Thursday, January 24, 2008

Gift Away for Valentine's!! Tell your friends

JUST A REMINDER
I've decided to choose  Thursday
Jan 24th
before I start chemo..just in case I don't 
feel like getting out of bed.


Feel free to take the top banner to post my Gift Away on YOUR blog..
but please honor Mary's work, and only use it to send your friends here.







made these two banners for
the Gift Away. The second one has my
blog on it..but Mary will change it to yours.
Please pray for her also, she's been ill
& had a bad reaction to meds.


I'll pick the winners (two)
on Jan 24th, Mary will
customize the text on the banner
and then I'll send the banner for you to use
on your BloG.

All you have to do is post
a LOVE story on my blog comment
& make sure I can reach you if you are
a winner..

Ok, let's think good loving thoughts.
Rich and I were married on 2/13
I'll post our love story when I announce the winners

Deena

35 comments:

  1. Mary's banners are always so beautiful, I love these!
    Hope your feeling wonderful...
    Priscilla

    ReplyDelete
  2. THE banners will be bigger..the right size for
    the top of your blog.
    Pray for Mary please!!
    deena

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good Evening Deena,
    I hope this finds you doing good this evening. I have just wrote down the information about the Gift Away and I took a copy of the first banner and will post about it on my post tomorrow. The banner she made for you is just beautiful. She does some beautiful work. I've seen her around here in blogland, but have never been to visit her. When do we need to leave the Love Story and on which post? I think this is such a neat and romantic Gift Away. "THANK YOU" so much for Hosting it. You are truly a wonderful blessing and I so enjoy visiting you. I see you have an anniversary right close to Valentine's Day. Me and my DH have one in March. We will be married 13 years. Take care my friend and have a great evening. May God Bless You and Yours.

    Love & Hugs,
    Karen H.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Please leave your love story on this post..
    I hope to read many..tis good for the soul.
    fondly, deena

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deena!!!

    What a special thing to do, and the banners Mary made are simply GORGEOUS!!!

    How neat that you and Rich were married so close to Valentine's Day!!! My little Julian's birthday is on 2/14. :) He'll be 5.

    Okay, my LOVE story. :)

    In January of 1991, my parents were planning a trip to Chicago to visit some long-time friends. They had two young children the age of my younger brother and sister. I was 15 ... and I wasn't old enough to be included with the adults; and I was too old to be included with the younger kids. So my Mom was going to have a family friend come stay with me for the weekend while they went.

    Our friend had a new Beau ... and since my Mom didn't want her to go the entire weekend without seeing him, she asked if he had any younger friends ... that perhaps we could "double date" one night. And come-to-find-out he had a younger brother ... just about my age. They asked him if he'd like to meet me ... showed him our family photo and he said, "SURE!" I never did get to see a photo, LOL! It was a "blind" date ... and we met for the first time on February 3, 1991. I was 15, he was 16. That was almost 17 years ago!!!

    We were married on July 2, 1994 ... and are the very best of friends. :)

    Wishing you a wonderful day full of blessings sweet friend!!!

    xoxoxoxo,
    Dana

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wishing you a very happy anniversary and many prayers and thoughts for Mary.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great contest!
    My love story

    My first husband died 9 years ago when he was 31. I was left to raise my 2month old son and 4 and 5 year old daughters by myself. I had loved being married, - Ken and I were high school sweethearts and best friends. I look forward to being with him again someday in heaven.

    I think because I enjoyed my first marriage, I really wanted to be married again. I was so young to be a widow. About a year after Ken died, my youngest daugther started telling me that she would like a new daddy. I prayed for a long time that if it was God's will, He would find a new husband for me and a father for my kids.

    Little did I know, a man in Ohio was praying that God would find him a wife to share His life with. He had given up on dating and decided to give it all to God.

    Well, through a series of God instances that would be too long to list here, Jay and I met and were married 6 years ago. He's a terrific husband and father. He always calls me "gorgeous"- even when I'm sick!, he does the laundry because he knows I hate to do it and brings me home a Diet Coke, coffee or bottled water everyday!

    Best of all though, he loves my kids as his own.

    God is good, all the time!

    Prayers for Mary and for my sweet friend Deena and her husband Rich. May you enjoy a long life full of love, together.

    Lennea

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a fun Give Away... Here goes!

    Met my hubby on the internet on April 24th 1999. I had just lost my business of 5 years and trying to decide to move to larger town or stay here at home. While walking in the local park one evening, praying about to move or not to move when the Lord spoke this in my heart....... "I have someone for you"............. What I said ,,, oh no.. I was praying about a job and not a man. Now is that silly or what.. God never answers those kind of responses... He had said what He said and that was that............ that was April 2nd 1999. ....... while out and about on the internet on some of those instant messaging and ICQ......... found PenPal site called Christian One-On-One......... I never went into chat rooms but this was like a pen pal web site and I met several ladies there from all over the world and we would chat back and forth via email. Then on April 24, 1999 there he was......... An email from a Christian man in Wichita, Kansas...... Hesitant to answer him but I did....... Email back and forth for a while until I was brave enough to tell him my name .......... then phone calls....... the first was May 5th 1999... We finally met on May 30th at the praying hands on the ORU campus in Tulsa Oklahoma ( I had friends with me) .He proposed that night and gave me the most beautiful ring.............. and that was the beginning of this wonderful journey of love with my husband Dennis............ We were married at Eureka Springs on October 17th 1999... He flew us to California for a two week honeymoon and then back to Wichita for another two years. He is the love of my life...... I was 52 and he was 45. He had never been married. He was just waiting for the Lord to tell him when........I think that the Lord made him out of dust on May the 23rd just for me...... I had spent the better part of my adult life in relationships and marriages that were violent and abusive. I had been single for almost 10 years and had no intentions of every marrying again..... The Lord had other plans for my life.........and his name is Dennis........ is my my soul mate.......He loves me without reservation...... He is the love of God here on earth and he was given to me on April 24th 1999.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My son's Birthday is 2/13, he'll be eight. Love the banner!!
    Fondly,
    Erica

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good Evening Deena,
    Dang, you got any tissues? LOL. I've been reading some of the other Love Stories posted here and I am just about in tears now. Here is my "Love Story". I was working at a local factory here in the town I live in now. I had been married before and was divorced in 1988. I dated and went with a few guys after that, but always ended up getting hurt by them. I had given up on finding a "Good" Man by now. My Sister was married and every year at Christmas when we had Christmas at our Parents house, I would always get down and depresse because I didn't have a Mate. Anyway, in 1994 I was working with a friend on my line at work and we were talking about the Christmas Holidays coming up. I told her I always get depressed and down at this time of year. She told me she had a brother that was looking for someone. She was telling me about him and showed me a picture of him from several years before that. I told her to tell her brother I could cook. LOL. Anyway, we had to work that Saturday morning and that Friday night I had fixed my soon to be husband a Christmas Card and put my phone number in it. I gave it to his Sister that Saturday morning at work and by the time I got home from work(which was 11 miles from my hometown where I was living) he called me and we talked for about an hour. That next week we talked on the phone some more. That Sunday afternoon I came to his house to meet him. Girl, when he opened up his front door, I thought I was going to literally melt. He had the most beautiful Sky Blue Eyes. The first thing that went thru my mind was that I didn't have a chance in this world with him. I went in and we talked and then later on during the coming weeks we talked on the phone at nights. On the weekends we would go to Jonesboro and go out to eat and go shopping sometimes. I loved being with him. He didn't have a reliable car, so I used my Parent's car and my Sister's car sometimes when we would go out. About a month later, sometime in January, he called me up one Sunday afternoon and we were talking. He came out and popped the big question. Yes maam, he asked me to marry him over the phone. First thing I said to him was "Is this some kind of joke"? LOL. Of course, I jumped on his answer of saying "YES"!!!! We made plans to get married in March and we got married on March 24, 1995. That is the day before my Birthday. We will be married 13 years this coming March. We are best friends. He had never been married before. He loved me and still loves me for me and what I have in my heart. We get along great. Now don't get me wrong, we do have our ups and downs like everyone else does, but like I said, we are the best of friends and we hate being apart from each other. So, there my friend is my Love Story. I gave myself chills just typing about it. LOL. In this wedding, I had the White Gown that he helped pick out and bought for me. I didn't even have a White Dress or fancy dress the first time I got married. This marriage was indeed Blessed by GOD. He is the most wonderful man to me. Take care my friend and have a great evening. May God Bless You and Yours.

    Love & Hugs,
    Karen H.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mary's banners are lovely and you're very kind to do this! I just posted a love story over on my blog so let someone else win. But give Mary my love. Blessings... Polly

    ReplyDelete
  12. Deena ~

    Wouldn't it be fun if we could be walking partners! If you ever find yourself in Oregon, you simply must look me up! I think if us girls (bloggers) put our heads together we could figure out a way to have a convention.....that would just be the best. We could have it at some big hotel and have great food and have a main area where we could all sit and gab and eat and laugh!

    Have a great evening and please get well soon!

    Hugs! Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Deena,

    Your contest certainly tugged at my romantic side...and Mary's banners are just gorgeous!

    My DH and I met ONLINE. I was supposed to have gone to a bachelorette party this one night and had to decline due to a very bad cold. Well, I took some cold medicine and was feeling kinda "blue" because I was not dating anyone which meant there was no possible chance for ME to even be getting married anytime soon. (I had pursued a career and had put off marriage for awhile.) So, I'm not sure if it was the cold medicine or not, but I decided to put my bio and photo on "LOVE@AOL." What fun it was chatting and meeting new prospects. But thre was one in particular that caught my eye. I had said I was looking for a Christian man who was also interested in the antique biz. ( I figured no one would answer this call!) Well, my DH did and it was only by small chances that we found each other online. I had given my location about 150 miles further than where I really lived...and he decided to expand his search at the last minute. There is another funny story about the actual blind date/meeting and how we almost didn't get to meet... but I don't want to write a book here. God had answered our prayers in his own time for both of us and that has made all the difference.

    Many blessings to you, Deena. I hope you keep dancing even when you think you can't. I've been dancing since I was 5 (jumping around the house then lessons as a teen) and it can really lift your spirit. Sometimes when I hear music and can't physically get up and move, I imagine dances in my mind and they are so beautiful! I'm sure yours will be too.

    Jillian

    ReplyDelete
  14. Deena, Oh my what wonderful love stories! This is such a beautiful post, I so have enjoyed it.
    Wish I had a beautiful love story to add but I don't.
    Hope you are feeling better. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.
    Hugs & much love ~Mary~

    ReplyDelete
  15. Here's a story..
    of a young brunette girl who was walking over a bridge on a cool windy day with her curly-haired friend, when the rain started to pour. The girls, both 15 years old, ran to the end of the bridge and into the first shelter they could find, a small general store, warm and well-lit. The curly-haired friend turned to say hello to the shy young fellow behind the counter, who was tall and dressed in a denim jacket, and said to her brunette friend, "This is my cousin!" and introduced them. The brunette friend, mortified at her soaking hair and muddy clothes, said hello and got a beautiful flash of a smile in return - but the fellow was French, and she was English.
    The next day, he called her, and they exchanged a bit of broken conversation - they found a strong and warm connection that even a language barrier could not break.
    Four years later, they married.
    Today, nearly 20 years later, they are married still.
    I am that brunette girl.
    Thanks for letting me share.
    T

    ReplyDelete
  16. Church here... 21 years ago, I was a single mother. I had so many challenging years that I was finally giving up. No one had ever once loved me for me, just who I was, the way I was. I did not see any point in going on. My son was at visitation with his biological father and I knew I would only have more years of them teaching him to hate me. Before I gave up finally I got on my knees once again I thought for the final time.
    I prayed to God that if there was a reason for my life at all and if there may be someone out there who would need me, to please let me know as I could not get through another day much less another hour.
    Long story short, I had lived next door to a man for one year without noticing him. He had noticed me over that year without me knowing it. He to this day can tell you everything I wore when I did not even know him and had no idea anyone was noticing me. We were married 3 months after our first conversation. That conversation went like this "I don't want to ever get married again or even date". He said "me either". When he asked me to marry him shortly after, the conversation went like this "Will you marry me?" I said and this was the first time I had ever said this to a man in my life, "I can only marry you if you believe in God and we pray together and that is not negotiable." 21 years later we have prayed all these years, mostly over the phone and long distance. We have prayed together through the loss of our families and our only son, terminal illness and for jobs when there was no money and we were owed money. We have prayed for where to work, where to live and when to move. We can tell you now, painful as times may seem, lonely as the miles apart may be....prayer works. Let Go and Let God.

    ReplyDelete
  17. We were sent over here from Mary's blog and your blog is so wonderful and inspirational...we will be back to visit often!

    smiles, kari & kijsa

    ReplyDelete
  18. Back in 1995 I was a single mom with four children. I had two antique picture frames that needed glass cut for them, so I took them to a local glass shop. I left my frames there on the porch, yes, on the porch. A couple of days later I got a call saying the glass was ready and I could pick up the frames with glass on the same porch I had left them on and put a check in the little box near the door. Well, when I went to get the frames I decided to go around to where the shop was and see who that guy was who called to say the frames were ready...why? Because he was funny. So when I went into the shop there was this long haired guy cutting glass for another customer. When I asked who Tim (the caller)was he pointed to the old guy standing there. That guy got a funny look on his face and did not know what to say. This poor guy was just there having glass cut for a church window. So this mad me laugh. (This was Tim being funny). I paid for the glass and went about my merry way. The next day I got a phone call from the guy at the glass shop (Tim), asking me "So how's your glass?" Huh? "How's my glass?" What kind of crank caller is this, I thought. Then it dawned on me-it was the guy at the glass shop.
    He thought I was cute and called to talk to me. So after a few telephone conversations I agreed for him to go with me to K-Mart with one of my daughters to get some makeup she wanted. He was so wordly, I was a Christian and this guy was NOT what I was looking for. He would not be a good example for my kids with his potty mouth and unChristian ways. Funny how God works...he started going with me and the kids to church and before we knew it is heart softened and he would weep after going to church with us. This was the Lord drawing him to Himself. What great God we serve. Tim gave his heart to the Lord soon after that. We talked marriage but Tim said we could not get married unless we had a house because he did not have room for five more people. So the next day he mentioned this to a lady he was repairing a window for. She said her neighbors were selling their house. So he went to the neighbors and asked about the house. It was five bedroom, they only wanted $3000 down and would carry the papers. Neither of us had much money saved, but we pulled the $3000 together and bought the house. So within a weeks time we decided to get married and had bought a house. Six months after meeting we were getting married in the back yard of our new home.
    We have had many challenges with the children over the last 12 1/2 years, but our marriage has survived and is better than ever. Tim's walk with the Lord has evolved and grown. He is the man the Lord had for me. I am so blessed. He took on alot when he married me with four children, two teens and two pre-teens. Yikes! The man deserves a huge pat on the back for this. He still makes me laugh and calls me beautiful everyday. He is my true love!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is an excerpt from my dream post:
    In my early childhood, I learned that God no longer speaks through dreams. Therefore, I summarily dismissed my dreams as products of a fruitful imagination, until the summer of 1978.

    At 5’11”, I looked older than almost fourteen, I’d already had my share of heartache, and I cynically asked God, “Is there a decent man left on this earth?”

    I wasn’t really expecting an answer. However, that night I dreamed of a tall, dark hansom man with curly hair. God was saying, “Here he is - the decent man I’ve chosen for you.”

    The following day I met this man of my dreams, who is now my husband. Because God spoke to me through a dream, I opened up my heart and mind to new truths and possibilities. Obviously, at fourteen, I didn’t marry him right away. However, God sent the dream to prepare me, just as he did for Joseph (Gen 37:5-11) in Biblical times.
    For four years, we exchanged letters via the US postal service. When he joined the Navy, he wrote my address in the back of his Bible. I sent him all kinds of letters while he was in boot camp, which he said was the highlight of his day.
    Christmas 1982, he started calling me long distance from A school. On Jan 15th, he asked me to marry him and I'd not seen him in four years. But he wouldn't let me get off the phone until I said, "Yes." On March 5th, 1983 we were married during a Colorado Snow staorm and we will celebrate our 25th anniversary this year.

    ReplyDelete
  20. My love story began with a pray in 1966 for a husband. I was attending Linclon Christian College in Linclon, ILL and the pray was answered right after a major snow storm that happend the weekend of Jan. 27, 1967. I met John on Jan. 30th at breatfast. I asked for a ride home the next weekend. He had to drive through my home town to get to his home town and the Minister we had at the time was from John's home church. The rest is history. We will be married 39 years April 5, 2008 and on Jan 30, 2008 we will have know each other 41 years.

    Your give away sounds and looks very interesting.

    In Christ's Joy

    ReplyDelete
  21. Deena,

    I met my husband in the spring of 1988 when I was driving taxi. He always asked for a certain driver who wasn't working that night and so the call was dispatched to me. After that, he always asked for me and romance blossomed. We were married on December 17, 1988. We've seen good times and bad for the last 19 years and as you know, have two handsome grandsons that we just took to Florida.

    Love you, my friend.
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hello Deena,
    Well, I met my husband through a friend, we were suppose to have a double date, she flaked on me and I went alone, I was just 16, my husband
    went off to trade school and I to business college, for awhile we separated and went our own ways...
    We started going to youth group together in High School and my husband gave his heart to the Lord, I knew then that I wanted to we with him forever, but things didn't
    work out so the Lord must have a different plan. My father in law died at 42 of a heart a in the fall
    and my father died at 41 in the spring, we married that summer in 1984....Well it was a rocky road, the
    Lord stayed by my side, alot of healing at restoration has went on...I really didn't think would make it now 23 years and six beautiful children later we are together, my husband is so good to me and loves me and my children so much, we have a wonderful life and so many blessing and things to be thankful for, God is truly a God of
    restoration and he loves us so much...I love your blog Deena you
    have such a special gift of giving,
    and touching peoples hearts, as I am sitting here writing, tears of
    healing and thankfulness are rolling down my cheeks..... Take care and have a wonderful weekend Pinkie Denise

    ReplyDelete
  23. What a lovely thing for Valentines Day. Well my story started in 1971. I was a single mom of 2 children and had hepatitis from the birth of my daughter, so my dr. suggested I leave my children and get some rest, so I went to New Orleans to stay with my sister for a couple of weeks of R&R. We went bowling one afternoon and 3 guys walked in that she knew. One of them caught my eye and there was such a gentle side to him that I thought I fell in love at that very moment.
    They went to bowl on other lanes, so when we finished, we stopped to talk with them and I jokingly said I didn't want to go to another softball game, so Al said "I'll take you to a movie" and I said, "Okay, I'll be ready at 7", but I was only joking and never started to get dressed that night. My sister said I needed to get dressed for my "date" and I told her, he's not going to show up, I was joking. But at 1 minute until, the doorbell rang and there was Al. After the movies, he asked if I wanted to go and watch the submarine races and I was so naive that I didn't know that the lakefront was where people went to park and talk. Well we got out and walk around the Mardi Gras Fountain and then sat on the levee and talked. We both made a wish on a star and the rest is history. That was almost 37 years ago. He is also my best friend and he adopted my children while they were babies, so I do believe in Love at First Sight.Pat

    ReplyDelete
  24. My love story starts back in Dec 1977 when I was a junior in high school and I met my husband at a high school party. He walked by and I made google eyes and said to my friend.....there goes Eric! Well, I didn't think anyone saw me do that, but Eric's friend Dave saw and he ran over to Eric and told him. Eric came over and started talking with me. We didn't talk very long, but he got my phone number. He never forgot my number! One thing led to another, four years later we were married and now it has been 30 years and four sons later! He told me that it was love at first sight for him! Isn't that sweet! We are still crazy for each other and flirt with each other all the time. Of course we have our moments of driving each other crazy, but overall, things are really great!

    Happy Valentines Day!

    Love Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  25. I hope that you give yourself permission to spend the day in bed if you want to after you have chemo, Deena - and the next day doing something pampering and nice - going out for 'high tea' somewhere special with a good girlfriend (or Rich), or even sending yourself a pretty flowering plant like an african violet and a letter you mail to yourself writing down your four favorite things about you, signed with love :)

    **hugs**

    Will say prayers for Mary as well...

    Happy upcoming anniversary to you and Rich next month !

    p.s.s. Your masthead is so pretty !

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hello, Stopping by from Mary's (Isabellascloset) blog... To say hello and let you know you are in my thoughts and prayers with Chemo ahead of you.
    May God Bless you ,Hugs Mary :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. On the plane ride home from our honeymoon, there was a movie playing. In the movie the husband died. I rested my head on my new hubby's shoulder and said, "I don't know what I'd do if you died." He kissed my forehead and said, "Don't worry - I'll let you go first." =) Blessings... Polly

    ReplyDelete
  28. As you can see by my previous comment, 2/13 is a very special day for me too. Not only is it my sons Birthday, it marks the anniversary of when I became a mom. I fell in love that day with my beautiful baby boy, almost 8 years old now. On that very day I also had a much greater and deeper understanding of God's love for us.
    Happy anniversary,
    Erica

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hello Deena,
    I brought a banner from your friend Mary and I love it....I will keep you
    in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow, you know your not alone.......Love to
    you Pinkie Denise

    ReplyDelete
  30. I know tomorrow is a big day for you. Keeping you in my thoughts. Here's to healing...may it flow from God through you.

    xox

    ReplyDelete
  31. Deena
    Everyday is a a love story when I look into Prince's eyes. I am sending you an e mail so you will have something to read outloud during chemo.
    Go out on a date Friday evening and have a good meal as Saturday you will want to sleep in.
    Peace

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Deena,

    We don't know each other, but I admire your work, which I look at through the Primitive Gathering website, which of course led me to your blog.

    I just wanted to send you a huge but gentle cyber (((((hug)))) as you begin your chemo today. My prayers are with you.

    Best of luck to you and your family while you battle this wretched disease.

    Trudy

    ReplyDelete
  33. My hubby and I were married on February 13, 1988! We kind of eloped. I arranged for a Justice of the Peace to be at my parents home on 2/13 and we surprised my family and hubby's with a wedding! We got everyone together for a luncheon. None of our friends knew! We went to Baltimore's Inner Harboe that weekend and it was so crowded since it was President's Day weekend as well. Out of all the 10's of thousands of people, we ran into some friends who met the same night, at the same party, that Al & I met!

    ReplyDelete

~**~Your kind remarks are my angel wings~**~