September

September has been so busy - so much so that I find myself sick today - hoping that I'll be good to go again tomorrow!  So I say, bring on October!  And then I think, how can it be October already?!?  The year has flown by and before we know it, we'll be ringing in 2011.

Nostalgic

I have been trying to figure out why I've been so nostalgic over the change of seasons from summer to fall.  Why is it that the colors of leaves seem more vivid this year; why it feels great to pull out a sweater to keep warm from the autumn breeze?  I have finally figured it out - I missed fall completely last year!  My perpetual summer changed into winter and snow overnight, and I missed out on the leaves and fall sweaters.

Compassion Sunday

I blogged before the weekend about my involvement in our church service this past Sunday.  Other than talking about Kids at Risk during the service, I also had a table set up with 50 Compassion profiles - kids around the world that need sponsorship.  I am SO excited to report that 2 kids were sponsored (the last time I did this, the number was 0)!!  Two does not sound like a lot, but consider that these 2 may be the future leaders of their communities.  They may go out and train to be a nurse or teacher or doctor because of their training through Compassion.  They may share the story of Jesus with their friends, family and community and those people may continue to share Jesus with others. . .  Are you getting the big picture?!?  Two is awesome, but that means that I still have 48 profiles waiting for sponsors.

Well, actually it's 47 - I've been humming and hawing myself and I have decided to sponsor a 2nd Compassion child.  Along with Evelyn from Ecuador, I am now sponsoring a little boy named Suraj from India.  And I again urge you, if you have been considering sponsorship at all, please let me know.  That ONE child may be able to make a huge difference in the world, but they first need your help.

Human Trafficking Count Laid

This article is from Friday's Winnipeg Free Press:  www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/human-trafficking-count-laid-103697094.html

Deliver Us From Evil - Prayer 4

Pray for people fighting sexual trafficking

Remember The Salvation Army, the Church, law enforcement, non-governmental organizations, all of us

Pray for:
» Wisdom and understanding
» Cooperation and unity
» Compassionate hearts
» Faithfulness in prayer
» Necessary resources
» Legislation and support from government
» Passion and patience

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory”—Matthew 12:20

Deliver Us From Evil - Prayer 3

Pray for traffickers and all those involved in the sex industry

Remember the traffickers, pimps, johns and men buying commercial sex as well as brothel, strip club and pornography site owners

Pray for:
» Repentance and change
» Justice and restoration
» Healthy relationships and marriages
» Redemption
» Closure of brothels, strip clubs, pornography shops and sites

“Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”—Acts 3:19

Deliver Us From Evil - Prayer 2

Pray for sexually trafficked persons

Remember the people who are already living in sexual slavery in Canada and around the world; those who have been recruited, bought and sold for the purpose of sexual exploitation

“But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them…”—Isaiah 42:22a

“Say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’”—Isaiah 49:9a

Pray for:
» Safety and miracles
» Rescue and freedom
» Restoration, hope and peace
» Access to adequate services (health, shelter, legal services, counseling, training/education)

Deliver Us From Evil - Prayer 1

The Salvation Army is calling us to a Weekend of Prayer for Victims of Sex Trafficking from September 24 - 26.  Please see Salvationist.ca/trafficking for more details.  I will be highlighting 4 specific prayers from their Prayer Guide over the next few days.


Pray for people who are vulnerable or at risk of being trafficked

Around the world, and in Canada, people (mainly women and girls) are at-risk of being exploited and treated like property rather than as human beings.

Pray for:
» Safety and protection
» Wisdom
» Economic alternatives and hope to see other choices
» International development
» Supportive families and churches

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”—John 10:10

Colors of Fall

I know I've talked about the summer leaving and it feeling more like fall.  I've also mentioned that the autumn is one of my favorite times of year (#38 on my "Did You Know. . ." list, which is rapidly nearing its end).  I actually said that it rated after spring, but now that it's back with a vengeance, it may be back to spot #1 and the reason is all the colors of fall.  I am hard pressed to convince non-prairie people (and many prairie people!) why I love living on the prairies.  But once you get out here and you SEE the sunset - I mean you SEE it ALL the way down to the horizon (not 1/2 way up the sky like in the mountains), you start to understand.  When you see the trees change color and the landscape is full of yellow, orange, red, green and brown leaves, you cannot help but feel that God enjoys decorating/painting when it comes to this season on the prairies.  We've had a lot of rain lately, but I'll try to head out and snap a picture for all of you to enjoy!

Letters to God

Sometimes I wonder. . .marvel. . .at the people God has brought into my life who have walked with me during my life journey.  I have a few people who have walked with me my entire life and then I have people who have profoundly changed my life after spending 1/2 an hour together - both are equally important.  One of my Costa Rican friends recommended the movie "Letters to God" and since we both share a love of real mail, I thought it would probably be a movie that I would enjoy.  Now, he forgot to give me a warning - KLEENEX BOX MUST BE CLOSE BY - because the story focuses on a little boy who is fighting cancer.  And how fitting, given that the Terry Fox Run is happening around the world to continue the fight against cancer.  A colleague of mine from Morden also just passed away, having fought a courageous battle with cancer.

"Letters to God" is really about prayer - talking to God.  And the best thing about it is that fact that it doesn't really matter what you write, as long as you do write.  God created us to be in relationship with Him and He longs for us to draw near to Him.

Dear God. . .

"You are a letter. . .written not with pen and ink

but with the Spirit of the Living God."

II Corinthians 3:3

. . .Vibe?!?

. . .feel the. . .

Can You. . .

Arena Sale

Please join me at the Arena Sale in Altona this weekend.  I will have a Jolica table set up from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday.  Look for the Christmas table and/or listen for the Christmas music, and you should find me!  Great deals to be had (discontinued items are all 50% off) so stop by!

Compassion

On September 26, our church is focusing on Children at Risk.  I am part of the planning, so I'll be doing some speaking, plus I will have a table set up for Compassion Canada.  I have been sponsoring a girl named Evelyn from Ecuador for 5 years.  She's grown up overnight and just turned 15!  I love receiving her letters and I also enjoy writing letters to her.

Maybe you've been humming and hawing over sponsorship for a while now.  Maybe it's something you've never considered.  Today I'm asking you to seriously think about it.  You can sponsor through a number of organizations but right now I have 50 Compassion Canada profiles and I would love to find them all sponsors.  I have kids from all over the globe, of different ages and different family situations.  It all begins with me and you, making a lasting impact in the life of a child, their family and their community!  For those of you who already sponsor a child(ren), THANK YOU!!

3 Words

I had an interview for the local woman's shelter this morning and 1 question that was asked of me was, "How would your friends describe you in 3 words?"  My answer was "organized, adventurous, passionate".  Am I right or wrong friends?  Let me know.

P.S. - I got the casual position!!

William Wilberforce

I am in the process of reading "Hero for Humanity:  A Biography of William Wilberforce" by Belmonte, looking for more insight into the man who lead the fight for the abolition of the slave trade in Britain, for which he is best known.  His focus changed after his "great change", namely that nominal Christianity was not enough and he turned to evangelical Christianity.  From the book, "Scarcely, more than a year after his spiritual transformation, on Sunday, October 28, 1787, he found his life's work.  On a blank page of his diary he wrote, 'God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners [morals].'" (p. 102)

That second great object, the reformation of manners, involved various avenues of life including education, charity, health, among others.  From Wilberforce's book "A Practical View of Christianity", he addressed "stewardship, respect for the rights of others (a key concept for a pluralistic society), forwarding the views of others, and the promotion of the happiness of others." (p. 175, Hero for Humanity)

Wilberforce was not one to shy away from his true thoughts.  Certainly his faith played a vital role in every aspect of his life.  As it pertains to education, Britain and Christianity, Belmonte says "Wilberforce was not advocating a theocracy where Christian values were imposed on his fellow Britons.  He was asking that Christian teaching be a valued part of curriculums at all levels of education in Britain, affording her citizens the same opportunity he had to choose, based on an informed decision, whether or not to embrace a faith that had so changed his own life, and one he believed lay at the heart of so many wonderful philanthropies in which he had been privileged to take party.  His purpose was to commend his faith, not command it."
(p. 239)

From Wilberforce's last public speech:  ". . .the same Being who commands us to love mercy, says also, 'Do justice.'" (p. 318)

Happy Grandparents Day!

Be sure to wish your grandparents a Happy Grandparents Day, which may actually mean picking up that thing called a phone, or putting a pen to paper & putting a stamp on an envelope. . .you know, ways you can connect with those who are not online!

Jolica's on YouTube

Head over to www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jolicacompany&aq=f to view all the new videos that Jolica has posted.  Some of them talk about the artisans and their lives; some talk about how specific products are made within a fair trade framework; one talks about our current project (Usha's Story - it's a tearjerker so grab some kleenex).

The Start of Something Great

Today was my first day subbing for the new school year.  Ahh, there's just something about a new school year.  You walk into the building and are blinded by the light, reflecting off the newly polished floors.  Kids may say that they don't enjoy shopping for school supplies, but seriously, how great a feeling is it to sharpen new pencils and crack open new erasers and give new markers a try (I was getting high on the new marker fumes all day!)?!?  Forget New Year's - September is a truly new beginning.  Potential and hope linger in the air. . .this could be the start of something great!

Chamber of Commerce

Being a new business in town, I became a member of the local Chamber of Commerce (the fee was FREE, so who can say no to that!).  There are many perks, including a profile on the Chamber's website.  So go and check it out at www.shopaltona.com/provisioner/articles/view_content.php?ContentID=760 and see what you think.  The Chamber also puts on an Arena Sale (happening September 17 & 18) and I will have a Jolica table there.  Look for the Christmas decorations and listen for the Christmas music - I don't think you'll have trouble finding me!

Human Trafficking Campaign

Today the federal government launched 2 campaign programs to inform the public about human trafficking.  Go to www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/?content/human_trafficking.html to see the Crime Stoppers "Blue Blindfold" video.  An RCMP video can be viewed at www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ht-tp/video-trafficking-traite-eng.htm.

Let Go

It's always a task to adjust back to "regular" life after you travel for the time periods that I have.  I was in Austria for 6 weeks and when I came back I CRAVED peanut butter and I remember getting into my car to drive to town with my brother and saying "This is SO weird!" over and over again.  Three years later, after spending 3 months in Turkey, I can honestly say that I came home as the worst version of myself (and I craved ham, but that's seems insignificant compared to my other point!).  The experience was not what it was supposed to be and I felt broken in every way possible.

After returning from 9 months of travelling last year, I expected to crave something or to miss driving or have to put myself back together again, but none of that was the case.  It took many months back at home to feel "normal" again. . .well as normal as you can be after changing so much and experiencing so many new things (but I think you know what I mean).  And as much as I would have loved to continue to travel and see more of the world, I know, even though it's been a struggle at times, that I was and am to be at home right now.  It's hard to wait and be patient for God's timing, especially for a person who likes to plan and know what's going on.

Psalm 37:7 says "Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act." (I'm sure it was written primarily with me in mind!).  "Be Still" can also be translated to "Let Go" - I don't know about you, but that's pretty deep for me.  'Let Go' of the dreams for your future. . .I have better ones that you can even imagine.  'Let Go' of what society deems success. . .you are loved in My eyes every hour of every day just because I created you and choose to love you.  'Let Go' of what you think about a career and marriage. . .My plans are bigger than yours and are going to blow you away.  So LaDawn, just let go. . .

The Girl Effect Continued

So I also went to girleffect.org to find out more information (it is also talked about in the book "Half the Sky" which is a vital read in our society today).  It's a simple concept, but its effects are so far reaching!  Please consider how you can make a difference in the life of a girl TODAY.  Check out www.girleffect.org/downloads/TheGirlEffect_10steps_online_poster.pdf

The Girl Effect

My friend Gen emailed yesterday with the link to a YouTube video.  I LOVE it when people send me stuff that they know I'll love and love it, I did!!  I love it so much that I want to share it with you.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIvmE4_KMNw&feature=player_embedded

The Story of Cosmetics

The latest installment of The Story of Stuff involves cosmetics: storyofstuff.org/cosmetics.

The Story of Bottled Water

Makes you wonder. . .and wish I never left home without a bottle of tap water!  See the video at storyofstuff.org/bottledwater.

The Story of Cap & Trade

Certainly I couldn't leave The Story of Stuff without highlighting their other films as well.  Check out The Story of Cap & Trade at storyofstuff.com/capandtrade.