Book Launch Giveaway for Mother of the Bride!

IMG_8433The official launch day for my book Mother of the Bride is finally here! The book has been available in limited supply on online sites already, but with the arrival of July 1st, it will now be widely available both online and in stores. I’m so excited!

To celebrate the launch of my dream come true, how about a super fun giveaway? The winner will receive a signed copy of the book as well as some other special gifts—a to-die for Peppermint Latte bar of Beigetone Soap (hand-made by my friend Nancy Douglas), a jar of True Blue Spa 60-Second Manicure Hand Scrub from Bath and Body Works, a bottle of OPI Nail Polish in the Hawaiian Orchid shade, a beautiful Butterflies Journal by Peter Pauper Press, and also the decorative container pictured above. You certainly don’t have to be a mother of the bride to win this giveaway, but I’ve designed it in honor of all mothers of the bride out there who deserve to be pampered in the midst of all their wedding planning.

But first, here’s a brief description of Mother of the Bride:

Mother of the Bride will help MOBs step away from the hurried pace of daily life complicated by a demanding new role. It will offer them the refreshment found in discovering community as they take time for themselves time to be encouraged, to gain helpful insight and practical tips, and to enjoy the feminine beauty of a book designed just for them.

Through essays featuring relevant quotes or Scriptures, personal stories, nuggets of wisdom, simple suggestions for personal pampering, journaling opportunities, communication aids, and practical tips for wedding planning, Mother of the Bride will nurture the all-important but too often neglected mother of the bride.

Mother of the Bride is the perfect gift and resource for mothers of the bride. The vendor worksheets alone (found at the back of the book) are themselves worth the price of the book. Why not make it your go-to gift for mothers of the bride you know—both now and in the future!

You may buy the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Christianbook.com, and it will be available in bookstores as well. To find out more about the book, check out MotheroftheBrideBook.com.

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Now for the giveaway. Here’s how it will work:

*1 entry for leaving a comment on this post here on my website. The ones on Facebook are greatly appreciated, but to be entered in the giveaway, you must leave a comment here.

*2 entries for Liking my Cheryl Barker, Writer Facebook page (tell me in the comments.) If you’ve already Liked the page, just say so. That definitely counts!

*3 entries for sharing the giveaway on Facebook or Twitter (tell me in the comments and include the link where you shared.)

*4 entries for subscribing to Life Notes, my free quarterly inspirational newsletter (tell me in the comments but be sure to confirm your subscription when you get a confirmation email.) Sign-up is to the right under “Free For You”. If you’re already a Life Notes subscriber, you bet that counts. Just mention it in your comment.

*Giveaway is open to US residents only due to customs and mailing costs.

*Drawing will be done by Random.Org.

Enter by noon CST July 20th, and I will announce the winner in my July 21st posts here and on my Mother of the Bride Blog as well.

I won’t be posting here again until July 21st. Yes, that’s a long blogging break, but I want to leave this post front and center for a while so everyone will have a chance to see it and enter the giveaway. Plus, I will also be taking a trip with my sisters—a first for us!—so I want to concentrate on enjoying that special time with them. In the meantime, why not enjoy some of the inspiration and encouragement found in previous posts? Look under Favorite Posts to the right for some posts you might especially enjoy.

And now, good luck to everyone! I will see you here again on July 21st!

Pinterest Pin - Perfect Gift and Resource

Giveaway Celebrating Launch of Mother of the Bride!

Pinterest Pin - Friend for the JourneyThe official launch day for my book Mother of the Bride is finally here! The book has been available in limited supply on online sites already, but with the arrival of July 1st, it will now be widely available both online and in stores. I’m so excited!

To celebrate the launch of my dream come true, I’m doing a giveaway for a signed copy of the book as well as some other special treats. See all the details and enter on my home page giveaway post by noon CST July 20th, and I will announce the winner in my July 21st posts on both blogs.

Also, fyi, I won’t be posting here again until July 21st. I want to leave this post front and center for a while so everyone will have a chance to see it and enter the giveaway. I will also be taking a trip with my sisters—something  we planned long before I knew the launch date for my book—so I want to concentrate on enjoying that special time with them. In the meantime, scan the blog post titles in the archives to find just the help you might be looking for right now, MOB. You will find a wealth of ideas, tips, and advice there.

But first, MOB, head on over to my home page and enter for your chance to win a copy of Mother of the Bride. If you don’t happen to win, you’ll have to be sure to treat yourself to a copy. I hope it will be a wonderful encouragement, help, and blessing to you!

*See sidebar for links to buy the book!

A Winner Plus Food-for-Thought Quote

3205277810_8283a3e4b5_zIn today’s Midweek Morsel, I’m going to share a great food-for-thought quote, but first it’s time announce the winner to my One-More-Chance Starbucks Giveaway. That lucky winner is Kristin! Congrats, Kristin!! Since I am headed your way today, I am super excited to get to personally deliver the gift card to you. Fun stuff, huh?!

And now to get us all thinking! Here is a Bob Goff quote from Love Does, one that will make us think not only about what we love and what we leak as a result, but also what can happen when our creativity is paired together with God’s love. Here are Bob’s thoughts:

“. . . [the man] leaked what he loved. He was leaking Jesus. And pretty soon the puddle he made swallowed us all by the lake it formed. That’s the way the chemistry of God’s love and our creativity work together when combined. No reservoir can hold it, no disappointment can stop it, and no impediment can contain it. It can’t be waved off, put off, or shut down. It doesn’t take no for an answer. Instead it assumes yes is the answer even when it sounds an awful lot like a no to everyone else.” Bob Goff in Love Does

So what are we leaking? And in what creative ways are we showing God’s love?

“. . . and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13b

*The latest issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by @boetter, Creative Commons License

One-More-Chance Starbucks Giveaway

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In honor of Valentine’s Day coming up in a couple of weeks and since this holiday is all about love, I’m going to give you another shot at winning a giveaway prize you all seem to love—a Starbucks gift card!

That’s right, the Starbucks giveaways I do here on my blog seem to get the biggest response of all. So since I love you all and want to give you what you love and since cold weather still has us wanting to curl up with a hot drink, I give you the One-More-Chance Starbucks Giveaway! One lucky commenter will win a $15 Starbucks gift card. Now whether you’ll splurge on hot drinks or pastries or one of each will be entirely up to you :)

To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post by 6 p.m (CST) Wednesday February 10th, and I’ll announce the winner in my midweek morsel post the next day. Any comment will do, but to make it more fun, why not tell me one of your favorite treats for Valentine’s Day. Whether it’s flowers, candy, a delicious hot drink, a night on the town, or something sparkly from the jewelry store, let’s have fun sharing some of our favorites. Me? It’s hard to choose, but I always love a night at the movies or some Harry & David Dark Chocolate Truffles.

And while we’re thinking about treats, let’s be sure to treat ourselves daily to the joys and comforts of God’s Word. That will be a sweet treat for our souls that will hit the spot indeed!

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out next week. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by ND Strupler, Creative Commons License

A Winner Plus My Favorite Christmas Verses

4037699377_b218f58079_zToday’s the day to announce the winner of the Little Christmas Warmth Giveaway—yes, time to make someone a little warmer! The lucky winner who will soon be wrapping her cold hands around a luscious hot drink from Starbucks is . . . Tamra! Congrats, Tamra! I’ll dash to my mailbox as fast as I can (without a one-horse open sleigh!) and send the gift card on its way. Hope it makes your holiday season a little merrier!

For all of you dropping by today, I’d like to pass along the best holiday joy I know by sharing my favorite Christmas verses from the Bible. I love reading all of the passages related to the birth of Jesus, but the verses below have become my favorites. May God’s Word bless you today, friends!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 KJV

“‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means, ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:23

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 KJV

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

A child. A son. A Savior. The Word. The One and Only. Amen and amen!

*Which of these verses speaks to you in the most powerful way?

*Flickr photo by sakarias.ingolfsson, Creative Commons License