we are all human

This weekend, I participated in a twitter campaign through We Are All Human, a project started by fans of Bethany Joy Galeotti. We Are All Human is seeking to raise funds for Love146, a non-profit organization that has been close to my heart for a few years now. Love146 fights for "Abolition and Restoration! [They] combat child sex slavery & exploitation with the unexpected and restore survivors with excellence." The statistics regarding human trafficking and child slavery are staggering, but the modern day abolitionists at Love146 are choosing to fight back rather than shake their heads at a crisis that, to many, seems too big to conquer. My heart feels like it's going to leap right out of my chest every time I talk or write about this organization, including last night when I composed 210 tweets until 11:59pm (which would have been at least 212 by midnight if Twitter hadn't said "wow, that's enough" and shut me down!) with the hashtag "WeAreAllHuman" since each tweet with that hashtag would motivate some extremely generous donors to send another ten cents Love146's way. The twitter campaign raised $1870 and the donors decided to "round up" to $2000! The money will specifically benefit the Round Home that Love146 has constructed, a "safehome... designed to facilitate the restoration and holistic health of every child entering its doors." The home, true to its name, is physically round - no rough edges, no dark corners, no hidden isolation. Little girls are given a place to be little girls again.

I'm so glad that I got to be a part of We Are All Human's mission, which, by the way, doesn't stop now! The goal is to raise $10,000 by December 31st through Crowd Rise. As of now, $7,098 has been raised (including the $2000 from last night). I don't need to give a sales pitch, Love146 speaks for itself.

I'm also so glad that I got to be a part of using Twitter for good. I recently read an article by Mark Driscoll about receiving, redeeming and rejecting various aspects of our culture, and while I don't think Twitter is inherently bad or good, I think it was absolutely redeemed for something incredibly beautiful last night.

Christ has purchased us out of slavery - praise Him for the chance to be a part of the great, Triune work of ultimate redemption.

"Good tidings of great joy" indeed!

many conversations recently. many thoughts, many ideas, many moments.

perhaps one of the most exciting moments has been the one on Saturday in which i bought my plane ticket to see sista hillary in nyc! "i can't wait" has rarely been so very true. july 14th, here i come.

more wonderful moments: i recently read surprised by hope by n.t. wright and there is still so much whispering, weaving, wandering about in my mind it that i find myself not entirely sure how to begin articulating my thoughts. so i'll give myself a bit more time and instead share some more well-prepared notions of others i've come across recently...each of these ideas and many more are shaping my thought life at the moment...

• Ending human trafficking is not idealistic or naive. It is audacious. And it is people of audacity who change the world. - Rob Morris, President and Co-Founder of Love146.
  
• Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don’t worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, “Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men. - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
  
• I believe that if we take justice, beauty and evangelism in terms of the anticipation of God's eventual setting to rights of the whole world, we will find that they dovetail together and in fact that they are all part of the same larger whole, which is the message of hope and new life that comes with the good news of Jesus' resurrection. - N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope

mmm, mmm good.

see below.

i'm trying not to be a perfectionist anymore.

i think that's an oxymoron.

i don't think that you are supposed to try to not be a perfectionist but, what can I say...this is a process. also, i think the word legalist may describe my thinking processes a bit more accurately than perfectionist. either way, the point is that i'm going to try to calm down a bit...not feel like i have to be on top of everything all the time...

i'm going to have a little more fun, take a few more pictures, read a few more books, listen to some more music, and hide some more Word in my heart. burn a few more candles, learn a few new things, cook a few new dishes, and smile a few more times a day. i have a feeling that though i keep using the word "more"...life will feel a little less crazy.

...and i'm not going to try to sound poetic...i'm just going to let Life flow through me.

i'll keep you posted....

pun intended.

hippie.

i've decided to become a coupon clipper. my inspiration is coming from a few things - constant disappointment at the HEB check out counter, a recognition that our budget will likely be shrinking in august, and this blog - written by a lady here in CS who i've never met but stalk a little obsessively. her wisdom on everything from marriage to modesty to mama-ing is full of humor, freedom, scripture, and love. so, if she clips coupons, i guess i'll try too!

i signed up for something called "the grocery game" today which gives me access to a lot of coupons and a list of everything already on sale or buy this get this free deals at HEB or whatever store i choose. that way, i can look at the list and menu plan from it. brilliant! the trial is only $1 for 4 weeks and jared's boss swears by this program (so i have someone to get help from, its a little confusing)! you might try it out...

you may be wondering why i titled this post "hippie." partially its because i am listening to priscilla ahn at the moment who is a tad hippie-ish (and a bigger tad wonderful). but mostly because i've realized that the little hippie inside me is so pleased when i find something to start pursuing that's beneficial, helps me feel free, and i can share with others. so, with the coupon thing, i can save money, recognize my budget as a help and not a threat, and hopefully help some others save money once i kinda get things figured out. i can pass thriftiness (without obsession) to my kids someday and help them become a blessing to their spouse in that way. and maybe with my leftover sheckels i can buy one of those cute, hippielike summer scarves at target i've been salivating over and/or buy some art supplies. yes, me, art supplies. the little hippie keeps telling me to try some artsy things out....we'll see...

what do you do that helps you feel free...beneficial....helpful?