my 1st giveaway AND more on Yayoi

I know this is a long post

but believe me ... it's worth reading!

and at the bottom of the post is info on this amazing

mother's day giveaway

Let me tell you about Yayoi. Japanese-born, Yayoi has an amazing command of the English language. In fact, she’s done TV work for both Japanese and American stations. From her picture you can see why she’s in high demand. What you may not be able to tell from her picture is that Yayoi has a heart of gold. Which makes what she’s lived through heart-breaking. Not only has Yayoi survived breast cancer, but she has survived losing everything dear to her. She refers to this event as the “Hostile Takeover”. One morning in 2003 she went to work as usual. By the end of the day she no longer had access to her two daughters, her personal belongings, or her house. Her abusive husband had been planning and scheming, and his actions were hostile, to say the least. This man who under NO circumstance should have been awarded custody of his daughers (details left out to honor their privacy) now had full custody. In Yayoi’s words, “I stood as a witness to what a gross misuse of money, power and religion can do”. Of course, losing her daughters was the worst of it. But imagine how she felt as people who didn’t know the truth looked at her and judged. She said, “I saw miracles unfold before my eyes and knew that God loved me. I had to learn to hold my head up high even though I knew that I was being criticized by those that did not know what really happened. I knew that God and I knew the truth and it didn’t matter what anybody else thought.” Yayoi made the determination to find peace and joy in life. And although she didn’t like this particular plot, to “bloom where [she was] planted” that is exactly what she's done. “I only filled my mind with gratitude. If I couldn’t think of anything, then I would go through the alphabet A-Z thinking of people, places, events, food, color, animals … whatever it took to be grateful, until my heart was truly filled with gratitude.” One of my favorite phrases I’ve learned from Yayoi is: “Everything that happens to me is for my highest good and greatest joy”. (Louise L. Hayes) So this Mother’s Day, as was the case for the past many Mother’s Days, Yayoi will not be with her daughters. Here’s what she’s doing instead:

http://www.networkofstrength.org/

http://www.getonthebus.us/

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Yayoi is a survivor in the truest sense of the word!

*********

Ooooh! I’m so excited for our very first GIVE-AWAY!

Color Connection is giving away an

ESSENTIAL COLLECTION (essential for every woman!)

AND a lipstick of your choice (I think that is also essential!)

Here’s how you enter:

1. go to their site and pick out the lipstick color you’d like if you win (button on the right-hand side of this blog post)

2. leave a comment here telling me which lipstick you’d pick

Additional entries by:

1. become a follower of this blog

2. blog about this and leave a link to your blog in a comment

3. email your friends and family about this giveaway and include me in the email:

lovely.silver.strands@gmail.com

4. follow me on twitter (SilverStrandss … yup, there are 2 s’s on strands)

5. tweet about this giveaway (once per day) and let me know you’ve done it

6. use your facebook status to link others to this giveaway and tell me about it

Good luck! Winner will be chosen and announced on Saturday, May 8^th .

delayed ...

... but with good reason.

Today was the day that the silver strands were to come off

but I've had so many people offer to cut

their strands to send to the wigmaker with mine

so the wig price will be reduced! Good people everywhere!

So I'll give my hair time to grow while waiting

for the rest of the strands to arrive.

In the meantime, I got an incredible message from a friend I've never met in person

(isn't it wonderful - the strong bonds we can make though worlds apart?!)

Included in her message was this quote:

"I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with-here, now, everyday." Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of Angels"

I know that to be true. So many of you are these Angels.

I've got a wonderful story to share with you tomorrow about my friend, Yayoi.

But here's a little teaser to bring you back tomorrow:

Yayoi is a mother of 2 beautiful daughters.

She can't spend Mother's Day with them, but instead of wallowing in self-pity

Yayoi will spend Mother's Day as an Angel.

Check back tomorrow to read the particulars.

For those of us who are blessed to spend Mother's Day next week with our own mothers

or with our children, we are indeed fortunate.

For all of us, Yayoi's story is inspiring ...

especially near Mother's Day.