3rd Place Win-Inspirational Writing. Writer's Digest 79th Annual Writing Competition

I posted the other day about my rather gobsmacked state over my 83rd place win in the Genre Short Story category of the Writer's Digest 79th Annual Writing Competition.
<--gobsmacked.in case you wondered.

Well, little did I know, a few days later I'd learn I'd placed 3rd in the Inspirational Writing category. Truly, the most insignificant of breezes might have knocked me over when I read that e-mail. Why didn't I post before now? You might ask. Well. Part of it was I had to see it with my own eyes. Maybe the e-mail was a hoax from someone posing like they were from Writer's Digest. I didn't really think that, but I guess it's like having that first pregnancy test go positive- it just doesn't seem possible or real. And even though I had confirmation from a friend, she'd seen it in her copy of the new Writer's Digest magazine-- I had no tangible public proof.

But today I do. Fresh from my mailbox, might I direct you to this lovely picture (click on it to make it bigger), down on the bottom left side.
That's me .

The bonus- there is a check involved, one big enough to counter the expenses I've racked-up this year. The only disadvantge is that I have to start tracking my income and expenses, but I would need to happen eventually (if all went well), so it's just sooner than I thought it'd be. I can handle that disadvantage.

Thank you dear friends for your encouragement, and many of you for your help (for reading & critiquing, or being my cheerleaders).

And thank you to God, may I continue to breathe in what you offer, may I only breathe out what is yours.

It'll do you no good to hold your breath, you'll die if you do, inspiration must be exhaled.