Liebster Award! – Thank You, Writing in a Raindrop!

I love belonging to a community of writers!   As writers, we all have days where we wonder, “Is this really worth the time and energy?” And then something happens – a random comment or kind word – that encourages us to keep on sharing our heart with the world.

For me, one of those moments was discovering that I had been nominated for the Liebster Award! I want to say thank you to Writing in a Raindrop (www.writinginaraindrop.com), one of the fascinating blogs I’ve been following, for nominating my blog for this award.

Okay, so admit it… you’re wondering what on earth the Liebster Award is! As Writing in a Raindrop so eloquently explained on her blog:

“The word Liebster is German and means dearest or lovely. The award is given to up and coming blogs with 200 or less followers.”

“It’s a great way for fellow bloggers to pat each other on the back, meet new bloggers and publicize their site to the general public.”

In accordance with the rules, if I wish to accept this distinguished award (which I do – I mean, have you ever turned down an award?) I simply have to create a post that includes the following:

• Link Back to the Blog that nominated you
• Nominate 5-11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers
• Answer Questions posted by you from your nominator
• Share 11 random facts about yourself
• Create 11 Questions for your nominees to answer
• Contact your nominees and let them know you’ve nominated them

Sounds like a fun way to advertise to me… so here goes!

My Answers to Writing in a Raindrop’s Questions:

• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? A hidden little village in Tuscany. My wife and I spent our honeymoon in Italy, and I’d love to grow old there!
• What scares you?       For me, the scariest possible thought is having my friends and family reach the end of their lives without knowing Jesus…
• What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned about life over the past ten years? That my worth and significance comes from my identity as a child of God, and not from any achievement I have to earn.
• If you could only pick one type of food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?       Italian food… love the seasoned meats, the pasta, the breads, and above all, the GELATO!
• What’s your favorite season, and why? Fall… after a scalding Texas summer (where it reaches up to 110 degrees) I love to have things cool down.       Everything about Fall reminds me that the holidays are approaching, and it’s just a sweet couple of months.
• Most disgusting food you’ve ever tried: During six-week teaching trip to China, I visited a street market and made the mistake of letting my translator order for me. I ended up with soup with live silkworm larvae swimming around in it…still gives me chills!
• How long have you known your longest-lasting friend? This would have to be my brother, who was born one year and one month after I was.
• Do you believe in ghosts? No… I believe in life after death, but I don’t believe in displaced spirits roaming the earth and haunting their loved ones.
• Are you a night-owl or an early bird? Definitely an early bird! Of course, my early rising habits aren’t as severe now that I’ve married a night owl!
• What is the title of your favorite blog post (that you’ve written)? My favorite so far is “True Theatre: My Life in Three Acts,” since it describes the essence of who I am and what my life is all about.
• What made you decide to start blogging? I was asked to begin writing articles about the University where I work for a work-related blog. As I learned more and more about blogging, I thought, “I could do this!” And the rest is history…

Questions for My Nominees:

1. What is your absolute favorite book?
2. If you could trade lives with any fictional character, which would it be?
3. If you could star in any reality television program, which would it be?
4. Fondest childhood memory?
5. Favorite dessert?
6. Dog person or Cat person?
7. Favorite holiday?
8. If you could be given any super power, which would you choose?
9. If you knew you were about to be stranded on a desert island, what one item could you simply not live without?
10. If you could time travel, which historical moment would you try to change?
11. What made you decide to start blogging?

11 Random Facts About Myself:

1. During college, a few friends liked to call me “JM2,” (pronounced JM-squared), since my initials are JMM.
2. Throughout my life I’ve had bad luck with pets… my dogs used to run away, my parakeet died from a spider bite, and my fish used to jump out of the bowl while I was trying to clean their tank and leap to their untimely deaths. I love animals, but I’m not sure the feeling is mutual!
3. I’ve had the privilege of traveling to China, England, Scotland, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, and Italy. I love traveling and seeing the world.
4. I was best friends with my wife for over five years before we went on a single date, but now I can’t imagine my life without her!
5. I almost had brain surgery after sledding down an icy slope in a Rubbermaid tub during a College Snow Day. I ran into a light pole, and ended up with an epidural hematoma (my skull was bleeding into my brain). Thankfully, the Lord was watching over me and my condition healed on its own.
6. One of my lungs spontaneously collapsed…twice! The second time I ended having to have a chest tube put in so they could re-inflate my lung…fun times, let me tell you!
7. As a child I was extremely shy and refused to talk to strangers, but now people usually consider me to be pretty outgoing.
8. I’m a closet Trekkie… you won’t find me at a Star Trek convention or anything crazy, but my wife and I really enjoy these shows!
9. I was a homeschool student who became a public school teacher, so the first time I stepped into a public middle school or high school classroom, I was the teacher.
10. I was a music major in college, and still love to play piano.
11. During college my youngest sister begged me to enter a Fantasy Fiction Writing Contest, even though the deadline was only a month away. I worked on this every night for 30 days, wrote an entire novel in one month, and somehow managed to win 1^st place in the contest. I received a check for $200 out of the deal, but unfortunately this was a small “start-up” publishing company that went bankrupt before they ever got around to publishing my novel.

I NOMINATED THE FOLLOWING BLOGS FOR THE LIEBSTER AWARD!!

http://everydaymomennttsofworship.wordpress.com (Everyday Moments of Worship)

http://gogphotography.wordpress.com (Glory of God Photography)

http://jimf.wordpress.com (The Pastor’s Study)

http://transformationbyrenewal.wordpress.com (Transformation By Renewal)

http://paintingforgod.wordpress.com (Painting for God)

Advertisement