I like to think that even though I create beautiful interiors for my family and clients, my inspiration is deep rooted and not just led by a color palette, a fabric sample or which way the sun comes into a room. Just like a beautiful woman with no soul, a beautiful room with out personal warmth can be very cold and uninviting. Where we draw this personal warmth and inspiration is so important. I am blessed to find it in many different places.
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So each month or so I hope to bring you an inspiring person, project or experience that has touched me and helped me become a more beautiful mother, wife, friend and designer. Because these moments of personal inspiration are a great part of what helps create a larger more beautiful world around me (and hopefully you, too).
Meet Joan, Meb, and Katie, the authors of the book The Miracle Chase. I have known Joan personally for several years. When I first met her, at one of my husband's business work dinners, she mentioned she was writing a book about miracles. I was very intrigued and we spoke briefly about it. We dropped the subject when the conversation at our larger table turned more "business - like". What Joan failed to tell me then, and several years after, was that she and her friends had all been the recipients of several personal miracles.
(Authors in 1999)
Those miracles led them on a 10 year personal exploration to uncover "What Really is a Miracle?" Because just like you and I; Joan, Meb and Katie really had trouble believing that their Modern Day Miracles weren't just really weird coincidences. In fact, in some cases it would have been better to believe they were coincidences rather than Miracles, because then they had to question the roots of their Faith.
Miracles can be really messy stuff. When you need a miracle you're probably not in a very happy place, you are in turmoil and in great need. And after you have received a Miracle, revisiting the traumatic event and trying to make sense of everything can be very painful and difficult. Most of us prefer to forge ahead into the light rather than look back on dark events. To recognize the Miracle you have to recognize the pain and that's why I think we hear so little about a Miracles these days.
I do not want to give away too much of the book, but it highlights each of these women's journeys, their personal Miracles, their incredible friendship and the history behind Miracles in every religion. What is so touching and personally endearing to me is that these women could be your friends, the women sitting next to you at PTO, or your neighbors.
The book has become a wonderful gift to me. After I read it I started sharing the stories of these three women with my close friends. And that is when I received a wonderful, unexpected gift. My friends revealed to me their own personal Miracle stories. I have had many moments of wonderful, deep, meaningful conversations with women I have known for years, yet never knew their secret stories. What a wonderful surprise to develop deeper friendships with them through these conversations. Who thought a little book would provide such a tremendous gift to me?!
Joan, Meb, Katie and I wanted to give the readers of Willow Decor this Gift as well. If you are the recipient of The Miracle Chase Giveaway, we will send you five The Miracle Chase Books and a $25 Starbucks Gift Card. This will allow you to share the book with your five closest friends, enjoy some time together and hopefully spark some wonderful conversations and bring you closer as friends.
The authors are always trying to help others, so please know that a large portion of the book sales profits go right back into the Miracleworks Foundation. A charitable organization set up by the authors to give back to women and children in need. You can check it all out on their new website by clicking on the photo above or HERE.
To enter The Miracle Chase Giveway leave a comment below. To purchase the book click HERE. They also have put together an online forum for people to write in and share their Miracle stories. To learn more about the Miracle Club Online click HERE.
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I hope you are as inspired as I am - Happy reading, my friends - may you take the time to find out some extraordinary things about each other!! xox - Gina
(as always Willow Decor receives no compensation for recommending this book)
