Sunshine Award

I received this beautiful award from my friend Judy from Benmakesten!  It's called the Sunshine Award.  I'm delighted to be able to share this with other bloggers who are a great source of joy and encouragement for me.  Honestly, this is a hard one!  I receive so very much joy and encouragement from my blogging friends that it is very difficult to pick out just twelve!  Here goes....

Of course, blog awards come with rules…
1. Put the logo on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to twelve bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award


1)  First up....Judy from Benmakesten!  Yes...right back at ya, Judy!  I am so thankful for her blog and website!  Every single time I visit (today in particular!), I am touched and inspired.  You will find oodles and oodles of information about family life, homeschooling, personal spiritual reflections and a wonderful E-Book called "I Surrender"!  Judy has a kind, gentle and sweet spirit that draws you right to Our Lord!  Thank you, Judy, for being the hands and feet of Jesus!

2)  Colleen from Thoughts on Grace!  I am always amazed at how God can use evil for good.  Colleen has shown me, through her experiences, that what satan means for evil, God will turn right around and bless someone else!  She is a wife, a mom, a grandmother, Spiritual Director, parish secretary, writer and an incest survivor!  Phew!  Her E-Book, Blueberry Muffins, Everyday Stories of God's Love is about those times in our lives when we've really experienced God's loving presence.  Her book called The Third Floor Window, A True Story of Secrets, Survival and Hope is about her healing journey through childhood sexual abuse. Visit Colleen today!  You won't be the same after you've done so!

3) Therese from The Musings of a Mom!  I think in many ways, Therese and I are soul sisters!  It's a shame that we live so far apart!  Her Italian/Catholic heritage makes her uniquely "cool" in my world!  I love that we share some of the same struggles and joys!  Although we've never physically met, I feel like I've known her for years!  She has 3 beautiful boys and 1 little princess!  Her smile will warm your heart!  Love you, Therese!

4)  Amanda from I Am Baker and I Am Mommy! Amanda has the type of talent that most of us only dream about!  Just take a few minutes to visit her sites and you will see things that YOU WON'T BELIEVE!!!  For instance...take a gander at THIS.....or THIS.....or.....how about THIS!  And let me tell you...this is only the tip of the iceberg!  Amanda is so sweet...she has had several encouraging words for me!  She inspires me as a mom!  Oh, the possibilities.....

5)  Mary from The Beautiful Gate!  To me, Mary just overflows with the love of God!  There are some people in this world that I think God blesses with a special ability to view the world through special "God Glasses"....Mary is one of them!  She is so good about doing her best to see what God has to say to her in the everyday musings of life!  Recently, after suffering most of her life with an unknown condition, she received a very special gift from God....the gift of HEALING!  This post brought me to my knees!  Spend some time with Mary....seriously!

6)  Abbey from Abbey's Road!  First of all, I love it when fellow bloggers share about their families!  It's really special to be able to be introduced to people you otherwise never would have known....had it not been for the blogging community!  There are blessings here that are beyond measure.  Abbey also allows me to share in some daily thoughts and meditations for Christian living...called Heartlight! Here is the most recent edition of Heartlight.  This is soooo uplifting and encouraging!  Sometimes, I'm convinced that God has sent me to Abbey's blog at just the exact moment that she has posted something He wanted me to know!

7)  Rocco Palmo from Whispers in the Loggia!  Do you want to know what's going on in the Church?  Do you want accurate information?  Rocco's blog is so very good...it's encouraging to see the Church through his decidedly orthodox eyes.  If you want to be able to read press releases and the texts of speeches from our Holy Father...this is the place.  He also provides some great photos that I haven't really seen anywhere else!

8)  Jenn at Ambrose-a-rama!  Jenn is one of the bravest people I know (or know...but have never actually met...)!  She and her lovely family live in China!  She encourages me almost everyday with her tales of living outside of this country!  Things are not easy in China...and they are very different!  She is thousands of miles away from her extended family and friends, yet she handles it all with grace and humor!  This incident alone would have pushed me over the edge!  I enjoy reading about her adventures!  You will too!  Besides....she loves Starbucks almost as much as I do! 

9) Erika at Simon Says....Hi Ya'll!  Erika is someone that I've been following for some time!  She is a breast cancer survivor with two small children!  She really is an example to me of how to pick yourself up...dust yourself off and start all over again!  She (like many I know) has struggled through treatment and reconstruction while still trying to be a mom, a wife, a daughter and a friend!  It is NOT EASY to keep it all together and I think Erika has done an outstanding job of keeping her head held high!  Erika...you truly are an inspiration to me!  Thank you for sharing your journey!

10)  Aspiring from Aspiring f.o.o.L. (friend of our Lord)!  Oh my!  Where do I start?  Aspiring brings joy to the world through her blog...truly!  You will not find "on the surface...light and fluffy jibberjabber" on this blog.  This is the real meat of our faith...as shared by the voices of the most influential intercessors that our world has ever known. Aspiring is a writer!  She does it well!  You will be challenged here!  Thank you, Aspiring, for all that you bring and share!  I am a different person because of you!

11)  Elizabeth from Turtle Cottage in the City!  Elizabeth is a true blessing to me!  She is so encouraging and uplifting.  She is always sharing about where her heart is....making a happy home for her wonderful husband, Dave and their little Candy!  I'm often encouraged by the simple way that Elizabeth goes about her vocation of homemaker.  I've often said that I wish they could come up with smellavision....the recipes she shares look so good and I've made a few of them myself.  Elizabeth has a cheerful attitude and is always looking for ways to bring the love of Christ to others as she serves.  Thank you, Elizabeth!

12)  Frizzy from Heaven's Gift!  I am ALWAYS encouraged when I visit Heaven's Gift!  Frizzy and her husband are adoptive parents to a beautiful little girl, YaYa!  They are currently in the process of a second adoption.  Frizzy is another one who loves to share photos of her family...and most days you will find me perusing her blog and smiling from ear to ear!  Frizzy, thank you for your words of encouragement!  You are a blessing to me!

Now, I could go on and on....but I won't...because it's 10:36 pm and I need my beauty sleep!  However, all of you mentioned here for this award (and all of the others...you KNOW who you are!), I thank you from the bottom of m heart for the joy, love, encouragement and prayers that you have shared with me over the last 18 months or so that I've been blogging!  Thank you for touching my heart!