"" Life A Bit Sweeter: a GIANT of a giveaway: Enter to Win Now!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

a GIANT of a giveaway: Enter to Win Now!

If you are not in the adoption process or never have been in one, you may think that I'm a bit unstable with my emotions.  One day...I'm UP......and another day....I'm a bit discouraged.  Quite frankly, I think many families go through this so don't call the psyche ward on me just yet!  This week has been one of those weeks where I've really felt just heavy from doubt weighing in my heart.  In the past weeks, we've really had to re-evaluate our household budget.  Things have really been getting tight and I recently started trying to become more faithful in my offering to God.  Since we've also been aggressively giving to our adoption fund, we realize that something has to let up so that we can take care of some required household expenses.  My old nature has been to quickly pull back on my offering to God and scale back some of our other expenses.  This time around, I'm convicted beyond measure that that is not God's will.  I feel God more and more teaching me that if you'll be faithful over your offering, I'll take care of the adoption.  Trust me.  Do you believe that I am more than enough?  ...and then I feel...okay God, here we go again with that same question..."Do I feel that you are more than enough?"  Quite honestly, I have to keep answering that question because I don't think I've fully surrendered and said yes yet. 

Now that we have had to put a pause on the larger amount of giving towards the adoption fund, getting to our financial goals now feels nearly impossible.  This adoption financial goal...all remaining $24,000 now that we have to travel to Ethiopia twice seems unachievable (and some of these costs I have estimated on the higher range so hopefully it may be a bit less than this BUT STILL it's a HUGE number!)

This evening, as I was pondering through all of these thoughts, I remembered a scene from the movie Facing the Giants.  Please look at this clip in its entirety.  Just before watching the clip, think about what is the giant in your life that you're facing right now.  Now as you watch the clip, imagine that YOU are Brock.  The coach is God.  The boy on Brock's back to me represents everything that weighs you down that tells you that you can't make it to the end of the finish line.  Okay, now let's watch...


That spoke volumes to me.  It had me in tears (yeah, I know I'm always crying but...) because I could imagine God saying some of those same words of encouragement to me as the road is getting tougher and I want to give up.

As if that video weren't enough, I ran up on this part of the movie that just settled me in many regards...watch:



How many times have I thought that I didn't see God moving in my circumstance yet?  (shaking my head at myself with a smirk)  It seems whenever I am running empty on hope but full of doubt, things like this come in my path that give me the push that I need. All I can say is thank you God and as Mr. Bridges reminded in this clip, "Let me go prepare the field."  It won't mean that I won't experience doubt again, but I can visualize me as Brock in the earlier video clip and God right beside me coaching me along the way.

So many lessons to learn here and so much more that I can talk about but for now I want to be a blessing to someone else.  So here's the GIANT of a giveaway -  I have a brand new DVD of the movie, Facing the Giants that I'd love to send to someone.  The movie is awesome and is something that your entire family will enjoy.


So here's how to enter to WIN the DVD:
For each of the things that you do below, you'll receive one entry in the drawing.  Just remember to come back here and leave me a comment with a link to what you did.  A name will be picked at random on Sunday night (June 13th).   

Each of the following will get you one entry in the drawing:

  • Leave a comment here sharing what giant you're facing in your life right now and how we can all be collectively praying for you OR share with us a giant that you've recently overcome and what made the difference for you as you walked through that season of your life.
  • Place a link back to this post on your Facebook page.  Don't forget to leave a comment here telling me you did it and remember, I'll need to be a friend of yours to see it.
  • Place a link back to this post on your Twitter account and ask your friends.  Don't forget to  leave a comment here telling me you did it along with your twitter account user name.
  • Place our blog on your blogroll.  If we're already on your blog roll, that counts!  Just be sure to come back and comment here with your blog web address.
  • Put our blog badge on your blog  --you can grab our badge code from our home page on the left side margin.  Because right-click is disabled, you can just highlight the code with your cursor and then go to the top of your browser and choose 'Edit' and then 'Copy'.
Thanks for spreading the love!  I'll be back on Monday with the winner!

22 comments:

Amy said...

I love this movie and I had forgotten about it. Thank you for the reminder that HE is bigger.

I would say right now, just a lot of nerves about passing court and getting to our sweet boy as soon as possible. All in God's timing...I keep telling myself :)
Blessings,
Amy

Amy said...

You are already on my blog roll...love your blog.
Blessings,
Amy

Eve said...

Hiya Michelle,
Although I am not in the process of adopting right now, I do know those ups and downs. God will sustain you.

I've never seen or heard of this movie, will try to find it. Your button is already on my blog, it's an awesome blog.

Because I'm in a different country, you don't have to include me for the giveaway. The crazy cost of postage could be better used set aside for the adoption. You are included in my prayers tonight.
God bless, Eve

Heart2Head said...

Michelle, I can feel that I'm going to be 'borrowing' this post on many fronts. Forgive me in advance ! :-) I've had so many giants in my life and I KNOW that God is a giant killer!! When you're walking into your invisible future carrying your dreams, putting all your faith and trust in God is the absolute best choice you can make. He is a 'way maker". I'll be praying for your strength. Be encouraged!!

pmalleca said...

Michelle..know Im crying!!! I have been struggling on many levels with this adoption..mostly letting go and letting God! I want things on my timetable but he is in control NOT me:)

pmalleca said...

linked you to my blogroll..www.ourethiopianblessings.blogspot.com

pmalleca said...

shared on facebook!!! I would love to watch this with my family:)

Courtney said...

Thanks Michelle~ Shared on facebook and needed it for me today as we struggle at week 11 since we passed court!

Charles Robinson said...

I just added your blog to our blog roll. Check it out ~ http://robinsonaddition.blogspot.com/.

I have been reading your blog for several months now through the link on http://5millionminus1.blogspot.com/.

My husband and I are in the process of adopting two children from Ethiopia. We just completed our Homestudy and are waiting for the sealed hard copy to arrive in the mail in order to submit our dossier. So we are on a very similar time line as you are... I have enjoyed reading your posts.

Thanks,
Abby Robinson

Meliski said...

I love your honesty and openness about the emotional roller coaster that is adoption. I also appreciate you making me look like a blubbering idiot in front of my husband by crying at a 6 minute clip of a football movie. :)

I put a link up on my blog to share it with my friends/readers as well!

Good luck lady!

Melissa

Oh yeah, have you received your cookie cutter yet?

Michelle said...

Thanks for the love everyone! Looking forward to tomorrow's drawing. I appreciate you sharing it with others. HUGS, HUGS, and more hugs!

Michelle said...

Melissa:

I got the cookie cutter!!!! So sorry I didn't ping you before to tell you. I've had a full week. I can't wait, can't wait to get some free time to make some cookies. I heard some of the folks from our agency snagged up the last ones...is that right?

Michelle said...

Paige:
Just saw the girls band that you guys have going on. How cool!

me

Michelle said...

Amy:
So hoping that your court date is the day after Father's Day. It's Tony's birthday also so I'm hoping it's a great day for both of us. I'll stay tuned to see how things go.
Praying for you sis,
me

Michelle said...

Eve:
You know I'm just lovin' you for all of this bloggy love you've been posting all over, right?!?! ....and by the way, you blew me away with your generosity today Miss Lady. Thank you soooooo very much!

Michelle said...

Katana: Thanks for that 'Word' the other day. You are always right on point!

Michelle said...

Thanks Abby! Hoping that the upcoming yard sale is a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE success if not better than the last one!

Michelle said...

Courtney: praying that travel comes soon, soon, soon!

Michelle said...

Melissa & Paige: You do know that I'm a cry baby too, right....so we'll be in good company!

Mama Mimi said...

Oh I hear you girl! When I hear that song "More than enough" I always think, yeah, God is more than enough for me. I always think emotionally though. Why does it seem so much harder to trust God for early things? He is so much bigger than we give him credit for! Thank you for the reminder to surrender COMPLETELY to him and to trust him with this HUGE thing like our adoption payments. You inspire me.

godschild101073 said...

Michelle, this brought me to tears. It just spoke volumes to my heart and reminding me of my trust issues with God. Like Brock I too feel like giving up. Just when it seems everything is going ok, it's like the rug is being pulled from underneath my feet and I just want to throw in the towel. Thank you so much for sharing this. Even if I don't win i'm going to purchase this DVD. It is something I believe my whole family should see.

Thanks So Much!

We Are Family said...

I just want to say that I just found your blog tonight and your family is GORGEOUS! I can't wait to read more. After reading this Facing the Giants post I can tell our heart beats a similar 'pattern'...Blessings!

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