As I'm reading everyone's best-books-of-the-year posts, my own to-read list is growing exponentially! (My book wish list on Amazon is over 100 now, and I have an embarrassing stack of already-bought books at the house waiting to be read. Yikes.) That got me to thinking about my own favorites from this year.. I didn't read as many books this year as I have in years past, but I have enough for a top 5, so here goes!
2016 Top 5:
Falling Free by Shannan Martin. This book easily made its way on to my all-time favorite list. Shannan talks about leaving behind her dream life in a beautiful farmhouse in order to move in to a poorer neighborhood, and all that God has taught her about loving the poor, the imprisoned, and the at-risk. Not only is her story and her wisdom beautiful, but she is one of those writers that can make your heart skip a beat with the way she puts words together.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. This one is neck-and-neck with Falling Free. Bryan has inspirationally given his life to defending death-row inmates who were wrongfully convicted or sentenced, and this book lays out the ways that our criminal justice system can often fail the poor and minority communities. A must, must-read.
Wild in the Hollow by Amber Haines. Amber is another gorgeous writer, poetic and quirky but not inaccessible. She tells the story of years of rebellion that brought her to a raw encounter with Christ, and all the lessons learned since then.
Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis. How am I just now reading this one? I don't know, but if this one doesn't make you question every life decision you've ever made, you may want to check your pulse. Katie moved to Uganda fresh out of high school and is one of the most inspiring people of faith you'll ever read about.
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. I know, I know, in my usual circles just the name Rob Bell is enough to make you clutch your pearls. This was actually his first book, and although I didn't agree with everything in it, I don't think it's as controversial as some of his later works. It was definitely a fascinating read that made me think, and that's always a good thing.
High on my to-read list for 2017:
Reclaiming Hope by Michael Wear. Michael is a new name for me; he was on staff during President Obama's first term where he directed faith outreach and he is releasing this first book in January. He and a more conservative guy, Alan Noble, have started an organization called Public Faith that has been a great voice of sanity and hope for me during this crazy election year! Looking forward to getting my hands on this in a few weeks.
Onward by Russell Moore. Another outstanding voice during this election year has been Russell Moore. This book is a couple of years old but I hope to get to it this year.
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. I have heard soooo many great things about this book. Just waiting for a good kindle sale to pick it up!
Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Trouble I've Seen by Drew Hart. As racial reconciliation becomes a topic of great importance in our culture and (hopefully) in the church, I'm trying to educate myself as much as I can.
What were your favorites of the year? What is on your list for 2017?
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
An Election Day Confession
Precious Lord, we your people confess that we have...
.. allowed this election to affect our hearts and capture our attention in a way that we have not allowed you to do.
.. instead of loving our neighbor, we have demonized and scorned them and declared them enemies.
.. believed that ideologies and legislation are worthy of dividing the church over, when you prayed that we would be one and that others would know us by our love.
.. desired to legislate our way into being a Christian nation, when only true love for you and for others can accomplish such a thing.
.. been tempted to trust in military might, wealth, and rulers rather than your sovereign hand.
.. believed that particular solutions and ideas are "the answer" for our nation when you alone are the answer for our nation.
.. not loved and prayed for our candidates as you have commanded, but instead we have attacked, maligned, and spread rumors about them.
.. allowed fear to rule in our hearts instead of your perfect peace.
.. allowed ourselves to believe that your kingdom cannot stand if this election does not go the way we want it to.
Lord forgive us of these sins. Let us not despair of any election result any more than we despair of our own helpless estate without Christ. Teach us how to walk forward together with kindness and grace. Show us your ways, O Lord. Amen.
.. allowed this election to affect our hearts and capture our attention in a way that we have not allowed you to do.
.. instead of loving our neighbor, we have demonized and scorned them and declared them enemies.
.. believed that ideologies and legislation are worthy of dividing the church over, when you prayed that we would be one and that others would know us by our love.
.. desired to legislate our way into being a Christian nation, when only true love for you and for others can accomplish such a thing.
.. been tempted to trust in military might, wealth, and rulers rather than your sovereign hand.
.. believed that particular solutions and ideas are "the answer" for our nation when you alone are the answer for our nation.
.. not loved and prayed for our candidates as you have commanded, but instead we have attacked, maligned, and spread rumors about them.
.. allowed fear to rule in our hearts instead of your perfect peace.
.. allowed ourselves to believe that your kingdom cannot stand if this election does not go the way we want it to.
Lord forgive us of these sins. Let us not despair of any election result any more than we despair of our own helpless estate without Christ. Teach us how to walk forward together with kindness and grace. Show us your ways, O Lord. Amen.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Politics and the Gospel
I've been saddened and disappointed by some political statements I've seen made by my fellow Christians lately. Maybe you have too. I'm not willing to go into specific political issues here because I have zero desire to moderate a war on my blog comments or Facebook wall, but I do have something of an exhortation for those of us who profess to follow Christ.
May we maintain a tender heart and an open mind. It is only with a soft, pliable heart that Jesus can do His work in us. When we harden our hearts against one people group or movement or political party, we are shutting down Christ's ability to display the gospel through us. Let's be realistic, no one political party is right on every issue and it's foolishness to believe so. Can we humble ourselves enough to recognize that "our party" might be wrong about some things? Can we seek to understand each other and have compassion instead of being so quick to vilify and write off others' opinions? Can we allow the gospel alone to direct our political opinions, rather than some blowhard talk radio host or cable news commentator?
If we believe the gospel, then we believe in the ministry of reconciliation we've been given. (2 Cor. 5:18-20) Have we forgotten this? Have we forgotten that Jesus said "blessed are the peacemakers"? How can we lob grenades at other people like we do and claim that any of that comes out of Truth or The Bible? People should be hearing our politics and saying "Wow, I just don't know if that much mercy and justice and love is possible!"
Guys, this might surprise you, but I've heard that there are Christian conservatives AND liberals. (Gasp!) So if we are to seek unity as the body of Christ, how could we possibly be so arrogant as to just dismiss the other side as a bunch of idiots? If you've ever gotten on Facebook or huddled up at a party to rail on "the left" or "the right", then you've just slammed a bunch of your Christian brothers and sisters. I can tell you as someone who lives in the middle politically, I've gone home in tears after the hateful words people spewed, not knowing the beliefs or opinions they took such delight in trashing were my own. It's unkind and it's unChristlike. I'm all for healthy discussion and I know that we will not all come down in the same place on every issue, but for the sake of our country, for the sake of the Church, and above all for the sake of Christ, we must do better by each other.
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9
May we maintain a tender heart and an open mind. It is only with a soft, pliable heart that Jesus can do His work in us. When we harden our hearts against one people group or movement or political party, we are shutting down Christ's ability to display the gospel through us. Let's be realistic, no one political party is right on every issue and it's foolishness to believe so. Can we humble ourselves enough to recognize that "our party" might be wrong about some things? Can we seek to understand each other and have compassion instead of being so quick to vilify and write off others' opinions? Can we allow the gospel alone to direct our political opinions, rather than some blowhard talk radio host or cable news commentator?
If we believe the gospel, then we believe in the ministry of reconciliation we've been given. (2 Cor. 5:18-20) Have we forgotten this? Have we forgotten that Jesus said "blessed are the peacemakers"? How can we lob grenades at other people like we do and claim that any of that comes out of Truth or The Bible? People should be hearing our politics and saying "Wow, I just don't know if that much mercy and justice and love is possible!"
Guys, this might surprise you, but I've heard that there are Christian conservatives AND liberals. (Gasp!) So if we are to seek unity as the body of Christ, how could we possibly be so arrogant as to just dismiss the other side as a bunch of idiots? If you've ever gotten on Facebook or huddled up at a party to rail on "the left" or "the right", then you've just slammed a bunch of your Christian brothers and sisters. I can tell you as someone who lives in the middle politically, I've gone home in tears after the hateful words people spewed, not knowing the beliefs or opinions they took such delight in trashing were my own. It's unkind and it's unChristlike. I'm all for healthy discussion and I know that we will not all come down in the same place on every issue, but for the sake of our country, for the sake of the Church, and above all for the sake of Christ, we must do better by each other.
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
What We Can Do
I attended an information session last night with an officer from the Human Trafficking Task Force in our area. During the Q&A, someone asked "what can we do as a community?" and I think we all felt a little deflated when the answer came. "Not much. Education and awareness. Support the shelters that take in victims. I wish there was more." Well, if you know me, you know that got my wheels spinning! I came home and started jotting things down, and I wanted to share what I came up with, especially for my friends that were at the session and may also have left feeling a little bit helpless.
1. While human trafficking abroad is often a tangled web of debt, deceit, kidnapping, and often parents selling their own children, human trafficking on the domestic front looks a little different. (Not that those things don't happen here, but it doesn't seem to be the norm.) Traffickers/pimps prey upon vulnerable people, and runaways are especially susceptible to being trapped, tricked, or forced into prostitution. There is also a connection to foster care: this is just one statistic I found, but in 2012, but over 50% of trafficking victims in California were or had been in the foster care system. So what can we do? Know your kids' friends, and know your friends' kids. Be a safe place for them. Encourage your children to reach out to and befriend the kids with tough home lives. Know that that may be messy, and you may have kids in your home who are needy and rough around the edges, but be a place of love and acceptance and belonging for them. If they have a place to land when things get bad at home, they may be less likely to be persuaded or coerced into prostitution.
1b. Consider foster care or foster care support. The system needs more loving families who will invest in these children, love them, and hopefully keep them away from bad outcomes like abuse, trafficking, homelessness, and drug abuse. If you're not quite ready to be a foster parent, consider going through training at an agency like Arrow to do respite care, where you regularly take in children overnight or for the weekend to give foster families a time of rest.
2. Know your neighbors. Trafficking depends on secrecy, and our tendency as a culture to hunker down in our own homes allows traffickers to hide in plain sight. Be the weirdo that takes banana bread and introduces yourself to your neighbors, even though you've all lived there for years. Learn their names. Get to know their stories. If you see something suspicious, call law enforcement. This site has a great summary of red flags to watch for to identify sex or labor trafficking.
2b. Notice people. What could happen if we really saw the woman who is polishing our nails or the man bussing our tables, instead of viewing them as just another person in the background? Look at them, speak to them, and value them as dearly loved children of God. Again, if something seems suspicious, alert law enforcement.
3. Support local organizations that are already fighting human trafficking. If you are local to me, here are a handful of organizations (if not, just search online.. odds are there is a place where you can plug in):
Mosaic Family Services
Safe Haven
ACH Child and Family Services
Traffick911
Rescue Her
You could donate to any of these organizations, or look on their website for volunteer needs. Each one does something a little different, from sheltering victims to street outreach to education and awareness.
4. Shop fair trade/ethically made products. I've written about this before (here, here and here) but pay attention to what you buy and where it came from. It requires a lot more time and energy, but it's worth it to avoid the exploitation of people.
5. Change your perspective, then share it. This is probably not something you'd think of, but the culture has to change, and that can start with us. A few shifts to make between your own two ears:
- What is a prostitute? Is she a whore who enjoys having sex for money? Our officer last night estimated that 80% of the prostitutes he sees are forced or coerced into the industry in some way, be it physical abuse, financial dependence, threats against her or her family, or something else. Change your view: a prostitute is more often than not a victim who needs prayers and rescue. Why does this matter? For one thing, I have to believe that at least some men pay for sex because in their minds she is okay with it. I HAVE to believe that if at least some men knew the realities of what is happening to those girls, they would stop buying sex. And prostitution/trafficking simply cannot survive without buyers.
- What is a pimp? I'll admit to enjoying me some rap music on occasion, but I wince now whenever I hear lyrics about pimps. Would we still sing along with those songs if you replaced the word pimp with trafficker? It is NOT cool to be a pimp, it is not something to aspire to or glorify. Don't go along with it, and be brave enough to correct people that do.
- Know that pornography plays a part. (This article explains some of the connections between porn and trafficking.) Statistics are varied, but studies suggest that at least 50% of Christian men and 10-20% of Christian women regularly view pornography. You may think that what you look at in the privacy of your own home doesn't hurt anyone, but that is just not true. Beyond the moral implications of porn generally, there is really no way to know that the pornography you consume is free from exploitation. So, stop watching it (if you can't, seek help) and speak out against it. Also on this note, talk to your kids early and often about the dangers of pornography. It's a scary subject to tackle, but I've read that the average age of first exposure to internet porn is 11-12. Yeah, we've got to talk to them about it.
6. Support anti-human trafficking legislation. Write your representatives and tell them that this issue matters to you. Keep an eye/ear out for upcoming legislation in this area, and encourage your representatives to vote for it. Polaris Project has a great section on the state of current laws and what is being proposed.
7. Pray. The thing that struck me the most last night is how difficult it is to get a victim to "outcry" - to admit that she is being abused or trafficked. It's even more difficult to get her to testify against her trafficker and even more difficult to get her into a good aftercare/restoration program. Pray for their strength and courage, and for their complete healing. Pray for law enforcement, for the organizations that fight trafficking, and even for the traffickers and buyers.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a starting place. I would love to hear ideas that God may have planted in your heart as well!
1. While human trafficking abroad is often a tangled web of debt, deceit, kidnapping, and often parents selling their own children, human trafficking on the domestic front looks a little different. (Not that those things don't happen here, but it doesn't seem to be the norm.) Traffickers/pimps prey upon vulnerable people, and runaways are especially susceptible to being trapped, tricked, or forced into prostitution. There is also a connection to foster care: this is just one statistic I found, but in 2012, but over 50% of trafficking victims in California were or had been in the foster care system. So what can we do? Know your kids' friends, and know your friends' kids. Be a safe place for them. Encourage your children to reach out to and befriend the kids with tough home lives. Know that that may be messy, and you may have kids in your home who are needy and rough around the edges, but be a place of love and acceptance and belonging for them. If they have a place to land when things get bad at home, they may be less likely to be persuaded or coerced into prostitution.
1b. Consider foster care or foster care support. The system needs more loving families who will invest in these children, love them, and hopefully keep them away from bad outcomes like abuse, trafficking, homelessness, and drug abuse. If you're not quite ready to be a foster parent, consider going through training at an agency like Arrow to do respite care, where you regularly take in children overnight or for the weekend to give foster families a time of rest.
2. Know your neighbors. Trafficking depends on secrecy, and our tendency as a culture to hunker down in our own homes allows traffickers to hide in plain sight. Be the weirdo that takes banana bread and introduces yourself to your neighbors, even though you've all lived there for years. Learn their names. Get to know their stories. If you see something suspicious, call law enforcement. This site has a great summary of red flags to watch for to identify sex or labor trafficking.
2b. Notice people. What could happen if we really saw the woman who is polishing our nails or the man bussing our tables, instead of viewing them as just another person in the background? Look at them, speak to them, and value them as dearly loved children of God. Again, if something seems suspicious, alert law enforcement.
3. Support local organizations that are already fighting human trafficking. If you are local to me, here are a handful of organizations (if not, just search online.. odds are there is a place where you can plug in):
Mosaic Family Services
Safe Haven
ACH Child and Family Services
Traffick911
Rescue Her
You could donate to any of these organizations, or look on their website for volunteer needs. Each one does something a little different, from sheltering victims to street outreach to education and awareness.
4. Shop fair trade/ethically made products. I've written about this before (here, here and here) but pay attention to what you buy and where it came from. It requires a lot more time and energy, but it's worth it to avoid the exploitation of people.
5. Change your perspective, then share it. This is probably not something you'd think of, but the culture has to change, and that can start with us. A few shifts to make between your own two ears:
- What is a prostitute? Is she a whore who enjoys having sex for money? Our officer last night estimated that 80% of the prostitutes he sees are forced or coerced into the industry in some way, be it physical abuse, financial dependence, threats against her or her family, or something else. Change your view: a prostitute is more often than not a victim who needs prayers and rescue. Why does this matter? For one thing, I have to believe that at least some men pay for sex because in their minds she is okay with it. I HAVE to believe that if at least some men knew the realities of what is happening to those girls, they would stop buying sex. And prostitution/trafficking simply cannot survive without buyers.
- What is a pimp? I'll admit to enjoying me some rap music on occasion, but I wince now whenever I hear lyrics about pimps. Would we still sing along with those songs if you replaced the word pimp with trafficker? It is NOT cool to be a pimp, it is not something to aspire to or glorify. Don't go along with it, and be brave enough to correct people that do.
- Know that pornography plays a part. (This article explains some of the connections between porn and trafficking.) Statistics are varied, but studies suggest that at least 50% of Christian men and 10-20% of Christian women regularly view pornography. You may think that what you look at in the privacy of your own home doesn't hurt anyone, but that is just not true. Beyond the moral implications of porn generally, there is really no way to know that the pornography you consume is free from exploitation. So, stop watching it (if you can't, seek help) and speak out against it. Also on this note, talk to your kids early and often about the dangers of pornography. It's a scary subject to tackle, but I've read that the average age of first exposure to internet porn is 11-12. Yeah, we've got to talk to them about it.
6. Support anti-human trafficking legislation. Write your representatives and tell them that this issue matters to you. Keep an eye/ear out for upcoming legislation in this area, and encourage your representatives to vote for it. Polaris Project has a great section on the state of current laws and what is being proposed.
7. Pray. The thing that struck me the most last night is how difficult it is to get a victim to "outcry" - to admit that she is being abused or trafficked. It's even more difficult to get her to testify against her trafficker and even more difficult to get her into a good aftercare/restoration program. Pray for their strength and courage, and for their complete healing. Pray for law enforcement, for the organizations that fight trafficking, and even for the traffickers and buyers.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a starting place. I would love to hear ideas that God may have planted in your heart as well!
Monday, March 23, 2015
What my kids have taught me about... Cheap Grace
Motherhood has opened up a whole new level of understanding of God for me. I think most of us feel that way about love - you really understand how God loves us when you experience that for your children - but I find it to be true in so many other areas too.
Cheap grace is a doctrine made famous by my man Bonhoeffer. It's always been a slippery one for me to understand because when we decide to follow Christ and receive His grace, we are promised that there is no more shame, no more condemnation, and that nothing we can do can add to or take away from the cross. But. There is cheap grace and there is costly grace. This is shown over and over in the gospels when Jesus invites people to follow Him. There is always a cost to the follower, whether it is selling all their belongings, leaving their occupations or families, or facing very real persecution. Remember that he said "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33) Grace is freely offered to all, yes, but it is not cheap. And much of the time, we treat it as cheap and therefore meaningless, and it prevents us from becoming true disciples of Christ.
Take my children, for example. This is a pretty typical scenario these days. When my daughter does something like hit her brother, we do the standard "you hurt your brother, tell him you're sorry", and a she'll offer up a halfhearted apology and run right along and keep playing. For a while this was happening constantly and finally I heard myself tell her, "it's not enough to just say sorry, you need to quit doing it!" Then I wondered if what I had said was right. Don't we teach that a simple confession is enough to receive forgiveness? How is obedience linked to grace?
Contrast that with my son. He is my no means a perfect child, but his tendency when he does something like hit his sister is to immediately start crying out "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm soooo sorry!" It takes me by surprise almost every time. I forgive both of the kids the same, of course, but the dynamic is different. I find that my heart is more soft toward my son in those moments because I see that he understands what he has done and he offers his apology without prompting from me. And I wonder what that might be telling me about God and grace.
Bonhoeffer says, "Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian 'conception' of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins... no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin."* My daughter tends toward cheap grace. She does not want to acknowledge her wrongdoing (I should confess that she gets this from me) so she glosses over it with a quick meaningless apology. Bonus points if she can deflect the blame to someone else so that it's really, really not her fault. She knows forgiveness will come anyway, so there is no real need to recognize her own guilt, much less actually try to do things differently. But if she loves me and trusts me to guide her on this journey to becoming a responsible adult, she will need to at some point get over her stubborn self and do what I ask of her.
When we're talking about our relationship to Jesus, this is pretty major. If we've declared that Jesus is our Lord, what does it say about that decision if we constantly refuse to change or acknowledge our own brokenness? This doesn't mean walking around with our head hung in shame, but we must recognize that God's grace is not cheap. It cost Jesus His own life, and in return He calls us to lay down our own lives. "In the gospels the very first step a man must take is an act which radically affects his whole existence."* This is no mere 'asking Jesus into your heart', this is costly grace. Obedience and submission are still A Thing, even though we've been granted this marvelous grace that pardons all our sins past and future. Actually BECAUSE we've been granted this marvelous grace then we realize that it is worth laying down anything we thought had value before, because it is all rags in comparison to the living God who loves us so.
* Bonhoeffer quotes taken from The Cost of Discipleship
Cheap grace is a doctrine made famous by my man Bonhoeffer. It's always been a slippery one for me to understand because when we decide to follow Christ and receive His grace, we are promised that there is no more shame, no more condemnation, and that nothing we can do can add to or take away from the cross. But. There is cheap grace and there is costly grace. This is shown over and over in the gospels when Jesus invites people to follow Him. There is always a cost to the follower, whether it is selling all their belongings, leaving their occupations or families, or facing very real persecution. Remember that he said "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33) Grace is freely offered to all, yes, but it is not cheap. And much of the time, we treat it as cheap and therefore meaningless, and it prevents us from becoming true disciples of Christ.
Take my children, for example. This is a pretty typical scenario these days. When my daughter does something like hit her brother, we do the standard "you hurt your brother, tell him you're sorry", and a she'll offer up a halfhearted apology and run right along and keep playing. For a while this was happening constantly and finally I heard myself tell her, "it's not enough to just say sorry, you need to quit doing it!" Then I wondered if what I had said was right. Don't we teach that a simple confession is enough to receive forgiveness? How is obedience linked to grace?
Contrast that with my son. He is my no means a perfect child, but his tendency when he does something like hit his sister is to immediately start crying out "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm soooo sorry!" It takes me by surprise almost every time. I forgive both of the kids the same, of course, but the dynamic is different. I find that my heart is more soft toward my son in those moments because I see that he understands what he has done and he offers his apology without prompting from me. And I wonder what that might be telling me about God and grace.
Bonhoeffer says, "Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian 'conception' of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins... no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin."* My daughter tends toward cheap grace. She does not want to acknowledge her wrongdoing (I should confess that she gets this from me) so she glosses over it with a quick meaningless apology. Bonus points if she can deflect the blame to someone else so that it's really, really not her fault. She knows forgiveness will come anyway, so there is no real need to recognize her own guilt, much less actually try to do things differently. But if she loves me and trusts me to guide her on this journey to becoming a responsible adult, she will need to at some point get over her stubborn self and do what I ask of her.
When we're talking about our relationship to Jesus, this is pretty major. If we've declared that Jesus is our Lord, what does it say about that decision if we constantly refuse to change or acknowledge our own brokenness? This doesn't mean walking around with our head hung in shame, but we must recognize that God's grace is not cheap. It cost Jesus His own life, and in return He calls us to lay down our own lives. "In the gospels the very first step a man must take is an act which radically affects his whole existence."* This is no mere 'asking Jesus into your heart', this is costly grace. Obedience and submission are still A Thing, even though we've been granted this marvelous grace that pardons all our sins past and future. Actually BECAUSE we've been granted this marvelous grace then we realize that it is worth laying down anything we thought had value before, because it is all rags in comparison to the living God who loves us so.
* Bonhoeffer quotes taken from The Cost of Discipleship
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Strangely Dim
If you've talked to me at all this Christmas season, you've probably noticed a bit (okay, a lot) of "bah humbug" in my attitude. I'm tired of buying stuff, the constant school parties and charity requests, the "75% off! Get it now!" emails. I'm dreading the baking and wrapping and just all of it. Don't get me wrong, I do love Christmas. I love giving and twinkly lights and chocolate. For some reason this year though... it's all too much. And there's so little of Jesus in it. As the old hymn says "turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." It sure doesn't seem like the things of earth are strangely dim in this season. It sure seems like the things of earth are bright and shiny and flat-out blinding.
How do we show our kids (or ourselves) the brilliance of Jesus' glory and grace, the magic of the Creator of the stinkin' universe coming to earth as a baby to rescue His people because He loves them that much?? How do we impart the weight of that when Jesus is mostly a footnote among the consumerism and chaos that is Christmas in America? Heaven forbid our kids don't experience the "magic" of hot chocolate pajama parties and Santa showering them with gifts and elves having marshmallow snowball fights in their kitchen. (Please don't hear me saying those things are anti-Jesus, my kids believe in Santa and we have a (very lazy) elf on the shelf.) We do an advent calendar to keep Jesus in the daily conversation, and we make no kind of big deal about Santa or gifts or any of that, but I also know that if you ask my kids what happens on Christmas, they're gonna say PRESENTS!
[And if you might allow me to take my grumps to the extreme, even buying stuff for less-fortunate kids is starting to feel off to me. We want other children to experience the joy of Christmas, so how can they possibly do that without toys?! I know that sounds terrible, and I do want my kids and others to enjoy Christmas and to have something they love under the tree, but man. I told you it was Extreme Grump.]
So if you find yourself like me, weary and desperately trying to claw through the clutter to find Jesus, maybe this quote will bring you some clarity like it did for me. It's of course from my main man Dietrich Bonhoeffer, written when he was in prison: "I think we’re going to have an exceptionally good Christmas. The very fact that outward circumstance precludes our making provision for it will show whether we can be content with what is truly essential. I used to be very fond of thinking up and buying presents, but now that we have nothing to give, the gift God gave us in the birth of Christ will seem all the more glorious … The poorer our quarters, the more clearly we perceive that our hearts should be Christ’s home on earth." No matter what trimmings and activities you choose this season, may that be the prayer of our hearts. That all the "stuff" may bring some extra fun and cheer, but they will seem strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
How do we show our kids (or ourselves) the brilliance of Jesus' glory and grace, the magic of the Creator of the stinkin' universe coming to earth as a baby to rescue His people because He loves them that much?? How do we impart the weight of that when Jesus is mostly a footnote among the consumerism and chaos that is Christmas in America? Heaven forbid our kids don't experience the "magic" of hot chocolate pajama parties and Santa showering them with gifts and elves having marshmallow snowball fights in their kitchen. (Please don't hear me saying those things are anti-Jesus, my kids believe in Santa and we have a (very lazy) elf on the shelf.) We do an advent calendar to keep Jesus in the daily conversation, and we make no kind of big deal about Santa or gifts or any of that, but I also know that if you ask my kids what happens on Christmas, they're gonna say PRESENTS!
[And if you might allow me to take my grumps to the extreme, even buying stuff for less-fortunate kids is starting to feel off to me. We want other children to experience the joy of Christmas, so how can they possibly do that without toys?! I know that sounds terrible, and I do want my kids and others to enjoy Christmas and to have something they love under the tree, but man. I told you it was Extreme Grump.]
So if you find yourself like me, weary and desperately trying to claw through the clutter to find Jesus, maybe this quote will bring you some clarity like it did for me. It's of course from my main man Dietrich Bonhoeffer, written when he was in prison: "I think we’re going to have an exceptionally good Christmas. The very fact that outward circumstance precludes our making provision for it will show whether we can be content with what is truly essential. I used to be very fond of thinking up and buying presents, but now that we have nothing to give, the gift God gave us in the birth of Christ will seem all the more glorious … The poorer our quarters, the more clearly we perceive that our hearts should be Christ’s home on earth." No matter what trimmings and activities you choose this season, may that be the prayer of our hearts. That all the "stuff" may bring some extra fun and cheer, but they will seem strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
Photo credit to Sarah Browning
Thursday, November 13, 2014
The Second Annual Christmas Shopping Post!
Last year I wrote this post about using our Christmas shopping powers for good. It was my most-viewed post ever, so I thought I would do it again! A lot of the list is the same as last year, but some are new or updated.
Many of the sites I'm linking to are companies/ministries that employ people in developing countries so that they can have a way to escape poverty, some employ former sex workers or trafficking survivors, and some are just fair trade places. You can figure it out as you click. :)
Pretty Things:
Sak Saum - A Cambodian ministry that provides vocational training; they are “dedicated to the rescue, restoration, transformation and rehabilitation of vulnerable and exploited women and men” . They sell jewelry and scarves, and their purses are so cute. If you've seen me running around with my navy floral purse, this is where it came from!
Mercy House Kenya - A maternity home in Kenya that provides maternity and post-natal care, as well as vocational training and much more. You can subscribe to a monthly box of fair trade goodies, or just shop for jewelry, cards, t-shirts, bags, etc. How sweet is this nativity set?
Imagine Goods - "We are Imagine Goods, and we partner with vulnerable and marginalized people around the world to make products that, in many cases, give the first fair wages they've ever received." Cute clothes and bags, including some kids' clothes.
3 Cords Haiti - "Our mission is to provide opportunities for physically handicapped women and men, and to show them that they are both beautiful and valuable. We do this by training our employees as artisans in a loving, community oriented environment." Beautiful jewelry, bags, laptop cases, and cards. $25 tote bags like this? Yes please.
Live Fashionable - Empowers women in Africa by providing them with a sustainable business opportunity. Their scarves are gorgeous!!
Noonday Collection: Mostly known for their amazing jewelry, but they also have cute tea towels, stationery and other goodies. "Your fashion sense can now restore dignity to abandoned women in Ethiopia, empower communities in Ecuador, and create business opportunities for Ugandans." It's a little more expensive than some of the other sites I've posted, but come on. Look at this beauty.
Freedom Stones - "An organization dedicated to breaking the chains of poverty and injustice wherever human trafficking exists."
Yummy Things:
Ticket Chocolate - Uses chocolate from farmers that offer positive working conditions. Who can resist these amazing hot chocolate on a stick things? I ordered some of these last year and whoa. You will not regret it.
Zoe Coffee - This coffee is fair trade and roasted locally in the D/FW area. Plus proceeds go to Rescue Her, which in turn fights human trafficking around the world! If you didn't already know, I went to Cambodia with Rescue Her, so I highly recommend their organization. Click around their store too - they have a gorgeous, and very reasonably priced, Freedom Collection of jewelry.
Equal Exchange - Fair trade coffee, chocolate, tea, snacks, and other yummies. And they have baking chocolate, at a not-outrageous price (that's a tough find)! Good gift box options too.
For the Kids:
Green Toys - Made in the USA from recycled plastic. Owen has this dump truck and he loves it!
Wildly Co. - Cute kids' tees that won't break the bank.
Lately Lily - A cute picture book about a traveling girl named Lily, and adorable coordinating t-shirts and tote bags. Sweetness!
Three Little Numbers - Awesome t-shirts for kids and grownups alike.
Gifts For Guys:
Good & Fair - Fair trade, organic boxers! T-shirts and scarves too.
The Body Shop - Shaving stuff, soaps, etc. Of course they have lots of stuff for ladies too. Along these lines, Lush is also a great company.
Wallets from Novica
Global Goods Partners - Fair trade ties, made in Cambodia! They also have some CUTE stuff for kids - stuffed animals and little bags and stuff.
Marketplaces:
These sites sell items from many different artisans/companies around the world. If you have a specific gift in mind, check for it here!
Global Girlfriend - All products are made by women, and "each item you buy helps fund a seed money micro-grant through Camfed (Campaign for Female Education) to help a woman in Africa launch a small business venture to support herself and her family." There are clothes, food items, greeting cards, bath/body products and more.
Ten Thousand Villages - "A global network of social entrepreneurs works to empower artisans in developing countries." Beautiful kitchenware, lovely nativity sets and other Christmas items, home decor, and the usual suspects.
Green Heart Shop - Focused on fair trade. Candles, mugs, basketballs/soccer balls, glassware, gift boxes, honey, tea, chocolate, coffee, ornaments, aprons, clothing, toys, you name it.
In Your Name...:
If your gift recipient is the type that would appreciate an “I donated to ___ in your name”, here are some great organizations:
SHE Rescue Home - I volunteered here while in Cambodia and they are amazing - you can read more about them here. They have a store with some super cute stuff, you can donate directly, or how cool would it be to sponsor a girl for a year in someone’s name?! I personally would love that... (hint, hint)
International Justice Mission - Close to my heart because they rescue trafficked girls, but they do many other wonderful things around the world. Lawyers doing good stuff, hooray!
Agape International Mission - Rescues and restores trafficked girls in Cambodia
Kiva - Because I think microfinance lending is the coolest. Seriously. You can choose who your money goes to.
Help One Now - Doing amazing work in Haiti and Africa, working with local pastors along the way. You can donate or sponsor a child.
World Vision - Kind of the granddaddy of Christian charities, and they do just about everything. They have a great gift catalog too - buy a goat in someone's name!
Still want to shop at your same old places? Make it count!
Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of your purchases to your favorite charity (I know, it’s peanuts, but it’s something).
Sign up for a Pure Charity account. It's like social networking for charity. You can choose different organizations and projects to follow or support, and once you have their little webapp installed in your browser, different websites where you shop will donate a percentage of your purchase to your PC account. It’s pretty cool.
Also, my new fave Melanie Dale over at unexpected.org is posting lots of links between now and Christmas for her favorite slave-free shopping sites, so keep an eye on her blog for even more goodies. Happy shopping!
Many of the sites I'm linking to are companies/ministries that employ people in developing countries so that they can have a way to escape poverty, some employ former sex workers or trafficking survivors, and some are just fair trade places. You can figure it out as you click. :)
Pretty Things:
Sak Saum - A Cambodian ministry that provides vocational training; they are “dedicated to the rescue, restoration, transformation and rehabilitation of vulnerable and exploited women and men” . They sell jewelry and scarves, and their purses are so cute. If you've seen me running around with my navy floral purse, this is where it came from!
Mercy House Kenya - A maternity home in Kenya that provides maternity and post-natal care, as well as vocational training and much more. You can subscribe to a monthly box of fair trade goodies, or just shop for jewelry, cards, t-shirts, bags, etc. How sweet is this nativity set?
Imagine Goods - "We are Imagine Goods, and we partner with vulnerable and marginalized people around the world to make products that, in many cases, give the first fair wages they've ever received." Cute clothes and bags, including some kids' clothes.
3 Cords Haiti - "Our mission is to provide opportunities for physically handicapped women and men, and to show them that they are both beautiful and valuable. We do this by training our employees as artisans in a loving, community oriented environment." Beautiful jewelry, bags, laptop cases, and cards. $25 tote bags like this? Yes please.
Live Fashionable - Empowers women in Africa by providing them with a sustainable business opportunity. Their scarves are gorgeous!!
Noonday Collection: Mostly known for their amazing jewelry, but they also have cute tea towels, stationery and other goodies. "Your fashion sense can now restore dignity to abandoned women in Ethiopia, empower communities in Ecuador, and create business opportunities for Ugandans." It's a little more expensive than some of the other sites I've posted, but come on. Look at this beauty.
Freedom Stones - "An organization dedicated to breaking the chains of poverty and injustice wherever human trafficking exists."
Yummy Things:
Ticket Chocolate - Uses chocolate from farmers that offer positive working conditions. Who can resist these amazing hot chocolate on a stick things? I ordered some of these last year and whoa. You will not regret it.
Zoe Coffee - This coffee is fair trade and roasted locally in the D/FW area. Plus proceeds go to Rescue Her, which in turn fights human trafficking around the world! If you didn't already know, I went to Cambodia with Rescue Her, so I highly recommend their organization. Click around their store too - they have a gorgeous, and very reasonably priced, Freedom Collection of jewelry.
Equal Exchange - Fair trade coffee, chocolate, tea, snacks, and other yummies. And they have baking chocolate, at a not-outrageous price (that's a tough find)! Good gift box options too.
For the Kids:
Green Toys - Made in the USA from recycled plastic. Owen has this dump truck and he loves it!
Wildly Co. - Cute kids' tees that won't break the bank.
Lately Lily - A cute picture book about a traveling girl named Lily, and adorable coordinating t-shirts and tote bags. Sweetness!
Three Little Numbers - Awesome t-shirts for kids and grownups alike.
Gifts For Guys:
Good & Fair - Fair trade, organic boxers! T-shirts and scarves too.
The Body Shop - Shaving stuff, soaps, etc. Of course they have lots of stuff for ladies too. Along these lines, Lush is also a great company.
Wallets from Novica
Global Goods Partners - Fair trade ties, made in Cambodia! They also have some CUTE stuff for kids - stuffed animals and little bags and stuff.
Marketplaces:
These sites sell items from many different artisans/companies around the world. If you have a specific gift in mind, check for it here!
Global Girlfriend - All products are made by women, and "each item you buy helps fund a seed money micro-grant through Camfed (Campaign for Female Education) to help a woman in Africa launch a small business venture to support herself and her family." There are clothes, food items, greeting cards, bath/body products and more.
Ten Thousand Villages - "A global network of social entrepreneurs works to empower artisans in developing countries." Beautiful kitchenware, lovely nativity sets and other Christmas items, home decor, and the usual suspects.
Green Heart Shop - Focused on fair trade. Candles, mugs, basketballs/soccer balls, glassware, gift boxes, honey, tea, chocolate, coffee, ornaments, aprons, clothing, toys, you name it.
In Your Name...:
If your gift recipient is the type that would appreciate an “I donated to ___ in your name”, here are some great organizations:
SHE Rescue Home - I volunteered here while in Cambodia and they are amazing - you can read more about them here. They have a store with some super cute stuff, you can donate directly, or how cool would it be to sponsor a girl for a year in someone’s name?! I personally would love that... (hint, hint)
International Justice Mission - Close to my heart because they rescue trafficked girls, but they do many other wonderful things around the world. Lawyers doing good stuff, hooray!
Agape International Mission - Rescues and restores trafficked girls in Cambodia
Kiva - Because I think microfinance lending is the coolest. Seriously. You can choose who your money goes to.
Help One Now - Doing amazing work in Haiti and Africa, working with local pastors along the way. You can donate or sponsor a child.
World Vision - Kind of the granddaddy of Christian charities, and they do just about everything. They have a great gift catalog too - buy a goat in someone's name!
Still want to shop at your same old places? Make it count!
Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of your purchases to your favorite charity (I know, it’s peanuts, but it’s something).
Sign up for a Pure Charity account. It's like social networking for charity. You can choose different organizations and projects to follow or support, and once you have their little webapp installed in your browser, different websites where you shop will donate a percentage of your purchase to your PC account. It’s pretty cool.
Also, my new fave Melanie Dale over at unexpected.org is posting lots of links between now and Christmas for her favorite slave-free shopping sites, so keep an eye on her blog for even more goodies. Happy shopping!
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