What a lovely way to end this year! When I started blogging almost two years ago, I didn’t know if anyone would even find my blog, much less read it.
But God is good, and to my great surprise and joy, I have made some wonderful blogging friends who not only read what I write, but who also take the time to leave wonderful and encouraging comments…..and I love you all, and think of you as my dear sisters in Christ. And I so much look forward to the day when we all meet in His Presence!
Two of these very special people have chosen me to receive a 2012 Blog of the Year Award.
Thank you first to Nancy, who blogs at The Cloistered Heart and The Breadbox Letters. Nancy has created two exceptional blogs, which are wellsprings of knowledge, inspiration and beauty, and which have drawn quite a following. Nancy somehow manages to keep these treasures going while still finding time to leave delightful and often funny comments all over the place to cheer no small number of her fellow bloggers.
I was also blessed with this award by Karinann whose blog, Daughter of the King (don’t you just love the name?), is often breathtaking to view, but which also, for me, imparts a very special sense of reverence and awe. Thank you, Karin, for your amazing blog and for choosing my blog for this award.
And now I get to pass the award along to some of my favorite bloggers. But before I forget, I want to share the “rules” for participants of this award:
1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012′ Award
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen — there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required — and ‘present’ them with their award.
3 Please include a link back to this page: — http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them.
5 You can now also join our Facebook group — click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012′ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience.
6 As a winner of the award — please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award — and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…
Yes — that’s right — there are stars to collect!
Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once — this award is different!
When you begin you will receive the ’1 star’ award — and every time you are given the award by another blog — you can add another star!
There are a total of 6 stars to collect.
Which means that you can check out your favorite blogs — and even if they have already been given the award by someone else — you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!
And now for the blogs which I feel deserve this award, because I personally find so much inspiration, wisdom, kindness, beauty and joy in their “pages.” But most of all, these are the blogs which speak most to me of Our Blessed Lord…. of His Love, His Faithfulness, His Mercy and Goodness. These bloggers are women through whom God speaks to my heart, and I thank Him….and them.
Nancy at The Cloistered Heart and The Breadbox Letters
Karinann at Daughter of the King
Caroline at Bell of the Wanderer
Anne at Imprisoned in My Bones
Theresa at My Desert Heart
Sue at Sue Elvis Writes
Thanks to each of you for enriching my life!
I Want to See God 
Thank you! Doubly! 🙂 🙂
You are most welcome! Are you a night owl too, or do you live on the other side of the world?
Oh wait, I remember. You were going to join me in founding the NONS! Ho Ho! I love that….that was great, Nancy!
Oh yes, I’m a night owl, and I’d forgotten that we were going to found the NONS! Are we doing so right here, right now? Although this post wouldn’t quality as a NON post, for I write it at 1:55 pm in the eastern part of the US. But posts that show me as writing at embarrasingly late hours were probably written at embarrasingly late hours. I’m one of those who occasionally gets back up and creeps around the house in search of a book (or computer :)) at 2 a.m…. The Creeping Non…..
Oh Nancy, let’s definitely be the NONS. Now I’ll have an excuse to give to my husband and friends who tease me about staying up so late. I’ll run into you at 2am, but will probably be just going to bed. One of my “resolutions” for the new year is to go to bed earlier so that I can get started sooner. But I just love the quiet and peacefulness of the night…when even nature seems to be sleeping…except for some little critters — and one creeping Non 🙂 xo
Patricia,
Thank you so much for this award! I am very glad I found your blog. Thank you also for reading my blog and stopping by so often to say hello. Your friendship is a blessing! I will visit your other nominated blogs. Blog awards result in smiles. Can you see mine?
God bless you!
Sue, you are very welcome, and I do see your smile. It’s all over your blog and makes me think: She looks like such a fun person!
You truly deserve this award, Sue. Your blog is just delightful, and you write with all of your heart. In fact, I’ve been reading your posts at Hannah’s Tears for months, and don’t know what took me so long to track down your blog. But I loved it right away, and added it to my blogroll.
I love the way you write so effortlessly, and on such a broad range of topics.
Blog awards are nice, aren’t they? I’m so happy I could share this one with you, and make you smile 🙂
God bless you, dear friend!
Dear Patricia,
Thank you so very much for kindly passing this award on to me! You are sweet and I am grateful. Merry Christmas to you and your family and a very blessed New Year!
Merry Christmas, Anne! Well…Happy New Year too…it’s almost that time : )
You are most welcome for the award. I’m sure your badge will soon be full. Your blog is such a favorite of everyone. Your blog to me is more than anything, inspiring. Your love for and commitment to Our Lord are always a gentle prodding to me to pray more and to try harder. Your writing is first rate. I often think that once your children are all grown, you will do great things in the Church. You have so many gifts, Anne, and what a blessing you are. May God always bless you and your beautiful family….and I haven’t forgotten to pray for John. Share an update when you can. Thanks!
Congratulations and thanks for sharing the award – The Thought Palette
Thank you….and giving it away was the best part 🙂
Patricia
Thank you for the award and the kind words about my blog, Patricia. I too look forward to meeting all my blogging buddies in heaven some day.
God bless.
Karin, won’t that be fun? Do you think we will recognize one another? 🙂 I think we just might……
You are most welcome for the award, and I truly thank you for it in return.
I limited my choices to blogs I read very regularly…not just to people I consider friends. It will make me smile if I am not chosen by some of those I chose to award, because a gift loses its value if it’s only given in exchange, and not truly for merit.
I’m glad we were busy choosing each other at the same time last night 🙂
Hugs to you, Karin…and a very Blessed New Year; it’s almost here!
Patricia,
What can I say that can express how thankful I am for meeting you along this blogging highway? We have shared so much of our hearts, though I’ve only been privileged to see you in the pictures you’ve blessed us with and the rose petals of wisdom you leave us in your blog posts.
Your love for Him and St Therese is so ‘real’ giving hope and joy to me and all those who visit.
Thank you for this award…and for putting up with all my website glitches through the year. : )
Much love from the heart…hugs and +
Caroline, isn’t it interesting? I really believe that you and others who read my blog probably know much more about me than many people I see everyday. it’s wonderful to have this space to truly share our hearts.
I clicked my way to your blog via Joyce on the day you were whisked off to a surprise island by your husband who said he would “straighten” your hair 🙂 And..I was hooked. We’ve been through a lot since then, haven’t we?
Finding friends through blogging is truly a gift from God. It is not easy to find people who share your faith, or with whom you can talk about it so openly. And more than ever, in these days, we need such friends.
I am so grateful for you. I feel if we lived in the same town, we would share so many good laughs, tears, prayer times…and movies 🙂 together.. I love knowing that we really will meet one day in Our Father’s Kingdom….and wouldn’t it be just like Jesus to introduce us, while standing there smiling, right next to a big, shiny library table?
Until then, let’s promise to always be friends of the heart.
Love you much, my dear sister in Christ xoxoxo
Patricia, You can now go pick up another star….I’ve nominated you my friend! Let’s hope my site stays up longer than 2 days! LOL
Happy New Year Love and +
Oh wow…three stars! Thanks, Caroline : )
But I think I will forever remain a little Liebster blog. Remember that one? ::)
Happy New Year….and I pray it will bring us and all those we love ever so much closer to the Heart of Our Dear Jesus. Three star hugs!
Oh the Liebster blog…I do remember! I miss Joyce.
Yes, so much water under the bridge since that island away weekend and my straight hair. Now it’s menopausal hair and my husband says …no one else will ever be able to do it.. : ) Only one tried once..and it didn’t end well.
If we lived close…we’d start collecting and trading books for that table in Heaven, then we’d take a break and pray for our boys…watch a movie and ….pray for our boys….eat a bit of something sweet and……keep praying!
No doubt we’d have some laughs…..maybe over a tofu dinner I’d bring by. LOL
I think tonight’s the night we’re changing over to the new server. I’m praying it’ll be the end of all the glitches.
Hugs to you my friend and Happy New Year +
Caroline, great news. Joyce is back! She is at the same address saintbyhalves.blogspot.com. But her blog has a new name: Unprofitable Servant. Have to add her back onto my blogroll. I found her by accident the other day. Yay!
Oh yes, we’d do a lot of praying for those boys…mine had a brunch yesterday. I didn’t ask about Mass…all in God’s hands.
I’d be glad to try tofu if you prepared it 🙂 Got any plans for tonight? We will probably just stay home and make a fire and watch a movie. We are so totally boring! I admit it! I’m not the party type at all….although we have gone that route in past years. I prefer to write resolutions I will never keep in my journal. I love the start of a new year. It’s always like a new beginning. I do hope I can keep a few new promises to the LORD…like spending more time in Scripture this year.
Big hugs to you too, dear Caroline, and best wishes for a very holy and joyful New Year….and you’ll become a mother-in-law too!
Good luck with the server. I hope I can find you tomorrow!!! xoxo
Oh so glad Joyce is back! I will have to hope over there.
Wishing you a peaceful New Year.
I’m so happy she’s back! I really missed her.
Peaceful New Year to your too. We just returned from vigil Mass, and are settling in for a quiet night. No fireworks here 🙂 I’d rather read a book.
So glad my husband and I enjoy being boring together 🙂 Love and hugs to you, dear Theresa
LOL! Us too! My husband doesn’t mind playing the *hermit* along with me : )
Guess that’s why we are together.
Add another star my sister in Carmel…much deserved. And thank you again for nominating me.
Thank you, Theresa! I’m so happy you found time to join in the fun : ) You are most welcome for the nomination from me. Your writing is simply beautiful, and I absolutely love your pictures…and the Monday morning almanac. God bless you dear sister in Carmel…and Happy and Blessed New Year!