WINNERS (and another GREAT God Story)

Yes, you CRAZY T-SHIRT LOVIN, BLOG LOVIN, ADOPTION-VIDEO LOVIN people....we have a winner!!! :) I can't thank you enough for ALL your kind comments and sweet messages!! I sincerely LOVED reading each and every one of them AND I know Karen loved reading them too :) Seriously..THANK YOU!!! :)Ok, I gave you each a # that left me a comment, and I had my hubby draw 3 out of a bowl!! I tried to get Georgy (my only kid awake at this hour) to pull one out, but 2 yr. old George kept saying, "NO THANK YOU!!" Oh, well...so Daddy had to do: (above, Ok, I caught him in action doing his P90X exercise routine...he stopped for one second for me to pull out 3 names :)

He pulled out:

1. April from http://www.livingtolove.com/

2. Kendra from http://www.4boys1girl-kchiolis.blogspot.com/

3. Karen P. from http://www.followingthephillips.blogspot.com/

I wish I could afford every one of you a tshirt from http://www.147millionorphans.com/ BUT congrats to the 3 that did win one tonight!! Thank you all for celebrating with us and for playing...I am truly a blessed Momma to have such wonderful, kind people in my life!! :) I need YOU THREE to send me your size and address so I can get them in the mail to ya!! :)

**So, on to the COOL GOD STORY!!
So, try and follow me here...this is another awesome story that happened just last week:
The hubby and I took our 5 little cuties to the local Mall Food Court for some dinner last week (yes, I know, very nutritional :) Anyways, we're sitting eating WHEN THIS WOMAN COMES UP TO OUR TABLE AND INTRODUCES HERSELF!! She looked innocent enough and had 3 adorable kids with her, so I figure she's pretty safe!! :) She goes on to say that she had seen me 3x out and about over the last couple of weeks, so she was taking it as a "sign" and was going to come up and say HI!! She asks WHERE my daughter is from and realizes "she knows me from somewhere"...We try and figure out WHERE we had met before, and we realize we knew a lot of the same local people and had frequented some of the same bday parties and stuff!!! Ok, so she lets me know that she had a BIG HEART for adoption and that she was JUST WAITING FOR HER HUSBAND TO GET ON BOARD!! I told her that THAT WAS PRETTY TYPICAL and told her to go to youtube and pull up our video and show it to her hubby!! Her kids looked excited about the idea of showing Daddy a video...and off they went!!! That was it!! THEN, I get this email:
"Hey girl! I'm the crazy one that came up to you in the mall the other night! It was so good to see you, meet Lucy Lane and connect all those wild dots in my head! I love seeing God at work. I have to tell you a few things! This story might take a bit to type, but anyway, I have always had the heart for adoption and kids in general. (that's why my life work is at the children's hospital) My husband is a little behind me on that point, which we talked about at the mall the other night. Well, the kids know I would have few more kids if possible and have been praying. So walking into the mall BEFORE I see you, we were discussing what it meant to honor God and how we can honor those who are normally overlooked and they had been challenged by their children's minister at church to find someone this week and honor those who are normally overlooked. So my oldest is telling me how she sat by a girl at lunch that really does not have any friends. She had chosen her to honor this week. That conversation progresses to praying for her as well. That she is one of God's children and just as special to Jesus and we are. S immediately takes that to the orphan she has been praying for and the one that she prays will come to our family. So we end up having this big talk on the way into the mall while we eat - then you walk up and sit at the table next to us. I just knew I knew you and knew your story. Thanks for talking to us and not thinking I'm some strange stalker. So, this continues - the girls both dying to watch your video - that is the most amazing thing! (I hate to call it a thing because it is so much more!) Loved it. I forwarded it to my hubby, he watched and he's like alright, let's look into it."

Ok.....so stay with me here....it only gets better....I then got this second email:

"We requested our packet this am - the lady called me this morning already and emailed. Very impressed. J even said we should go ahead and fill out the pre application thing and see what they say from there. YAY! Thanks again! So many things/people connected so quickly I was excited. Had to tell you. Hard to type out those kind of stories, but I knew you would love to know how God obviously put us at the same spot again for some pretty good reasons!"

**And, finally, tonight they came over for dinner with their kids to get ALL THEIR QUESTIONS OUT!!! We've always said that my hubby and I will sit with you at our table, feed ya, and answer all those initial questions you may have when starting the process!! Let us hold your hand and I promise it will all seem WAY MORE DOABLE!!!!!! :) So, that's what we did tonight...We are so excited about our new friends!! They are now signing with AGCI and going for NOT ONE...BUT TWO from Ethiopia!!! (Did you notice how far God brought that hubby? God is so good!! :)

AND, here are our new friends tonight at our home:

It was so much fun getting to know them tonight...and I'm sure they'll have a blog up and running soon!! I'll keep ya posted!! :) Praise be to God for a chance meeting at the mall!! :) 2 fewer orphans in this world!!! YAYYY!!!

Happy Sunday to you all, kj