What We're Thankful For :)

As I sit down to write this post, I'm just filled with so much gratefulness. This year had its fair share of ups and downs, but more than anything, as I look back at it, I'm amazed at God's faithfulness.

We started the year with a fairly new house (new to us at least!), a new puppy and less than one year of marriage under our belt.

Now, we can't believe we've already been in our house for more than a year, we have a goofy one-year-old dog who always keeps us entertained and we're already planning what we want to do for our two-year anniversary in March.

We've gotten involved in a new church, we've taken trips to visit family out of town, we've done the puppy-potty-training thing (with success - thank goodness!), we've seen old friends and made new ones.

And in October, we said goodbye to my grandfather. But - weeping does only last for a night, and joy does come in the morning. Or in our case, a few days later.

I noticed that I didn't feel quite right while we were in Missouri for Tapa's funeral. But, I attributed it mostly to the roller coaster of emotions I was feeling at the time. We got home late, late Tuesday night and so as I dragged myself through the next few days, I decided the tiredness was because of the lack of sleep.

But then the weekend came and I still felt exhausted - even after sleeping in. And Monday morning came and I just knew. Something wasn't quite normal.

So... I decided to take a test. And after five months of getting a "not now" from God, we got this:

We are so overwhelmed with how great our God is! I am almost nine weeks along and I'm due July 9th. My first doctor appointment is next week. And while I was hesitant to post anything until after the appointment, I truly believe that God is good - regardless of what happens there.

Please join Jon and me in praying for this little one!

Love to you all!

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Mona Lisa in Coffee

My grandma sent me this email and I just HAD to share it with you! This was made using hundreds of cups of coffee - and they varied the amount of milk in each cup to get the shading right. Pretty incredible, huh?






Hope you are having a good Monday!

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And the winner is...

Natalie from Scribbles N Things!

Natalie, if you're reading this, send me an email at erynnmangum(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll be sure to send your T-shirt ASAP!

Congratulations!

To everyone who didn't win, fear not! You can always buy your very own T-shirt on this site here. :)

These last few days have been kind of yucky ones - I caught a cold and so I've been trying to fend it off so I'm not sick over Thanksgiving - anytime I catch a cold it always seems to turn into tonsillitis. So, if you think of it, please be praying for my health! I'll be praying for those of you who are dealing with sickness as well. It's definitely sick season.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

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FUN New Giveaway!

So... :)

I promised you this about two weeks ago...

And it is finally ready for a brand new giveaway...




Yay! Isn't it adorable? And I have some in every size from small to extra-large (all junior-fits).

I'll be giving away ONE T-shirt to one lucky winner on Sunday! To enter, leave a comment below and if you haven't already, sign up for my newsletter.

Once I draw the winner, I'll email them and ask what size they'd like.

AND...drumroll please... I'm going to have these for sale! So, even if you don't win, be sure to check it out for a great Christmas gift idea.

Good luck! :)

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All That I Can Say

I love Christmas. I love all the holiday season, really. From October on, I'm pretty much the giddiest person in the room. I love when the weather gets colder, when the nights get darker, when you have to huddle beneath a blanket with a steaming mug between your hands to stay warm.

I love the decorations. I love how easy it is to share the love of Christ during this time of year. Even if you are one of those people where evangelizing is not your spiritual gift, you can still invite a coworker or friend to church just by mentioning the word "Christmas."

And they come. Because it's Christmas.

It's wonderful. It's special. It's a blessed time of year.

But maybe you aren't feeling so blessed this year. Maybe, this has been one of the hardest years of your life. Maybe you've been faced with temptations that felt like they had no escape, maybe you've had to walk through valleys that seemed to never end, maybe the earlier darkening of the skies only reminds you more of the darkness in your life. Every breath feels forced, every step you take feels like you're sinking that much more.

Christmas, for you, is not a time for giddiness.

Hold on to this hope, my sweet friend. Every day when you feel alone, every moment you feel your heart breaking, every tear that slips down your cheek is seen and felt and cared about by your heavenly Dad. And He doesn't just watch helplessly - a long time ago at Christmas He came to put an end to those tears. Maybe not quite yet - but trust that there will be a day when every tear will be gently wiped away by Jesus Christ.

I found this video that someone put together on YouTube and I just wanted to share it today. If you're having a downer day - whether you're going through serious heartbreak, a rough patch, or even if it's just the thought of finals on the horizon - watch and remember.

Christ is holding you. He's never left you alone and He never will.



Love to you all,

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Winner, Winner and Chicken Dinners :)

Are Emily and Maggie!

I've sent you both emails! Congratulations! :)

It has been SO cold here lately! We woke up to the lightest dusting of snow on Sunday but didn't get anymore (even though the clouds look all geared up for it). So, it was a lazy, lazy weekend. We watched movies and football with my parents and siblings (have you guys seen Up? SO cute - I loved it!).

I've been trying to come up with dinner all day today using only what I've got in my pantry and freezer, but everything I think of I'm missing one ingredient. So, I'm thinking maybe some kind of chicken soup - can't you put almost everything in that? My problem is I love watching the Food Network and I keep seeing all these other dinners that sound so much better than soup! I need to stop watching that channel for the sake of my budget, I think!

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Do you have any special traditions that you always do? How about foods that you always make?

My favorite part of Thanksgiving?? Here's a hint:

I'm sure you've guessed it by this point (and if you read my blog at all you've known this for a while) - My favorite part of Thanksgiving is that Christmas is next! :)

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This Week's Contest!

I love contests!

This week I decided to do something along the lines of this...


I'm giving away TWO copies to TWO random winners! The same rules apply from last week - Leave a comment and join my newsletter! If you've already signed up for my newsletter, that is awesome - please leave a comment! Be sure to include your name and email address (once again, if you want to avoid spammers, leave it like this: erynnmangum-@-gmail.com).

In other news, I have no other news. :( I have spent most of my days on the couch or at my desk trying to make my February 1st deadline. So, life hasn't been too exciting lately.

Today is a cold, cloudy day that looks like it wants to snow so badly, but it's not. So sad!

What have you guys been up to the last few days? Anything fun?


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To All My Blogging Friends

NavPress is doing something called a "Blogger Review Program" where you basically get a book of your choice free in exchange for a review on your blog!

If you've got a blog and you like to read, this is an EXCELLENT deal for you!

And, guess what book is one of the few you get to choose from? :)


Yups! Miss Match! So hurry up, my blogging friends, and cash in on this great deal! (By the way, they also have Cynthia Heald's book Becoming a Woman of Grace available through this program and that is one of the best Bible studies I've ever done! Highly recommended!)

Here's the link to get you started!

I'm going to announce this week's contest tomorrow - so stayed tuned!

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And the Winners Are...

Adge and Victoria!!!

I have sent the winners emails and I will be sending those books soon! Congratulations!

Keep posted this week as I announce the next contest! There will be a winner every week! :)

Hope you all are having a wonderful, relaxing Sunday!

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New Giveaways All Month!

It's November, which means that NEXT MONTH is Christmas!!!

I'm a little bit excited. :)

So, in honor of my favoritest holiday ever, I'm planning a whole month of giveaways! BUT - there is a catch. In order to be eligible to win, you need to subscribe to my newsletter (see above!) and leave a comment on the giveaway post (include your email address, but leave it like this: erynnmangum-@-gmail.com, just so you don't end up getting tons of spam!).



This week, I'll be picking TWO random winners for free signed copies of Miss Match! Join the newsletter, leave me a comment and you'll have a great FREE Christmas gift coming your way soon (I'll contact the winners to find out what name to sign it to)!

And don't forget that you can always order signed copies of any of my books by clicking on the "Autographed Books" link on my website!

Stay tuned for more giveaways! What's that? You want a sneak peek of some of the free things I'll be giving away?

Hmm...

Okay! Here's a hint - You could carry books and etc. with this...probably strapped to your back...

Best of luck! :)

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