Really? I won?

There are LOTS of giveaways in the blogosphere these days and if it doesn’t involve signing up for newsletters or other sharing of my info, I often enter.  Because of my rather cynical nature (I hate seeing that in print), I just assume I won’t be chosen to win.  In the case of the many WONDERFUL giveaways that The Pioneer Woman has on her blog, there are tens of thousands of entries so I guess it’s no surprise that I’ve never won the DSLR camera or the painted Kitchen-Aid mixer or the beautiful leather bag.

The only time I can remember winning anything is when I entered a watermelon seed-spitting contest at a local grocery store when I was about twenty years old.  I won a shopping cart full of summer BBQ groceries for spitting a seed across the parking lot further than anyone else!  I pretended not to notice that all the other contestants were 10 and under.

So last week when I received an email from Kristen at We are THAT family saying I had been randomly chosen to win a prize package, I was in shock!  A few days ago several boxes arrived on my doorstep and here is what was inside:

A signed copy of Rhinestone Jesus, letterpress letters that spell the world “yes”, Micah 6:8 poster, a paper bead necklace created by the maternity home residents in Kenya, a bracelet from a Mercy House community outreach and Dayspring’s “Change the World” tablet decal.

How fun is that??  Except the dear person who packed my box from Dayspring accidentally spelled YES wrong:

(They are sending an ‘S’)

Y’all know how much I love Kristen’s blog.  Her writing is funny and full of wisdom and raw honesty.  She was a classic ‘good girl’ who ended up in Africa on a Compassion trip where God began to nudge her out of her comfort zone and into a spiritual adventure that she shares with us on her blog and in her book.  She has stepped out with trembling knees in obedience to Christ and I love that about her.  She makes me want to do the same.  Her book, Rhinestone Jesus “is the story of one woman’s journey from comfortably living a safe, good-girl faith that didn’t cost much, to realizing that God was daring her to say YES to a bolder, more authentic, more dangerous way.”

Be SURE to read it – you will love it!

And check out her maternity home in Kenya:  Mercy House  The women there made the beautiful necklace and bracelet I got!

Like Kristen, I want to learn to say YES to God – I know His ways are always always worth it!