God wants you to be a winner, not a whiner. Joel Osteen
Are you a winner? Well, maybe not when it comes to having your name drawn out of a pot to win a prize. I’m not that. I sometimes joke and say that if there are only two entries in a drawing and one of them is mine, the other fellow is a shoe-in to win. That’s not always true. I have won a few things in my life. A bottle of perfume once from a local drugstore. I even splashed a little of it behind my ears now and again. A long time ago I won a beautiful handmade afghan in a library raffle when they were trying to raise money for some reason that I don’t remember.
I did win this cute little dog and cat Christmas tree, but I think that time I had four tickets to someone else’s one ticket. I was a happy winner. It’s a cute little tree and I brought it home and set it up in Oscar’s room. Now Frankie sleeps in that room, but it will always be Oscar’s room. That’s because Oscar got run over by the builder adding that room on for us and had to have surgery to repair his leg. Expensive surgery! So he turned from an outside dog (he refused to come in the house) to an inside dog (he had to come in the house while he healed.) And forever after, until he died of bone cancer five years later, he was a sweet inside dog who would not go into the kitchen from that room. His room. 🙂 Frankie has no problem going into any room with an open door!
But we have so many better ways to be winners than winning raffles. We’re winners when we’re blessed with loving family and friends. We win when we let Jesus come into our heart. We are blessed when we find a church where we are part of a Christian family of God. If we’re parents and/or grandparents, we win every time we see our children smile because they have reached some milestone in life. Perhaps the day they first said mama or daddy or the time they turned loose and walked across a room. We won the day they walked across the stage to receive their high school diploma or when we got teary-eyed watching them stand before a preacher to say marriage vows. Those are some big ways to win, but we have little victories each and every day too. Sometimes something as simple as finding a lost item you need or trying a new recipe or getting a few words written on a new story (okay, that’s one of my victories.) I also win when I hear from one of you that you’ve liked one of my stories. You might win when someone tells you thank you for something when you didn’t think anybody had noticed.
Winning can be fun. Sometimes it can be because of hard work the way Larry Bird, the basketball player says here. “A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.”
And then sometimes you don’t do anything but enter a giveaway on a blog like mine or from a newsletter like mine and you end up a winner. So are you ready to hear who the winners are? Drum roll, please.
First, the winners of the giveaway here on my blog just for you who read my posts and leave comments. Janice Wilkerson won the Christmas decoration and her choice of one of my books. Kathy Schnitz won one of my books and I’ve already heard from her. She wants These Healing Hills. Thank all of you for making this blog giveaway fun. I’ve enjoyed your comments so much and I always appreciate you reading the posts and joining the conversation there.
Next we have the winners of my newsletter Christmas giveaway. I’ve sent each of the winners an e-mail already. They all win the gift card from the book site of their choice and their choice of one of my books. The winners are Faith Creech, Hope Swartzlander, and Connie Williamson. I’ve heard from Faith already and she picked Murder Is No Accident. She says she’s read the other two Hidden Springs mysteries and wants to read the third one. So if you see your name here, check your e-mails. I had a lot of entries in my newsletter contest and I so appreciate all of you who read my newsletters and join in with my giveaway fun.
In what ways have you been winners?
Comments 16
Congratulations to all the winners, good time of year for such a prize 🙂
Author
It’s always nice to get a little gift for yourself at Christmas, Loretta. I just wish I could give everybody a prize.
You do, Ann, everytime one of your books is published! 🙂
Author
Aww, Karen. That’s such a nice thing to tell me. I feel as if I just got a gift – from you. Thank you so much.
Congratulations to the winners! I feel like a winner today because I just recently retired and don’t have to go to work this Monday morning!
Author
Now that’s a fun Monday morning, Connie, as you look out at your whole week to do what you want to do without the bother of going to work. 🙂 Good for you. Happy retirement.
I feel like a winner today…the sun is finally shining, my little munchkins are over a nasty virus, and my head cold is clearing up. It’s a beautiful Monday!
Congratulations to the winners of the give a ways! Merry Christmas to everyone!
Author
I sure enjoyed that sunshine today too, Lavon. Glad you and your munchkins are feeling better in time for a fun Christmas.
Merry Christmas!!
Waking up everyday and being able to say “Thank you, God for another beautiful day that I can appreciate and enjoy Your beautiful creation along with Your many blessings.” One can’t ask for a better win! Congratulations to all you Ann Gabhart winners!!! 😊
Author
Indeed, Karen. Lovely winning ways. “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” ~ Psalm 118.24 (KJV) I saw that verse on Facebook this morning and thought that is the perfect verse for your winning ways here.
I won a Christmas stocking fill with candy, toys, books & a whole lot more. It was six feet tall & we took it to the Salvation Army to use for their Christmas fun for everyone. They loved the huge stocking. It was a site of amazement. Everyone had a smile. I loved it.
Author
What a fun gift to win, Betty, and then you doubled the fun by giving it to the Salvation Army to spread your winnings. That is definitely a winning way. Smiles at Christmas time are the best.
I am a winner in so many ways but I was able to thank my Oncologist last week (with tears in my eyes) because this will be my 3rd Christmas since being diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma…That is the first thing I thought of to answer your question. God willing I will have a few more Christmases with my loved ones.Merry Christmas to all who reads this!
Author
That is a blessed winning way, Lisa, and one I’m thankful to hear. May you have many more Christmases to rejoice with your family. Go, Lisa!!
I guessed Sat. UK game winning total score for a free Papa John Pizza !Yeah!
Author
Good for you, Evelyn. And I’m glad it was a winning score. Now you can take some time off cooking and enjoy that pizza.