Thursday, October 13

And the winner is........

If you left a comment on my review of "Her Safari", a collection of unbelievably fabulous short stories by Lisa Mikitarian, you've probably been salivating with anticipation to find out who won the coffee! My apologies for the late announcement - I think I lost a day somewhere this week. Thank you, Dr. Rita, for the reminder today.

Seeing as how I forgot what day it was and neglected to ask my husband to pick a name, I selected a new innocent bystander to do the honors -- our church's youth pastor. (Thanks, Austin!)

Excitement was brewing in the church office as his fingers hovered over the pile of little folded papers, moving from one to another to another before finally plucking one out.

And the winner...


of a $5 Starbucks card...


which is good for pastries and teas as well as latte's...


at Starbucks...


is...


LAURY HUBRICH!!! 

(and the crowd goes wild!!)

Congrats, Laury! Email or Facebook me your address and you'll you be on your way to visit your local barista lickity-split.

Thank you, readers, for tuning in.
And thanks to Dr. Rita for sponsoring the fabulous door prize.
And thanks again to Austin for being generally Awesome.
(ps: he wants to know how to pronounce "Laury". :-) )

The blog-tour bus stops tomorrow with Rachel Phelps at Par Excellence. I'll see you there, bright and early, with latte in hand.


Be blessed!
Cat


Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)



THIS LINK will take you to Demme House Publishers, where you can order "Her Safari." Lisa has partnered with Heart of God International Ministries, so that they’ll receive the proceeds from books bought on their behalf. If you wish to benefit HGIM with your purchase, there’s a special button on the publishers site at check out (HGIM).

Monday, October 10

"Her Safari"

Hello!

Welcome!

You've reached the next stop on the safari!

Oops, I mean the BLOG TOUR for Her Safari.




If you're just hopping on the bus, our guest of honor is Lisa Mikitarian, author of "Her Safari: Snapshots Along the Way." I'm blessed that the tour bus made a detour mid-schedule to "speak to the mountain" with me. 


So many bloggers and reviewers on this tour have already written such glowing praise for “Her Safari” that I’m not sure what more I can add. I can tell you how much I enjoyed it, though.

Thursday, October 6

"T" is for TEMPER!

My puppy was in serious danger of snapping my last high-strung nerve. The serenity of my peaceful afternoon in the back yard was shattered by Lucy’s shrill ark-ark-ark-ark at the family trying to enjoy their stroll through the neighborhood.

Heat was rising in face and steam was about to burst out of my ears. "No," "Stop it," Hush" and "LUCY!" have only added to the cacophony so I've (almost) stopped hollering at her.

So I sat, silently fuming, and not enjoying my fall evening any more than the strolling family.

It occurred to me I had the perfect T word to write about for Patty Wysong's "a2z 4u and me" meme this week -- TEMPER. But it would only be a complaining rant so I put the thought aside, counted to 10, and went back to reading my email.

The next message was my "verse of the day" devotion, based on this scripture:



That is what some of you were.
But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified 
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and by the Spirit of our God. 
- 1 Corinthians 6:11 -

There was a time, not too long ago, ok, to be honest, probably yesterday, that my temper controlled me. When something or someone sets me off…well, I’ll just say that my husband has a saying: “You don’t want to face the wrath of Cathy.” And, unfortunately, it doesn't take much to set me off some days.

But Paul’s words to the Corinthians reminded me -- that's what I USED to be. Now, with the Spirit of God living in me, I now have the choice to control my temper. I can swat it away like an annoying gnat.

Lucy
As I meditated on this verse and its promise, my anger melted away, I smiled, and I got up to cuddle  my excitable, adorable puppy and put her inside. I pray that, the next time my temper threatens to get the best of me, I will remember how easy it was to rise above it when I stood on the Rock.



and the peace of God, 
which surpasses all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and minds 
through Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:7 -


 
If you're joining us for the a 2 z 4 u & me meme by posting on your blog this week about the letter T, be sure to add your name and the link to that particular post in the linky gadget at Patty Wysong's blog, Ordinary Lives.

Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)

Tuesday, October 4

Jewels of Encouragement: Sailing in a Box


Get out of your rut and come sailing with me today at Jewels of Encouragement!!!

Be blessed,
Cat

Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)