Hello friends! This Way to Joy is 3 years old today, and I am celebrating with my first give-away as a way of saying thank you to those of  you who visit me. Every year around Valentine's Day, I spend days making homemade chocolates,  then give them as gifts to family & friends. I am always finding myself adding a new size, shape or ingredient each time I make them. I've enjoyed making quite a variety!....plain, added almonds or pecans, rice krispies, toasted coconut, malted milk, lightly salted peanuts, and this year, added toffee as well. It is truly therapy for me to package them, make tags and find new ways of presenting them. I would love to share a large heart-shaped chocolate of your choice with the winner! They are 8" tall and 7" wide and weigh between 1 - 1 1/2 lbs. And yes, I will make one especially to the winner's liking....so you choose! 

This is what my kitchen counter looks like 

when I'm in the process.........

In addition, I will be giving away this beautiful

 Inspire Circle/Friends Bracelet.....

This sterling silver bracelet is from one of my favorite gift-giving sites called Red Envelope. It is described as "divine guidance meets graceful design in this organically shaped pendant, slightly curved to fit the contour of her wrist. This bracelet takes its cue from ID bracelets, once used to identify the wearer by a simple tag of silver or gold. It will be a simple source of guidance and support to the wearer, whatever life may bring. "

HOW TO ENTER:

It's simple!.........

• Leave a comment below 
• The winner will be chosen randomly
• This giveaway is only open to readers living in the United States 
• Entries accepted until Monday, February 20th
• Winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 21st

Thank you again for visiting me here at 

This Way to Joy!

Best of luck to all who enter!

A sweet way to say thanks . . . .

Christmas is approaching, all the gifts will be open soon, and it will be time to say thanks. Here is a sweet, thoughtful, and easy way to say thank you to the giver. (I found this wonderful idea at HowDoesShe.com.) 

• Have your child make a Thank You drawing.
• Take a photo of your child holding both the drawing and the present received.
• Email the photo to the giver!

How sweet and easy is that?

I don't know about you, but I would LOVE to receive this kind of thank you! By the way, there are so many great ideas on this site. I love the neighbor Christmas gift ideas! If you have a minute, take a peek.

"No duty is more urgent 

than that of returning thanks."

-Unknown

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

xo, Connie

27 years . . . .

"A long marriage is two people 

trying to dance a duet 

and two solos at the same time."

-Anne Taylor Fleming

Happy Anniversary to my husband.

Thank you for the dance.

xo

Thank you so much to the staff over at Fab Over Fifty for naming me as one of their (FAB FAVES) favorite blogs. I am truly flattered! How nice is that?

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words,

but to live by them."

-John F. Kennedy

My intentions . . . .

It was one year ago that I launched This Way To Joy, and began posting here, on this site. Over the weekend I perused my own blog, reading back over the older posts and asking myself what it is that keeps me posting, what it is that inspires me, and even thinking back to why I even started this. I realized that I have to give credit to my sister-in-law, Jenni, who recommended a very motivational book called Making Your Dreams Come True, by Marsha Wieder. This is the book that defined my personal dreams. I honestly wasn't even sure what my dreams were until I read this book. It was literally the roadmap that led me to This Way To Joy. The author states that your beliefs "either move you forward or hold you back," and I realized that I wanted to move forward with the belief that I knew I could lift spirits and encourage others to find their own joy, and I could do it by posting inspirational messages, quotes, and words of encouragement. Honestly, nothing makes me happier. So here I am, 315 posts later, revealing my intentions. I have to admit that my posts are intended just as much for me as they are for my reader. They act as my daily reminders to do whatever I can to be a better person. Many bloggers keep track of how many hits they receive each day, but I don't have a counter on my blog, so I have no idea how many people visit me. I'm pretty sure I prefer it that way. Most days I truly believe I am the only one reading it, which keeps me posting from my heart, and prevents me from obsessing about the numbers. So, to my readers.....if This Way To Joy brings you even a sliver of happiness, an ounce of joy, inspires or motivates you in any way, my dreams have been fulfilled.

I thank you,

Connie

P.S. I do love and appreciate your comments. They make MY day, lift MY spirits, and encourage me to keep posting, so please leave them as often as you like.

"To do something, however small, to make others happier and better, is the highest ambition, the most elevating hope, which can inspire a human being."

-John Lubboc

It just takes a second . . . .

We have 86,400 seconds in our day today.

Use one of them to say "thank you".

Who inspires you? . . . .

I could list so many people who inspire me for a number of reasons. There are the obvious ones who create music and art. The ones who take my breath away with design. The ones who speak so eloquently in front of a crowd. Writers who form words in such a compelling way that it causes me to close the book just so I can sit with the beauty of the words. I could go on and on. But today's post is on more of a personal level of appreciation in regards to those who inspire me.

I have made it a priority in my life to surround myself with people who have chosen to live their life with passion, lift others up. . . are encouraging, and who speak well of others. The people who truly inspire me have an inner beauty. They are people who motivate me. People who make me want to be a better person. People who make me laugh. People who are true to themselves. I love people who live their life with grace. Oh my goodness, I'm surrounded by these people, and I'm so grateful!

To those of you who live with passion...you inspire me. You make me want to listen.

To those of you who motivate me...I can't get enough of you!

To those of you who encourage...you will be rewarded many times over.

To those of you who have grace...I will always have room in my heart for you.

To those of you with inner beauty...never change.

To those of you who make me laugh...never leave!

To those of you who make a difference in the lives of others...you make me think about how I will be remembered, and what I can do to enhance that.

To those of you who have faced major obstacles...you have made a significant difference in my life as I watch you accomplish meaningful change.

Thank you.

I am so grateful for all the people in my life.

I love you!

A simple thank you will do . . . .

Mark Twain once said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment." Isn't that the truth? Compliments are HUGE. They can make such a difference in someone's life. However, it is amazing how many of us are not very good at accepting them. If you think about it, the person giving the compliment saw something wonderful in you that they wanted to convey. If we respond with a dismissive remark, it can be insulting, not only to the giver, but it indicates that we don't value what we've been complimented on. At the very least, we need to acknowledge our own self-worth by accepting the compliment confidently. Simply saying thank you is enough. I'm holding on to the one I received a week ago. According to Mr. Twain, I have another 7 weeks to enjoy that one!

Here are a few good ones..............

"God was just showing off when he created you."

-from the movie Keeping the Faith

"Baby, you're the greatest."

-from The Honeymooners

"You're the best friends anybody ever had."

-Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

"You have muscles in places most people don't have places."

-Bucky Waters