Trafficking Hits Close to Home

I came across this article via the facebook feed of Traffick Free. It is from ABC local news. Basically it details the conviction of a man running a prostitution ring in Mt. Prospect, IL. That's really close to home. I know it shouldn't surprise me, but it still does. I know that these things go on, but it is much more real when you come across something like this. The fact that he felt he owned these women is so appalling.

So that lends to some thoughts. This is going on. It's going on nearby. What can I do about it? There are many groups dedicated to eradicating human trafficking. Here are some steps from Traffickfree.org that you can take to help. Take Action.

Another thing you can do is donate time or money to organizations that help fight trafficking. International Justice Mission does work around the world to end human slavery. You can help them by making a donation to my campaign. Just click the link below. 

Donate to my campaign for International Justice Mission. 

This is not a problem that will be going away any time soon. But the more people know about what is going on the more chance there is for change.

Key Lime Cove Getaway

John and I had a little money saved up to take a night getaway to Key Lime Cove, in Gurnee, IL. This was our gift to each other and it capped off a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend. We arrived Sunday afternoon and the place was so empty. We were able to do everything we wanted at the water park in about 3 hours. It was so fun and relaxing. It was wonderful to be able to shed some layers and stay warm.

Last year we had found a great deal for the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells. So we couldn't help but compare the two. I have to give my vote to the Kalahari. It definitely had more slides and they were a little more fun. However, Key lime is much closer to home. So if you're looking for a tropical getaway near Chicago, this is far from a bad option.

Book Review: How Huge the Night

Click here to purchase

How Huge the Night
by Heather & Lydia Munn

Another WWII era book, but this one from the point of view of a teenage boy. As he moves from Paris to the small French town of his grandfather he faces relational challenges that put his faith to the test. And that is before the war changes everything even more.

This was an excellent book! The faith of this boy challenged me.

Black Friday Sale: Humans 2 for 1

Ok so yes, that is a little bit drastic of a headline and it's certainly not a headline we would see in any paper in the United States. But all across the world the human slave trade is at an all time high. Whether it is forced labor or sex trafficking, it is a horrible practice and something needs to be done. Awareness is part of the problem. This is not an issue talked about very often. It's not in the papers. It's not on the news. But it is happening. Humans are the latest hot commodity.

Many of these people who find themselves in these situations have next to nothing and no one to fight for them. There is little chance of escape on their own. That's where International Justice Mission comes in. They fight for these forgotten fathers, mothers, children, brothers, sisters. They fight for freedom and justice. This is worth fighting for!

Please join me as I raise awareness and funds to help support their mission at IJM. Giving up 1 cup of coffee from starbucks, 3 i-tunes downloads, 1 month of netflix, you name it... a small sacrifice (and I do mean small) could help rescue a person from the bonds of slavery and change their life forever!

Click the link below to donate.

https://ijmfreedommaker.org/campaign/657/The-True-Meaning-of-Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to wish every one a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is my advice to fully enjoy the holiday:

1. Don't eat too much, food comas are no fun.

2. Don't even think about Black Friday until Friday if at all.

3. Enjoy the time spent with family and friends.

4. Thank God, out loud for at least 10 things you are thankful for (though I'm sure you come up with so many more).

Book Review: The Reluctant Prophet

Purchase Here

The Reluctant Prophet
by Nancy Rue

When Allison hears God tell her to buy a Harley she thinks she is going crazy, but she listens and finds herself on an adventure like nothing she ever would have imagined, all in her own backyard.

I can't speak to the theology of this book, but it did bring up some great things to think about. Namely, what does it really look like to be the hands and feet of Jesus? How far are we really willing to go to help those who need it most? Will I look beyond my own doorstep and open my eyes to the world around me?

All very challenging questions that I continue to grapple with. The good news is that I will not be buying a Harley.

Exciting News from Family Christian Stores

I thought I would share this email I received from the CEO of Family Christian Stores last week. It is so encouraging to me and maybe it will be to you as well. 

Dear Friends of Family Christian,

Today is an exciting day for Family Christian and we wanted you to be among the first to hear the news! 

The management team of Family Christian has partnered with a group of Christian businessmen to acquire the company from our private equity owners.  And here’s the really exciting part: under our new ownership, our pledge is to contribute 100% of our profits to Christian causes and, specifically, ministries serving widows and orphans both here in the U.S. and abroad.  We are thrilled about this opportunity!

As a loyal Family Christian customer, you know we have always been committed to providing resources for our Christian community.   We recently shared the motivation and inspiration of Our Calling at Family Christian:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27

This new ownership structure allows us to respond to Our Calling in faster, broader and deeper ways. 

We believe we’ve been called to multiply our impact and so we are buying Family Christian because we think our company is uniquely positioned to be your first choice for Christian resources AND acatalyst for financial support for faith-based causes.  We’ve been on a journey for several years to find potential like-minded Christian owners who share our passion and calling.  I believe it’s the providence and sovereignty of God that I met our investors while working to serve orphans in Georgia more than five years ago.  His hand was on this process and in the divine selection of the partners who, like us, are deeply involved in supporting and growing Christian ministries and have spent considerable time focused on orphan, foster care and adoption causes. 

So what does this mean for you as our customer?  Well, while our ownership structure and financial purpose have changed, we expect no impact on our day-to-day operations, product assortment, stores or staff.  But it does mean that each and every time you make a purchase through Family Christian, you are serving the orphan, the widow, those in distress, the community of Christ believers and more. 

Because now, rather than contributing 10% of our profits to The James Fund and similar ministries,we will give 100% of our profits to faith-based ministries.  It means you get to be the active hands and feet in the rescue work, the building up of families, and the responders to the James Challenge.

In many ways, we are returning to our roots as a Christian family-owned business focused on making a significant Kingdom impact.  Since our founding in 1932, we have built a reputation for providing great service and quality Christian products.  We intend to continue to uphold the high level of retail excellence, while applying the full operational and financial resources of the Company for the benefit of widows, orphans and foster children and Christian charities.

I am excited for the future of Family Christian and the significant Kingdom impact we will make together.  We appreciate your business and your loyal support.

In His Service,

Cliff Bartow

CEO

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
– James 1:27

Orajel Single Dose Cold Sore Medicine

I received a sample of cold sore medicine from Smiley 360. I am so thankful that I have not had the opportunity to use it yet, though I know it's only a matter of time. From others responses it seems like it works really well. Learn more below.

New Orajel Single Dose Cold Sore Treatment: Thx Orajel 4 my free #SingleDose - Get a $1 off coupon Single Dose Cold Sore Treatment here! http://bit.ly/PJD6UM 

Book Review: The Faith of Ashish

The Faith of Ashish - Book 1 of the Blessings of India Series
by Kay Marshall Strom

"Remember, you are Ashish. Remember, you are a blessing. Always and forever, remember who you are." These words, spoken to a small boy in India by his mother and father, are a true miracle in and of themselves. Their family suffers greatly as members of the lowest caste in the culture. And as Ashish makes a life-altering mistake his family become slaves to a "Christian" man of a high standing caste. This is their story.

You will want to keep reading this book. Even as it ended, I was ready for more. However, it is sad. I wanted to weep and pray for the people of India. The Hindu religion offers little hope. I wanted to tell these "untouchables" about the love of Jesus. I wanted to yell at the "Christian" land owner who was anything but. There is so much about the culture that is difficult to understand. However, love transcends all cultures and I am so thankful for missionaries there that are practically loving the Indian people. I am also thankful that God transcends all cultural differences and gives understanding and grace to people of all nations.

IJM Freedom Campaign Launch

In conjunction with my Black Friday article I decided that words alone are not enough. I need to act. So in my boycott of consumerism this year I have started a campaign to raise funds for International Justice Mission. I am seeking to raise $500 by the beginning of January. You can donate by going to my campaign page at the link that follows. Feel free to forward it to your friends as well.

https://ijmfreedommaker.org/campaign/657/The-True-Meaning-of-Christmas

I am not opposed to Christmas gifts. I enjoy giving and receiving as well. But at some point enough is enough. When we can't tell the difference between needs and wants, when we can't be satisfied and content with all we have been given, when we can't even dedicate one entire day to being grateful without looking to buy more...we need a change.

I have struggled with the question of how much is enough. Is it ok to spend so much on myself when others are starving? There is no clear cut answer but I believe that God does bless those who look to Him. I believe He blesses those who have little materially, in different ways than He blesses those who have much materially. In some ways, they may understand God's faithfulness more than I ever will. I don't think it's a matter of how much a person has because God gives to each of His children differently. We were born in a country that has abundance, but it wasn't our choosing. Some are born into poverty, but that isn't their choosing either. I think what is important is that we all come to the understanding that nothing we have is truly ours and our hands should loosely hold anything given to us.

I think Tozer sums it up nicely in an excerpt from The Pursuit of God. "The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and has it purely, legitimately and forever."

Walmart, This is Getting Ridiculous!

You may have heard the news by now. Black Friday has moved up to Thursday. What? Yes, you heard me right. This year, Walmart has decided to open for Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day at 8pm. This is wrong on so many levels. And I think something should be done about it.

It's been getting worse and worse every year. The times for these poor employees having to work the stores has been getting earlier and earlier. It used to be like 6am, then 5am, then 4am, then midnight. Now we are pushing it up to the actual holiday? Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of spending time with family or friends and celebrating our many blessings. Giving thanks for all we have. I'm pretty sure spending Thanksgiving evening at Walmart does not qualify as giving thanks. That is in fact the opposite because that is saying, "I am thankful, but I need more."

We are so rich in this country. We have so much. Most of us have food and shelter, albeit some more than others. We have clothing and basic necessities, for the most part. There is so little we NEED. I can't believe that we have the need to shop so much so that 1 whole day dedicated just to shopping for deals is not enough. As if there aren't more days in the year before Christmas. Seriously? What about the rest of November and December? We really have push it up to the holiday itself.

I am pretty upset at Walmart right now. And I am learning from the advocacy group that I can do something about it instead of just venting on my blog. So I intend to do just that and would ask you, if you agree, to do the same. You can contact Wal-mart via their website and express your dislike of this policy. I did.

I have also learned that Target may be doing the same thing. A Target employee actually started a petition on change.org that you can sign agreeing with him that they should revoke this decision.

I am overall just so fed up with commercialism. And I truly believe that if you plan wisely and spend wisely then there is no need for you to have to stand in a line at 4am to get some "too good to pass up" deal. There are good deals all through the year. As far as I'm concerned Black Friday has become just that, a dark day in our culture, a day to celebrate our materialistic commercialism based culture. So raise a glass of overpriced wine and say cheers. "Here's to us and our never-ending addiction to more stuff! May we never be satisfied so stores will continue to pummel us with ridiculous ads and may we never grow the wiser to their strategies of enticement. May we spend in our lives working to gain and forget to enjoy what we have in the quest for more! Here's to Black Friday!"

Verse of the Week: 2 Timothy 1:7

for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

These verses I post are ones that John and I are memorizing. One per week. Surely if our Awana clubbers can do it then so can we, and we need to, just as much as they do. Feel free to join us. I'd recommend making a list of all the references you learn as well that you can pull out once in a while and go over cause I've found it's really easy to forget a verse you have "memorized" if you aren't reminding yourself of it every once in a while.

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life

When one of my favorite bloggers, Crystal of moneysavingmom.com, wrote this e-book I was excited to check it out.  I set out to read this book and was going to blog about my journey, but sadly I got stuck after the first chapter. Just deciding on a project was too much of a task for me. So I am going to read this book and tell you what I gleaned from it afterwards.

I have gathered some great tips and strategies thus far for getting more discipline into my life. I'm just not sure that 21 days really works in my life for a project at this moment. We'll see. Either way, I look forward to gleaning as much wisdom and good advice that I can and I will pass that on to you as best I can.

I encourage you to check out the book for yourself. Just click the book on the sidebar of the blog to take you to the amazon page. It's $4.99 at amazon (e-book). I have heard lots of good things from other readers. And who knows, maybe in 21 days I will come back and have finished many tasks. I guess we'll find out together. We'll re-visit this in 21 days.

If anyone does read this book and has success with it, please let me know.

Book Review: Wildflowers of Terezin

Wildflowers of Terezin
by Robert Elmer

Another WWII era story. Though the story itself is fictional, the events that occur are based on fact. It is always surreal to me to believe that these are historical events. Such a sad time in the course of history.

A Lutheran pastor finds himself drawn into the world of helping Danish Jews escape before they are rounded up and shipped to concentration camps. However, the one woman that matters the most he is unable to help. As both of their stories unfold you will wonder if either of them will survive the war.

Let us never forget what evil man is capable of. And let us never cease to fight for what is right even to our own detriment. I will end with a quote from the book that I will carry with me.

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest."
- Elie Wiesel

IDOP 2012 - Please Take Action!

November 11, 2012 marks the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. There are so many ways you can take part in this, but I can give you one extremely practical way.

1. Go to the CAN (Christian Advocacy Now) website: www.christianadvocacynow.org

2. Click on the Prayer Vigil image on the homepage.

3. Sign up for a 5 minute time slot, or more, to pray for a country listed. There are prayer requests and info about each country on the site as well to make it that much easier.

4. That's it. You will get a reminder email with your time and country.

5. Pray when you signed up and feel good knowing that you are doing the most powerful thing you can for your brothers and sisters around the world. You are a part of God's kingdom work.

Palatine Restaurant Rocks

My good friend Groupon led us to a small local establishment this weekend in Palatine. It's called Rock N Roll a la mode. They have ice cream, shakes, burgers, hot dogs...your usual junk food fare. However, I will say that the food was good. We got burgers, cheese fries and split a yippee skippe shake (peanut butter, caramel and chocolate covered pretzels). I especially like the shake and fries.

When we went we were the only ones in there. Being as it's getting colder ice cream is probably not the first thing on people's minds, but I will say that the temperature inside was completely comfortable and I didn't get cold once. The decor was simple but modern and they had a huge flat screen tv on the wall. I'm not sure what the rotation of video play is but we got to watch Sir Elton John in concert so that was kinda fun.

Overall, 2 thumbs up. We had a really leisurely, enjoyable lunch. And it was nice to be able to support a local business. We'll definitely make a trip back again sometime.

Bzz Agent Burt's Bees Intense Hydration

I received another BzzAgent promotion where I have been able to test out the line of Burt's Bees Intense Hydration products. I have been using a creme cleanser, night lotion and, creme treatment mask. I am not 100% sure how my skin is reacting yet as far as blemishes go, but I will say that I do like the way it has been making my skin feel in general. It has definitely been less dry. I also love the smell and that it is an all natural product. 

It's made with Clary Sage and is clinically proven to intensely hydrate dry skin. It also helps reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, not that I'm too worried about that yet. It's dermatologist-tested and noncomedogenic. It's also 99% natural and enhanced with probiotic technology. The best part is that you can find it at most mass retailers, drug stores and natural health food stores.

Burt's Bees is a good company in general so I was so excited to get this campaign. I love their business practices and the fact that they use natural ingredients and don't test on animals. I have had trouble finding a good facial cleanser to work with my skin to clean and yet not dry out. I am hoping this will be the product for that. At the very least I can say for sure that it does help with the dryness issue.

With winter season almost upon us I imagine we'll all be looking for ways to keep our skin hydrated. Check it out to see for yourself how well it works.

Mexican Food Week

John and I love eating Mexican food. And I have found a few recipes that are keepers. The one I made this week was Chorizo & Potato Tacos. They are so good! And I finally found a good throw together salsa that worked as well. I even had some Crystal Light mocktail Margarita drink mix so we had margarita drinks as well. What a fun meal!

Here's the Chorizo & Potato Recipe: ( I can't remember what magazine it's from, but it's slightly modified anyway)

Ingredients:

1 lb potatos cut into 1/2 inch chunks (I used russet, the original recipe calls for yukon gold)

1 lb. chorizo (casing removed)

2 T canola oil

1 cup diced white onion

1. Skin, wash and chop potatoes. Boil in a pot of salty water until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool.

2. Cook chorizo, breaking up as you go and heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

3. Heal oil in same skillet over medium. Add potatoes and onion and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in cooked chorizo. Mash mixture to desired consistency then season with salt and pepper.

Add whatever toppings you like (salsa, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avacado).

Homemade Salsa

1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 white onion

1 jalapeno

1 clove garlic

sprinkle of salt

handful of cilantro

generous squeeze of lime juice

Blend everything together in food processor or blender. 

Verse of the Week - John 6:27

"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
John 6:27 (NIV)

This past few weeks at church we have been learning about hungering and thirsting after righteousness. This verse seemed appropriate and it's one that I have been needing to remember. I like food and I certainly have an appetite for that. But I need to cultivate an even stronger appetite for the things of God's Kingdom because those are the things that actually matter.

I Want to Go Organic

It seems that everywhere you look these days organic is being touted as the best thing ever. There is something appealing about knowing your foods are natural, pesticide and chemical free. They are raw and somehow better for you.

I think that's great and I'm not opposed to buying organic. But I want to go organic when it comes to Christianity. I'm tired of all the various "brands" out there. I'm tired of the "preservatives" added. All the "extras." I just want basic, natural, raw Christianity and that starts with Christ.

Some thoughts from Tozer that seem to capture my desire:

"If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity."

"When religion has said it's last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation."

Tozer, A.W, The Pursuit of God, Zur Ltd, 1993. E-book

Chicago Cooking Expo a Bust- But Groupon Saves the Day!

I bought a two day/two person pass for the Chicago Cooking Expo that took place this weekend. I was so excited to check it out, that was, until we got there. It was sorely disappointing and 2 hours was enough, let alone 2 days. It was a complete waste of money and time.

We did find a few good gift purchases, but that's it. The samples were light and the booths few. Even the food trucks that were supposed to be there were not all accounted for. If it ever comes back to Chicago and you are thinking of attending, I would think twice. Such a disappointment!

After reading so many reviews of others that were disappointed I was at least happy to see I was not alone in my disappointment. Yesterday I received and email from Groupon saying in effect that they had received so much negative feedback from those who purchased the tickets for this event that they are offering refunds. So all we had to do was let them know if we wanted a refund. So I did just that and was super excited to get my money back.

Thank you Groupon for your awesome customer service! Not many companies would go out of their way to offer a refund, even to people who didn't ask for one. I will definitely continue to do business with you.

And if you haven't used Groupon before I would really encourage you to give it a try. John and I have used it for restaurants multiple times and you can find some really good deals. But they have all sorts of deals, for hotels, events, tours, car washes, etc...Go check it out and sign up today.*

*All the links are my affiliate link so I would get credit if you sign up.