Weekend Giveaway & a Little Teaser
Published October 7, 2011NOTE: I would so love for you to follow me on Twitter, become my Facebook friend or even a member of my cyber sisters group. These gals get my prayer requests, give me feedback on ideas and possible titles for my books and basically are my partners in crime…um…er….ministry.
You can click on the Twitter & Facebook icons in the top sidebar to connect with me there. And if you want to be a cyber sister, send an email to me at karen@proverbs31.org with “cyber sisters” in the subject line. Thanks!
I’m updating this from the lovely home of my friend Jonni McCoy.
From where I sit I can see breath-taking mountains.
And stunning blue skies.
And all kinds of wildlife.
And, best of all, her hubby Beau out in the kitchen making me morning coffee.
The McCoy’s are the picture of hospitality and offer to let me crash at their place each time I come to Colorado Springs. Since I’m gone for a few days with mind mind on other things (like appearing here and speaking there.) I am going to offer a weekend giveaway based on hospitality.
So leave a comment to enter. Then, come back Monday to see if you won. AND to see a fun announcement that my friend LeAnn Rice of She Cooks.org and I have.
Oh…I can hardly wait!
In the mean time— I am giving away three signed copies of my book A Life That Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home to Others. each with a $10 Target gift card. Then, you can purchase something fall-ish & fun for your home—a new table runner, apple pie scented candle, or cute pumpkin-themed knick-knack. Here is the description of the book:
When it comes to hospitality it doesn’t matter what size your house is, how it’s decorated, whether or not it’s spotless, or what you cook or don’t cook. The secret to making guests feel comfortable is more about the condition of your heart than the condition of your home.
A Life That Says Welcome helps you make others feel refreshed, rather than impressed, in your presence. It’s packed with inspiring tips on how to:
- decorate well on a budget
- make the most of your space (no matter how small)
- be prepared for unexpected company
- create delicious, simple dishes your guests will enjoy
You’ll be encouraged to not only open your home but to open your life as an avenue for God’s love everywhere you go.
Okay. Here is the dealio: leave a comment on this post telling me either your favorite aspect of fall OR giving a guess as to what LeAnn and my big announcement is about. (If you are a friend who already knows and you spill the beans you are in BIG trouble sister! I just might un-friend you on Facebook!)
Happy weekend!
87 Responses to Weekend Giveaway & a Little Teaser
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i love the colors of fall and God’s handiwork. like a palette of paint spilled over His awesome creation. isn;t God great?
beth
I absolutely LOVE fall!! It is my favorite time of year. Living in Texas means the weather is always hot, so Fall brings a welcome burst of cooler weather. Football. Need I say more? I also really love fall decor and fall smells. Oranges, deep reds, beautiful browns along with cinnamon pumpkin spice and vanilla……*sigh*. I love it. Such a peace comes over me–which is weird because it is fall and everything is dying off for the year. Oh well! God is good all the time!
Have a great weekend.
Amy
P.S. Can’t wait to hear the announcement you and LeeAnn have!
Hi Karen, hmm…Fall? I have great memories of Fall from childhood: soccer practice and get togethers in the country in a town called Stoneham. It was fun during high school and hanging out together like that but it’s true there was mud too and some of the guys were disgusting: mud all over their clothes. LOL.
How cool…
Today though I think of weather cooling down, opportunity to wear fall clothing, making a cup of hot cocoa and sit in front of a fireplace or watch a good movie under a blanket/throw. Also corn mazes to go through! There are a few in my area including the world’s largest in Dixon. Fun stuff!!! The smell of burning leaves, too. Apple picking too is traditionally Fall stuff for me! Then baking apple pies with them. So many memories, and realizing during every family and friends activity that it’s all becuase of God.
Oh i forgot to add my guess to what your big announcement is: a book on food and its godly relationship to us in our lives!!! LOL
My favorite part of fall is the cold, crisp weather and that I get to dig my cozy sweaters out of the back of my closet! I also love to cook up wonderfully hearty fall soups, stews and chilis. And create beautiful fall watercolors with all the rich colors and interesting textures.
My favorite fall memories include rainy days, rubber galoshes (the kind that fit over your shoes) and hot cocoa. This is my favorite time of year (next to Christmas!)
My favorite parts of fall are the cooler days, warm sweaters, getting invited to a bonfire at friends, warm apple crisp and most of all, stopping to take in all the beautiful colors God uses to remind us that HE made it all. It is important to stop and purposefully do that or it may pass me by in the busy-ness of life. I must also admit I look forward to watching football on Sunday afternoons. I am not a fair-weather fan and am still enjoying the MN Vikings even though they are 0-4!!
My favorite part of fall are the colors, and the cinnamon/pumpkin smells!! Cooler days too, but we don’t get many of those here in south Florida….
Thanks for the giveaway!!
My favorite aspect of fall is the cooler weather & the rain. I enjoy cuddling up and reading a good book.
Love, love, love Fall – the warm days and cool nights, sweatshirts and sunshine and most of all the beautiful canvas of turning trees full of God’s artwork. Breathtakingly beautiful on a warm fall day! Top it off with fresh donuts and apple cider and it doesn’t get much better than that. This is when I love Michigan and the fact that we truly experience all four seasons!
I love the beautiful trees. Living in the South and in the country I really enjoy just sitting on my porch and enjoying the sunrise and sunset. Maybe the best thing of all is fall dishes stews, chili, and pies are just better in the fall. The fall also makes me more thankful for all the wonderful things My God has blessed me with. Thank you God and bring on the fall!!!!
I love the cool crisp clear mornings, changing leaves and anything pumpkin!
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Fall? Leaves changing, cooler weather, allergies, jean and hoody weather…and pumpkin pie, yummo.
I love the fact that our garden is done producing wonderful veggies and that we can enjoy the bounty that God has provided. I also enjoy all the different colored leaves this time of year. We are blessed to have the changing seasons.
Your book look wonderful. I would love to win a copy. Enjoy your time in Colorado.
My favorite aspect of fall is the leaves. I live in Washington, and we have all kinds of trees here. I love to drive down the road with the leaves raining down on me from the multitudes of trees lining the road. I also have 2 beautiful maple trees in my yard that surprise me every year with the brilliant colors of their leaves.
My favorite part of Fall is cooler weather:) I live in Texas and this year has been so HOT without rain. I am praying we will have a nice long Fall with cooler temps and lots of rain to fill the lakes and end this drought. Fall also has one of my favorite Holidays, Thanksgiving. We have so many things to thank God for every day, but Thanksgiving gives us a day to bring family together have a beautiful meal and offer thanks.
Cooler temperatures is definitely my favorite aspect of fall….especially after the record heat we had this summer in Texas. Wish I could be somewhere with pretty fall colors, everything is just brown & dead here. We went to the northeast one fall and couldn’t get over the colors. Amazing! I’ve never been to Colorado in summer, but I’ve seen photos of the Aspens turning that brilliant yellow.
I love the crunch of the leaves and crisp air in fall. But have to be truthful, I struggle with fall since I know winter is coming and I am really not a cold weather person. BRRRR.
Hospitality is something lately God has placed on my heart to nurture and grow in. I feel my home is welcoming but I don’t reach out as I should. Lately I am trying to remember everyone I meet whether home or out is Christ. Trouble is I don’t remember that all the time. LOL
great post!
I love the fall because of all the pumpkin desserts! Mmmmmm. Can hardly wait for your announcement Monday!
Love fall ~ the leaves changing colors and fall is the time of birthdays in our family
I love seeing all of creation in splendid color! Michigan is beautiful in the fall. And the wonderful smell of fallen leaves, and autum spices, and apple cider, and pumpkin bread and crunching leaves and beautiful sunsets and . . . . . I love it all!
Football!!
My favorite part of all is Friday night football… college games on Saturday, and Steeler action on Sundays after church =)
I love fall in Ohio with the changing leaves, bright sun, blu skies, warm days and crisp nights. Wait-did someone say “crisp”? Why yes! And it’s apple season, so time for a yummy apple crisp!!! My guess at what you girlies are up to…..um-a cookbook/hospitality/decorating for a warm, welcome home book! And if that’s not it—why not? You two would be great at that!!
What’s not to love about fall. The scents, the colors, the crisp air, wiener roasts, and a little Indian Summer thrown in! Perfect.
I love the fall season, I always get a sense of renewal, just as the trees and roses are about to take a rest… I’ve always loved decorating the house for each holiday, that slowly stopped since my children grew up and made lives of their own. Now, my husbands children come around and a grandson to boot, I want them to remember and have the memories my children have to date, the house always decorated in season… God was always present. Since remarrying, we still have “His and Hers” furniture and what not’s. It’s time, time to make it OUR own home…
My favorite thing about fall is the feeling of cool crispness in the air. I love the mornings when I step out the door to leave for work and I want to stand and breathe it in for a few minutes. I believe God made Fall just for me because he know how much I love it!
Can’t wait to read your book!
I love the cooler weather, the fall colors, pumpkins—pumpkin pie, and settling in at home more with family. It is one of my favorite times of the year.
Fall hasn’t always been an easy season for me; lots of trauma associated with it that took years of healing and deliverance. So I have to admit when I first saw the question, I cringed a little, not knowing what I liked about fall let alone having a ‘favorite.’
But what I do love are smores lol. I had never heard of them before I came to America and that first Fall in America that I had one was a time of joy and no negativity associated with the season; it’s the last one I can remember before the trauma occured so that’s what I try to hold on to. I also like the colors and the smell of bonfires.
And the fact that changing seasons are symbolic of the different seasons of our lives has always resonated with me.
Have a wonderful weekend being Christ’s ambassador!
please make me a cyber sister, and stick me in the contest. The best way I can give a preview of Fall is in this thing I wrote last month. God Bless all!
SUCH A GIFT
© Vickey Stamps 9/26/11
“In the beginning were created the heavens and the earth.”
Below the bluest of skies and hovering above a yet barren soil, the world waited. The Master of all, and Great Creator rested, while thinking over what would come next. He smiled. With only a thought, the tiniest bit of a cut was made through the topmost part of the blue sky. In His hands all the birds were held, each of its own kind with different voices and colors. One by one He willed them through the veil or cut within the sky. Oh what a symphony it was, as they flew spreading majestic music over the earth. Now, again within his mighty hands, were held seeds of every manner of tree, bush, flower and vegetation. These also went through the tiny cut, filtering to earth where they began to grow.
The great Creator thought of mankind that would look upon the birds, trees and other things. A tear made its way down, to slide unfettered down the Master’s cheek. He knew already, all would not be the perfection He most desired. The tear fell and evolved into all the great and salty waters upon the earth. Against the shores of land, they flowed and ebbed. And so it came to pass that all things were created for mankind to enjoy. The creator observed in the blink of an eye the years ahead.
A sky of soft blue floated above one of the many roads created by mankind to move upon. Beside the road and lining it, often for a mile or more, trees of varied color and height stood as if beloved brothers and sisters, each side by side. Below, inside, and under the trees multi-forms of life lived. Upon their branches birds sat, sometimes again chirping in joy at life itself. The air was rich and pure from the trees designed to produce air for mankind.
The Sun kissed the sharply curving road, and could it have done so, may well have smiled. The air was yet cool for the sun had not been awake long. The needles and leaves quivered from the night. Now they stretched as best they could, to get more of the suns warmth. Hundreds of yards further and around more curves, the hills divided themselves turning the gap into a stream of waters. Some of the stream ran wildly in mini-rapids, jumping in sparkles of froth, to polish and burnish the larger rocks that rose above the surface. In other places the water lay calm and restful. Upon the bank of the wide stream, stood a young child with her parents. She moved closer to the water. There she saw her own reflection, and laughed to see and think of such a thing. She did a happy dance before it, laughing again to see that her reflection danced with her. Surely the fish within the waters darted quickly ahead, startled by the unexpected noise and its sudden excitement.
Higher up and again along the road, small hills upon which even more trees grew, became mountains. At first sight, they seemed as if they would encircle the road, but instead unfolded following the road as it journeyed on.
Clouds would come to shade the sun. Rain would fall to replenish the earth, and help to bring about new birth. It was the time of Fall. Soon, it would be as if a master painter had been set free, to color the leaves and needles upon the trees with wild abandonment. It would bring yet another measure of beauty to touch the heart of man. Such a gift.
LIFE WAS GOOD.
I enjoy the coziness of fall, the beautiful colored leaves mixed with still green leaves. I enjoy my kids and their fall and winter sports.
I like the colors we see in the fall and the foods and smells that come with fall~pumpkin, cinnamon, apples, chili. The only thing I don’t like is what comes next after fall.
We’re heading up into the gorgeous mountains of Colorado that you mention tomorrow afternoon. Hoping to see some glorious color and even some snow. I love the sights, smells, and crisp air of autumn.
I love the colors of fall and the food – pumpkins, apple and turkey
I love the beautiful colors and the anticipation of the future holidays. I also love the way things slow down just a bit and families spend more time together.
Oh, fall. I love just about everything in this season. The smells, crisp air, the reason to use blankets and get cozy inside, baking, colors, all of it. Lovely and a gift.
Thank you for this kind opportunity! (And I love the idea of you and LeAnn doing something together!)
In the fall I love the cooler air (love wearing jeans and a sweatshirt). Also, love to visit the local apple orchird for caramel apples and cider!!!
This may seem stupid, but I’m very hot natured so the thing I love most about Fall is that I ca hang out outdoors without sweating and without freezing (i.e. winter).
I remember so well fall coming my mom and dad always cooked together in the kitchen hot apple cider with cinamon candies melted in and my grandmas recipe for drop donuts. We would play aoutside and them come in for treates and to warm up Somm the whole neighborhood was there OUr house was the favorite on the block. I do it mow with my kids and grandkids Hot Cider smells like heavon to me
Living in New York in the Fall is wonderful! My favorite part of Fall is all the apples! We pick apples together as a family and then make applesauce and apple pies (I’m actually teaching my 14 year old SON how to make a crust since he loves pies so much)! And lovin’ the fresh apple cider!
I am enjoying cooler days with lots of sunshine after weeks and weeks of rainy weather. I always enjoy the beautiful fall foliage, trips to the local orchard for apples, cider, mums and pumpkins as well as wearing jeans and sweaters. It is also fun to think about food to cook and bake for company. Now I need to do more than think about it.
I appreciate your blog!
Fall. The much needed always appreciated respite from summer here in tx. Pumpkins, apples, mums,: crisp air.
My favorite aspect of fall is baking pumpkin bars and apple crisps and sharing them with co-workers!
My favorite part of fall is taking my kids to a pumpkin patch and an apple orchard….some of our best family memories are made in these type of places – I LOVE being out doors and enjoying God’s green creation!
One of my favorite things about fall is the beautiful pictures God paints for us with the many beautiful colors of the season. I also enjoy the cooler temperatures, especially after a hot summer like we had this past summer.
Here on the tiny island of Guernsey in the small Channel Islands in the continent of Europe, we call ‘fall’, ‘autumn’. I love the warmth of summer but I appreciate the crispness of autumn and love the colours of the trees as they get ready for their winter sleep…
What do I like about fall? Where do I start? Fall is my favorite season. Cool days, beautiful colors, pumpkins, apples, football, cooking comfort foods, beginning a new school year, I could go on and on.
My favorite part of fall is all the cooking and baking I do. It is chilly out so it is ok to turn the oven up and make the house a bit warmer and small oh sooooo good. ANd towards the end of fall our lives slow down a bit and we just get to enjoy eachother!!! I would love to be enter in the contest. I truly hope and pray that your time away is enjoyable! God Bless! Now I am on my way to sign up to be a cyber sister. YAY!!!!
Fall… Love it! Home-made, full-of-love, comfort food, seasonal lattes and hot apple cider, extra-spectacular displays of God’s marvelous creation, pull-the-sweaters-out weather, and anticipation of the holiday season… all blessings in the perfect design of God.
Fall is my favorite season… Being in New England- I love the colors! I love playing outside with my sons- jumping in leaf piles, making scarecrows, and coming inside for some apple cider. Everywhere I turn I see God’s glory…
My favorite part of fall is seeing the leaves turn from green to yellow and orange. Fall also represents to me that changes are coming. It may not always feel like good changes, but when I see the beautiful colors of fall, I know that there will beauty in whatever change comes my way.
My favorite aspect of fall? Many things, but the most is the crisp(& cooler) breeze and the beautiful colors on God’s canvas!
What’s not to love about Fall? Everything,,,the colors, the smells, the textures, the temps, the food, the warm clothes and blankets. I wish it would last for 6 months. I’m guessing you and LeAnn are putting together a cookbook!
There are two things I especially love about fall: the way the sun dapples through the trees (it’s different than during summer, I guess because the sun is lower in the sky); and the way when the wind shifts to the north, I can smell coffee from a nearby coffee manufacturer-yummy! Even though it’s still 90 degrees here, and will be for a while, those two things make me feel cozy!
I love Fall!! I love that God gave us the colors of Fall with oranges, reds, and yellows all around us. I love to bake pumpkin chocolate chip bread for my family and friends, and have apples and caramel dip on hand, In October, we attend our local Apple Festival with family and friends where we fellowship, the kids ride amusment rides, we shop for arts and crafts, and eat an apple dumplin’
I love so much about Fall!!
Well, I am a coffee drinker. I drink coffee throughout the year, but my favorite time to drink coffee is in the fall and winter. I just enjoy when it starts to get cooler outside, the leaves are changing color, and I can pour a cup of coffee and warm up. And after I pour that cup, I usually go grap a snuggly blanket and read my bible and devotional. I just thoroughly enjoy doing that!
I love the changing colors of the leaves and grasses – to go for a walk and listen to the crunch of leaves. One of my favorite memories is watching my children rake up leaves then jump in them. The smell of baking with cinnamon or pumpkin.
Fall colors make me happy. The colder days with soup for dinner definitely make me smile.
A better question would be: What don’t I love about fall? The cooler temperatures, beautiful fall colors (I live in the upper midwest and the sugar maples are beautiful this year!), raking crunchy, colorful leaves, hiking under azure skies. Fall is a beautiful time to be outside in God’s natural world enjoying all the beauty it offers.
This must be the weekend to enjoy the mountains! I’m sitting on the porch of a friends home looking at the north Georgia mountains. And yes, I know they’re not as ‘”big” as the Rockies, but we love them here in GA!
What I love most about fall is the cooler temperature after sweltering in 90+ degrees for weeks and the beautiful colors of the leaves. I believe that God’s highest creativity is displayed in the fall!
I love the colors of the leaves. Especialy the bright red/orange ones. I also love that it’s soup season again. I enjoy making and eating soup when the weather gets cooler.
Rebecca Ann
PUMPKINS! That is my favorite thing about fall. I also love pumpkin muffins. Pop tart also has a pumpkin pie flavor that is super yummy after being heated in the toaster oven. I paired it with some hot chocolate then I settled down in my swing to enjoy my quiet time with God. Awesome! Happy fall y’all!
We had a wonderful Fall day today, filled with things I love…looking at the beautiful fall colors, watching my kids have fun playing football and soccer, just being home with my family. It was warm and sunny today in Michigan which was nice, but I do love when the weather is chilly and the sweatshirts can come out.
I love the walking through the leaves in the crisp air. When I am walking I talk to God and the fall seems to be his gift to me. It is my favorite season. I used to live in Northern MI and I now live in AK. I so miss the long falls that last through November and the bright red colors.
I love the colors of the leaves and the coolness of fall. I also love the spices and smells of fall cooking.
my fave aspect of fall is the beautiful weather & long walks
also, chili weather!
littlegray88 at yahoo dot com
Fall it that time of year when out come the comfy clothes and blankets for snuggling. It is time for the smells of fall leaves, apple pie, apple cider and pumpkin baked anything!!! But it is also a time when things get back to a routine and there seems that there is more organized chaos. It is a time to think of the harvest (from garden or field) to freeze, can, dry those items for winter and to be thankful fo rthe many things that God has provided. It is a time to be able to see his spelndor in the work of our planting a simple seed. And to top it all off God paints a beautiful picture in the colors of the leaves. Would love to receive your book!
We live in Arizona, so my favorite thing about fall is cooler, more reasonable temperatures. It’s a return to the outdoors for us after being locked inside all summer.
Hospitality–oh do I love to host but my house is in such disarray that I cannot do it without a two week notice!!
I am trying to get a handle on it though. It didn’t get this way overnight and it won’t look better overnight either but I will keep plugging away!!!!
My favorite things about Fall are the beautiful colors and the cooler weather.
I love the Fall because I can get back to cooking comfort foods and baking. This is when I do not mind putting on my oven!!
I’m from Florida, and fall is my favorite season. I love fall. I like the weather getting cooler. It’s a break from the heat and humidity of the summer. I get to put my summer clothes away and wear sweaters. It’s the season of harvest, and a time to look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. God always has something beautiful in store for us– in his creation, and in our own lives.
I love this book. It has changed my life. It is really practical and anyone can apply this. I think you are great Karen!
Living in Mi, my favorite aspect of fall is the wonder of the colors. I’m able to take a route to work that drives along the edge of a county park. Watching the daily changes in color reminds me that God is still on His throne, and while it may not appear so, all is right with the world because He’s got our backs at all times.
I love fall for so many different reasons! I love seeing the bright colors of the trees, fresh honeycrisp apples, pumpkins, fall-scented candles, pumpkin spiced coffee, bundling up in sweaters and boots, and the list could go on and on. I also feel like fall is sort of like a new beginning–getting organized, starting a new Bible study, freshening up my fall wardrobe, deep cleaning my house.
Fall is bittersweet for me. I never want to say goodbye to summer. But I can look forward to the start of NFL football. I also enjoy the “new starts” of the school year and church ministries that kick off in fall.
Fall is my favorite season! Crisp air, fresh scents, cozy fires and all the WONDERFUL smells from the kitchen
In college, I was the one in old sweats carving pumpkins and taking walks to the park to just swing and listen to the birds and the wind. Now, I’m sharing those things with my kids. Love this time of year!
Fall is such a wonderful time of year…cooler weather, leaves changing colors, apple picking at the local orchard, looking at all of God’s beauty and really, REALLY sitting back and just looking at all of God’s beauty. Fall means a time of change, a time of soccer for one son, football for another, cheerleading for a daughter and photo opportunties for my oldest daughter. The way we look at fall is how we look at ourselves…we too change with the seasons…we become cooler and want to spend more time curled up in a cozy quilt reading our bible or another book of choice. I love this time of year. What another blessing God has given us.
I think your big announcement will be a book that you have co-authored on how to eat dinner as a family and all the recipes that go along with eating as a family is this busy, face paced society.
Wishing you many blessings, much laughter and miles of smiles,
Robin
My favorite thing about fall is the cool breezes and planting seeds in the garden. Living in south FL we don’t get the color changes of the leaves (bummer) but it’s still fun to see all of the warm fall colors in decorations.
I love hiking with my family in the Fall, enjoying the beautiful foliage, and baking apple desserts with my girls.
I love the colors of fall. The leaves and pumpkins. It is my favorite season even though I love them all.
Fall used to be my worst time of the year because that meant that winter was coming, and I dreaded the cold. This has really changed for me in the last few years. I now enjoy fall, because it’s like a season of rest and renewal is upon us. I can now enjoy the beautiful fall colours, the crunchy leaves on the ground, the crisp air, the pumpkin muffins, fall potlucks, warm sweaters, the comfort of the furnace turning on again to name a few!
Thanks for the giveaway! My favorite part about fall is the leaves and the fact that I get to wear jackets and hats!
I have 2 favorite things about fall. I love the colors and the perfect weather for bonfires.
I love the colors of fall, the activities of fall (fall festivals, apple orchards, pumpkin patches) and the scents of fall.
Karen, this book sounds like just the book I really need to read and I want to get Untangling Christmas as well. Can I get it for my kindle so I can read it on the bus?
Thanks for your contributions to those of us who can really use such wonderful learning tools in our lives. I live in a small condo (975 sq ft) and would love to have more people over including the neighbors in my building. I’m contemplating opening my door to whoever would like to come eat a meal with me probably on a Sunday as I work all week. Any good suggestions would be appreciated and I look forward to getting your books to read.
My favorite thing about fall is the cooler weather and the beautiful colors
I love fall too! I like the cooler weather, but not too cool!
I would love to win your book and gift gard!
Blessings,
Janet
gatorgirl66@hotmail.com