Luck of the draw

Jennifer Hauser won a $100,000 lottery ticket in November (2011) and a $1 million lottery ticket in February (2012). From Jennifer’s article on CNN.com, she reflects on the extraordinary blessings that changed her life and the hard work that paved the way for her good fortune.

“A big win is an amazing blessing that I still can't believe is real. And then to be blessed more than once is just extraordinary.

“But nothing comes easy. We all go through rough times in our lives, and people don't know the road that one must walk to reach a happy destination finally.

“I believe that this blessing came to me because I have worked very hard. I am so fortunate to have a full-time job that I enjoy and co-workers who are good friends. I am thankful for this every day.

“But in the last few years some personal circumstances caused me to acquire more debt than I ever thought I would have. Facing a lot of debt can be a real nightmare. It's a good thing that I enjoy working or I might not survive the triple shifts I sometimes take on.

“We play lottery every once in a while. It was my husband's idea to buy the ticket for me both times. The $1 million ticket was around our seventh anniversary and Valentine's Day. He thought it would be a funny way to celebrate our love, but little did we know how it would change our lives.

“When the first lottery ticket came in November, I was flabbergasted. My car had a big dent in it, and it needed a tuneup. It came just at the right time so that my husband, daughter and I could buy a new sparkling car and finally pay off that evil debt that was plaguing us.”

_{Source: Hauser, Jennifer. “Don't scratch your life away.” CNN.com. 16 February 2012. Web. 11 May 2012.}