My Overthinking

Philly Area mom, Life forever changed by adoption

Archives for May 2013

BK’s Hair Ties for The Sparrow Fund {Giveaway}

bk girls

What do most 8 and 9 year olds do at a sleep over? Play wii? Watch movies? Eat ice cream and giggle? Yeah, that’s the drill. But, these two special girls, Blair and Kensley, ditched the wii and movies, stuck with dessert and giggles, and made a plan to change the world.

It’s a simple plan really: (1) make and sell hair ties and (2) give money away. Every month, they choose a different something to donate to and they just keep on changing the world, one hair tie at a time.

And, they are really cute world changers, people.

BK Collage

They are joining the other 50ish partners this month, but they are giving 40% of their sales to The Sparrow Fund to support adoptive families. And, to draw a few more folks in and make sure the masses learn about this fundraiser, they’re offering a super fun giveaway—4 hair ties and 4 headbands of the winner’s choice (a value of $35).

So, go ahead and enter to win it. And, go check out all the partners’ sites. (If you leave a comment naming just one thing you have ordered/purchased from one of them, you get an extra 10 entries for any of the giveaways going on right now…and there are quite a few!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May - circle - Building the Nest this may

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Words to Move You for The Sparrow Fund {Giveaway}

You know Julie from the Lifeverse giveaway still running? She’s got a new second shop called Words to Move You, subway art with an elegant twist available as prints, gallery wrapped canvas, and cafe mounts. Not only does she have some quotes and Scriptures made into wall candy, she makes custom designs for birth announcements, adoption announcements, anniversaries, etc.

wordstomoveyou Collage

As with the other 50ish partners, Julie is giving 10% of all her sales from Words to Move You as well as Lifeverse this May to The Sparrow Fund to support adoptive families. And, to draw a few more folks in and get the word out to a larger group about this fundraiser, she’s offering an 8×10 print here as a giveaway, winner’s choice of any existing design from her store Words to Move You.

Please enter to win it, and share it! And, go check out all the partners’ sites. (If you leave a comment naming just one thing you have ordered/purchased from one of them, you get an extra 10 entries for any of the giveaways going on right now…and there are quite a few!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May - circle - Building the Nest this may

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6 words

More than 100 years ago, when William Borden graduated from high school, his parents gave him three gifts—money to take a trip around the world, a servant to go with him, and a new Bible. At 16 years old, he set out to “find himself,” traveling throughout Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. But instead of finding himself, he found hurting people, suffering, and poverty. And, through studying the words on the crisp pages of his new Bible, he found God. Just a young man and heir to a fortune, he committed himself to preparing for missions, to bring the news of the God he knew to the people who needed Him.

He came home and enrolled in Yale where his commitment to missions work was questioned. One friend told him he was “throwing himself away as a missionary.” He responded with two words on the back cover of that leather Bible he was given: “No reserve.” When Yale president spoke to the students about the need to have “a fixed purpose” without sharing what the ultimate purpose should be and how we can persevere towards it, William took on missions work right where he was. He started a Bible study with one other student that became 150 students by the end of the year and 1,300 students 3 years later. He got his shoes muddy, serving the homeless, orphans, widows, and poor on the streets of New Haven. Although he was a millionaire, he stayed in cheap hotels and ate in cheap restaurants where the people he sought to reach were.

When he graduated, he could have had any job he wanted with Wall Street firms courting him and the opportunity to take over the multimillion dollar family business. It must have been tempting. And, it must have hurt when his father told him he’d never let him work in the company again because of his choice. But, he chose a different way, writing two more words on the back cover of his well used Bible: “No retreat.”

He heard God’s call to China, a call that no doubt must have seemed radical to all those around him. China? He studied at Princeton Seminary to prepare with a single-minded purpose of bringing Christ to the unreached Muslim minority groups in China. He set sail to China, stopping in Egypt to learn the language of the people he would serve. While he was there, he became ill and died soon after. When his father who had collected the few treasures that belonged to William, he found that tattered Bible he had given him with two more words written on that back cover: “No regrets.”

No reserve. No retreat. No regrets.

Here we are, standing at the crossroads of a new purpose. We aren’t turning down offers from Wall Street or offers to run the family business. But, we taking a step of faith and leaving the path we know and taking on our Father’s business in a way that seems pretty radical. It means change; change is hard. It’s unknown; fear can creep in. It’s overwhelming; questions abound. But, we’re moving forward, having a fixed purpose, because that’s what He’s called us to do.

No reserve. No retreat. No regrets.

6 words

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4onemore for The Sparrow Fund {Giveaway}

The Banks family is adding one more to their 4—paperwork has just been shipped off to Ethiopia and now the hard part begins…waiting. But, Abby will stay busy while she waits to become a mommy again, no doubt. When not running around with her 4 boys, she’s running this great little Etsy store with all sorts of treasures to be found.

4onemore Collage

There sort of the things that make me say, “Oh, what a wonderful idea!” and wish that I could do it myself. But, I know I won’t. So, it makes way more sense to shop purposefully from 4onemore. All the money goes towards funding their adoption which, if you didn’t know, will end up being about $30,000.

This month, Abby is giving to others, donating 10% of her Etsy sales to support adoptive families through the work of The Sparrow Fund along with the other 50+ businesses partnering to build the nest. And, she’s offering a sweet little giveaway here just to bless someone (and encourage you to check her store 4onemore and the other partners’ stores out and BUY!)

Enter to win these cute fabric cards, and go check out all the partners’ sites. (If you leave a comment naming just one thing you have ordered/purchased from one of them, you get an extra 10 entries for any of the giveaways going on right now…and there are quite a few!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May - circle - Building the Nest this may

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