Busy. Tired. Spring Break is in sight!

It's late. I'm tired. And I just realized that I haven't blogged all week.
Unlike the rest of the world, I have Spring Break next week (as opposed to this week or the week after next week). Why my institution of higher education planned things this way, I have no idea. But, I do know that it has set me up to have a test this week and lots of reading for class. Oh- there was also this show called the Bachelor that took up three hours of my week (complete waste of a season) and this thing called voting that took like 5 minutes tops (be prepared for a Roy Moore rant sometime in the next few days. Why Alabamians decided he would be a good choice is beyond me. It almost makes me want to vote Democrat this fall for the judicial race. Almost.)
So, I put things off until tonight. I have a tub that needs to be scrubbed. A floor that needs to be mopped. Some dishes that need to be washed. Some clothes to be packed. A "library" to pack (I have some papers to write over the break- 15 books plus a kindle). And a blog that desperately needs to be written. So, like every post seems to go here recently, here's the pictures. I'm still wearing the dress. Yes, I wash it every so often. I haven't repeated an outfit yet. There's a button on the sidebar if you want to support As Our Own. You get the idea by now, right? Okay, the picture evidence.

I feel like I'm super pale in the first picture. I'm not dying or anything. I had an  8 hour stomach bug that hit approximately 2 hours after the picture was taken. So, I wasn't feeling all that great. Otherwise, it's just my normal, pale self. Apparently my Vitamin D I've been taking hasn't kicked in yet. :)

So, Spring Break plans? Write my three papers I have left for this semester. Work on a homework assignment for my Church History class. Read some books "for funsies". Um, let's try survive a week in the house with two jealous boys (10 and 14) that aren't on Spring Break. Lucky for me, I've got bribery candy. We're handing it out a little at a time this time. Haha. Big sisters rock. :)

Sunday Sparkle- Week 10

Yummy dinners.



Bribery candy.



Watching sweet children on Wednesday nights.



Pretty pictures.

catch up.

I've been awful at uploading my pictures this week.

I've been awful about blogging about those bible verses I said I was going to blog.

I had great plans for catching up and all that jazz, but I hurt my thumb.

It's really hard to type without your thumb. It's also hard to open a can of diet coke.

(For future reference, don't try and scrape mod podge off of a pair of scissors with your finger. Scissors are sharp, and you will cut yourself).

So, for today, I'm just posting the pictures to catch up from Wednesday through today.

Today's picture was taken by my dork of a brother who doesn't really know how to use a camera.

This was the only non blurry one...and I'm not changing back into it for more.

This month in Sunday School, I'm teaching the kids about conviction. A line from tomorrow's Jesus Calling for Kids really stood out to me for the lesson, and it also reminded me of the One Dress Project.

Be brave! Step out in faith, and I will step right out with you. Let me work through you. Together we will do great things for My kingdom. 

Be brave. Do what God leads you to do...even if it sounds a little crazy. All sorts of people have had God tell them "crazy" things. Abram was told by God that his wife would have a baby in her old age. Mary was told that she would give birth, even though she was a virgin. The Israelites were told to march around a city for seven days to make it fall. What they have in common is that they were brave and they stepped out in faith. In this way, God was able to use them and work through them for his glory. Great things were done for the kingdom through their acts of faithful obedience. I'm not trying to say that wearing the same dress every day is at the same level of biblical awesomeness as these great heroes of the faith, but I believe that my taking this step can lead to great things being done for the kingdom. What does God want you to do outside of your "zone"? Be bold. Be brave. Stand strong, even when the world around you thinks you're nuts.

inform yourself.

I know that I spew all sorts of nonsense on this thing that I call a blog.
When it comes to other kinds of social media, I'm just as bad.  I'm really great about "retweeting" things or posting about this "campaign" or that one. But, (confession time), sometimes I'm horrible at doing my research. I get so caught up in the emotions of the moment that I do whatever is asked of me. Social media is a powerful thing. It can get the word out super quick about all sorts of issues. This is a good thing. Take the whole "KONY 2012" example from Twitter.  Things like "Kony 2012", "Stop Kony", "Make Kony Famous", and "Uganda" have been trending since yesterday. Invisible Children has done an amazing job getting the word out about the horrible crimes this man named Kony has committed. I mean, I had never heard of him until yesterday (and I count myself as an informed citizen that reads the news). Social media is amazing. It can help a small campaign become a large movement. It can raise awareness. But, social media has one big problem: it's just not personal.

It's easy to click "RT" and forget about it. It's easy to go along about your day and forget about the children that are suffering in the LRA. Social media makes "getting involved" seem *too* easy. It doesn't require anything. Just move on and forget about the issue. I was talking (well, tweeting) with my friend Kayla today about this. She said something that really stuck with me. She said, "my pet peeve is that pressing retweet or posting a video won't solve this. Hoping for international awareness for the cause of human rights will stay w/ ppl!!" We must stay aware of the issue, if we want ANYTHING to change. This reminds me of last Monday at PCC when Louie said that the thing that the traffickers want the most is for the movement against human trafficking to die out. They want you to forget what you're fighting for and they don't want you to have a passion with staying power. They want a quick burst, then the movement to disappear. Something that I wrote a week ago really still resonates with me today:

We can't stop with learning about the issue. We can't let this be a temporary thing. The traffickers' biggest hope is that we will lose our passion for this issue. They want it to be a phase we go through. They don't want us to become emotionally invested in the issue. They want to have more passion for trafficking people and making money than we have to stop them. That's their only hope. If we work together, we CAN do something. We can change lives.

We can't stop here. It's not all about social media, retweeting, and how many hits a video gets. These are real people. These are real lives. There has to be a lasting passion for justice. It's gotta have staying power, and we cannot let this issue fade into the background.

Okay, now I'm going to get on to the "get educated" part of the post. I don't know where I stand about Invisible Children. I love some of the stuff that they do. They produce amazing documentaries that get the word out about the problem in Uganda with child soldiers. I've read many conflicting articles over the course of the day, because I'm desperately trying to understand. I've read articles that say IC is great, and some that say IC is horrible. With all the conflicting data, it's hard to see the truth. One website that I really have found useful is Charity Navigator. While I know that it can be hard to check every charity out (and you'd go crazy trying- sometimes you just have to trust that God will take care of things), I've found it to be a pretty good, non-biased source. It concentrates primarily in how the different charities deal with their finances. I also encourage you to check out a charity's website before you give. Do your beliefs line up with theirs? Are their interests your interests? I mean, you are giving them your money, so you have a right to know what/who you are giving to. Be smart. Do your research. Don't just trust what you read on the internet. Don't just trust my word. When I talk about an organization, I try to do my research before I talk about it- to make sure that things add up. But, I'm human! I mess up! Don't take my word for things. Do your own research- make the issue personal. For example, maybe you feel really called to do something with human trafficking because of my One Dress Project. But, maybe you don't feel right about As Our Own. That's okay! I won't take it personally. As Our Own is an organization that aligns with *my beliefs*. I like how they do what they do. You don't have to agree with me on the organization- I just want you to do something. Find a cause. Find an organization. Do SOMETHING. Find your passion. Make things personal. But, please don't take my word as gospel. Don't treat it in that high of a regard, I'm only 21 for goodness sake! Do your research and get informed. Do something bigger, and don't forget about your passions. Don't let them lie dormant. Don't let the traffickers and "bad guys" win. Don't forget.

double digits.

Woohoo! We have reached the double digits, guys. I am now a little more than one-fourth of the way through with this project (that seems like a really big milestone for some reason).

If you can't tell, I wasn't feeling the best yesterday morning. It was probably around 1 or 2 that I finally got dressed. Since I slept in my yoga pants, I wore them yesterday morning while I was up and about around campus to see the nurse and get my absences excused. Being sick really stinks! I was pretty convinced I was dying (thanks to my face being pink, pink, pink). But, our wonderful on-campus nurse assured me that the side-effect was completely normal and I wasn't going to die. That's always a good thing. This morning, I woke up feeling super wonderful. My 11 am was canceled for the day, so I didn't have to be anywhere until 12:30. That felt amazing. I got wonderful amounts of sleep last night and am a really happy girl! Then, I walked outside and learned it was grass cutting day. Apparently, it's spring again, so that means grass cutting is starting back up. Grass and pollen flying everywhere. Yay for allergies. Drinking lots and lots of water helps. I just hope I don't drown. (I read once that if you drink too much water, you can drown. Is that true? Any science majors want to help me out here?)

Well, Saturday, I shared that I want to share some words of wisdom from the Scriptures this week. I mean, so often I feel like we think that the bible doesn't say anything about the issue of human trafficking. Like, this issue is a new problem and God doesn't "really" have anything to say about it. Haha. Excuses, excuses. But, if you actually open up that book and read it, you'd see that God has a lot to say about justice. He's a just God that desperately loves his people.

Psalm 82: 3-4 says, "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Defending the cause of the weak and the vulnerable is not optional. It's a command. We are called to rescue them and deliver them. 

Proverbs 14:31 says, "Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Oppression of the poor is a bad thing- it isn't loving God. But, being kind to people who are in need- that's something that honors God. As I tell my kids in Sunday School- love God, love people, nothing else matters.

This next one always gets me. Proverbs 21:13 reads, "Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered." We can try and ignore their cries. We can try and pretend this horrific problem is not occurring. We can stick our fingers in our ears and scream "I can't hear you!" like a small child. But, stubbornness does not lead to happiness. We like the whole "ask God and it will be given unto you" part of the Bible. But, this proverb says that if we ignore the poor...so will God ignore us. That's a scary thing 'yall!

One more for today. Proverbs 24: 11-12 says, "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?" This is a scary thing. You know about the issue now. You cannot be ignorant any longer. Indifference is NOT an option. These two verses make me think of a story I heard about the Holocaust once. People in Germany (and other parts of England) would see the trains with the Jewish people that were being taken to concentration camps. They ignored it, because they didn't think it was as bad of an issue as it was. They ignored the issue and did not rescue those that were being led away to death. Are you going to do the same thing? Are you going to ignore the issue and not rescue these people from the hands of injustice that will eventually lead to their demise? I was watching a documentary the other night on human trafficking in Detroit (on MSNBC, I'll try and find it online later!). One woman interviewed said that she was told that she could never escape. The traffickers either drug you, they overdose you, or they beat/kill you. Human trafficking victims are literally being  "led away to death" and are "staggering toward slaughter". What are YOU going to do about it?

Maybe we can't march into the brothels tonight and rescue these girls. Maybe not every rice plantation slave will be freed by tomorrow morning. But, there are things you can do. You can pray. You can write letters to congress and let them know that you want them to write up harsher legislation against traffickers. That you want it to be exceedingly hard for them to do what they do- we don't need to make it easy! You can sign petitions. You can get the word out. You can give money (See that little link on the sidebar? It's a donation link for As Our Own!). There are tons of things you CAN do. Don't focus on what you can't. If we all do a little and do our part...who knows what might happen!

Sunday Sparkle- Week 9!

It's Sunday Sparkle time again! This project has been really fun so far. I'm still working at getting everything printed and placed in a scrapbook, but when I get a complete layout, I'll be sure and post pictures. After all, I really do want to be a crafty blogger...haha.

I don't have as many pictures from this week as from weeks past. I've been busy, and I'm hard at work getting my one dress project pictures up. So, just a few this week. As I blogged about here, monday night, my daddy and I went to PCC for the 72 Days for Freedom kickoff. It was super amazing and really encouraged me that we CAN make a difference in the problem of human trafficking. On the way over to Atlanta, we stopped at the Dwarf House in Newnan for dinner. I love gnomes, so naturally I like things like dwarfs and tiny doors, too. After the program, we had a candlelight thing by the hand from Passion. It was pretty neat.





I didn't take anymore pictures until Friday. That is when some crazy tornados came through. According to UAB research, most deaths from tornados are a result of head trauma, so you should wear a helmet. Des and I took this to heart.

Saturday night, my Dad found Jesus. As in, we were sitting around the table and dad said "I just found Jesus on the wall". Okay guys, bidding starts at 500. Who wants a wall with Jesus? (Haha. Kidding. Love my house). I added in an arrow so you can find him easier.



Tonight (yes, I'm including Sunday this week), I did my weekly grocery run with Kaitlyn. First, I wrote up my list. Then, I looked at the publix ad for this week and printed off some coupons. Everything was on my list that I got, except for some crackers. But, they were $1.49 for 2 boxes (Bogo at $3.49 plus a $2 coupon), and I will eat them, so I think it was a good deal. My "win" for the week was my vitamin d. My doctor said I should start taking it. So, I found one for $4.99 regular and I had a $3 off Publix coupon (from their booklet) and a $1 off coupon that was on the item. Winning. That means it was $0.99. Not too shabby, even if they weren't gummies. I also needed some Zyrtec, and they had a deal for the Publix brand. If you bought the 30 count (for $13), you got the 14 count free. So, I spent $13 for $23 worth of medicine. I think that counts for something! Overall, I saved $24 and spent $36 (pre-tax. It was 40 with tax) and was able to get what I needed for less. Yay!

Heart of Justice

At the request of my mother, I've continued the "hands on the hips" pose. I don't know. I feel weird taking daily pictures of myself anyways, but just standing there- I don't know what to do with my hands. I feel silly. So, I strike a sassy pose like this one.

I giggle way too much. That's why I have a bazillion pictures from each day. (Don't think I just take one. I have to give myself choices on which picture I'm going to use on my blog!)

Today, I went for the "comfortable" factor. I really wanted to wear sweatpants. I've been fighting my allergies for the past week (or two) and fighting a losing battle. I finally went to the doctor yesterday and they put me on some steroids (since I don't like shots) to try and kick start my immune system. They are supposed to make me hyper and I should be able to get tons done and not want to sleep, but (since I'm always the opposite of what they say) they made me sleepy. So, I'm not really wanting to spend time getting a cute outfit together. So, I just threw on a large sweater (from the thrift store awhile back) over the dress and some leggings under it (and made it look kind of like a skirt). It turned out surprisingly comfortable and I even napped in it this afternoon (winning!). Thanks to Mom, I didn't have to use my timer and got a semi-decent picture. 

According to antislavery.org, trafficking is "transporting people away from the communities in which they live and forcing them to work against their will using violence, deception or coercion." Every minute, two children are sold into slavery.

Children. Not men that can "fight for themselves". Not women that "brought this upon themselves". We can't hide behind lies and excuses. These are innocent children being forced to do things against their will. These are children being forced to labor and not being allowed to go to school. These are children that are forced to do things that they shouldn't have to do. These are real children with real lives. Trafficking is something that God despises, because it hurts his children. According to Deuteronomy 10:17-18, "For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing." Again, Psalm 10:11,17 says, "The wicked say to themselves, 'God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.' You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed..."

Have a heart of justice. Hear the cry of the afflicted. Encourage them. Listen to them. Give them human dignity and worth. Defend them. This next week, we're going to be digging into what the bible says about human trafficking and justice as we continue this "One Dress Project". Yay!