Nominated For The Hug Award – Sharing The Blessing!

Thank you so much Soumyav for nominating me for this special award.  I am so delighted to receive it.  Thank you for honoring me – everyone please do check out her blog, you will surely be blessed!

Hope Unites Globally – HUG Award Guidelines

 

PLEASE NOTE:  You should send this post or a link to this post to all those you nominate to receive the HUG Award. 

Please do not change or use another image for the HUG Award Image©.  Please do not alter–by changing, shortening, or adding to–the text about the award and how to share it with others.  Either copy the entire article as it is on this page, or please include a link back to this article, when you post on your blog or share award with others.

I ask you to please honor this request and help me keep the integrity of the award as originally designed, so that future award recipients will know what an honor it is to receive this award.  Thank you, Connie Wayne

 ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES for HUG AWARD©

“Hope is an expectant desire; a confidence in a future event; a ground for trust and confidence; to think; to look forward to with trust and expectant desire.”

The HUG Award© was initiated by Connie Wayne at A Hope for Today athttp://ahopefortoday.com, which promotes hope, love, peace, equality, and unity for all people.

The HUG Award© is for people with an expectant desire for the world, for which they: Hope for Love; Hope for Freedom; Hope for Peace; Hope for Equality; Hope for Unity;Hope for Joy and Happiness; Hope for Compassion and Mercy; Hope for Faith; Hope for Wholeness and Wellness; Hope for Prosperity; Hope for Ecological Preservation; Hope for Oneness

The HUG Award© recognizes and honors those who help keep hope alive in our current world, which is plagued by war, natural disasters, and economic recession.  They nurture hope, in any of the above areas (in italics),  by the work they do, or in their personal lives with things such as blogging, public speaking, charity work, etc.

The HUG Award© is for anyone, anywhere in the world, who meets the guidelines and wants to be nominated for the award. Please leave a comment on this page if you are interested in receiving this award, or if you would like to nominate someone else for the award.

The HUG Award© is for people who, without giving up or compromising their own religious, spiritual, or political beliefs, are able to nurture hope and respect the dignity of all people.

The HUG Award© is for those who, without bias or prejudice, use their resources and gifts to make the world a better place for everyone.

The HUG Award©is for people who have a hope or an expectant desire that the work or talents they use in things such as blogging, public speaking, charity work, etc., will make a positive impact on the world.

These people do not have to actively use the word “hope” in their work or creative talents.  They only need be conscious of their desire to make the world a better place for everyone.

These people use their available resources–a smile, a hug, a helping hand, a listening ear, a voice, time, money, possessions, education, personality, talent, websites and blogs—to make a positive impact on the world and make the world a better place to live.

The HUG Award© is not specifically a website or blog award.  It can be given to people in your community, at your employment, at your place of worship, etc.  Please make sure they have a copy of these Guidelines, and please don’t forget to submit their names back to this site.

HUG AWARD© IMAGE for RECIPIENTS of HUG AWARD

HUG Award© Image:   Those who receive the HUG Award© may paste a copy of the original HUG Award© image into an Image widget on their website or blog by simply copying and pasting the following image URL into an Image widget:  http://hopesfortoday.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/hug-award1.png.  As the link URL for the image, please insert http://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines/.

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GUIDELINES for NOMINATING OTHERS FOR THE HUG AWARD© 

1.  If you receive a HUG Award©, you may nominate others who also meet the above guidelines for the award.  You may nominate as many people, websites, or blogs as you want to nominate to receive the award.  I do ask that, upon receipt of the award, you nominate at least one other person.  The award is also not time limited, so you can nominate new people or sites you encounter in the future.  Please try not to nominate those who have already received the award.

2.  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING YOUR NOMINEES and telling them you nominated them for the  HUG Award©.  AND when you contact them…

3.  Please link this page:  When you contact your nominees for the award, please include a link to this page, http://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines/, so they will have the same information you received about the award.  Then, they also can perpetuate the award by nominating others.  AND…

4.  Please post a comment on this page athttp://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines/ with the name and the complete website or blog address of the site(s) or person(s) you nominate.

5.  If you know, I would appreciate you informing me of the geographical location of your nominee(s) and /or their site(s).

6.  Social Media Sites:  You may also copy and paste unchanged copies of the original HUG Award© and HUG Award© Guidelines’ wording to other social media sites such as Facebook and Linkedin.  You may also print original copies for your personal use for display, etc.

7.  You may print a copy of the HUG Award© Guidelines for people you nominate, who do not have a website, blog, or social media account to which they can paste award and Guidelines.  If they have email, you may email them a copy of the original HUG Award©and original Hug Award© Guidelines.

Thank you for your help sharing HUGs (HUG Awards©) with the people of the world.  Blessings, Connie

The Hope Unites Globally HUG Award© and the HUG Award© Guidelines are the copyright of Connie Wayne – ©Connie Wayne 2012 at http://ahopefortoday.com.  They both may be copied and shared in accordance with the Guidelines established in this post.

 http://ahopefortoday.com

Now, having shared Connie’s message on this wonderful award, I am honored to award it to the following, realizing that they are but a small percentage of writers who have blessed me through their efforts:

Women’s Window

Writing Sisters

Revelations in Writing

Another Red Letter Day

Deb’s Blog

Ellen Grace Olinger

Two Rights Attempting to Make a Left

Keziah Carrie

I Have A Voice

Quote of the Day – Image

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:11-12

Such truth in those words and they speak of our true and created need for one another as the collective body of Christ.  We have not seen God but we are created in His image and thus reflect His splendor on one another.  If I look in my own mirror, I am far more likely to see what I am not, but when I look at you I see the great I AM.

Selective Listening

Yesterday, Sunday, was amazing for me.  It was non-stop grace and love of my Jesus to me all day and evening long.  Oh, how I have longed for a day like that and how life-giving it was.  Today is Monday and the day began with the “this world” issues that are always there and which have been OVER THE TOP nasty of late.  When I read the following quote, I initially groaned because the negativity from some close to me is loud and constant so how am I to listen. . . to learn. . . to be changed in the midst of that?  Selective listening!  There are beautiful things to be heard!

Sometimes, my focus is challenged by noise of the other sort, but it’s out there – the grace – and if I focus intently and listen with the ears of my heart, regardless of what the world throws at me, I can still grow, still change, still reflect Jesus Christ.  That’s my plan.  It won’t always be as easy as it was yesterday, but I can do this.  He is with me in it all!

When you listen, it’s amazing what you can learn. When you act on what you’ve learned, it’s amazing what you can change. – Audrey McLaughlin –

 

RIP Marie

A woman at church passed away in her sleep and while I hardly knew her and don’t even know her last name, her life touched mine.  I wrote this as a tribute to Marie and have asked my priests to share it with her family.  I wanted to share it with all of you as well.  Smile, my friends.  It changes hearts and lives in ways you’ll never know.

She Wore His Smile

For Marie

 

I didn’t know her well,

and yet she touched my heart

in a special way.

Each Sunday morning

as I gazed toward the altar

and saw the sunshine gleaming

through the stained glass window

high above my head,

I saw another ray of Son-shine

brightening the darkness

in the smile on her face

as she sang her heart out in choir.

Through that very heart of hers,

Jesus touched my own.

Each time our paths crossed

There was always that same smile . . .

a pat on the arm . . .

and the glow of her Lord

encouraging me,

blessing me,

lifting me up.

I cannot truly be sad

that she went to sleep

one last time

for I know that when she awakened

she was smiling at her Jesus

face to face.

              By Martha L Shaw

Degas and Jesus Christ

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

– Edgar Degas –

What Degas speaks is true of art but in my heart it is also true of our commission in faith as followers of Christ.  We are called to reflect Him to those He draws us toward.  Every small and large thing we do reflects what is valuable to us to a world in darkness.  Jesus is in our hearts – is this what those in our midst see?  Do we reflect this without trying to do so?  Do they see Him when we don’t know anyone is watching?

EXCUSE ME????

I am researching a writing project and just used a search engine to pull up sites connected to the keywords “reflect Jesus.”  As those of us who use search engines know, the first few hits are generally the ones that these services intend to be the most appropriate for our needs. 

One of the first hits related to “reflect Jesus” was an ad for a new outfit of clothes.  I didn’t go to that site. 

Reflect Jesus . . . excuse me?   It’s not about fashion.

 

Even A Snake Has a Heart!

Learn to love a snake! I can happen. Read this. You’ll love it.