Sunday Sparkle- Week 8

Just a few pictures from last week.

My allergies have come back with a vengeance. Tylenol PM has been a lifesaver the last few nights in regards to getting some sleep.




I think this was dinner Tuesday night. But, it may have been lunch. I feel like I have bagels in some way, shape, or form as part of every meal (sandwich, pizza, dessert).




I started my One Dress Project! I forgot to take a picture yesterday, but I'm pretty sure my days are running together. I need an easy way to add some color (with things I already have, per my "no purchasing clothes during Lent" thing). Any ideas?




Yummy cupcake. Daddy and I went by a cupcake place near campus after having lunch on Wednesday. I got a chocolate salted Carmel cupcake and it was deLISH.




I'm really enjoying this little Sparkle project. It is quite fun, and I'm still taking pictures! I like the low pressure (only one picture a week necessary!) and I like the fact that I'm documenting the little details that get lost and forgotten most of the time. Yessir. We're gonna make it.

Tomorrow night, my Daddy and I are planning on going to Atlanta for the 72 Days of Freedom gathering they are having at Passion City Church. Gary Haugen (the head of IJM) is speaking and I am super pumped! Working at IJM would be a dream job, so hearing from the guy that runs it would be amazing! I'm excited and hope it works out. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon and then driving back after the service. I don't have class until 11 on Tuesday and we lose an hour going/ gain an hour on the way back, so things should work out that its not too late. I'm going to miss the Bachelor, but I can watch that online. Nobody tweet about it or spoil it? Haha. Yay!

This whole wearing the same dress every day thing is kind of fun. I think it's easier to get dressed in the morning (less choices) and it makes me think throughout the day about what I'm doing (especially when someone says "I like your dress" and I explain what I'm doing to them!). Since the question has been asked a ton lately...I AM planning on washing this dress. Please don't think I'm planning on stinking my way through Lent. I know I've said it already, but I wanted to make that extra clear. Now, on to Day 2 and Day 3.

Thursday (Day 2), I decided to add a shirt underneath my dress. Seeing as my outfit was lacking in color, I added my pink sparkly Toms (you just can't see them). I'm using a self-timer on my camera, so I miss my feet most of the time in pictures. In my dorm room, I prop it up on one of my bed posts and aim it towards my bathroom (which has the best lighting). In my room at home, I'm still figuring it out. My room is a little messy. Today (Day 3), I added a skirt over my dress. I needed color after two days with black and gray. It was just the right length and worked out great.

Today, I want to bring our focus to India, where As Our Own does most of their work.

• There are 25.7 million orphans throughout India. One of the reasons why human trafficking is so prevalent in a place like India is this large vulnerable population. If orphans don't have other families to take care of them, they live out on the streets or in orphanages. This makes it especially easy for traffickers to target them. After all, who's going to notice a street child is missing? 
• Trafficking of minor girls is a $1-billion-a-year industry in Mumbai. Little girls—some as young as 7 or 8 years old—are being forced into the sex trade. 70% of women are forced into prostitution and 20% of these are child prostitutes.
• In the case of sex trafficking, it's kind of a given that babies are going to be born and children are going to be raised in brothels. 95% of girls born in the district become enslaved. Many girls are enslaved in the sex trafficking industry not by their own choice. They were born into it. When their mothers are captives in the industry, their daughters have no choice. There's not another option.

In a place like India with extreme poverty, it can be hard to imagine a hope and future for these women and girls. But, As Our Own has begun working in the red light district to try and talk to mothers before they "sell" their daughters into the trade (it is a business transaction, but it is often by force or coercion- not by choice).  They try to rescue these daughters from the cycle. They call these girls "daughters" and raise them to be beautiful, educated women in society. They give these girls a hope and a future that they would otherwise not have. They let little girls be little girls.

the start of something new.

So, today is the day. I'm really excited about what the next 40 days (plus Sundays) hold for us. I really believe that God can do something amazing through this little project if we just allow him to intervene in our lives. I'm praying that my heart will be changed and that I'll (in my own little way) be broken for the sake of the poor. For the sake of the helpless. For the little girls in the world that need to see the hope and a future that God has promised them.

Black dress, Cardigan from AE, Tights from Loft.

Our closest estimates say that there are 27 million slaves in the world today. Twenty-seven MILLION. This is in a variety of different ways- it's not just little girls and women. Some people are enslaved in bonded labor. Some people (men and women) are trapped in the sex trade. The average cost of a slave during the pre-Civil War era (adjusted for inflation) would be about $40,000 of today's US dollars. The average cost of a slave today? $90. Why are we so outraged about what happened 200 years ago in our nation, but we aren't upset about the modern-day slaves today? Do we think that they deserve it? Or do we just want to ignore the problem?

I don't want to ignore this problem any longer. I CAN'T ignore this problem any longer. I have been blessed, ridiculously blessed...so that I could be a blessing to others. God did not place me on this earth to bring glory to myself. God placed me on this earth to show his love to other people and to bring glory to his name. I don't want to live an empty life. I want to live a life that is so full of God that when other people see me, they see the God within my inner being. It makes me sick to my stomach to think of all of the things in this world. It makes me sick to think that sometimes I avoid thinking of these things, because they're messy. Sex trafficking is messy. We don't like to talk about these things. But, even if we ignore the problem, the fact is that 200,000-300,000 children are at risk in the United States for getting trapped in the sex trafficking industry. That's too many. We CAN'T ignore the problem anymore. 

That's why I'm doing The One Dress Project. That's why I'm wearing one dress for the next 40 days. I want people to ask me why on earth I'm wearing the same thing everyday (Don't worry. I plan on washing it.). I want to think about all of the precious children, women, and men that are being trafficked. That are enslaved. That are in bondage. When I get dressed each morning, I want to think about these lives. These lives are precious and valuable to God. He sees each and every one of them as one of his children-just like the "pretty people" that go to church every Sunday. I want to find worth in human life. I want to bring awareness to this issue- and I want to DO SOMETHING about it. 

So, if you look to the sidebar on my blog, you'll see two links under the "One Dress Project" button. The first link is to my post on Monday that explains what I'm doing. The second one is a link to As Our Own so that you can join in the journey. As Our Own works with girls and women in India. I would ask you to prayerfully consider joining this journey with me. Commit to praying for these people we are going to talk about. Pray for the situations. Pray for God's will to be done. But don't stop there. Do something. Make this cause personal. You can go to As Our Own's website and learn more about them and I'm going to be posting more about them as we go. Today is the start of something new. 

Enough.

So, my guilty pleasure on Monday nights is getting into my pajamas to eat dinner and watch the Bachelor. It's pretty much the highlight of my week (Sad. I know). Tonight was "Hometowns", which seems to be the point of the season where everyone realizes that this show isn't a game anymore and love is on the line. Hearts are going to be broken. Tonight, my favorite contestant went home (note: my favorite contestant each season always wins. so this is kind of weird). As Kacie was riding off in the limo, she asked a question to the camera, "Why am I never good enough?" Obviously, she was in love with The Bachelor. She had stated as much on the show and talked about how she couldn't wait to do normal things- like going grocery shopping- with Ben (that's a small town girl for you!). As I watched her crying in the limo (which is always my least favorite part of the show), I began to get sad with her. I mean, she thought that she had found "true love". She came on The Bachelor to find love (which is a whole 'nother story. those guys don't have the best track record). In the end, she was left asking "Why am I not good enough?"

How often do we do this? Maybe it's not because you think you're madly in love with a man with three other girlfriends. Maybe it's not because a boy breaks your heart. But, we place so much stock in what other people think of us. We desire to be loved. We desire to be wanted. We desire to be enough. It's this desperation that leads us to do crazy things. We have an inner longing for "something" and we try to fill it up. Satan places these "Why am I not good enough?" thoughts in our heads. This is not healthy. When I was thinking about this (all in the past 10 minutes), these lyrics from Tenth Avenue North ran through my head.

Now, I know that Kacie doesn't read my blog. But, if you've ever found yourself in this situation (or this is what you're going through right now), I want you to think of the gravity of the above line. Why are you looking for love as if God isn't enough? We go through life looking for love. But, we need to realize the grace we've been shown. We don't need to "work harder". We don't need to seek out love for ourselves. We need to realize that God is enough. God is enough to fill all of our deepest inner longings and our heart's desires. God is enough. We don't need to worry about being "enough". Focusing on the "enough" just leads to our own frustrations. We don't need to go looking for love...love will find us.

Why are you striving these days

Why are you trying to earn grace

Why are you crying

Let me lift up your face

Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love

Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough

To where will you go child

Tell me where will you run

To where will you run

And I'll be by your side

Wherever you fall

In the dead of night

Whenever you call

And please don't fight

These hands that are holding you

My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side

They swallowed the grave on that night

When I drank the world's sin

So I could carry you in

And give you life

I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you

I want you to know

That I, I love you

I'll never let you go

-"By Your Side", Tenth Avenue North

Little Girls should be able to be little girls.

If you've followed my blog for much time at all, you should (hopefully) know that I have a passion for justice. It breaks my heart to see the world we are living in. Human trafficking is one problem that I think is huge in our world today. I feel like a broken record sometimes that I keep bringing this stuff up. I feel funny talking about little girls being trapped in the sex trade all the time. But, it breaks my heart. Honestly, I want to grab them all up and take them far, far away where they can be little girls. Little girls should be able to be little girls. 

This thought process has played into my "what I want to do when I grow up" planning. I mean, working at IJM would be a dream job. But, in the end, I want to work with at-risk girls. I want to work with girls that are at risk for becoming addicted to drugs. At risk for becoming prostitutes. I want to teach them that they are valuable and loved by a wonderful creator. That they are worth it. That they can dream big- and nothing, not even their hometown or the environment they were raised in, can hold them back. I want them to DREAM BIG and fall passionately in love with their creator. 

So, Lent is coming up. Every year, it seems like I'm always hearing things like "I'm giving up social media" or "I'm giving up caffeine". It's not that these things are bad- please don't take this that way. But, the purpose of "giving up" something is for it to be a sacrifice that brings you closer to God. It's so that you lean more fully on him. So, I've avoided the practice the last few years. It seemed like I wasn't doing things for the right reasons, so I didn't want to do them at all. I felt bad saying that I was "giving up" something so that someone would feel bad for me or think I'm a better Christian. I was doing it for others and not God. So, this year rolls around and my dear Catholic friend Alyce (I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just she's my only Catholic friend, and I love her commitment to Catholicism) posted a link to this article on Facebook. It got me thinking a little bit outside of the box. While not wearing shoes or using utensils is a little impractical, one on vanity really got to me. It got me thinking about things that I do all the time, and how if I gave one of "them" up, I would definitely think of God while doing it. I also remembered a blog I came across a few months back called The Uniform Project. And thus, the one dress project was born. 

I'm not claiming credit for this in any way. I've seen it all over the internet. It's mostly done for either 30 days or a year, but I'm doing it for forty (all of the days in Lent. Not on Sundays- since they aren't part of the forty days). For this project, I've got a little, simple, cotton, black dress that I will be wearing everyday (except for Sundays, once again). Max asked me if I was going to wash it- the answer is yes. Expect a video blog on handwashing in a sink and drying with a blow dryer...any day now. I'm not going for dirty and stinky. I'm attempting to highlight the cause of human trafficking- and draw attention to it (because I'm pretty sure someone is going to ask me why I'm wearing the same dress every day). Obviously I've got things like cardigans, scarves, and belts to help it not look exactly the same, but I think it will be kind of fun. I'll be posting pictures of the project as I go and posting facts about human trafficking to raise awareness.

Here's where you come it. There are a couple ways that you can get in on the fun!
1. Commit to 40 days of prayer with me. Commit to praying for the needs that I share and for the girls involved.
2. Part of me doing this project is to raise money for AsOurOwn. They have no idea who I am or what I'm doing- but I want to support the work that this amazing organization is doing to help girls in India. You can go here to read a post I wrote about AsOurOwn back in October, and I'll be sharing information about their work in India as we go. If you feel incline to donate to help them continue the work, you can go here to donate. If you notice, I have a fundraising page set up through the organization. This is so we can track how much is given, but you will give directly to AsOurOwn (through their website) and not through a ChipIn. I'm not going to come into contact with this money at any point, all of it will go to AsOurOwn. I just have a page set up so that we can have a goal ($100 at the moment, but I would love for us to raise more!) and keep track so I can mention it here!
3. You can join me in the one dress project and do it, too! Pick one dress to wear for forty days. Lent starts on Wednesday, February 22, so I will be starting that day! Sundays are not typically included in the forty days, so you may have that day off! Maybe you don't want to do it for all forty days, maybe just a week? Let me know so that we can support each other. One thing that I'm doing as an additional part of this is donating $20. Typically, we spend about $10 a month on clothes. If you're like me, that may seem a little low sometimes when you think about what you really spend. But, since you are saving money (by just wearing one dress!)- please consider donating an *approximate amount* of what you may spend (or just a flat amount).

So, options. I'm mentioning "what I'm doing for lent" a little early...just in case any of you want to jump in and do step 3 with me (trying to give a little notice here!). I don't want this to turn into anything where anyone feels forced to do anything, but I want to encourage you to think about this issue with me for the next forty days. 27 million people are trapped in the human slave trade (in various forms) right now. This is more slaves than ever before in history. It's time to do something now. Ignorance is not an excuse. Indifference is not an option.

Sunday Sparkle- Week 7

Only two pictures from this week. I'm slacking.

First, I finally found a shampoo that kind of works and doesn't make me get a rash or my hair fall out. Only thing is that it's baby shampoo and by 98% natural, they mean 98% water.



Valentines Day, I went to dinner with my family. Perk of living close to home. After dinner, we went and got cupcakes, and I came "home" and watched Dance Moms.

Enjoy the Journey.

Much, much stress results from you wanting things to happen before their times have come. One of the main ways I assert my sovereignty is the timing of events, Instead of dashing headlong toward your goal, let me set the pace. Slow down, and enjoy the journey in my presence. -Sarah Young

I'm beginning to realize what "surrender" really means. I'm not sure I like it all that much. I mean, sure, I like the idea of God controlling what my life is going to look like. But, could he make it fit into MY time schedule? I mean, sure his timing might be better...but I'd really like things to happen right now. I'm not a very patient person. In fact, I'm pretty impatient. But, I'm beginning to realize the value in being patient and letting things happen as they will. I'm beginning to see that maybe things are going to work out okay.

For some reason, I had this ideal life plan for my life. It started in High School (maybe before then, but that's really the first time I really remember). If you know me, you know I'm the planner type. I plan things out. It's my way of "controlling my worry factor", but it often just leads to more worry. I had this plan that I was going to go off to college and fall madly in love with the perfect future husband. We'd date three years, he'd propose right before senior year rolled around, and we'd get married after graduation and have lots of beautiful babies. (Ha. That's really funny High-School Self. I don't know what you were thinking.) Needless to say, things have not happened as I'd planned. Some people (ahem, my father) blame it on the fact that proper grammar is not an option- but rather a requirement- if you want me to be your girlfriend. Sorry- I'm a nerd. We can't help these things. If I'm always silently correcting your grammar "becuz u tlk lyk dis"...I'm going to go crazy. Deal. Breaker. I also have exceedingly high expectations. As in you have to hold the door open for me. You better treat me with R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Must like kids and understand that while puppies are cute, I'm allergic. My dad set high standards...and your going to have to follow in those footsteps. I was treated as a princess for 21 years and expect that much. You get the idea. Not many boys coming knocking on my door (Except for when they forget that their friend and I did a room swap and she no longer lives here. But, that's another story). So, needless to say, it's almost SPRING and I don't have a ring. Or an immediate prospect for getting one. 

I like Valentine's Day. While it often brings out the inner cynic and I joke around about "cheesy valentines", I kind of like the idea of a day that revolves around getting chocolate and flowers (Note to any boys that may be reading: I like Tulips- and I can name the 5 points of Calvinism. Please click that link so that you can get my joke.Theology nerd- sorry. I'm not a huge fan of smelly flowers that make me sneeze.) I could go on and on about "how absolutely horrible my life is because it's valentine's day and I don't have a valentine" (Oh- boohoo. Cry me a river. Get over it!) But, I think I've finally found contentment. It's not that I don't want to get married. I do. But, I'm willing to wait- as long as it takes- for God to bring me my "perfect husband". Right now, he's fine tuning me and preparing me with the skills I need to be a good wife. Likewise, he's doing the same to develop my future husband into the man I desire Him to be. I'm realizing that for today- I'm called to singleness. It's a day by day thing that could change anytime. But, I'm giving thanks for this season of growth. I'm choosing to find joy in the situation I find myself in- rather than complaining all the time. God has a wonderful master plan for my life. He will provide for my every need, and I trust that he will take the best care of me. I am perfectly positioned where I am for such a time as this. I'm deciding to surrender my hopes and dreams, so that I can receive God's hopes and dreams. Annie did a blog post yesterday and said something profound that really resonated with me. She said, 

I give thanks for this bare finger, thankful for the promises it holds. There may not be a ring there now. There may never be a ring there. And if there never is, He is still faithful, and I am still blessed.

You are absolutely precious to God- never doubt that. He has a whole list of hopes and dreams just waiting for you...if you just allow him the chance to intervene in your life plan. Stop stressing out about things not going your way and embrace the moment. Enjoy the journey.