inspiring posts about conquering ‘self’ for greater reward)
http://pomegranatebandit.com/ (examples of a well-disciplined life)
http://beautifulcourageousyou.wordpress.com/ (practical, inspirational posts!)
http://7babyelephants.com/ (what an excellent bunch of ideas for healthy living)
http://seizethereins.com/ (professes thru her writings what we might feel in our own lives)
http://plantingpotatoes.wordpress.com/ (through her own reality check, she inspires us toward a true Christian lifestyle)
http://pickfreshfoods.com/ (fantastic, simple, nutritious recipes for anyone on your ‘team’)

So that’s all there is to it. I hope you’ll discover not only ideas for a healthy lifestyle but also find websites that will encourage you mentally and spiritually as well!

Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God every time I remember you.”

Thank you for another award!

Mar5

I was very touched to receive another award nomination last week: a humbling Beautiful Mama Blog Award. I wish to thank one of my wonderful followers http://futureflyingsaucers.wordpress.com for this honor. I’m quite certain my poor children might have second thoughts on this one, but in my defense, I believe I actually got better with time. Please check out Flying Saucers blog because I guarantee you’ll enjoy it!

There are some things I’m supposed to do to justify posting this award. They are: share three things I love about motherhood and then nominate as many other mothers who blog as I want.

As per the rules, I can tell you three things I enjoyed about Motherhood:

It’s satisfying when you drag your children kicking and screaming to an event and afterwards they shuffle the ground with their feet and mumble, “Thanks Mom, that was actually fun.”
That it’s a “in our humanity” justifying emotion, hearing your daughter gripe about things that her daughter does that we actually endured with her! This too shall pass . . . my sweet thing . . .
That as a grandmother, I can rectify many wrongs that occurred when as a Mom, I was too young and impatient to endure at the time. Praise God for His redemptive grace and loving children! How grateful I am to God for them!

Now on to the nominations: I have many wonderful followers who are terrific mothers, so I’m missing plenty, but I’d like to nominate the following and hope they’ll accept:

I’d also like to nominate http://farmfoodieandfitness.com even though I realize she’s extremely busy and might not be able to pass it on. If anyone is actually too busy to accept, it’s no big deal. I wanted the blogging world to know that you’re all amazing mothers with terrific sites! You can nominate one or many others – there’s no pressure with this particular award, it’s just fun. I do hope it draws others to your page!

(And if http://storyland4.wordpress.com/ hadn’t already been nominated, I would have, because of her family devotion and steadfast, unwavering spirit to conquer Joshua and Caleb sized mountains in her life! Nothing defeats this woman!)

Philippians 1:3 “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.“

A Grateful Thank You for Two Blogging Awards!

Feb12

Thank you once again! Michael from “Me and The Boss” nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award and four bloggers nominated me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. What a blessing! I want you to know that it never grows old, knowing I am making a difference in someone’s life through God’s words.

I wish to thank those who nominated me and urge you to check out their amazing blogs:

Thank for the nomination for The Versatile Blogger Award plus Very Inspiring Blogger Award; http://meandtheboss2013.wordpress.com. His inspirational, versatile and beautiful poetry touches hearts. His determination to overcome personal challenges and live for our Lord through his wonderful heartfelt words and thoughtful commentary, shows how our amazing God changes lives!

Thank you also to those below for another Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

http://fitbit8.wordpress.com She is so inspiring herself with her self-discipline and health conscious outlook on life. She exemplifies the phrase, “Life is better lived well!” She lives that and more!
http://blessedwiththunderthighs.com What an inspirational role model! So disciplined! She can certainly speak about goal setting because she lives what she preaches . . . yeah, I was that disciplined once.
http://thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com who has been a faithful friend since I began this endeavor two weeks after he did. So versatile, he’s always evolving with inspirational new ideas to make his site relevant! Excellent interviews too!

Proverbs 27:9 “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.”

Here are the rules for both awards:

Display the logo on your blog
Link back to the person who nominated you
State 7 things about yourself
Nominate 15 bloggers for this award and link to them, notifying them of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

The 7 things about me, mmm, what shall I say this time? The best thing about life . . . is that it’s always changing!

My favorite musical groups are The Eagles and ZZ TOP – I Can’t Tell You Why but She’s Got Legs!
Bookworm since 5, my favorite authors are Harper Lee, James Michener, Howard Fast and Jodi Picoult.
My favorite little known chick-flick movie is “Men Don’t Leave.” (Anyone ever hear of it?)
Other favorite movie? Anything that’s psychologically well-written, like Finding Forrester or The Shawshank Redemption.
My favorite phrase, “In Essentials Unity – in Non-essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity.”
I love to cook and have been doing so since I was 9, so my poor brother and sisters, (bless them) had to endure my experiments.
If I could have had any other career in life, besides PR and nutritional counseling, it would have probably been as a screen writer.

Below are my nominations for the Versatile Blogger Award.

Here are my nominations for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

Please check out these fantastic blogs and you’ll be following them too!

My “Blog of the Year 2012” Award Presentations

Dec18

‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award

Thank you my dear friend Liam, of The Life of a Thinker. http://thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com/ who nominated me for a Blog of the Year 2012 award. He’s won so many this year, he’s giving some of his away I think! Actually I think it’s my long distance Christmas present.

If you know a blog that deserves an award, have some special ones that you love to read, or some that you bookmark and follow, then nominate them for this prestigious Blog of the Year Award!

The ‘rules’ for this award are simple, so Here’s what you do:

1. Collect Six Stars (I have one now, yeah!)
2. Nominate as many people as you like. I nominated 10 simply because there are so many good ones out there! (you can even re – nominate to get the nominator to six stars)
3. A more in-depth version of the rules can be found on: http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/

Now you simply:

Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.
Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them.
As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Yes, start collecting stars! I’ve now that I’ve received my star on the WordPress Walk of Fame, George Clooney, watch out!

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!

The first one you’ll receive is the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star! (I’m not exactly sure how to add another star but you can check out the above website link and if I get another I’ll simply copy the ones on her website, thank you. (Well what can you expect from someone who is computer challenged???)

There are a total of 6 stars to collect.

‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Nominees are:

Here are my notable nominees: As always, I wish I could nominate everyone – I absolutely hate choosing just a few. I’ve always enjoyed reading their comments and they have inspired me to continue. All are thoughtful, inspirational, reflective and worthwhile blog adventures to discover!

Congratulations to all!

Thank you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award!

Nov23

Thank you Liam for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. I have been a fan of yours since I began my blog just a few weeks after you did, so I appreciate your encouragement!

For those who haven’t found it yet, Liam’s “The Life of a Thinker” Blog, http://thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com is a lot of fun to read, so please do yourself a favor and check it out. He’s also been plugging away faithfully on his NoNaWriMo all month so I’m not sure he’s even come up for air yet. I can’t wait to find out what his novel is about! Since he’s British, we’ll just give him a “Hip, Hip Horray, Cheerio Chap, Onward-Toward-Success Bloke,” cheer.

I thought Thanksgiving week would be a perfect time to post this and to thank all the wonderful people who have taken the time to comment on my topics and have told me I have helped them in some small way. So thank you, I value your input and I want to hear from you even more.

As per the rules for this award, I am required to admit 7 things about myself that might not be known through my blogging. So here goes:

1. I grew up on a New Jersey dairy farm that was later sold to a home builder who developed the beautiful Great Gorge Country Club on the site. The quarry, the silo and railroad tracks are all places I played as a kid. Have any of you played golf there?

2. I had a pet skunk as a child. Or at least until he became a little too old for comfort.

3. I attended a three room schoolhouse during my first two years of school and when we were moved into a larger consolidated school, my family received a truck load of leftover school books which inspired my love of reading and adventure.

4. I attended college classes with Andy Kaufman of television’s Taxi fame and was one of the first to witness his famous Elvis impression.

5. Being a tour guide in Europe for a couple of years, I actually got paid for escorting guests to Switzerland, France, Italy, along the Rhine River, to castles and monasteries! My favorite country is Austria where we were avid cross country skiers.

6. We almost moved to Australia but 48 hours before the plane departed my husband got his “Uncle Sam wants you” personal invitation. We’d still love to live there.

7. My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. Fearless then, tomboyish and mouthy, I was totally Scout.

Our next assignment for the award is to nominate 15 other bloggers. I find this extremely difficult due to the fact that every blog I follow is special, thought provoking and inspirational. So my apologies to those I couldn’t include but if nominated for anything else, I’ll have an excuse to mention you in the future.

Whew, that was the hardest part because I wanted to include ALL of my 2649 followers. (Okay, okay, slight exaggeration, but I can hope.) Please check out these amazing bloggers who all inspire me to be a better woman, wife, mom, cook, athlete and child of the King.

Congratulations to all of you and again my thanks to Liam.