Wowsers! Three whole years of blogging? Is it just me or did the time just fly by!?? February 28, 2018 seems so far away, yet I remember writing my first post so clearly!
Before we get on with the giveaway, I'd first like to do some reminiscing:
Just looking back over these posts, I'm reminded of how much I've changed. My writing style has changed. Experiences I've gone through in the past three years has shaped my way of thinking. I've grown, and yet part of me is still that seventeen year old girl wondering what the next chapter will hold. Everyday, I feel blessed that God opened the door for me to start a blog because through this blog, my writing dream has expanded, I've met friends that have encouraged me and shown me that there are people out there who want to be there for me. I hope that I return the favor, but my online friends will never know what kind of positive impact they've made on me.
This blog has been consistency in my life when everything else seemed unsure. These past years, there's been trials and this blog has given me a outlet to turn those trials into object lessons.
This blog is far from perfect. Hundreds of typos are hidden throughout my posts. Sometimes it's so cringe-y. But the thing is, it's all apart of my journey.
So thank you. Thank you for reading my posts. Thank you for commenting. For your kind words. For just being you. I pray this blog is a blessing.
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*drumroll*
To celebrate... I think a GIVEAWAY is in order!
(I'm so sorry to say that this giveaway is only for those living in the US. I have a small business, and know how expensive shipping can cost. Sorry international friends!)
I will be giving away three (3) giveaway prizes! The catch is, they are MYSTERY prizes! The mystery prizes *may* include items such as the following list: bookmarks, painted pottery, key chains, books, magnets, signs, among other fun gifts! But- ALL three prizes will include one (1) mini bar of Creamy Unscented soap and three soap samples scents from Winds of Faith Co.!! (P.S. if I know the person who wins very well, I'll try to personalize the prize as best as I can!)
I'm making it super easy to enter, simply follow my blog and comment a Q&A question below! Comment with a question or questions (can be abt whatever!) and I’ll do a Q&A!! Giveaway ends March 1st and winners will be announced on the 3rd.
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Comment below to be entered to get a chance to win one of the three mystery prizes!!
What is your favorite post on my blog? When did you first start following Showers of Blessings?
What's your favorite memory with me/the blog? Do you like mystery prizes? Do you have a question for the Q&A?
5.Watch to see if your name is drawn on February 16th for 1 of five
Okay, now let's see if you can find the item I’ve hidden in this picture! Each picture gets a little easier to spot! See if you can find the object(s) on all four pictures in the bookcase!
Did you find them? :) Go ahead and check it off the list of Hope Chest treasures! Also, who's craving something freshly baked? Me!
(Also, sorry if that was super too easy to spot! Lol, I overthought it...)
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway. There will be five winners!
And that's not all! Interested in Fanny’s Hope Chest? Grab it for $0.99 through the 14th (Price will go up to $2.99 after)
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How old is too old for a hope chest?
When Ellie starts a new job as a home health aid, she doesn't expect to meet a woman in her eighties looking for her hope chest, nor a house as messy as Ellie's own emotional state. But as she cleans up Fanny's house, she begins to wonder if Fanny's hope chest might hold the answers to her questions about disappointed dreams and holding on to hope.
That is, if she can face both the mess and her own heart.
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Find it on Amazon!
Doesn't that just sounds so awesome?! And isn't that cover so pretty!?!
Comment Below if you are going to add this book to your TBR pile!
Not becoming stagnant in life's waiting seasons. Finding Contentment.
Sometimes life becomes slow. We go though the motions and become so accustomed to mundane routines. We see others (accomplishing so much). We see friends go off to college. Siblings get married. Family members go on amazing vacations. Someone we know has a business take off. Another gets promoted. You name it.
We feel like everyone around us is in the fast lane and somehow, we are the only ones stuck behind a tractor on a oneway, dirt road.
We pray for God to lead us in His right path for us, but in the same breath, we tell Him how we think He should answer our prayer. As if we know best.
NEWS FLASH: God knows best & His timing is best.
God sees the big picture here, He knows what you and I need. And He does answer our prayers... only maybe not in the way WE think He should. But that doesn't mean He has abandoned us or has forgotten about our dreams.
So let's talk about being in a "season of waiting." I have a very strong conviction surrounding this phrase. A conviction that was SO HARD TO LEARN. This subject isn’t a easy one.
When I think of waiting, I think of coming to a standstill while waiting for someone or something else to make a move. In waiting, there's time to catch your breath, to become comfortable with the standstill.
In my mind, God doesn't ask us to be idle. He may ask us to wait for His timing, but He never asks us to stop growing in the season we are in. His will doesn't involve becoming stagnant.
He doesn't ask us to wait for the right guy to come sweeping in before our life can become content. He doesn't ask us to twiddle our thumbs while He lines up the perfect job. He doesn't ask us to become stuck in a rut while He miraculously makes our dreams come true. (Though, because God is amazing, He absolutely could do these things, but oftentimes it usually doesn’t work that way. Usually there are lessons to be learned in those seasons that could not have been learned if our dreams came handed to us on a silver platter out of thin air....)
No.He doesn’t ask us to wait for the silver platter. He asks us to live life now. To be content now. Find purpose now. To trust Him in the here and now.
Because, if we TRUST NOW, we don't need to worry about when God will bring people into our lives. If it is in His will, He'll make a way. He already knows the desires of our hearts. And if we sit back and wait, think of all the things we will miss out on in our lives. There are different callings for different seasons.
Maybe you're life isn't going how you had planned, maybe you are stuck in a job you hate and all the burdens have weighed you down to the point where dragging yourself out of bed in the morning is a chore. Instead of filling yourself with bitterness towards all the people in your life who you compare yourself to, maybe it's time to get some perspective.
If you are struggling with wearing so many hats and life is too complicated, maybe it’s time to get some perspective.
If you are unsure of your future and feel like you need to have it more together, like that burden of “figuring it all out” sits solely on your shoulders, maybe it’s time to get some perspective.
Fact: you don't know the big picture.
What if you are in this season for a specific purpose? Maybe there is someone you can reach despite your lousy job that you wouldn't normally be in contact with? Maybe you are in this seasons to learn a lesson on comparison? Maybe you are in this season of crazy busy schedules to learn that real, heavenly peace does not come from the world but from God? Maybe you are in this season of uncertainty to practice trust in Someone bigger?
If God has lead you and if you are relying on His guidance, there IS A PURPOSE right where you are at!
Back to the fast lane analogy. While driving on that dirt road behind a tractor, maybe your purpose is to look around at all the beauty of the countryside. To really be grateful for the road you are on. Maybe your purpose is to have that deep conversation with that person next to you without the interruption of life zipping by. (Cultivating meaningful relationships with people in your life). Maybe your purpose in this season is to serve others and think less about your own ambitions? Maybe your purpose is simply to cling to Jesus in a time when you just feel really weak.
Instead of waiting, how can we be proactive and act upon our faith?
We have to be continually praying. By praying for God's will and for our hearts to become opened to God's direction, we are able to trust God's bigger picture. We ought to trust that God will grow us in this seasons so that we can be better equipped for the seasons to come. And last, but surely not least, we have to learn to be CONTENT.
It's so hard to be content when life right now isn't our own "ideal." But God's ideal is so much better. (When we align these two, think of how full our lives can be! Overflowing!)
Instead of always trying to have life "gettin' good" we should be realizing that life's "already good." Look at your season. (Don't look at other people's seasons.) How are ways you can enjoy where you are at? How are ways you can grow? Don't stop, look for ways to grow your character. Look for opened doors. Let God search your heart. Don't put off things for "someday." Live life NOW.
Can you relate to anything in this post? What is something in your seasons now that you are grateful for? Comment below!
