This is a true story and is simply amazing. To be honest, I am still in a bit of shock. This morning, I had a thought hit me sideways and actually twittered it.
http://twitter.com/#!/aaronaconrad/status/7424575138701312

Not long after that tweet, I received this one…

http://twitter.com/#!/Brabbs/status/7431358393618432

The tweet above is from Phil Brabbs. I’ve mentioned Phil and his battle several times on this blog. Phil is a hero. He’s a warrior. He’s an inspiration and through the magic of the internet, I like to call him a friend. This weekend, there is a huge fundraising/gathering to honor Phil and to celebrate the annual battle of Ohio State vs. Michigan. It’s something I’ve had on my calendar, but like many things in life…it was getting squeezed.

Not only was the time to attend getting pinched, our wallets have been as well. We’ve been hit with a few unexpected expenses recently like a new van and hot water tank. With the Christmas season lurking and the shopping mostly done, our funds are a bit depleted. I didn’t want to attend a fund raiser empty handed but would love nothing more than to help my friend Phil and shake his hand. I approached my lovely bride (who is also the keeper of the books) about our ability to give a donation. Her comment was “I want to, it’s just tough right now. Maybe we’re just supposed to trust God to provide”.

and off she went for a run….

and off I went to my email inbox….

That’s when I read this email from my friends at the OutLive Your Life headquarters

I have some news that will hopefully make your Thanksgiving break even better.  🙂  We tallied all the reports and you were the winner of the Outlive Your Life team!!!! This means you have won $xxx for yourself and $500 for the charity of your choice!!  Plus an autographed copy of the book and a set of Outlive products.  🙂 So I need to know which charity you’d like us to donate $500 to.  Here are your choices.  🙂

Habitat for Humanity
World Vision
Compassion International
Blood:WaterMission
Salvation Army
The James Fund
Samaritan’s Purse
International Justice Mission
Prison Fellowship

And with that…I sat back in my office chair and was speechless. It takes a lot to make me speechless, but I was and have been all day. My Mom used to always say “You can’t out give God”. Like many things, I guess she was right. Through my friends at Team BuzzPlant, the Lord answered our prayers in many ways. On Saturday, “the boy” and I will drop by the event for Phil and not go empty handed. In addition to that, thanks to some work with Compassion International, our $500 donation will provide 11 goats for families in Uganda. These 11 goats will be a source of milk, income and training for families in Uganda. We’ve even taken the time to name all 11. This image will hang on our fridge where we will pray over them and their impact on those in need.

I can’t begin to say “thank you” enough to so many people. This is literally a Thanksgiving miracle. It is a day I will never forget and because of their generosity, families in Uganda won’t either. Thank you Compassion. Thank you Team BuzzPlant. Thank you Max Lucado. Last and certainly not least, Thank you Jesus.

 

 

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