GIVE-AWAY ANNOUNCEMENT

GIVE-AWAY IS BEING EXTENDED!!!!

I know you've all been busy getting your taxes ready for the 15th deadline so we are leaving the fundraiser give-away open for
one more week!!! 

Have you all heard what was just released for sale???

Well for those of you who haven't, the brand new iPad 3 went on sale today and someone who donates to or shares info about our give-away will be given one. Other items, shown below, will be given away as well.

We are holding this give-away to help raise the funds to bring home our daughter and give her a family, medical care, love and a better life!

If you donate or share this give-away via Facebook or your blog you will may be given an iPad 3 without standing in line for one, calling stores or even paying for it! Additional give-away items will be added as they become available. You can be given one of these prizes at no cost to you...just share the give-away with friends as shown below.

1st Place Prize

16GB iPad 3 in Black

(Just Released)

$499 value



Lifestyle Photoshoot with Kerri Liles Photography

Photoshoot to be outdoors in Houston or SW Houston area for 1-2 hours.

Family (up to 5 people) or individuals. Excludes birth or newborn shots.

Package include a 5x7 proof book with all the best edited images and an 8 x 10 print or your choice.

http://kerrililesphotography.com/

$150 value

$50 Massage Envy Gift Card
Use this gift card at any Massage Envy toward a massage or facial

Ways to enter the give-away:
- Make a $20 tax deductible donation to our FSP by clicking here or Gracie's donation box on the right
- Share a link to the give-away on Facebook
- Write a blog post about our give-away

Entry Guidelines:
- $20 donation = 1 entry
- $50 donation = 3 entries
- Facebook share = 1 entry
- Blog post = 1 entry
- Email giveaway/blog to your friends = 1 entry

The drawing will be held on April 15th. Winners will be chosen by a random selection via www.random.org. You must notify me of your entry. You can comment on this post or email me. A copy of your donation receipt must be emailed to gracie4meeks at att dot net to confirm your entry. If you email your friends please copy me on the email.

Please remember that your donations through our family sponsorship page with Reece's Rainbow are tax deductible.

Thank you so much for continuing to pray for Gracie, our family and this adoption.

A Big Announcement

Since Logan was born my eyes have been open to a whole new world. I now know the blessings and have experience with the trials that come along with having a child with Down syndrome. During the past two years I have also become aware that not everyone can see the blessings. There are many parts of the world in which a mother must turn away from her baby when born with an extra chromosome. I shudder at the thought, for they do not know reality.

It was no accident that I found out about Reece's Rainbow when I was just a scared mom trying to learn more about Down syndrome. My eyes and heart will never heal from what I saw and learned. I now know that babies are abandoned at birth, sent to orphanages, and tied to cribs in mental institutions (at a very young age) until their untimely death just because they have 47 chromosomes instead of 46. Perfect children. Wasting away.

As I hold my son, hug and kiss my son, watch him do remarkable things...with an extra chromosome, my heart breaks. God has stirred my heart and I will never be the person I used to be. Many people say, "be still my heart," but I don't want my heart to be still. I want to feel and be stirred into action.

I have advocated, prayed, raised money and cried for these orphans. My heart will not be still. God has moved me to do more.

Over the past year we have been on a journey that has led us to do more. We have talked and prayed about adopting. There have been many doors opened and closed that have guided us to this place. Everything I thought would happen...did not. Everything that did happen...was unexpected. We did not come to where we are now on our own. God has gently guided us to a country and a child unexpected.

Meet Gracie.



She was born in 2009. She has Down syndrome. She is an orphan.

She will be our daughter. You can read more about her here.

This will be a long journey and we pray that you will follow along, pray for us, support us and rejoice as we fill out mounds of paperwork, fund-raise and wait to bring our daughter home from a country far away.

If you would like to read more and contribute to our adoption fund please visit our sponsorship page or click on Gracie's picture on the sidebar. If you make contributions through this page your donations are tax deductible. We will be hosting several fundraisers throughout the year and plan to get started right away so stay tuned!

Plans

When I decided that I wanted to have another baby at the end of 2008, I figured it would happen right away with no stress or delay, just like it did with my first two children. After a couple of months of not getting the "two lines" result I wanted I wondered why I had not become pregnant according to my plan.

Now, I know why:

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

After we found out that Logan has Down syndrome I didn't ask God "Why me? Why did you do this to me?" However, I did ask God, "Why me? Why did you choose me?" I wanted to know how my life was going to unfold because of this little blessing. I knew that this meant my life would be different than I had planned. It was, however, no different than what God had planned.

To think that things would have worked out better according to my plan. To think of how scared I was to have a child with Down syndrome. To think that given any other month of conception and Logan would not be here. To think that my life would not have been enriched and my eyes have not been opened. To think that I would not have become closer to God. Well...it's just all unthinkable. I'm so glad that God knows better than me. I'm so glad that I am not in control. I'm so glad that He knows the plans He has for me.

Trust Him, my friends. Trust Him.

Birthday Blessings

This is my first blog post of 2012. I've been very busy with many things this month. All the while, all I have been able to think about is Nana. The sweet angel on Reece's Rainbow that I raised money for over the holidays.  Every day I tell myself that I need to post a blog about her birth and then I run out of time and literally fall into bed.

Well, tonight I have inspiration. I just received a touching comment on my blog from a complete stranger. In fact, she is a teenager who felt moved to let me know that she appreciates what I have done for Nana. Friends, I needed that message from her. Trust me, I needed it. Over the past two months I have loved that child and wondered why no one else loves her. This young woman has been praying for Nana, blogging about Nana and raising money for her for much longer than I have. I can tell that she, also, loves Nana. I believe that she was inspired by the Holy Spirit to send me that message tonight, because I needed it.

This month, January, is the month that Nana was born...3 years ago. January 2009. I do not know the day of her birth, but I have told her Happy Birthday every day this month so that I will not miss it. If only I could tell her in person.

This beautiful child is 3 years old this month. Though, no one is celebrating. The glorious day of her birth has never been celebrated on Earth, but I'm certain that God celebrates her every day.

No cake in three years.
No presents in three years.
No party in three years.
No family in three years.

I weep at these words as I type them.

I just took a moment to think about what I was doing in January of 2009 when Nana was born. Wow. I just surprised myself. I remember clearly that in January 2009, my husband and I decided that we would add another child to our family. In October 2009, we had Logan. Wow. What a significant connection to me.

My Christmas Warrior duties are over, but the need to advocate and raise funds for Nana is not. I am going to ask, once again, for donations to Nana's fund. Celebrate her birthday with me. Give her the gift that she so deserves. A family. I yearn for this to be her last birthday as an orphan. I pray that next January her family will throw her an amazing 4th birthday party that will make up for all of the birthdays that she spent in the orphanage...not even knowing that it was a special day.

I have faith. Sometimes its only that of a mustard seed. But I have faith.

Happy Birthday Nana. You are loved. I hope that you feel that love someday. I pray that you meet your Mommy and Daddy soon.

If you are able to, will you give Nana a birthday present this month? A $5 present. A $10 present. A $20 present. A prayer that this will be her last birthday as an orphan.

Please visit Nana's page here and give if you are able to. I would love to see her grant grow over $4000, over $5000 or more. What a way to celebrate her birthday and her life.

Blessings,

We Did It!!!

I just had to update everyone on the progress of fundraising for Nana! The $1000 goal has been exceeded and $1295 has been donated for her since November 1!!! I do not know all of the donors, but I am so thankful and pray that they are blessed for giving. If you helped achieve this goal either through giving, sharing or praying...thank you so much!

I have been blown away by watching amazing things happen with Reece's Rainbow over the past two months. There has been a lot of money raised to help these children become part of a family and the greatest part is that as of today 15 of these children have families who are committed to bringing them home!

I have to say that I was nervous when I signed up to raise funds for Nana. Everyone knows that I keep my plate very full and this year it has been overflowing. However, I feel like I am blessed beyond measure and my eyes are truly open to the importance of giving back. Because the Lord has opened my eyes and my heart to these children, I am a changed woman. I honestly think about these children every single day and I believe (and hope) that will not change - ever. I will always think of and pray for and advocate for these children. They are all good and perfect gifts who are blessed with 47...just like Logan and they deserve a family and a chance to develop to their full potential...just like Logan. 

If you donated to Nana or any other child please know that I am so thankful and I am praying that you be abundantly blessed for caring for the orphan as we have all been commanded to do. The fundraising for these babies will likely never end since everyone cannot see the blessings of Down syndrome the way that many of us do. It does not end here as countless children still remain in orphanages. The Angel Tree fundraising continues through December 31st, but the need for funds will be ongoing.

I don't plan to stop fundraising now that we have exceeded the goal. If you meant to donate or feel a desire to do so now, please click here and select Nana or any other child that tugs at your heart.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making a difference!

Blessings,

And the winners are...

Thank you to everyone who participated in my giveaway! I was touched by those who donated and we ended up at $620 at the close of the giveaway. I even had a 13 year old girl donate $10...how sweet is that??

Remember that the first name drawn will get to choose their prize and so on. So here goes (I'm drawing names as I type)...

1st winner...Dana Jakubczak Ewer
2nd winner...Dawn Kaufman
3rd winner...Kari Blenderman
4th winner...Caryn Carroll
5th winner...Emma Haltom

Congratulations to all of the winners!!! Please take a look at the prizes and let me know what your first choices are. Dana gets to pick her prize first!! If I don't know you personally, please send me a message with your address as well so I can ship your prize out right away!!

If you would like...Dana please start by commenting on this post so everyone will know what prize you selected and so on.

Thank you all again for participating. It means the world to me and it means even more to Nana!!

God's Blessings to you all!

Christmas Video

Friends ~ In case you wonder why I am raising money for Nana or why it is important to me to care about these sweet orphans with Down syndrome across the world ~ I would be honored if you would watch this video. If you are touched or moved at all by the beautiful images you see here please consider donating to Nana's Angel Tree fund or to any of the children that you see here. This video shows the beautiful side of what can happen when adoption funds are available. Some of these children need a family and you can see some that have been rescued and now know the love of a family. Many do not end up with such smiles on their faces. Trust me, there are other videos...that you should see, but probably don't want to.

To donate to Nana or any other child please click here. Don't forget that I have a giveaway going on until Sunday. To read more about it, please click here.

Blessings,