My days are full of stories. In addition to writing The Lipstick Gospel, I am a storyteller at a missions organization called Adventures in Missions. It's a fantastic organization full of the most innovative, passionate people I've ever known and I look forward to going to work every single day.

I get to spend my time learning about what makes a great story, and telling them, while also helping others tell theirs too.

Knowing that ya'll (like that? I've lived in Georgia for too long…) are passionate about living and telling great stories- I wanted to bring to you something that I've been working on for the last month or so.

It's the first ever Adventures Storytelling Contest– a celebration of the best stories that have come out of our organization this year (including one of my videos!) It's a celebration of what it means to live and tell really great stories.

And so I want to invite you to join us. Check out the best blogs, videos and photos of 2012, from all over the world- and weigh in on your favorite!

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Here's a blog I wrote for our website to kick it off:

Stories are the threads that weave through our days. They connect seemingly random flashes of life. They're the way we derive meaning from moments. They're how we share our lives – our stories bumping and colliding with the stories of others.

And when we share them, stories are the most powerful tool we have to create change.

Stories are active, stirring something true inside all of us, allowing our hearts to be connected deeply to people we have never met.

Stories pull at our hearts in ways nothing else can.

Stories are the tools that change the world.

At Adventures in Missions, we believe in the power of stories. We believe everyone has the ability to live a miraculous story when they say yes to the author and perfecter of life.

It is our mission, our heartbeat, to help people not only live these incredible stories, but to also help share them with the world, and to inspire others to do the same.

In honor of these fantastic stories, we are proud to announce our first ever Adventures Storytellers Contest.

We have gathered the best blogs, photos, and videos from 2012 in five categories, celebrating the best storytelling of the year.

And now we need your help.

We want you to weigh in, carefully consider these fantastic stories, and choose your favorite. You're invited to come alongside us as we celebrate the fantastic and miraculous stories God is telling in and through his kids.

Here are the categories:

Laugh (Funny and creative stories from the mission field)
Immerse (Stories of cultural experiences around the world)
Adventure (Stories of living on the edge)
Impact (Stories of making a difference)
Epitomize (Stories that capture the essence of missions)

Now it's your turn to pick your favorite. Click HERE to vote.

Congratulations to all the storytellers who were selected. Will YOU be a finalist next year?