Not Doing Good, Part 1

I've been trying to ignore something for months because it's sad. More than sad, really. It's heartbreaking and horrific and completely unfathomable in my neat and tidy life. I've been ignoring it because it doesn't affect me. It's not part of my life.

And so over the past 9 months to a year, I have actively found ways to avoid the issue of human trafficking--specifically the area of sexual exploitation. I have refused to read Sold by Patricia McCormick because of the content, even though the book comes highly recommended. I've avoided thinking too much about blog entries like this one because I might have to admit that people actually live that nightmare day in and day out. My theory has been if I don't think about it, I can pretend it doesn't exist.

However, that hasn't worked out so well for me. God has been persistent in tugging on my heart strings. First there was the song When the Saints by Sara Groves. It's a fabulous song, but those two lines "I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor, I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door" convicted me every time every time I heard the song. Then there was the movie Slumdog Millionaire. God used it to get me thinking back in March. During the summer I came across blog entries like this one about a community in Thailand.

Early this summer I finally became willing to acknowlege the problem (what a gross understatement!) of sexual exploitation. While I would like to ignore the issue, I know for the women and children who are victims of the sex slave trade it's not an option to just ignore it. They have to deal with the nastiness and horrors of sexual exploitation every single day.

Now that I've acknowledged the problem, the next step is doing something about it. I've spent the majority of the summer doing nothing. And that my friends is going to change.

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
James 4:17

Today's Holiday: Make a Hat Day

This might just be the second easiest holiday I've found to celebrate. You could choose to go the easy route and make a paper hat to celebrate this fun holiday. Or you could get those creative juices flowing and get to work on something a little more complex. If you're into yarn, you could knit or crochet a hat. You could sew at hat out of felt pieces like this. Or you could go with something a little more non-traditional. And if you don't have any paper, yarn, or fabric to make your hat, be creative with the materials that are available. We found pipe cleaners to work quite well for hats.

Oh, and once you've made your hat, show it off to the world! Wear it proudly for the rest of the day. This is not a mandatory part of the celebration for Make a Hat Day, but it is a lot of fun!

Monday Music

I'm enjoying some new music this afternoon. I bought John Waller's While I'm Waiting, Hillsong United's Tear Down the Walls, Mercy Me's All that is within Me, and Leeland's Love is on the Move CDs this morning. They were all on sale AND I had a coupon. I just couldn't pass up the savings. Or the spending, depending on how you look at it.

Here's a video from Hillsong United for your enjoyment.

My Little Brother

Today my little brother turns "20 old". You know, the age where one solidifies adulthood by finally being old. Turning 18 signifies the beginning of adulthood, and the 21st birthday is considered a full adult, but there are still some privileges unavailable until the 25th birthday: lower car insurance and renting a car. Today my brother can rent a car without extra fees and theoretically have lower car insurance.

I just love this picture of my brother and me. How tall does he have to be before he's considered a giant?

Happy Birthday "Little" Brother!