Week #2: GIVEAWAYS // Q&A // POEMS!

Hi Y'all! Today is week TWO of celebrating Showers of Blessings one year anniversary or birthday, whatever you would like to call it! In this post, I will be announcing the winner of last weeks giveaway! I will also be hosting the second giveaway, sharing some of my first poems, and asking for questions for a Q&A! So, read on...  

~Giveaway~

It's time to announce the winner of last weeks giveaway! Scroll away!

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Who shall it be? 

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Congratulations...

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YAY!!!!! Congrats Rakayle on winning my first giveaway, the Showers of Blessings mug! Since I do not have your email, please email me using my contact form on the sidebar and we can work out the details for getting your prize shipped to you! If I don't hear from you within a week, I will draw a new name from the hat.

~~~

Now, on to the next giveaway! This second giveaway is just as epic as the first! *grins* To enter this giveaway, it's easy! There is a possible 1 point each for this giveaway! This giveaway is open for one week... This giveaway is open to U.S. and international residents!!!

~Rules for entering the second giveaway~

1.  Ask me questions for my Q&A! 

Enter for a chance to win... *throws confetti* ...A handmade recycled leather journal with a feather on it!!!

I tested my creative skills and with the help of YouTube how-to videos, I was able to make the second giveaway prize! Every writer needs a good journal, right?! 

I made this journal out of everything recycled (all except for the string...) This is a up-cycled journal! I used the scrap leather I had and then used horse Poopoopaper! (paper made from horse poo, yes, we bought it! Trust me, it's not Rosies! *winks*) I wood-burned a feather on it, because if ya know me at all, you know that I am a big fan of feathers and I also signed it with my initials! I then used beeswax to wax the string for the book binding!

Making this journal was super fun and I am so excited to gift it to the winner! As you can see in the lower left picture, this is a small journal (it makes my hand look giant!)

I can't wait to see who wins this journal! 

~Q&A~ 

And that up there ^^ leads me to explain a little more on how to enter the giveaway. I am doing my very first Q&A and I need questions! To have your name entered into the drawing hat, all you have to do, is ask me some questions! It could be one question or twenty questions, however many you would like! 

Anything on the topics of blogging, writing, lifestyle, favorites, or even funny ones! I won't answer any questions that are too personal, but whatever you come up with, I will see what I can do! XD

The Q&A answers will be included in next weeks post! 

~Writing Throwback~ 

Now on to taking a peek into my early writing stages! I am going to share with you the very first poems I wrote!

The first poem I wrote was a simple rhyme about a popcorn machine. I still have it on a 3X5 card in a special folder! 

The Popcorn

Written by a young Brooklyne 

The popcorn machine

Was very mean

It was tall and green

And it would slightly lean

~~~ 

It popped so high 

It was very sly 

The popcorn could almost fly 

Oh my, oh my

The popcorn went on Dad's tie!

The next two poems I wrote are a little longer. The first is about horses... I remember sitting in our rental house (before we moved to our farm) and looking out the window as I did my school at the table. We boarded Rosie next door and I watched her in the pasture. I wrote this poem for school: 

A Love For Horses

Written by a young Brooklyne 

Different sizes, different shapes,

All are creatures that God makes.

Some are young, some are old,

Some are shy and some are bold.

When they don't know what to do,

They will alway's look to you.

As their leader you can be,

Someone who's fair and trustworthy.

Brave and free as the wind,

They will become your very best friend! 

This next one was the first religious poem I ever wrote! I read this at the nursing home a few years ago... I like how it is simple and sweet, short yet deep! 

Jesus' Love

Written by a young Brooklyne 

Love is patient, love is kind;

Love is never ever blind.

Love sees you through the good times and the bad.

Love gave Jesus strength to endure what was sad.

He died on the cross to save us from our sins;

If that is not true love, I don't know what is. 

His love for us, we cannot comprehend.

Think about it, He loves us even though we have sinned! 

He wants us to abide in His love,

And trust in Him above.

The Bible tells us perfect love casts out fear;

And because of God's love for us, we know He is alway's near.

He is our anchor of hope and help in times of need,

And He's the One who gives us a chance to be freed.

Love is the root of anything good.

And I hope that everyday we will love one another as Jesus says we should! 

Another poem I posted on Showers of Blessings that I had written when I was younger would probably be The Trust Rope. (Inspired by my first devotional about the spider object lesson...)

Thanks for reading this second post in celebration of Showers of Blessings one year blogoversary! Make sure to enter the giveaway by asking Q&A questions for a chance to win a pretty cool journal made by yours truly! The deadline for entering the giveaway is Tuesday the 19th at midnight.

Again, congratulations, Rakayle, for winning the first giveaway!!! 

I will see y'all next Wednesday for some more celebration fun including the following: Q&A answers, blog throwbacks, hosting the third and final giveaway, and also announcing the winners of this weeks giveaway! 

(Also, having some technical issues with blogger as I am formatting this post, that is why some of the wording shows up the color red. Oh well, sorry about that!) 

Who's thrilled about the second giveaway? Whatcha think of my first poems I wrote? Which one was your favorite? Did you ever write anything about a popcorn machine when you were younger? Lettuce talk in the comments! ;)

Giveaway starts now! 1...2...3... Go! 

Week #1: GIVEAWAY // FIRST DEVOTIONAL // ONE YEAR OF BLOGGING!

Today calls for a tremendous amount of confetti and chocolate! Showers of Blessings is exactly one year old this month. (February 28 to be exact!) Twelve months ago, I started this little blog, and it has become a very big part of my life. I have grown so much since first starting Showers of Blessings. This small spot on the internet has impacted me more than I could have ever imagined! God truly has orchestrated my blogging journey.

First starting out, I had pretty much no idea how to blog. And after a whole year, I have only just scratched the surface. Blogging and writing in general is really a art that takes continuous learning! And I am so glad that God has given me the opportunity to write for Him! 

I am more than just a little proud when I say... I have not missed one Wednesday of posting in a whole year! Every single week, for a whole year, I have kept up with posting. This was really a big commitment and achievement for me! Sticking to this schedule has been amazing. (And I honestly have never run out of things to post! If not, quite the opposite!)

Because blogging has been such a wonderful experience, I have decided to take this month of February to celebrate Showers of Blessings birthday! 

~Giveaway~ 

And it wouldn't be a blog "party" without GIVEAWAYS and a some other FUN posts, so I am going to do something I have never done and each Wednesday in this month, I will post something that is going to be crazy fun! The giveaways are something that I have been planning for a very long time (like, three months!) Along with some other ideas such as a Q&A (but that comes later)!!! 

Soooo, here's how the giveaway's will work! 

There will be THREE giveaway's total! Each giveaway will have a different way to enter. To be entered in today's giveaway (which will last for one week) all you have to do is comment below AND answer these questions! Each question you answer will give you one point. There are a possible 3 points for this giveaway! Each point is one extra name in the drawing hat! Note: this first giveaway is open to those in the U.S.A. So sorry, to my friends who don't live in the U.S.A. Maybe next weeks giveaway... 

~Rules for entering the first giveaway~

Have fun! And take this mini survey in the comment section below:

1. How did you first find Showers of Blessings?

2. What is your favorite post that you've read on Showers of Blessings? 

3. What do you like the most about Showers of Blessings? 

I will be drawing out of a hat for the winner of the prize! 

Ok, ok, now can we PLEASE see what we are entering for a chance to win you ask?? Oh, yes, of course! But, you will have to scroll!!! 

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 *drumroll* 

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The very first giveaway is... 

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A hand-painted Showers of Blessings mug + a handmade crocheted mug cozy with handmade wood buttons! 

I had a lot of fun making the mug when my mom and I went and painted pottery. (*whispers* I almost decided to keep if for myself, shhh!) I also crocheted a cozy for it and added my wood buttons (made from Winds of Faith Autumn Olive branches) to it! Someday, I hope to be able to host a giveaway giving a book that I wrote, but for now, handmade gifts will suffice. *winks* 

I can't wait to see who wins this first giveaway! 

~Throwback~

Along with the giveaway's this month, I would also like to share with y'all some of my first beginnings when it comes to writing. Today I will share my very first devotional ever written, next week I will share my very first poems, and so on. 

My first writings are really special to me because there can only be one first. No one has ever read this devotional except for only a couple of people. I want to say I wrote this when I was either 13 or 14 but I am not quite sure on the age. Keep that in mind when reading. Also, this is un-edited for the most part (I obviously changed the spelling errors) :D 

Gift From a Spider

By a younger Brooklyne ;) 

"Of all the things God can bring to my attention... He chose a spider. 

You see, I was mad, confused, and overwhelmed all at one time. I couldn't talk to anyone about my feelings because they were so hard to explain. They were too complex. So, I tried to sort things out myself by sitting in the shower. I was frustrated by the way I felt, I just wanted to be HAPPY. As you might have guessed, it was Friday night-- the beginning of Sabbath. Satan works overtime on the Sabbath, trying to ruin God's day. Well, he was working really hard! I tried to stand up to Satan. I tried not to let him get under my skin. But no, I couldn't do it by myself. Satan made me feel like I was nothing, worthless. He made me think that I couldn't do anything right. 

Bad things about myself was like a thick fog pressing around me, blinding me of the good things. The burden of self-pity was heavy on my shoulders.

I wanted to be Joyful, Happy, Content. I knew that only God can give me true happiness, by filling me with His joy and love. The only way to be truly content is to let go. Let go, and let God. 

So, as the tug-of-war with Satan and God raged in my head, I looked up... And on the wall of the shower, I saw a spider. Now, most people would not care for the idea of taking a shower with a tiny, but very long-legged spider. But, instead of killing the spider, or flicking it out of the shower, I watched it. I watched it walk from close to the top of the shower wall and down. It was going at a fairly good speed like it was confident to where he was heading. 

As he descended the water-splashed wall, every few steps he would stop and fold one of his legs underneath him to where his body was. To me, it was like he was taking a drink from the water on the wall, or maybe he got stuck in the water and was wiping it off. But whatever he stopped at the water for, he only stopped for a moment then moved on. 

He kept going down the wall and I thought he might keep going to the floor and drown or something. I was wondering if he knew there was danger and that going down was a bad idea, because about a foot from the floor, he stopped. He paused awhile, then started to climb back upward. Going up was a lot harder than going down for the little spider. He would loose his grip on the wall and fall, but every time he fell, his web string would catch him. The spider would swing in the air for a second, then regain a lower spot on the wall. He climbed up and then would fall again and again. The only thing saving this spider his string attached to one of is long legs.

Water droplets slid down the wall and gravity was against him, but he never gave up on his hike. 

Now, as I watched the little spider on his journey in my shower, God won the tug-of-war with Satan. God sent me that spider as a object lesson. You see, I am the spider. My journey in life is the shower wall. As I walk my journey, there are obstacles or situations, these are the water droplets on the wall. I can choose how to react to the obstacles, either for the good or for the bad. Just like the spider either took a drink of water or got stuck, we can choose to learn from our problems or just get stuck and let them slow us down. 

In our life, we might find that we have taken the wrong path or made a bad choice so we decide to turn around, like the spider did when he got close to the water. This is when Satan really tries to get you. Satan pulls you down with force like gravity, all the while throwing water droplets in your face. You lose your grip, you slip and fall, but you are at peace with it because your string always catches you. Do you see the picture? 

God is our safety string. He is always with us everywhere we go. When we fall and make mistakes, he catches us until we gain our footing. God gives us each one of us a web string of Love and sometimes that is the only thing to hang on too. We will always have God's help. Nothing and no one can take it away. Satan is always going to try to make us give up and be discouraged, but lets take our little spider friends advice and keep climbing upward!" 

A grand total of 821 words made up my first devotional that I wrote it as soon as I got out of the shower. After that day, I started looking for other object lessons and the rest... well, they say, is history! That is how I first began writing devotionals! Fun fact: Another devotional I wrote early on was Quicksand. 

Well, that's it for today's post! Enter the giveaway in the comments and then stay tuned for next weeks post where I will tell y'all who won!!! Can't wait for next week's giveaway as well! I would tell you what else I'm giving away, but it's a surprise! *winks* 

Are you going to answer the three questions to get entered for the giveaway prize? Are you as excited as I am for this month and the fun posts? 

Have you ever shared any of your first drafts and first writing works with anyone? 

*cues nervous gulp* Did you read my first EVER devotional? 

The giveaway starts now and ends on Tuesday the 12th at midnight. Ready, set, GO! *hands you party confetti and chocolate*

January Wrap-Up Post!

 It's time to wrap up the first month of twenty nineteen! Who is ready for this cold weather to be over with? *raises hand*

P.S. I hope this wrap-up post makes you smile! ;)

➳➳➳Late night movies so that we could stay awake until midnight to welcome the new year!➳Participating in another epic readathon (ok, technically it was last year...)!!!➳Writing book reviews➳Making soap➳Emailing➳Plotting books➳SLEDDING!!!➳Night Time Tubing➳Nature walks in the snow➳Horse farrier➳Moving horses in the barn... a lot, because of weather conditions➳Making goals➳Mapping out my writing goals➳Eating ice cream with brownies!➳More movies in the series➳Working out again➳Planning my giveaway(s) for February!➳Writing➳Participating in a book tour!➳Making snowmen➳Water coloring➳Bought a long anticipated book series!!!➳Wings of Glory by Sarah Sundin if anyone wanted to know...➳Watching movies and painting nails with a friend *winks if your are reading this*➳Making more soap (coffee and Matcha tea tree!)➳First time doing a Breakout room!➳We were so close to getting out!➳Hot tub➳Chocolate chip cookies➳Reading slump (before I got my new series!)➳Practicing for my drivers test➳Living➳Laughing➳Loving➳and Learning➳➳➳

➳At Pinterest's totally relatable quotes!➳ 

^^^ Makes perfect sense to me! 

^^^ I'm I the only one? Please, someone, be weird with me! *inserts crying/laughing emoji*

^^^ My room is in the basement, trust me, I have it down to a science! 

^^^ This is another one that makes me sound like a weirdo... :P

^^^ Yup, totally me!

^^^ I'm not a big cereal person, but when I do eat it, this is reality! 

^^^ ...Or drop your phone on your face, same thing.

^^^ And it doesn't help that it's a song! ;)

➳➳➳Hot Chocolate!!!➳My family➳The soft sound of snow falling in perfect silence➳My animals➳Memories to look back on➳Memories to look forward too➳Sparkling snowflakes➳My space heater➳Loving it when you are sitting down at the dinner table and instantly get a scene for a WIP that you have to write down before you forget #onlywriterswouldunderstand (also, can I use the "#" sign if I am not on instagram?? Because I just did and now I'm thinking that that is only for instagramers. *shrugs* idk how this stuff works!) ➳Anyway, last but not least: best friends, because having friends you trust is priceless y'all➳➳➳

➳➳➳That things take time➳That God is still in control, and always will be➳To be content➳That life is scary➳Fear cannot and will not control me➳To do unto others....➳That music moves us➳That falling off a sled can be painful on the ice!➳Never to give up➳➳➳

Overall, January was a great month! There was some really hard times, but also some really fun times. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me in February! 

➳January's Mini Photo Dump➳

^^^ Maple syrup, anyone? (ok, at this stage its more like maple water, but for all you "health nuts" out there you might be more interested in maple sap/water anyway! Maple water is so good for ya! And, it tastes pretty good too!) 

^^^ Took two days, but I love how it turned out! 

^^^ Need I have a caption for this one??? YUMMMMMM 

^^^ Soap!!! Scented Wild Rose! 

^^^ It's very aesthetic, but what is that?! A dandelion??

^^^ A crumpled piece of paper makes a very scary looking beast! Who knew! 

^^^ Snow!!! And look at the colors in the sky! 

^^^ This is a doctored picture of me holding up frozen ice from the horse water bucket! Cool, huh?

^^^ This is what happens when I am in a makeup store for a VERY long time! I draw on myself with eye liner!!! 

^^^ On a walk and had to snap this quick picture, isn't it pretty?

^^^ Aww!!! 

^^^ I love drawing in the snow! :)

^^^ Snowy horses! 

^^^ Um, if I had a bookstagram, this would be on it! I used my new scarf my mom crocheted me as the backdrop! <3

^^^ And I will leave you with this picture! Isn't Lilly a goofball!

Well, that's it for this wrap-up post! I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into my January! 

Also, note that this will be the last wrap-up post until after March due to some fun posts I have planned! *grins* 

John 1:12

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." 

Did you have a good January? What are some of your months highlights? What are you looking forward to in the next coming month? Who is so so excited about the giveaway's I'm hosting in February?? *raises hand for the second time in this post* Comment below! ;)