Valentine's Day Challenge!

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!!

I hope you have a day full of love and blessings!

I'm going to ask you to do something for me today. I'm asking you to give me a Valentine, of sorts. Here's what I want you to do: Go to the link at the top of the page (currently right above this post), which will take you to a blog called "Adopting William." Read about Jen and her family, then make a donation to help bring William home so he can start receiving the medical care he needs and experience the love of a family. That's the only gift I want. I'm challenging each person who looks at my blog to give at least one dollar TODAY. ONE DOLLAR. No biggie. As I said above, it would also be helpful to send out a mass emailing to every single person you've ever met in your entire life asking them to do the same. Post it on your blog, or a Yahoo group (which of course will inevitably make someone mad who will then circulate a petition to get you banned from the group- FUN!! ; D).

Jen is tracking the amount being raised toward their goal of $15,000.00. They are currently up to $3,743.00. It's such a blessing to check her blog every day and see that amount going up. Let's use today to send some love William's way and watch that amount go through the roof. Yesterday, my blog was viewed by roughly 100 people. If a similar number shows up today, gives a dollar, then spreads the word on their own blogs, think of how quickly the remaining money could be raised!

I know some adopting parents are turned off by adoption fundraisers. I get that. The mentality is: "I'm already donating to an adoption fund... My OWN!" This is different. Go take a look at this little boy, then decide if you can stand it NOT to take part in helping to bring him home. I wouldn't ask you to do something I wasn't willing to do myself. We have made a donation, and each of our kids has made a donation. In fact, Tucker gave everything he had (which melted my heart and made me hug him), then turned around and told his sister how selfish she was for not giving all she had in her piggy bank (which made me want to throttle him). But, I gotta cut the little dude some slack. He is, after all, only 9. He's supposed to act childish.

Now, here's what I'm willing to do to sweeten the deal. After you make a donation of at least one dollar, come back here and leave a comment on this post saying so. You don't have to say how much you donated, just that you DID donate. One week from today (2/21/2008), we will randomly choose one of the comments to win $10.00. I will send one of you ten bucks. Not much, I know- but work with me here, people. I wish it could be more, but if I had more, I'd probably just donate it directly to William. This is not a raffle. It is a random act of gratitude for a random act of kindness.

I want to make it absolutely clear that William's mom, Jen, has NOTHING to do with this. I have not been enlisted by her in any way to solicit donations. This is totally my own thing.

You have my permission and blessing to promote this challenge on your own blog.