I have the honor of being nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award. This is my first nomination for this peer-recognition award, and it comes from Melinda Inman, a fellow Christian blogger, Jesus follower, wife, mom, grandmother, and a fiction author. She accomplishes all of this while fighting an autoimmune disease.
Find Melinda here. Follow her social media profiles: Instagram, her books, and Twitter, You’ll be blessed by connecting!
Thank you, Melinda, for this nomination! It’s been a real joy to be part of a blogging community with other Christian writers who encourage me and challenge me every week with their solid content. So, I’m thrilled to nominate for the Sunshine Blogger Award other writers and bloggers who inspire and challenge me.
First, here are the rules:
- Thank the blogger who nominated you and link to their blog. (Thank you again, Melinda!)
- Answer the 11 questions that were presented to you by your nominator. (See below.)
- Nominate 11 bloggers. (See below for my nominations!)
- Ask 11 questions. (These must be different from the ones you answered.)
- List the rules. (Here they are.)
- Display the Sunshine Blogger logo in your post or blog site. (Check. See above.)
And now to answer Melinda’s questions for me:
- How did Jesus first cause you to fall in love with him?
My parents took me to church from a very young age. My parents set the example for me to follow. Their faith showed me how much God loved me and in turn, I fell in love with my Savior. - How did you come to the point of committing your life to Jesus and entrusting him for your salvation?
I publicly accepted Christ as my savior in my Sunday school class when I was in fifth grade, so I was about ten or eleven. I have followed Him ever since but sometimes more enthusiastically than others. - How has he gifted you to serve him in this world?
I feel gifted to write about all the adventures God has taken me on in my life as I followed Him. I also spent twenty years following Christ onto the short-term mission field in support of children in need in other countries. - How did you discover your gifting?
I started to discover my gifting after the death of my son in 1993, he was nine days old. At first, I wanted to do something to honor my son so went on my first mission trip. This trip opened my heart to God in a more profound way that grew and flourished on each mission trip I took. One day, after many years of following Christ, I felt God nudge me to write about the stories of my mission adventures. I laughed because I was not a writer. I did not want to write, so I asked God to cause my husband to ask me about writing a book. The nudge stopped until one night, in our living, my husband looked over at me and said, “How is your book coming along?” I was shocked but soon realized I had some work to do. I wrote Turning Mountains into Molehills which was published in 2017. The book led to my blogging and also led to speaking to women’s group about Christ. - What’s the most difficult trial the Lord has brought you through or is currently bringing you through?
The death of my son was my greatest trial. The trial devastated me and changed me completely. God held me tightly and walked beside me each and every day of the grief. - How did or how is the Lord using that trial for good, or do you know that part yet?
God used the trail to open my heart to the plight of orphans in His world. It also led me to start a charity to help these children. Our charity, Orphan Relief Effort, Inc provides homes for 30 orphans in Myanmar and 25 in Nepal. - When you were a small child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
It is funny because I dreamed of being a missionary but lost that thought once I started college. - Now that you’re grown, what have you become?
I went into accounting for most of my career but started doing mission work on the side starting in 1994 up until now. I recently retired from business to try to do more of God’s work. - How did you arrive at that vocation or calling?
I loved numbers and business, so accounting seemed like the natural work for me. I always enjoyed it throughout my career. - What is your purpose for writing and blogging?
To share Christ with others. He brings me joy and grace in my life and such adventures. I am amazed at what God has done through me, and I want to share that with others. God has a purpose for every one of us, and I want others to find their joy in their mission. - What do you imagine eternity with Christ will be like?
Wow, so hard to even imagine. Incredible, peaceful, beautiful and awe-inspiring. And, I think those words don’t even come close to what it will be like for us. I can’t wait to run into the arms of Jesus and just hug him and worship him.
Next, my nominations and I look forward to learning more about them from their answers to my questions. Nine are incredible Christian bloggers with challenging content, and two are writers whose newsletters are blessedly uplifting.
Read these people. Connect. Subscribe. Here they are:
- Paula-Rose (@AuthorPaulaRose) – http://WritingPaulaRose.Blogspot.com
- Lisa Quintana (@LisaQthinks) – http://thinkdivinely.com
- Chip Mattis (@Twelve2nds) – http://chipmattis.com
- Linda Sammaritan (@LindaSammaritan) – http://lindasammaritan.com
- Christina Dronen (@ChristinaDronen) – http://christinadronen.com
- Rosevine CottageGirl (@RosevineCottage) – http://rosevvinecottagegirls.blogspot.com
- Joey Rudder (@joeyrudder) – http://trainingforeternityblog.wordpress.com
- Julie Loos (@juliealoos) – http://my.unmaskingthemess.com
- Bryan Stoudt (@BryanStoudt) – http://bryanstoudt.com
- Ava James (@UrbMermaid) – http://inspiredbyhiswords.co.uk
- Stephen De La Vega (@AuthorSDeLaVega) – http://stephendelavega.com
[bctt tweet=”Sunshine Blogger Award: @AuthorPaulaRose @LisaQthinks @Twelve2nds @LindaSammaritan @ChristinaDronen @RosevineCottage @joeyrudder @juliealoos @BryanStoudt @UrbMermaid @AuthorSDeLaVega.”]
Here are the questions I’d like my nominees to answer. Can’t wait to read the answers!
- Who would you like to visit with in heaven?
- Where did you grow up?
- What is your favorite subject to blog about?
- What is your biggest obstacle to your Christian walk?
- What author inspires you the most?
- What is your biggest regret in life so far?
- How has your relationship with God changed over the years?
- What is your favorite Bible verse?
- What Apostle do you most relate to and why?
- If you could do or be anything in life, what would it be?
- Why do you blog?
Thank you again for the nomination Melinda. I feel very honored and so glad I to call you a friend. You are a blessing to so many of us.
I hope all our readers enjoy connecting with this wonderful bloggers. They offer up words that encourage and enlighten so please follow them. God bless each of you.
Yvonne M Morgan
Hi Yvonne. My heart goes out to you regarding the loss of your son. I praise God for your upward-reaching heart during that time and your response in service with your missions endeavors and compassion for orphans. You are allowing God to use you, sacrificing for Him and the eternal betterment of others, and resting in His care. Your blog demonstrates that and it is encouraging to me. Thank you so much for this nomination. It is a blessing and it is uplifting.
Thanks Stephen. The award is a great way to get to know each other better. I love the life God has provided and I am so blessed to be able to help others.
Thank you for sharing about your life in such a moving way. The death of your son was used by God for so much good in your life! I’m so sorry you had to go through such a heartbreaking loss. I can’t even begin to imagine! And yet, God. He used your deepest pain to bring enormous good all over the world. What a beautiful Savior! Thank you for telling us about these personal events!
Thanks Melinda.
Congratulations! 🙂 I always enjoy your messages.
Thank you
Thank you Yvonne!! I enjoyed getting to know you better and have written a book post as a follow-up 😀
Congratulations! What a great achievement!
Thanks
Congratulations, Yvonne. I loved reading your answers to Melinda’s questions. It’s so good to know you, better. My heart hurts for the loss of your son! I cannot fathom the heartache from such a difficult trial! You are an amazing woman.
Love your ministry to orphans!
I, too, studied to be an accountant, then God gave me children. Through them, God inspired me to serve children and families full-time as a Children’s Minister. It is incredible how God works in our lives!
How wonderful Marcie that you work with children. I love getting to know other bloggers better. It great to know my fellow harvesters. God bless
Congratulations, Yvonne! I’m so sorry about the loss of you son. That must have been beyond difficult. I loved your answer for what you imagine eternity with Christ will be like. I completely agree with you. God bless you and your writing.
Thank you Anneliese. I really appreciate your kindness. I also look forward to a reunion in heaven with those who have gone before us. God bless
This is so beautiful and inspiring, Yvonne! Thank you for shining your light!
Thank you Jessica
I cannot imaging losing my son. Thank you so much for your vulnerability and willingness to share that tradgedy with us and encouraging us through it.
I love the concept of this award too! Looking forward to following it andearning more about the nominees.
Thanks Paul. Glad you see your response because you have been quiet lately and I was getting worried. God bless