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.