Praises & Presents

As the year winds down, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of activities - from decorating and baking, to parties and gift-giving. Yet the strains of Christmas carols have served to remind me that these festivities originated following the birth of a very special baby, Jesus Christ. I've been inspired to praise the Lord for His goodness!

David shares numerous reasons to praise the Messiah, "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's," (Psalm 103:1-5; KJV). What a Savior!

One of the 'good things' I'm praising Him for, are my blogger friends. I appreciate each of you and thank you for sharing this journey with me. In the past couple months, I was given two awards that I want to pass on as 'gifts' to all of you! Merry Christmas!

The first award, The Versatile Blogger Award, was given by the gracious Sheri Salatin at Sheri Salatin: Farming with Heart - Writing with Passion - Loving with Joy. A big shout out to Sheri! Here are the rules for passing this award along:

*Thank the person who gave you this award, and include a link to his/her blog

*Nominate 15 bloggers for the award (they can be bloggers you've recently discovered, or ones you follow regularly)

*Finally, share 7 fun things about yourself

The second award, Tell Me About Yourself Award, was passed along by the fun-loving Cheryl Linn Martin at Life in Flip Flops. Thank you so much, Cheryl! Oddly enough, the rules for passing on this award are exactly the same as the previous award! So, enjoy!

My 7 fun facts:

* I grew up in Michigan, spending 22 years there, before migrating south. And yes, it's true, my blood has thinned and I can't tolerate the cold anymore!

*My degree is in Corporate Wellness, but my passion is inspirational/devotional writing

*My favorite meal is fillet mignon, followed closely by fish tacos

*Fall is my favorite time of year. I love seeing God's creativity in nature!

*I've been playing the piano since I was 5

*I love vacationing at the beaches of South Walton, FL

*I'm going on my first mission trip to South Africa in 2012

Thank you, ladies, for these awesome awards! And I encourage all my blogger friends to add these awards to your sidebar and join in the fun!