"find joy in the journey" celebration giveaway!

Welcome to the PARTY!!!

We are celebrating the fact that after over a year of hard work, our "find joy in the journey" Ebook is finally published, it is getting lots of downloads and the feedback from those who have already read it is amazing!!!

Praise the Lord! It is our prayer as Stevie states in Chapter 12, that "this book reach hundreds of people who are searching for something bigger than this world." 

To God be the glory, may it change lives and further His kingdom, bringing true joy to all who read it, no matter where they are on their journey!

Go here for a description of the book, to read the incredible reviews we already have on our Reviews page and to download your copy!

And now...drumroll please...here are the 4 fabulous celebration giveaway items up for grabs!!! They will go to 4 different winners! Aren't they pretty?!

1. A super-cute fun flops large utility tote from Thirty-One Gifts...perfect for hauling all of your towels, toys, equipment to the park, pool, beach in style this summer! It was donated by the lovely Maureen Emmett who also said that she will donate 20% of all orders referred by me back to my ministry, so if you've been waiting to order, NOW is the time! Place your order here, email her at maureenrossi@hotmail.com or call her at 423-972-1688...just be sure to tell her that I sent you! By the way, the large utility tote is my favorite 31 item, I own 3 myself! And this adorable pattern is ONLY available during the month of June...don't miss it!

2. A Kindle E-reader with the "find joy in the journey" Ebook downloaded onto it! David C. Cook sent this to me as a thank you for the book reviews I have done for them and I have decided to give it to one of you...because I am SO thankful for YOU!

3. A custom, handmade summer fun tote bag in grey chevron from NeeJee Wear, perfect for carrying stuff to the park, pool, beach this summer...can even fit a couple of rolled-up beach towels in it! It is made out of laminated fabric, which makes it super easy to wipe down and keep clean! Love!

4. A custom 16x20 painted "find joy in the journey" canvas from Bee Creative (a fun art studio that my family LOVES to go to), which would look fantastic hanging in any home! A perfect daily reminder that because God is with you on your journey, there is JOY to be found, despite your circumstances!

"And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" {Esther 4:14}

Oh my!! So exciting!! We will have you all set for a little reading on the beach this summer! And trust me...all of these items are EVEN CUTER in person!!!

To enter the giveaway, follow the prompts in the Rafflecopter form below. You MUST answer the first question (after you login, click where it says Answer A Question!) to be eligible for the giveaway! All other entries are simply to increase your chances of winning!

Goodluck! You can enter through Sunday, June 30th. All 4 winners will be randomly selected and announced Monday, July 1st. Must be 18 years old and US resident to enter. No international shipments.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

JOY: A Year in Review

2012 was a fantastic year!! I set out to find joy in the journey, despite my circumstances, making JOY! my 2012 word and boy did God bless my efforts! Here are a few highlights...

- we started {Hope for the Home} with the help of various bloggers around the web, to help moms and families find God in their everyday lives and homes

-we began selling our sports camp manual "Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp" to enable churches and mission organizations to reach their community (local or on mission) with the gospel message of salvation through Christ alone

- we ran 5 high school volleyball team camps during the summer

- moms living in The Mercy House, a maternity home in Kenya, are now receiving our prayer cards and we have an international presence in Canada and Italy as well

- we started our orphan ball ministry to spread the gospel message one ball at a time and are about to send our very first shipment through our brand new partnership with J316 Ministries, which will go to further sports ministry in Belize

- we wrote "find joy in the journey: how 12 women could face tomorrow just because He lives" which is now in the final stages of publication, should be available for purchase soon

- we helped 5 families bring their adopted children home through our Chosen Child Adoption Ministry

- we held our first donation birthday party which raised almost $900 for our adoption ministry

- we hired Julie Steed, our Director of Orphan Ministries, to help with both our adoption and orphan ball ministries

As for blog traffic, features and numbers...

- we have been featured on some major blogs around the web: our "12 Ways to Make Easter About Jesus" post and our "Pumpkin Pie Croissants" post were both featured on Tatertots and Jello, our "50 Ways to Make Fall Fabulous" post was featured on TidyMom and our "find joy in the journey" printable was featured on Ann Voskamp's site A Holy Experience, to name a few

- we are now averaging 60,000+ hits per month and have over 250,000+ total pageviews

- we have 6,000+ followers on all of our social media sites

- one of the posts from our "Dress Up Your Tailgate" series (Paula Deen Easy Crockpot Potato Soup) has gone viral, being viewed 104,000+ times since we posted it less than 3 months ago

- our blog is now drawing a profit through sponsorships, ads and affiliates

On a personal note...

- we moved from Wisconsin to Tennessee, our 2nd (cross-country) move in less than 2 years

- Big A and I together have lost 55 lbs so far

- Little A started kindergarten

And yet, as fantastic a year as it was, I feel very overwhelmed as I think about the upcoming year. God is doing tremendous things through this little ministry of ours and honestly, I don't feel that I can keep up. I am praying and praying that He will provide the support I need to keep this thing going. I am a big picture, visionary kind of person to say the least, but I have tremendous difficulty when it comes to organization and details. I need others to come alongside of me to put systems into place and keep me in line. I am trusting that God will provide the help I need but most days I want to quit. My life would be so much easier without the burden of this ministry. I feel like God is about to do something huge through our sports outreach ministries and the devil is attacking big time.

Pray for me and us! And a HUGE THANK YOU for your support! Could not do this without you and could never thank you enough for the money, love and prayers you have sent my way!!!

I hope you and yours have a Happy, Happy New Year celebration and a blessed 2013! Check back soon to find out my 2013 word and my plans for the upcoming year, which I believe God has already revealed to me! 

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Gratitude Leads to Joy}: 10 Ways to a Thankful Home

As you know, I have been on a quest for joy this year. Joy is my 2012 word and this quest has led to the idea for our upcoming "find joy in the journey" ebook, which I am excited to report is finished!

I sent it off to my designer, Mary Jo Smith at 517 Creations, over the weekend so that she can format it to look like a book and get it ready for purchase. When she is finished, I will proof it one last time and then it will be available for download. Woohoo! 

Along the way I have come to realize that one major key to a joy-filled life is living a life of gratitude, being thankful for all of God's blessings, not taking the little things for granted, learning to embrace and cherish the special moments along the way.

With that in mind, I want to create an attitude of gratitude within our home this Thanksgiving season and I have come up with a few ways to do that!

1. Decorate your front door with some sort of Thanksgiving wreath, so that everyone enters with Thanksgiving on their mind.

Source: livinglocurto.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

2. Make "give thanks" pumpkins as a reminder of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 

Source: incourage.me via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

3. Hang this free printable "thankful" banner in a prominent place in your home, a visual reminder to have a thankful heart this season.

Source: shanty-2-chic.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

4. Make "give thanks" dry erase boards to record God's many blessings. You could set it on a little table in a high traffic area and encourage family members to write something down every time they walk by.

Source: brownpaper--packages.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

6. Print this free "harvest" printable as a visual reminder of God's provision.

Source: tipjunkie.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

7. Make an autumn chalkboard display in your home with the statement or scripture verse that you want to focus on during this season of thanks.

Source: inspired-design.tumblr.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

8. Download this print as a reminder of how to survive the busy, sometimes stressful, holiday season.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

9. Create a "thankful tree" (together as a family) and have each member write their blessings on the leaves. Add new leaves every day.

Source: simplyvintagegirl.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

10. Display DaySpring's Ever Grateful Collection  on your holiday table. It is an absolutely stunning collection and happens to be 50% off right now, just in time for Thanksgiving! It would make a beautiful display and would be a great reminder of God's goodness for all who enter to see.

It comes in two gorgeous colors, taupe and wasabi, and can be purchased either as separate pieces or as a place setting.

Use this free printable as the centerpiece for your table, to remind your guests how to gather for dinner.

Source: craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

Go here to shop DaySpring's Ever Grateful Collection! Go here for more of our favorite Thanksgiving ideas and here for 50 ways to make Fall fabulous!

Check out our Thanksgiving Pinterest Board for even more ideas. Leave comments with your own Thanksgiving posts and I will pin them to my board as well.

Feel free to follow along with me on Facebook and/or twitter as I count down #30daysofblessings!

May you and yours enjoy a beautiful season of Thanksgiving, remembering all that God has done for you!

Let there be thankfulness to God! {Ephesians 5:4}

Linking up with:

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

the winning cover trim color...

BLACK!!!

I just love the clean, crisp look and the way it makes the colors pop!

Thank you SO much for helping us make a final decision!!! :)

By the end of the month I should be able to give you an exact number of stories that will be in our upcoming ebook. And then shortly there after I should be able to tell you a little bit about each contributor and give you a better idea of when the book will release.

Blessings!

"Share Your Story" Contest + Giveaway

Have you been through a tough time in your life? Do you have a story to share of God's faithfulness in the valley? We are looking for you!

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. {Lamentations 3:22-23}

Big A and I have been on a difficult journey of faith these past few years. One unlike any other we have ever been on.

Having been in ministry for 10 years now, we have told many people to "trust in God" when going through a trial, tragedy or tribulation. We meant it everytime, but boy do those three little words take on a whole new meaning when you have nothing to hang onto but God himself.

And though I would never wish what we have been through on anyone and would never want to do it again or wanted to do it in the first place, God has brought me to a place where I can honestly say that it was worth it - to encounter the God that we had heard about...the God that we had read about...the God that we had hoped for, longed for...the God that we had believed in.

We have met him face to face. We have seen him in action. We have chosen to find joy in the journey.I began the new year on a quest for joy, making it my 2012 word, intentionally striving to find joy in all things, regardless of my circumstances, knowing that true joy is found in Christ alone.

God has done incredible things through my search and has given me the vision to write an ebook filled with not only our story, but the stories of 11 other women who have been through some of the toughest, darkest times in their lives and yet stand here today to testify that through it all they have seen the face of God and him glorified.

I enlisted my friend Mary Jo of 517 Creations to do the design work. She is also a contributing writer. This is the cover that she is working on, although we will be having a blog survey soon to let you help us decide on the final design.

I am truly humbled that God is allowing me to be a small part of this great work of his. He is writing a story in each one of our lives. He is revealing himself in ways that are undeniably him. He is the main character in his story. He gets all the glory.

Which leads me to you...do you have a God story to tell?

We are hosting a "Share Your Story" contest to find 1 more woman to contribute her story to our "Find Joy in the Journey" ebook! Is it you?

To enter our contest, simply send your story to worthyoftheprize.erin@yahoo.com!

Here are the rules...

-Your story must be about a time in your life when you went through some sort of struggle, whether it be an adoption journey, the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, financial stress, an illness or any other trial, tragedy or tribulation that you have encountered.

-There is no word count limit, however you must tell the full story that you want to tell with specific details of the struggles and most importantly of how God revealed himself and was exhaulted through it all.

-You must also send a picture of you or your family, as well as the link to your blog if you have one because these will also appear in our book should you win.

-You must send your story by Saturday, May 5th, 2 weeks from today.

-Mary Jo and I will choose 1 winner. However, if we receive more than one fabulous story, we reserve the right to choose more than 1 winner and include more than 12 stories in our ebook! I will work with the winner to edit their story and create a final draft.

Every person who sends us their story, by the deadline, will receive 1 FREE Fit Band of their choice. The winner and their story will be featured in our "Find Joy in the Journey" ebook, which will debut Summer 2012.

Check back Saturday, May 12th, 3 weeks from today, when we announce our winner. You will have the chance to enter another fun giveaway at that time!

Because He lives I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future.

And life is worth the living just because He lives.