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.

Photo credit to Sarah Browning

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!

Cambodia: One Year Later

Today's the day.  A year ago I was getting on a plane to Cambodia.  (Of course that plane had to turn back to Dallas because a bird blew out an engine so technically I didn't leave until tomorrow, but you know.)  I've been thinking a lot about it with this anniversary approaching.  Why did I go?  Did it make a difference to me or the people I met there?  Am I still living like it happened, and it mattered? (Fair warning, this post is all over the place.)

There's no doubt that Cambodia made an indelible impression on me, but not really in any of the ways I expected.  I expected to be crushed by the weight of poverty and trafficking and sadness, and that did happen at some points in the trip.  But when I think back, I most remember laying our hands on women in prayer, sitting in a rickety house marveling at God's love through a translator, the young men at church telling us how they believe Jesus can change Cambodia for the better.  I remember the best coffee of my life, crazy rides in tuk-tuks, the beautiful smiles of children, well-worn school uniforms, playing duck duck goose on a dirt road, and pipe cleaners.  (Those kids went so crazy for brightly colored pipe cleaners!)  I remember how God got bigger and doctrine got smaller.  I remember that evil is more horrible than I ever knew was possible, and I remember that God's redemption and hope goes beyond what I ever imagined.

Cambodia taught me that we have our own kind of poverty here.  I found myself jealous of their community, their lack of front doors, their children running around together in the alleys all day.  I know this is insane because it's also these situations that make them vulnerable, but still I grieve for our locked doors and our fences and our "don't go out there" mentality.  I really wonder if much of our anxiety and depression can be traced to this root.  (And I say this as someone who has struggled with anxiety recently.)  We simply are not meant to live alone within four walls.  I think this is the thing that has had the very most impact on me from my trip, and that I am most passionate about in my American Life right now.  Finding and fostering real community.

Cambodia taught me about laying down our lives for the gospel.  Our hosts for that week were a young couple from Australia.  They left everything to come to Phnom Penh and work at SHE Rescue Home.  When we were there, they had just found out that she was pregnant with their first child, and conventional wisdom would say that it was time to hang up their mission work and go home to raise their baby in a safe, comfortable place, but they planned to stay.  There was Rod, also an Australian, who did such amazing work with the poor despite his own health struggles.  We are so stinkin' selfish with our resources here.  We are so concerned with protecting our own homes, families, money, and time, that most days getting tangled up with needs and injustices around us feels all but impossible.  We talk a lot about "putting Jesus first" but what does that even mean to most of us?  That we'll try real hard to read our Bible every day?

And can we talk for a minute about women?  Cambodia taught me so much about women.  I know that feminism can be something of a dirty word in certain circles, but at the heart of feminism is simply valuing women equally.  I saw firsthand the need for that.  There's a saying in Cambodia that girls are like white cloth and that boys are like gold.  In essence, once white cloth is stained, it's worthless, but gold can be polished up and clean again.  Girls are trafficked and raped because they aren't valued, and once that has happened to them they are further devalued because they're "stained" in so many eyes.  This kind of thing happens all around the world, and it has to change.  It has to be a priority for us.  Galatians tells us "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  If we as the church nearly 2000 years later cannot agree that men and women are one in Christ Jesus, we have a problem!  I watched amazing women on my team, in the rescue home, pastoring churches in garbage dumps, little girls healing from wounds I could never fathom... Girls matter.  Women matter.  If there is any sense of God-given justice in us, we should care about this.

 My team of world-changing women.

Precious girls (and boys) who matter so very much.

If anyone is interested in getting involved with Cambodia or anti-trafficking efforts, see this list I wrote not long after my trip.  I'd also add to that list International Justice Mission.  I am constantly in awe of their work.  There are so many good people out there fighting the good fight in this arena, and God can always use another willing heart!

The Next Right Thing

Since coming back from Cambodia, it's been hard for me to know how to translate all that I learned and became passionate about there to my everyday life here.  Should I be doing more with trafficking?  Is there something else I can do for Cambodia?  Then a couple of months ago I was reading an article about trafficking, and at the end it said simply "Do the next right thing.  Then follow it with the next right thing after that."  That started to stir around in my head, and somehow in the last week or two I've been burdened by what I believe is my "next right thing", and that is paying more attention to the clothes that we buy.  Nothing earth-shattering, but it relates to Cambodia and trafficking, and it's just a good thing to do.

For anyone who doesn't know, my husband is... frugal, and that has rubbed off on me through the years.  We're a one-income family with two growing kiddos, so I've come to pride myself on filling a closet with clothes for minimal cash.  But I sometimes see "Made in Cambodia" on our clothing tags, and I remember the factories we drove by when I was there.  It's a complicated issue that I don't even pretend to fully understand - factories create needed jobs, and that is good, but the wages are paltry and the conditions aren't always good.  For example in Cambodia, some garment workers recently protested and went on strike to try to get a minimum wage of $160 a month.  Yes, you read that right.  And no, they were not successful.  I just don't think I can keep my head in the sand any longer and pretend that my purchases aren't feeding a system that harms real people.  (I could go into a lot more detail on why it's a problem, but that might be a whole other post.  It can be anything from slave labor and child labor to unsafe working conditions and low wages to who knows what else.  It's a mess, and trying to figure out who's guilty is even messier.  And lest you think it's just the $3 t-shirts at Wal-mart that are the problem, it happens across pretty much every price point.)

So how on earth does a family on a pretty strict budget move from our normal shopping at Target and clearance sales to ethically produced stuff?  I can tell you one thing, fair trade ain't cheap.  Shopping secondhand stores is a great way to bulk up the closet inexpensively to offset some of the pricier items.  The other thing I'm coming to realize is that we may all just have to do with fewer items in our closet.  It might mean more laundry but really, we'll survive.

I'm certainly no expert on this subject yet, but here's what I know after a few days of reading.  Anything made in the USA, Canada, or the UK is generally good news.  We have regulations, unions, minimum wage, etc.   It's not the easiest thing to find stuff made in the US anymore, but I was surprised to discover that Zulily carries a lot of brands that are made here.  If you search "made in USA" you'll end up with pages of things to choose from.  Zulily isn't my favorite because they're slow to ship and you can't return things, but their customer service is good and their stuff is darn cute.  And if nothing else, you can see what American brands they carry and then go directly to their websites to shop!  You can also do a "made in USA" search on nordstrom.com.

Here's a quick rundown of some other brands I've found that seem to be doing well in the ethics department.  Sorry I don't have a bibliography of sources for you to check, so you'll just have to trust that I saw it somewhere reliable.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a few places to start.  Take a deep breath before you start clicking links - remember this stuff can get expensive, but it's worth it!  I plan to shop the sales at the end of the season to avoid paying full price.

Underwear/Socks:
Hanes (also makes several other brands)

Swimwear:
Albion Fit - so gorgeous
Boden - Boden/Mini Boden were hard to find reports on, but they have a really robust ethical policy section on their website, so I'm saying they're good.  Plus it gives me an excuse to buy clothes there.
Lime Ricki - I love these swimsuits anyway because they are cute and modest.  I can't vouch for the factory conditions from any outside source, but their customer service department told me that they are manufactured in Mexico and that the factories have been toured by LR personnel to ensure that everything is on the up-and-up.  Sounds good to me.

Kids’ Clothes:
The aforementioned Zulily
Mini Boden
Teres Kids
Tea Collection
Monsoon - this stuff is ADORABLE (especially their swimsuits) and not too pricey!  Free shipping to the US too.
H&M and Zara are both on the iffy list, but it looks like they've made some positive strides recently toward better transparency and factory conditions. 

Shoes:
Timberland
Moo Shoes
Sseko Sandals - so cute and such a cool company!
Feelgoodz flip flops
New Balance - they get mixed reviews, but some are made in the USA and they seem to have extensive policies in place

Kids' Shoes:
(This was the hardest category.  I'm sure there are more decent brands out there but it was just hard to get information about most of the brands we usually buy.  Check sites like zappos.com to find these brands for cheaper than their retail sites.)
Kepner Scott - some of these are ugly but there are some cute styles
Pediped
Livie and Luca

And of course for accessories, handbags, toys, and other items there's always the post I made around Christmas time with lots more resources. 

So that's my goal, my "next right thing", to simply be more conscious of what we're wearing.  I know we will still buy the occasional thing at Target, and sometimes we'll need something specific that just isn't available in the fair-trade world, and that's okay.  If we all make some small steps together, we can make a difference!  I can promise that companies notice where we spend our money.  Another great step to take is to let companies know that the way they manufacture their products is important to you.  A quick email to their customer service department will do the job.

* Random side note - although this post is not about coffee, I did try to start buying fair trade coffee a couple of months ago and discovered Westrock Coffee.  They sell it at our Walmart, it's cheaper than Starbucks and it's truly the best coffee I've tried.  Go get some!  *

Do the next right thing. Then follow it with the next right thing after that.
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/reject-apathy/modern-day-slavery-by-numbers#pv2zJD2AoDR1uF3m.99

Keep It Simple

"Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:17

I've been chewing on this verse this week.  It is especially relevant to me now because my daughter is getting to the age where we have deeper conversations about faith than just naming the animals on Noah's Ark.  During the Christmas season, I started reading Matthew with her.  Not every night, and we haven't gotten very far, but I've already been amazed.  One night we were in chapter 6, talking about storing up treasures in Heaven.  While I was explaining to her what that meant, she got very upset because she thought I was going to give all her stuff away and she was especially worried about her clothes.  Clothes are very important when you're 5, apparently.  Then we continue on and a few verses later it specifically says not to worry about what you will wear.  It's so simple but she thought that was super cool, and it was the most special thing to see how the Bible can be living and active to a little girl just like it is to me. 

I'm not sure how I got started, but I read a lot of Christian blogs.  Probably because I joined Twitter and didn't know what to do with it, so I picked a bunch of Christian authors to follow and every time I get on there I spend 2 hours following links they post.  Anyway, that's not really the point.  The point is, while most of what I read is encouraging and challenging and wonderful, it makes my brain hurt sometimes.  They use words like hermeneutics, exegesis, egalitarianism, and dispensational pre-millenialism (okay, that one's actually from my Revelation study).  Know who didn't use big words?  Jesus.  Jesus is "follow me", "love your neighbor", "don't worry", and "once upon a time, there was a shepherd who lost his sheep".  He spoke in an accessible way, so that not just the seminary graduate would understand his teachings, but everyone who heard him.  It makes me wonder if we've overcomplicated faith in Jesus to a ridiculous degree.  Don't get me wrong, I think studying scripture and gaining greater understanding of God are good things, but do we reach a point where we are missing the forest for the trees?  As I read recently, "It is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth."  (A.W. Tozer)  

 

Start Where You Are

Well, hello there, neglected little blog!  It's been a while.  I hope everyone had a great holiday season.  Ours was filled with sugar and fun and a wee bit of stress as always, but it was lovely.  At our kids' age I am still able to keep things pretty simple, so I'm trying to enjoy every moment of that while it lasts!  Now it's time to wean the kids (and myself) off the sweets and get back to a routine.  As we face the new year, I've never been much for resolutions.  They seem to be a recipe for failure, at least in my world!  But it's hard not to at least reflect on the year gone by and think of things to improve on in the year to come.

2013 was a year in which God worked on me in a huge way, the sometimes painful process of molding and making.  He continues to chip away at my attachment to the world and material things and to stir up compassion and response to the needs around the world.  Cambodia was the culmination of that in so many ways, but to be honest it has been a struggle to figure out how to continue on since returning home.  (Probably why I haven't written much since then.)  Turning feelings into action can be a tricky business!  I'm hoping 2014 will bring more tangible opportunities for me to stay connected to the people of Cambodia and the fight against human trafficking.  And still I know that God doesn't intend for me to sit around and pine for a country halfway around the world when there are needs and struggles going on in my very own community, so I must continue to pray and seek what God would have me do here.  

As you might be able to tell from reading this little blog, I'm a Big Ideas person.  I love to make grand plans and organize and plot and scheme.  So I suppose if I have a resolution this year, that's it.  To stop thinking so hard and just start where I am, following God with small faithful steps.  I hope if you have been waiting for any reason to follow a call from God, you will set whatever it is aside and start where you are too.

If you should need some inspiration, here's some book recommendations for your 2014! 
Unfinished by Richard Stearns - by far my favorite book I read this year.  Will rock your world.
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer - I've only just started this one and already find myself highlighting every other sentence.
Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge - a fun, different way to think about Jesus. 
Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist - just makes your soul feel good to read.  Get some friends and some wine and read it together.
Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxes - this is a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but really I'd recommend reading this or anything you can get your hands on by Bonhoeffer himself.  I plan to do just that in 2014!