If you haven’t had a chance to enter my latest book GIVEAWAY, Carol Kent’s “Between A Rock and A Grace Place“, please join the fun! (Click here for more information). You have until tonight (Thursday, November 4th) at 9:00 PM to enter. I’d love to hear from you!!
Well, hello dear friends!!
Welcome to my very first “vlog” (or video blog)!
I can’t believe I’m doing this…as many of you know I “dislike” the video camera ~ however, I have such a fun “God story” to share, I thought I would humble myself and give vlogging a try!!
Thank you in advance for your grace! My message was unscripted and from the heart. My little girl Amanda (age 7) was the videographer, and Sarah (age 6) was the prayer support during filming….so it was definitely a team effort.
Enjoy 🙂
Bottom line… I am learning so many lessons through this Craigslist adventure, such as….
That yes, God still speaks to His children.
And that He sometimes even chooses to use His kids when they are weary, worn out, and tired of one too many days not being able to breath or sleep at night.
I am learning that yes, our God is such a generous, Grace-filled, EXCITING God ~ we just never know how He might want to empower us to reflect His character, His heart, His generosity to others.
And I am learning that I might want to get out of my pajamas before noon (even if I really have been up working for hours!) ~ you just never know what special blessing God might bring to the door.
What about for you, my friend? What is God teaching YOU these days?? I would love to hear from you!!
And before you close this post, would you please stop and pray for this family in the process of adopting a sweet baby from Ethiopia?
I asked permission from my new Craigslist friend (aka Susan) if I could share part of their journey so that we could all “pray down some tracks“. Here is part of her response….
Cindy,
I have been sharing this journey with my husband and he is loving it! Thank you so much for your prayers—knowing that people are praying for us keeps my heart peaceful in this incredible journey.
I would love for you to share your “Craigslist Journey” and our link on your blog—we have some huge things coming up in our adoption that I would love to have bathed in prayer. We are now #3 on the waiting list—I am nesting like crazy and can’t concentrate…..
Please feel free to follow our blog for updates about our adoption—I don’t update super frequently, but try and keep any major happenings posted.
www.baileyplace.blogspot.com
Blessings, Susan
P.S. ~By the way, my daughter went to school as Dora today—too cute!
Would you please pray that God would continue to reveal Himself to this family in significant, physical ways ~ and that He would supply all of their needs (physical, emotional, and spiritual)?
And if you have a moment, maybe hop over to Susan’s blog and encourage this sweet family! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles* today, my dear friend!! May God bless you TOO in very real and unique ways!!
You are special to Him….so special to me!!
What a wonderful first Vlog post. I love how God can use anything to teach valuable lessons. I am so thankful that you allowed Him to work on your heart and that you were able to bless this woman with the costume. And what a small world! You just never know who He will send our way to be blessed!
That's awesome Cindy. You did great! You are such a natural speaker. God is definitely using you in tangible ways.
What a wonderful way to start my morning by listening to your Vlog, Cindy! You did a wonderful job! You are so inspiring! Thanks again!
So I am laughing and smiling with God today! I am forwarding to my Ethiopian friend, Adey, the one you prayed for and who made my WEDNESDAY special by sharing and blessing us with her "coming to America" testimony. As "A Foreigner with God's Favor" she blessed our middle school and high school Bible Study as we take a closer look at Ruth. How God makes so real that He uses US in furthering His Kingdom!! Adey quoted Ruth 2:10 last night, "At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” Adey is an amazing and faithful prayer warrior and knows the needs of the children of her homeland. I am so excited to visit this blog, share it with Adey, and get together with Adey to pray for this family. God keeps us united Cindy for the purposes of His Kingdom…adding that to my gratitude list this month!
Thanks Cindy…I always leave your blog feeling uplifted! What a wonderful message on your blog/vlog today ~ thank you!I will be keeping Susan, her family and their *new child* (as yet only known to God!) in my prayers…what an honor to pray this child into the arms of his/her forever family!
Thank you for sharing. This touches me as my best friend is currently saving money for adoption. She and her husband and four boys are creatively saving money because they don't want to go into debt with this. Praise God for those willing to adopt children!!
I LOVED this post! It was so good to see your beautiful, smiling face. 🙂 Thanks for sharing what God is teaching you! 🙂
Hi! Cindy, loved your video, and wow what a Blessing, God gave you! BTW, you said that you were being "crabby", that was so cute! I have a little sign in my utility room that says… "The Crab Is In"!Ha-ha! Too cute, and To God Be The Glory that just works things out for our Good! Have a Happy Friday!
Loved the blog! What a beautiful story!
Cindy, you really do *sparkle*! And I know that that day in your pjs & no makeup, you were the most sparklely before God and the woman He blessed through you. Thank you for the encouraging and empowering vlog.
Sweet story, Cindy! BTW, great job with the vlog too!! Thanks for sharing….always enjoy reading! You have such a sweet spirit!BTW, tried your Chix Italian dish in the crockpot. Hubby said "don't lose that recipe." He loved it…..and so simple!! Thanks!!
What a great story Cindy! Thanks so much for sharing it, and the girls did a great job in their support roles. 😉
Cindy, I LOVED your vlog 🙂 It was such a blessing to see and hear you "live." And thank you for what you shared – being so real yet showing the amazing impact a heart surrendered to God can have in daily life. You are such a HUGE blessing to me. Love you, Jenny C.
Thanks for sharing the story! Your 1st vlog was great! 🙂
Such a beautiful story … from such a beautiful woman. Cindy I had tears streaming down my cheeks as I remembered our own days of our Simon's adoption journey. Thank you for sharing this. And Cindy, TRULY, thank you again for the wig – it was perfect. With so many hours spent at the hospital it was a joy to focus some time on my own little family of 4 as we worked on our costumes finishing touches. we couldn't have completed things on time without your generousity. I've taken a break from the hospital tonight and am glad I've made a little time to watch your vlog.
Great Vlog!! It was such a blessing to my spirit!! Blessings to you!!!
And how did I miss this message? I cried as you shared about the lady who came to get the costume. Look at how the LORD took care of it all and just think of what impression could have been left on her had your original email of holding firm to the $5.00 if she had gone ahead and paid the $5.00 and picked up the costume and saw that it was you, someone who just shared the LORD at her church for MOPS. Reminds me that every thing we face is an opportunity to be a living witness for Christ rather than our flesh. I have been in that position before too Cindy.For you it was a costume on CList. For me it was selling some items long ago at a garage sale. I was practically giving things away (and in fact did give many things away), but we had a set amount we needed to reach for something we were doing and the hour was getting late and the sales were just not there because everyone had a hardship so I was giving stuff away. Finally someone wanted a HUGE stuffed animal that cost $100. I was selling it for $10. The lady wanted to give me $2.00. I was kind but let her know that was just too low because the stuffed animal was in mint condition, was less than 6 mos of purchase and that my $10 was as low as I could go. She smile and started to return to her car. My stomach felt sick over it. I looked up and saw a beaming child in her front seat wondering why Mommy didn't have the stuffed animal in hand…I ran to the car with the stuffed animal and turned it over to her for free. Giving her the Lord's blessings.An hour from the garage sale ending, most items gone for FREE, I counted up the sales, $12.00 for all those hours out there and a host of items gone. I needed $200. We started packing up. Just as we were ending, a man drove up. He said he was with his wife earlier when I gave her some beautiful items for free. He returned to bless me and what was it? $200. Put that with the $12 and it was more than I needed. ISN'T THAT HOW GOD WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!! HE'S AWESOME!!!I never looked at stuff like that the same again. When GOD says release it, I freely do because I know He will take care of the need.I love you.