Friends!! I’m so glad you’re here! Thanks for stopping by! You are too, too sweet!!

If you’re new around these parts, WELCOME! I’m Marla, and this is where I hang out a lot of the time (and on Facebook and the library and around my kitchen table which triples as an eating surface, my desk, and Board Game Central).

I won’t bore you with a lot of details. Let’s get straight to the FUN!!

First of all, a humongous thank you to my husband, Gabe, for designing my new site (and all my old ones)!! I told him I love aqua and dark grey and Cambodia and simplicity and globes, and this is what he came up with. AND I LOVE IT. Love, love, love it. We kind of waited until the last minute to get it done, so there are some more features to be added and some tweaking to be done, but it’s good for now. Stay tuned!

NOW. Three really cool things we have in store in the next few months. (and then GIVE-AWAY TIME!!)

FEBRUARY:

I’m doing a series I like to call REAL, HARD LOVE. In my line of work and ministry (writing & speaking about marriage & sex among other things), I’m privy to a whole lot of nitty-gritty details about people’s lives and marriages. And friends, there are a lot of you going through some H-A-R-D stuff. So I’m going to devote the Month O’ Love to sharing real stories of love. But not the happy-sappy love stories. The really, really tough ones that don’t always have happy, smiley endings. Affairs and abandonment and abuse and the like. But it won’t all be downers–don’t worry!!–because God is doing some powerful work in people’s messes. And I think you’re going to be SO ENCOURAGED.

AND SINGLE FRIENDS? Guess what. I love you to bits. You know I hate that most of my books exclude you (and you know I’ve promised not to write another one that you can’t read!). So this month of REAL, HARD LOVE? Is not just going to be about marriage, no sirree. Because there are lots and lots of kinds of love, and a good chunk of them are REAL HARD.

MARCH:

Remember Read-Alongs? Our last one in particular? 7 by Jen Hatmaker. That’s S-E-V-E-N. And hoo boy, was it a doozy! Remember that What You Wear to Church discussion? Yeah, I have nightmares about that sometimes still.

Well, guess what we’re going to do in March if we can get enough people to join in? (heck, I’m going to do it if only ONE of you joins in!)

The 7 Experiment: staging your own mutiny against excess. !!!!! A little birdie delivered the whole kit and caboodle (member book and leader DVDs) to my door today, and I’m SO EXCITED!! More details coming soon!

APRIL or MAY (or maybe NEXT WEEK or TOMORROW):

When I was maybe 10 years old, I started (or maybe my cousin Kyla started it?) this really fabulous, super-exclusive club. Are you ready for this? THE MARY LOU RETTON CLUB. You know you wish we were friends when I was 10.

Well, I think it’s high time to start another club. May I cordially invite you to join the absolutely-fabulous-and-anything-but-exclusive CAMBODIA CLUB? You heard me right. Doesn’t this sound EXCITING?!?!

What’s the CAMBODIA CLUB, you ask? Well, that info is coming soon. For now, I will whisper a little secret in your ear. Lean closer.

The girls and I have Gabe’s blessing to start slowly saving for our next trip to Cambodia. Oh my stars, be still my soul.

NOW THE PRIZES!!

One GRAND PRIZE WINNER gets to pick THREE things from the list. One SECOND PLACE WINNER gets to pick TWO things from the list. And A BUNCH MORE PEOPLE get to pick one prize from what’s left. Cool?

THE PRIZE LIST (in no particular order):

–a $25 gift card to Noonday Collection from my friend Carey.

–variety sampler (four 2oz bags) of yummy coffee from Three Story Coffee.

–a super-soft Gracehaven t-shirt (size small or large).

–a free photo shoot from my talented friend Comfort (C-bus, OH area only).

–a copy of Is That All He Thinks About? + a set of T-O-N-I-T-E magnets.

–a set of 3 handmade Strength and Courage cards.

–a $5 Chipotle gift card (because YUM).

–an original print of U.S. Capitol in the Snow from my artist friend, Fiona.

–a free year of website hosting from Gabe Taviano ($60 value).

–a $10 gift card to Banners by Bethany.

FUN, huh?!?! Okay, here’s how you enter to win:

Leave a comment telling me which THREE things you’d pick if you’re the lucky GRAND PRIZE winner.

(and I’m NOT SPEAKING TO RAFFLECOPTER because I’ve been trying for 40 minutes to get the other entries working, and I keep getting SABOTAGED)

So. Here are 3 other things you can do to enter (just leave a comment for each one you do):

1. Hug the nearest person or pet.

2. Share this post with someone (facebook friends, your mom, your dog, your co-worker, your imaginary friend).

3. Read Isaiah 58.

That’s it! Thanks so much for stopping by for the party! I’ll draw the winners Monday morning! Love you all to bits and pieces!!