Today, I got my winnings from the author, the fabulous K. Dawn Byrd. She is so fantastic and generous. Check out my table full of goodies:
Keep in mind, I also got a copy of the e-book version of Queen of Hearts. I started it at about 11 last night, and am halfway through it; it's an awesome book!
So, I won a giveaway the same time I gave a giveaway. Life comes full circle sometimes.
The funny thing is, I never really told people why I decided to do a giveaway. I mean, yes, it is a great way to gain new readers, and make new friends, but really, I did it to teach myself about the spirit of giving.
I decided I needed to have a better spirit of giving because of my in laws actually. My mother in law and grandmother in law are very giving people. There is a lot I could learn, and have learned, from them, about what it means to have a spirit of giving. Every time we go to visit either one of them, we come back with all kinds of stuff. Bags full of stuff. Sometimes, it is grocery staples, like noodles, and frozen chicken breasts. Often, it is sundries like toothpaste and paper plates. Sometimes, it is just something to make me smile, like baby pictures of Hubby, or a cute little knick knack for my mantle.
At first, I could not understand why we always got these bags of stuff from them. I certainly did, and still do, appreciate it, and can not tell you the number of times all of those things came in so so handy. But I always felt a little guilty, like I am taking something from them that they might need, or that the money they have spent on buying us these things could have gone to something they themselves needed or wanted. Then I realized, they love to give. It is their way of being helpful, of showing us that they love us and were thinking of us.
I need to learn to be more giving. There are always people who are in more need of something than I am, whether it is real physical need, or more spiritual and emotional need. So, today, I am thankful for my mother in law and grandmother in law, the lessons they have taught me about the spirit of giving, and the blessing of receiving gifts from people.
Also, a very large thank you to K. Dawn Byrd for my wonderful goodies, and I strongly strongly encourage everyone to check out Queen of Hearts. There is a reason it is a best seller!
