(in)courage isn’t about winners. It’s about community. We come here to love and be loved. And sometimes we have the opportunity to bring communities together in real time or bless the work other communities are doing. We love that. It’s even better than candy apples. That’s why we are so happy to share the names of the ten randomly selected ladies we are delighted to be giving tickets to the Deeper Still conference. Go and hug on one another for us. And expect an email shortly with all the details.
Winning commenters were:
5 Meg, 35 Danette, 89 Dorethea, 57 Toni Smith, 103 Jenifer Cabaniss, 108 Joan, 86 Rose, 29 Becca,
17 Jen, and 23 Nancy
Today we get to hear from another (in)courage woman and the community we’ve been able to support through her. Sometimes we all benefit from hearing the stories behind the names of giveaway winners, so here it is:
Hello (in)courage sisters! I am Amy from Thoughts on the Divine winner of the $500 Grand Prize ($250 for my charity of choice) from September’s 30 Days of Giveaways! Let me first of all say thank you to the group of women who began (in)courage a year ago. Y’all will never know the impact of you following your God-sized dream. I am so out of my league posting here. I am not a writer nor do I aspire to be one. Just one humbled Jesus Lover hoping to share His love with the world.
I believe that God awarded me this privilege so that I could shine a light on The Jesse Brooks Foundation, my choice of charity.
The Jesse Brooks Foundation (JBF) was begun by a local couple following the death of their daughter Jesse in 2002. An accident returning home to Alabama from a mission trip to Montana took Jesse home to live with her beloved Jesus. Even at 10 years of age Jesse knew that her God-sized dream was to be a missionary to share the love of Jesus with the world.
After Jesse’s death, her family and friends wanted to carry out the dream that Jesse held so dear and established JBF to tell the world about the love of Christ. Now JBF has built a children’s home in Aflao, Ghana in west Africa. Jesse Brooks Good Shepherd Happy Children’s Home provides complete care for 40 orphaned children there. They also have a program that supports 52 other children providing one meal a day and the opportunity to go to school.
Praying about the decision of which charity to support made a real change in my heart. For years my family has supported World Vision with financial contributions, but this was a chance to do more…a chance to remove the veil from my eyes and truly see humanity.
When I called about making the donation, Tammy, Jesse’s mother and long time friend of my family, answered the call. After discussing how thrilled she was over the donation and what a God send it was, she asked about me and what I am doing now. This discussion ended with my volunteering to help in the foundation.
In what some would see as coincidence, I see the Mighty Hand of God taking the ordinary circumstances of my life to do extraordinary things to His Glory.
At this point I’m not sure where God is going with all of this, but I am sure that He is planning for good and the spread of His Glorious Good News to all nations. I am anxiously awaiting His revelation of what is next for this ordinary girl trying her best to serve an Extraordinary God. And if you’d like to read more about my journey, I’d welcome you to read this message on “Love in Action” that the Lord sent to me as encouragement to open my eyes.
With love,
ABOUT AMY
Amy adores her Precious Savior. She & her husband relish a night without the kids! Desiring to share her Lord she blogs at Thoughts on the Divine ....
