High Heel a What?

I will keep this short. I want to do THIS to raise money for two organizations: IJM and LOVE146. The only problem is, it just might be too big of a task for me to plan on my own. So when I say I need your help, I don't mean I need moral support. I need actual PEOPLE who will sit down with me and plan this and make it happen. I have all of the will and drive to do it (trust me) but I just need "man" power. If you didn't click on the link above, it is an article about one of the many High Heel A Thons that people host to raise money and awareness about causes that are important to them. I think that this would be so do-able (and FUN)!  I am thinking sometime in the fall...possibly end of September or sometime in October before it gets too cold and close to holidays. I can't do it by myself. I have ideas and some plans written out, but more heads are better than this one. :)

Ta-Da!!!

Dan and I were JUST talking last week about how we would really love to know if the products we are buying are made "on the backs slaves" or not.  Buying in America, or at least in my middle class-on a budget world, revolves around finding the best deal. Well, now that we are finding out how many products are made by slaves, we would love to make informed decisions when buying. It may cost us more money, but at least it won't be costing others their lives. That's our little decision and then, TA-DA, there is a book that does exactly what we wanted. It is called The Better World Shopping Guide. You can read more about it HERE. Basically, it (in their words) tells you which companies and products are the "good guys" and which ones are the "bad guys". I am really hoping that some of my favorite places to get "cheap things" aren't on the list! We shall see!

Partied with a Purpose!

What an awesome night! Last night was the film screening/fair trade/anti-slavery party. AKA: Party with a Purpose. Leading up to last night, I had so many emotions. The initial planning phase was of course optiministic and dreamy. :) However, as the days passed I started to feel discouraged. I was afraid no one would be able to come and that those who could come would wonder why I threw such an event. It was not until about 30 minutes before guests arrived (when I was in the shower) that I officially gave the party over to God to do with it what he wanted. During my "discouragement days" I was praying for the party and wondering if I should just cancel. I thought maybe I just needed more help or time or some other excuse. Looking back, I realize that when you are doing something that God calls you to, attacks like that will happen because Satan obviously wants this business of slavery to continue. Anyway, I had such peace taking that shower ( and if any of you know me, you know that the shower is my favorite place and the place where I usually come up with ideas). So I knew the party was going to be a success at that moment with my Dove Shampoo.

        I posted some pictures below of the party. Overall, we ate lots of goodies, laughed a ton, watched "At the End of Slavery" from IJM, and came up with some fresh and creative ideas to move forward NOW that WE KNOW! See, our knowledge is causing action!!! :)   I REALLY want to take these ideas and keep going! I don't want them just to be plans that stay on a piece of paper. I also cannot accomplish these by myself. So if you can help, LET ME KNOW!

        The ideas ranged from fundraisers (like a heel-a thon) to film screenings at Burlap and Bean (a local coffee shop). We also talked about having the Trade As One merchandise at local cafe's and bookstores. I laid in bed after the party and couldn't stop talking about the possibilites with Dan, who eventually told me I had to stop talking so that we could sleep for a few hours. :) I want to start planning ASAP.

    The other thing I want to do is host more Parties with a Purpose. Obviously, I cannot keep having them at my house with the same friends and family (I would actually love to do that because I love everyone that came, but that might get a little redundant) :) I say all that to then say that if you want to have one of these parties at YOUR house just let me know. And I will bring all the goods and info!

  Ok, lastly, if you couldn't come to the party and there is something that you want from TradeAsOne, let me know by Wednesday. I will be putting together the order (and then you won't have to pay shipping). I will just get the item to you as soon as I see you! Otherwise, if you live far far away you can just order on your own and spread the word to friends and family so that more people can make a difference.

     THANK YOU to all that came last night. I can't wait to get started on the next event!! (oh and take notice of the red bowl holding the chocolate..how cute! You can get that at TradeAsOne too!!  See if you can find the youngest guest at the party! She was a trooper!)

Unfortunately...

So with my Party with a Purpose only 2 days away, I figured I should work on getting ready for that and just post a little video. This is a video about a young girl and her experience in a brothel. As a read more and more, I am still not sure that I understand how real this all is. I believe what I am reading, but cannot truly grasp the reality of the situation. Unfortunately, it is all TOO REAL.


(I couldn't embed the video so go HERE and then scroll down. You will see the video on left). No one should go through what this girl, and many others, have gone through. Especially children.

Sportin the Goods ;)

This post will mainly just be a picture of "someone" wearing a piece from Nightlight. :)  I love this piece in general, but I also love that if I get a compliment about it I can SPREAD THE WORD. I recently was able to share with a friend of mine who had never heard of child sex trafficking EVER.  It was more concrete being able to tell her the facts and literally show her a necklace made by girls that have been rescued from that nightmare. Praise God!!!! So anyway, this is one of the necklaces from my last post "Mom Jeans".

Mom Jeans!

One of my fears about becoming a mom a few years ago centered around me somehow getting caught up in all of the spit up, poopy diapers, time-outs, pink eye, and then next thing I know I am running out to K-Mart to pick up a pair of classic "mom jeans." Ok, maybe I wouldn't go that far, but in the back of my mind, I have held fast to not choosing things to wear simply "because I am a mom now." This applies to the jewelry I wear too. I don't want to look like I am 14 and won a shopping spree to Claire's or Icing, but I also don't want to look like I stole my Nonnie's jewelry box. (Actually, she has some cute stuff and vintage is so in right now) ANYWAY, now that Mother's Day is approaching (less than 3 weeks), let's not insult ourselves or our moms that we are buying for. Let's stay young, "hip", and wear jewelry that has a story behind it. Here are a few inspiring pieces that I loved. By the way, all of this looks super awesome with sweats and mom jeans.....just saying.

Just Clicked...

Wow, I think that I update this blog every night....in my head. Too bad I can't just send my thoughts through the computer! There are so many things that I think about writing and just never get around to it. So finally, I am going to write about one of my recent thoughts (spurred by a new advocate friend). The topic of pimps. I have written about them before. Basically, that post was about praying for pimps. Which sounds weird, but really, if their hearts can be changed (and I completely feel that they can) than this issue wouldn't be here. Anyway, there was some celebrity hype recently between Demi Moore and Kim Kardashian. You can read the article HERE. The whole "argument" happened over Twitter and centered around the use or misuse/overuse of the word pimp. Which got me thinking. At first, I read the article and thought, "What's the big deal? People say pimp all the time. Pimp my...everything." But that IS the problem. We are so desensytized to the word that we really aren't thinking about the true definition of a pimp.When I was teaching, several boys dressed up as pimps for Halloween. What are we doing??? It is scary that we know what a pimp is and what they do to women and young girls, but because we glorify the "character" of a pimp in songs, movies, T.V., etc. we begin to forget the REAL lifestyle behind the word. Totally made me sit and think.

This is a little bit random, but still on topic. (This is totally the "just clicked" section). So as I was thinking about pimps, I remembered my highschool senior class trip to the Dominican Republic. The trip was amazing. We stayed at a place called Casa de Campo. It was beautiful....basically a dream for 55 eighteen year olds. (Yes, we had a tiny class).  Anyway!  One night, at one of the boys' houses, a real pimp knocked at the door offering services to the guys. Of course he was turned away (I am assuming first by the chaperone), but we all laughed about it for a long time. I didn't even think about how sad that really was. Not until the past few years did I learn that the Dominican Republic has a huge sex trafficking ring. What if that girl was there against her will?? I can't believe it now that I think back on that.

Well, going back to earlier. Pimps are real. They are lost and they need Christ to change their hearts. Here is an interview with a pimp. There is really nothing cool about pimps after hearing his experience in that lifestyle. I wish that someone would write a song about true "big pimpin" and show what really goes on.

Chocolate!

Ok, I love chocolate. I didn't really when I was younger. Not even all that much when I was in college, but when I became a teacher I couldn't get enough of it. (Don't really know what the sudden change was..but I am ok with that).  So when I saw that I could buy chocolate made from cocoa beans where the workers earn a fair wage and are treated respectfully and fairly I was super excited. You can read more about that HERE to know exactly what I mean. Well, it arrived in the mail today and I am in big trouble. This is the BEST! I have 9  bars HERE in my kitchen that I am supposed to serve at my party, but I am now fearing that I may be buying more before then. Ok, there are really 8 now. So if you are looking for some yummy Easter chocolate for your kids, friends, parents, coworkers, Sunday school teachers, or YOURSELF than I totally think it is worth it!! It only takes a few days to arrive too, which is perfect. So whether it is for Easter, a party, date night at home, or just for no reason other than to indulge in a yummy treat, I suggest you get your hands on this. Next to try is the dark chocolate with raspberry. I'll let you know how that is!  They would make a great hot chocolate....hmmm..... :)

Film Screening Party!!

Ok, before my plans start changing again, I am going to have this party. The date is set, Saturday, May 15th. I was thinking recently and talking to my friend Jessica and totally realize that this is a VERY busy time of the year. I can easily count 6 people that I know that are having babies right before this event, BUT i know that if I don't at least TRY to do this, it may never happen. So even if it is just me and one other person, it will be worth it. The great thing about this party is that it isn't a fundraiser. What?? Yeah, that's what I said. Originally, I was in "fundraiser mode." BUT after a lot of prayer and thought, my new plan emerged....which is a lot less pressure to start out. (Fundraisers will be in the future...and they will require more help, so maybe you can help me??) So anyway, about this party in May.
Instead of holding it like a typical jewelry party, it is going to simply be a film screening with lots of food and chatting and if you feel led to purchase something from Trade as One to help girls who were trafficked or others who are now working for a fair trade company you may. If you just want to view the film and take some information to pray about and think about, that is just as good!! I want this night to simply be the planting of a seed. Just learn, learn, and learn. I am hoping that some people take the information and start their own "action steps" about making others aware of some of the injustices happening under our noses. So that's my little plan. So I hope that if you can come that you will.

Oh, did I mention that it will be at my house? I may have said that in a previous post. It is official now!!! Let's start small and see what God does from here. :) Here is a trailer for the film, At the End of Slavery from International Justice Mission. (It is a short film, so there will be lots of time to hang out too!)




Did I mention that when you bring a friend you can win a giveaway prize? So just bring one friend and you could win a yummy (fair trade) treat or a cool piece of jewelry (of course another fair trade item).

Off Topic...but important.

It feels like forever since the last time I have written on here. So much has seemed to happen over the last couple of weeks. One thing that I want to write about doesn't really fit the "theme" of this blog, but since it is my blog I figure that I can write about it too, right? A few days after my last post, a friend of mine was killed. His death was shocking and has really just had me in a state of....deep thought? I don't really know how to put it. He was a great guy, who accomplished so much in only 28 years of life, and I have just really had so many feelings recently about the situation. The reason I am sharing this is to ask for your prayers. His family is grieving right now and there really are no words that can comfort them at this point. Prayer is sometimes the only thing that we can do in these cases....just like I've felt with the issue of sex trafficking. Prayer is more powerful than we will ever know. So this blog is really just a request that you pray for Daniel's family, specifically his mom and brother. Thank you so much. I will attach the news clip so that you have some understanding of the situation that you are praying about. Thanks again.

 

Instant Action

Is it considered a post if I just put up a video? (Can you tell that I love these?) Sometimes seeing gets through to me more than reading. I don't know why. Anyway, this video is like a "P.S." to my last post. It is an easy action step that people can take if you just don't know where to begin. I talk about it a lot. Trade as One...a christian, fair trade organization, who just like you and me wants to help with the issue of injustice. Their simple way is just by buying stuff that you would buy anyway...only this time, your purchase will change lives. I am currently making a list of ways that I can spread the word about injustice and then act on it to make a difference...a lot of the ideas are fundraisers. However, in the meantime, this way is the most "spontaneous" if you will. :) Instant action!! (Ok, so in the end I didn't just post a video. I knew I would have to say something. :) Oh, and keep in the back of your minds the following tentative dates for a film screening/fair trade/justice party (love the name? eek! Not very catchy..I will have to think about that one. Anyway! Friday, April 30th....Saturday, May 1st......Friday, May 7th..... or May 14th or 15th (a Friday and Saturday). The party would be from 7PM-9PM. ) Not sure if Fridays or Saturday work better for people. Let me know, even if it's just your opinion. Ok, back to what I was talking about....

When you go to trade as One's website HERE, be sure to click on SHOP and look at their cute little package deal there in the picture. It is a sweet little deal for these snowy days. Coffee, chocolate, adorable mug and an awesome book, Good News About Injustice written by Gary Haugen, the CEO and founder of IJM.

Are YOU called?

So lately I have been thinking about how more and more people are educating others about human trafficking. It is all too lucrative of a business, but it seemed hidden for so long. So now that we are learning more about it, what's next? I have said this before, but when I really sit and think about it, I get overwhelmed and a bit hopeless thinking that there is no way to stop such a money maker. There are plenty of girls out there and plenty of men who want to take advantage of them. So do we all just give up ? Will praying even do anything? Well, I had the privelege of attending a meeting with a staff member from IJM. During this meeting, she pointed out many practical things. She reminded me that this isn't all about the specific "issue," it is about what God has CALLED His people to do since the beginning of time. This is not just her idea or what Christians say, it is evident in the Bible. I don't ever want to get caught up in just the issue. There are so many forms of injustice in our world (trafficking, slavery, sexual violence, etc.) They are all important and God does not ask us to pick just one that we feel drawn to and then ignore the others. My heart has been broken for those who are a part of sex trafficking, especially children, but even before this meeting I have been feeling God's calling to help seek justice for all who are suffering. Micah 6:8 spells it out as blunt as it gets, " He has shown you, O people, what is good and what the Lord requires of you; but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." It is right there in His word. He has shown us what IS good and what is REQUIRED of us. Not, do it if you feel like you can handle it...because I don't think many of us feel like we can. I know I don't. I can't. Not on my own anyway. Basically, this meeting explored many scripture verses that show God's heart toward injustice and his commands to us. So as I get overwhelmed, and you may too, we have to have faith that God is aware of the evil in this world and He is using us to make a change. Just a reminder....God never calls us without equipping us first. I don't know why I sometimes don't fully "believe" that. I know He will....we see it over and over in the Bible. He equipped all that he called. " Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified;do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 So I am getting educated...good first step. Next step is to explore and take some action. I am still planning on having a fundraiser/jewelry party in May (whether this is held at my church or just at my house is still unknown), but I am learning that there are more and more ways to help. I am looking into this currently through IJM, but there are many other organizations that are looking for volunteers. God has called us ALL to seek justice. Now it is up to us to trust that He will equip us as we take the next step. I would love to hear of some organizations and practical ways that you may be helping out. Check out some of the ways to take action below.

HERE are some action steps through IJM.
HERE are some action steps through Polaris Project (click on the "Take Action" tab for more)
HERE are some action steps through History Starts Now (my good friend, Rachael, is the co-founder and program director. It is such a great group.)

I Love LOVE!

Ok, so it's Valentine's Day (almost). I have always loved this day. When I was younger, my dad would would always get me a card, some candy, and a piece of jewelry to celebrate. It was his little silent way of telling me that he loved me. He was my protector and I knew it without him even having to say a word. I actually don't remember him telling me the words, "I love you," that often, but he really didn't need to. His actions made that truth evident. When I got married, my husband took on the role of "being my valentine." (He has done a great job by the way). We usually celebrate by going bowling, rock climbing, renting a movie, or just getting some ice cream. Now that we have kids, I try to get them involved in this day too. They are my little valentines! We bake cookies for Daddy, make him cards, and write notes on all the mirrors around the house telling him why we love him so much. Even though Valentine's day has turned into a way for retailers to make a ton of money on ugly heart jewelry and boxed chocolates, I still LOVE the idea of setting aside a day to tell or show your loved ones how much you love them! I guess having felt love from my dad, friends, husband, my boys, and MY GOD I never really sat down and thought about not knowing love. I can't even imagine. Young boys and girls around the globe have such a warped view of "love." How can you know true love if you were sold by your own parents? How can you know true love if your protector (AKA pimp), abuses you and allows others to do the same without conviction. The only true hope today for these girls is God's love. I pray that He reveals that love to them and that even in the midst of their circumstances that they would know that God loves them and that his people (that's us!) are starting to help in any way we can. We should all know what it feels like to be loved. It is so comforting. I strongly believe that these girls will SOON know what true love is. First from Jesus Christ and eventually from a loving husband. Show some love this Valentine's day! Appreciate those you love and those that love you! We are so blessed. Also, be constantly thinking of ways that we can show love to an unloved group of people. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them!

My Money Does What?

Voting this week for Holly's Love 146 fundraiser made me want to "blog" about something I have thought about in the past and you probably have too. Where does all the donation money go? Holly and her husband are donating to an organization named Love146 that is fighting to end child sex trafficking. So what does their money really do? This post stems from my curiosity. When I first got involved in researching and wanting to make other people aware of these crimes, I wanted to help make a change. So I decided to just start by donating. BUT I didn't know where to give or what "they" would do with my money. I have explained in previous posts what the Hagar Project, Rahab Bazaar, and Nightlight (products sold through Trade as One website) do with their money. Read HERE for details. Another organization that I love is International Justice Mission. They focus much of their work on the legal end of social injustice (of all kinds), not just child sex trafficking. There are so many countries that have corrupt law enforcement and legal systems. This is when it is necessary for organizations like IJM to step in in order to make any change possible. Most of these organizations...such as IJM, Love 146, World Vision, History Starts Now, etc. depend on donations to "spread the word" about sex trafficking, pay for the resources needed to build and execute cases against these traffickers, and finally fund the aftercare projects set up to rehabilitate these chilren and young women when they are rescued. So much "baggage" comes with being rescued. It would be unfair to simply remove them from the bars and brothels without helping them form a "normal" life. With all of that said, every little bit counts. The abolitionists in these organizations do more than we know. They need our little or large donations in order to raise awareness, legally rescue girls, and then for aftercare. Thank you to everyone that voted through Holly's blog this week. Each vote made a difference! :) Keep checking back for more ways to help! Easy right?

Just Vote! It's that Simple! "Spread the LOVE, Spread The WORD"

It couldn't be any easier! In my last post, I mentioned that my friend Holly was going to be starting a fundraiser for children caught in sex trafficking. Well, today is the day! All of the details can be found HERE. (Background info, rules, prizes!) The best part is....all you have to do is VOTE on your favorite "web card" designed by Holly (an awesome photographer...look HERE) and SHE will be donating $0.50 to Love146. Love146 is another great organization that is working towards the abolition of child sex trafficking. I urge you to take 50 seconds to place your vote (and that is it!) You will also have the chance of winning some really COOL PRIZES. There is really no reason NOT to vote if you ask me! :) The hardest part will be choosing which "web card" you like the most. They are all so creative. Happy Voting!