Faithful ! {100th entry Giveaway!!!!}

This is a special blog post for me....one I've been contemplating for 2 months now. I've gone back and forth about what I wanted this post to be about. See, this is my 100th post here on the adoption blog. Over at my other blog, 100 posts came and went a long time ago ... and I never even noticed. But here, there's something special to me about 100 posts written out of a desire to give a voice to those with no voice. I am so humbled to be a part of God's work in the lives of Orphans .... if only a few of them. It's a calling I don't take lightly. It's scary, it's uncertain, it's risky, it's not often welcomed, but it's worth it all.

God has us on this journey of adoption once again. In it He's proven himself more faithful to me than I ever could have imagined. He's given me an assurance of the future, and a peace for the present. I not only believe His faithfulness to place the lonely in a family, but He's also daily reminding me of His faithfulness to never leave ME in the midst of this battle. In all my fears, in all my worries about being convinced that God has the wrong mom for this job - He's asked me to get out of His way and watch Him work. Promise after promise, faithfulness after faithfulness, God is reminding me daily that He loves the fatherless, and He has a plan to redeem and rescue them. And what's exciting about this to me, is that He is allowing me to be a part of this plan.

I can't wait to continue to share more of our hearts and our journey - of God's heart, really. But for today, I end my 100th post with a song and a give-a-way!

This song is my prayer, my song, during this adoption. I find myself clinging to one or two songs as I go through different things in life. As soon as I heard, "Faithful" by Chris Tomlin, I knew this was the song for this adoption. The resounding truth of God's faithfulness is in front of me, behind me, and on every side of me as I walk this road. I hope you enjoy it, too!

As for the giveaway .... this is just fun! I've never done a giveaway before. But y'all deserve a reward for sticking with me for 100 posts!!!! Certainly you have something better to do with your time .... but just the same, thanks for riding along with me one post at a time.

Here's the deal:

What you could win:
An incredibly fitting sweatshirt (no pun intended!) that I found over at AdoptionBug.com. As soon as I saw it, I was so excited to give it away! It reminded me exactly of this theme of God's faithfulness. John 14:18 says "I will not leave you as Orphans; I will come to you." Only this shirt prints this verse in 22 different languages. So great! (An added bonus .... proceeds of the sale go to help a family who is adopting!)

So maybe a sweatshirt isn't your thing??? Well guess what? If you win, you can choose option #2 instead. A friend introduced me to this spectacular organization where I saw this necklace. Not only is it cool, but it has an extra special meaning to me. The purchase of this necklace supports the women who created it. Women living with HIV. 

You win?? You pick!!

How you win:
1) Leave a comment here = 1 entry
2) Leave a Facebook post (or Tweet) directing people here = 2 entries
3) Write your own blog inviting people to this blog = 3 entries
4) Donate $1000 to our adoption = you just win. (Okay, I'm completely kidding!!)

(Just be sure to include in your comment here on my blog what you are doing so I know how many times to enter your name.)

I will draw the winner one week from today on Wednesday March 2nd.

So this whole giveaway thing is funny to me. It makes it sound like I'm begging for attention or readers or some other narcissistic motive. But the truth is, I have a voice. I have a voice that I believe is to be used for those without one. By spreading the word of one mom's blog about caring for the Orphan, you too can be a voice! If we all yell loud enough, 147 million orphans will benefit!

^{Psalm 68: 5 & 6}

⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
   is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families