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| Neon is best. |
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| Just the clothing... |
In my first post of this blog, I wrote about my list of ten things.
Well, I'd like to make a little update:
Here's my list:
1. Potty train Jonathan
2. Start blogging as Gummy Bear Mama
3. Write a draft for a children's book
4. Go running/walking every week & lose baby weight
5. Learn to make pho
6. Complete a project with the sewing machine
7. Download iPad app and make my own fonts
8. Fill up photo albums with all of the photo prints we already have
!!! 9. Raise at least $500 for Carlin* !!!
10. Finish reading through the Bible and read through it once more
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*Carlin is the sweet 4 year old daughter of my friends Catherine & Michael. She was diagnosed with cancer over the summer and has been bravely undergoing many medical treatments. You can read more of her story here. Thanks!
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| Photo credit: Augustine |
All I can say is that God is so, so, so faithful. But first, let me back up a minute and give a backstory.
About a month ago, we started thinking of fundraising ideas for Carlin. The first thing that came to mind was a yard sale, so we set a date (no school on that Friday was a major plus!) and got approval from our church to hold it in our church parking lot.
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| Photo credit: Augustine |
We prayed hard for good weather. God answered. :)
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| Photo credit: Augustine |
This kiddo was a real trooper. He actually came down with a fever the day before the yard sale, but kept smiling and had a lot fun that weekend.
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| Photo credit: Augustine |
AND our Team Carlin shirts came in just in time for us to wear them to the yard sale! :)
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| Back of Team Carlin Fundraiser Shirt: Nothing is impossible...the word itself says, "I'm Possible!" |
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The week before the sale, someone asked me what our goal was. I hesitated because I had been reminded of a church yard sale from about five years ago. Only about $200-$300 was made at that time, so I went into this yard sale with similar expectations.
After all, the $500 goal was for the end of 2014 and seemed like a lofty one, at that.
How easily I forget that God loves to be generous.
And He works through generous people...
...like every single person who scoured their homes for items to donate (even brand-new and like-new items that could have been easily sold for profit)
...like every person (our youth group kids in particular!) who volunteered their time to help out. They signed up for three-hour shifts, but most of them stayed the entire day!
...like the mothers who thoughtfully volunteered to spend both mornings in the church kitchen, whipping up Korean goodies to sell (and to feed the volunteers)!
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| Photo credit: Augustine |
...like every person that came to the yard sale and/or gave a donation.
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| Photo credit: Augustine |
...and like Rebekah (my eleven year old buddy who blogs over at Patience is Virtue). She came a-knockin' on my door one night to donate an envelope full of her hard-earned babysitting money.
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| And she even apologized because the money was mostly in 1's! |
Generosity like that of those above just blows me away.
But not as much as the generosity of our God.
He says:
Too often I tentatively open my mouth just a crack, timid to ask too much, afraid that He might not do as I expect, and fearful of anything unexpected that might potentially rattle my faith.
And every time He responds with lavish generosity, leaving me shocked and in awe.
It shouldn't surprise me by now, really, but it still does.
2,119
That's the magic number.
Not 200-300.
Not even 500.
But $2,119? That's more than four times the goal I had set for the coming year!!! Indeed, I am still learning to expect great things from God.
Incredible. Unbelievable. Lavish. That's our God.
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