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	<title>Julie Arduini</title>
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	<description>Surrendering the good, the bad, and---maybe one day---the chocolate</description>
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		<title>My May Recommendation: Chick Lit Girls</title>
		<link>http://juliearduini.com/2012/05/17/my-may-recommendation-chick-lit-girls/</link>
		<comments>http://juliearduini.com/2012/05/17/my-may-recommendation-chick-lit-girls/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 04:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[encouragement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Julie Arduini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[author spotlights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charity work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chick Lit Girls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[encouraging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook likes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google Plus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[May 2012 sidebar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organiations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pinterest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading lists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website button]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://juliearduini.com/?p=3526</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It started as a Facebook like. It&#8217;s easy to click the &#8220;like&#8221; and never see the content again. I try not to do that, because I want to make sure it doesn&#8217;t appear that I approve of anything that might not be an organization or conviction that goes against my core values and beliefs. This [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="google_plusone_widget"><g:plusone 
      count="true" href="http://juliearduini.com/2012/05/17/my-may-recommendation-chick-lit-girls/" size="tall"></g:plusone></div><p>It started as a Facebook like. It&#8217;s easy to click the &#8220;like&#8221; and never see the content again. I try not to do that, because I want to make sure it doesn&#8217;t appear that I approve of anything that might not be an organization or conviction that goes against my core values and beliefs.</p>
<p>This time, I lingered longer. I left a comment. I saw ways to find the same organization on Twitter, Pinterest, and Google Plus. I went and found those, too.</p>
<p>After my comment, they asked if I&#8217;d seen the website.</p>
<p>No, I had not.</p>
<p>I needed to change that.</p>
<p>When I did, I realized my little voice and website can do something to help great organizations that grab my attention. I decided to grab their button and put it on my sidebar and give something akin to my seal of approval to it, hoping readers will like the organization and keep the awareness growing.</p>
<p>Because I really liked what I saw.</p>
<p>So I plan to find an organization or something each month that could use encouragement and a highlight.</p>
<p><strong>I&#8217;m excited to share that for May, I choose <a href="http://chicklitgirls.com/" target="_blank">Chick Lit Girls</a>. They are all about good reads for women and feature book reviews, new releases, author spotlights, and reading lists. They emphasize not only their love of reading, but that their finds are always clean. I love that.</strong><a href="http://juliearduini.com/2012/05/17/my-may-recommendation-chick-lit-girls/button/" rel="attachment wp-att-3527"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3527" title="button" src="http://juliearduini.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/button.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p>This is what really got me&#8211;they are more than book readers. The  Chick Lit Girls give back. This is from their <a href="http://chicklitgirls.com/" target="_blank">website</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Chick Lit Girls practices charity and we do believe in giving back to the community. Therefore, we give 10% of all of our proceeds to the poor, the homeless, and to organizations that help society with things like shelter, food, education, and health. May God Bless All of our Faithful Readers &amp; Writers! You are helping and giving by participating in our site! Thank you!</em></p></blockquote>
<p>So please go check them out and like, follow, grab their button, subscribe&#8211;do all the positive things that help spread the word about a great group in a positive way.</p>
<p>Thanks, Chick Lit Girls for doing all the right things and creating inspiration.</p>
<p>Happy reading!</p>
<p><strong>Chick Lit Girls badge code for your site</strong>:&lt;div align=&#8221;center&#8221;&gt;&lt;a href=&#8221;http://chicklitgirls.com/&#8221; title=&#8221;Chick Lit Girls&#8221;&gt;&lt;img src=&#8221;http://studio.busybrandi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/button.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;Chick Lit Girls&#8221; style=&#8221;border:none;&#8221; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</p>
<p><strong>Chick Lit Girls <a href="http://chicklitgirls.com/" target="_blank">website</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Chick Lit Girls <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChickLitGirls" target="_blank">Facebook</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Chick Lit Girls <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ChickLitGirls" target="_blank">Twitter</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Chick Lit Girls <a href="http://pinterest.com/ChickLitGirls/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Chick Lit Girls <a href="https://plus.google.com/112435755647229859788/posts" target="_blank">Google Plus</a></strong></p>
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		<title>Taking a Swing For Marriage</title>
		<link>http://juliearduini.com/2012/05/16/taking-a-swing-for-marriage/</link>
		<comments>http://juliearduini.com/2012/05/16/taking-a-swing-for-marriage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Julie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[About Me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[encouragement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Julie Arduini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life Lessons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[encouragement for marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[golf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[husbands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[object lesson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rut in marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taking spouses for granted]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work on marriage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://juliearduini.com/?p=3464</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m someone that learns from object lessons and word pictures. It&#8217;s a total God thing, and I appreciate that He created me that way. Recently He gave me a marriage object lesson and it helped me so much I thought I would share it. This is for married couples, especially those who have been married [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="google_plusone_widget"><g:plusone 
      count="true" href="http://juliearduini.com/2012/05/16/taking-a-swing-for-marriage/" size="tall"></g:plusone></div><p>I&#8217;m someone that learns from object lessons and word pictures. It&#8217;s a total God thing, and I appreciate that He created me that way. Recently He gave me a marriage object lesson and it helped me so much I thought I would share it.</p>
<p>This is for married couples, especially those who have been married a few years. The specific visual I had was golf but I think hunting is a good one, too. I remember my dad taking the same care preparing for a hunt as I see when the golfers in my life get ready for a game.</p>
<p><strong>Married couples, don&#8217;t let a rut overtake your desire to have a great marriage. I know the day in and day out can threaten that, but doing nothing about it is your downfall. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Case in point:</strong></p>
<p>The golfers and hunters I know have enjoyed their sport for years. Even though it&#8217;s not new for them, they approach each event with anticipation. They prepare by cleaning clubs or guns. Packing the right equipment. Loading everything into the vehicle with care.</p>
<p>Then when they arrive, each move is strategized. They want the very best from their day out.</p>
<p>The passion never wanes. <strong>Even on a day when the scores tank or there&#8217;s  no game to bring home, the golfers and the hunters still love the thrill of the chase.</strong></p>
<p><strong>So why are we so ho-hum about keeping our marriage on the upswing?</strong></p>
<p>Maybe we take it for granted. The spouse is always there, but the hunting is seasonal and golf can get expensive. I don&#8217;t know, but the object lesson hit hard for me.<a href="http://juliearduini.com/2012/05/16/taking-a-swing-for-marriage/th_golf/" rel="attachment wp-att-3465"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3465" title="th_golf" src="http://juliearduini.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/th_golf-150x95.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="95" /></a></p>
<p>Ladies, I know these sound like male oriented activities, but don&#8217;t think I&#8217;m singling out husbands. It&#8217;s just the visual God gave me, and I got the message. <em>We put so much time into things that might be fun, but pale in comparison in the commitment we should give our spouses, our marriages.</em></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know if this is helping anyone, but it helped me.</p>
<p>So I thought I&#8217;d share.</p>
<p>You&#8217;re welcome.</p>
<p> <img src='http://juliearduini.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><em>golf picture from <a href="http://s42.photobucket.com/profile/audacity08867/index" target="_blank">photobucket</a></em></p>
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