Twenty Seven Million

There’s a song that has just come available today on iTunes in Canada that I purchased first thing this morning.

I can’t say that I’m necessarily in love with the music, I am however in love with lyrics & the cause.

Twenty Seven Million, by Matt Redman & LZ7, is a song to fight human trafficking. Partnering with the A21 campaign, all proceeds from this song are going towards fighting modern day slavery.

Roll Up the Rim, a Canadian tradition at Tim Horton’s, is currently happening. When I think of the cost of a coffee as opposed to the $1.29 I paid for Twenty Seven Million, I can’t help but think there’s absolutely no comparison. The value of any prize won at Timmy’s doesn’t even come close to the value of freedom.

Today, if you’re contemplating spending loose change on a coffee, can I challenge you to reconsider? Do something today to change the world. Be someone’s freedom. Let your actions speak out against human trafficking.

how big is my world?

Often times I magnify my life to extreme proportions where nothing else matters...NOTHING (no one else would ever do this though...right?).
For example, if I'm having a bad day, and I'm really busy, and not feeling good, and my house is a mess, and my laundry basket if overflowing, and there's so much going on at work, you better believe that there is no one worse off then me.

HA!

Recently, I was challenged to re-evaluate my thinking. It all started when I was at my hairdressers (ever noticed how some of the best conversations happen in that chair?), and through various other conversations over the course of that weekend a common theme came up...life really isn't THAT bad...or at least not as bad as we tend to think it is. I mean, really, is anything that I'm facing that brutal? There are people in other countries who have literally lost everything and need to rebuild from scratch the lives they once enjoyed (ie: Haiti and Chile).

The whole, "woe is me" act that I tend to pull, is just that...an act.

The problem is that I've reduced my world to include...me. It's all about me. The only things that matter are me, my husband, our home, our jobs...
And the real problem is that the world is so much bigger.

What a humbling thought, to think that I'm actually NOT at the center of the universe.

When I take time to think about the children's song, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," I can't help but be in awe. Here I am, complaining about my teeny, tiny problems, mean while, God's listening, while holding the whole freaking world in His hands. And yet He doesn't brush me off, saying, "Catherine, I've got far bigger things to deal with." (in the same manner that I would respond to those in my world)

Ultimately, it all comes down to two simple (yet, not easy) commandments, "Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with with all your soul. Love him with all your mind," and "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

When I get my life in line with these two commandments, my world almost instantly grows, and suddenly everything isn't about me and my "huge" problems.

How big is my world? Hopefully big enough to include more then just me.

blessed to be a blessing

This week (among many other things) I'm busy preparing for Defining Moments (Thursday, September 24th at 7:00pm at 236 Fairway Drive, Coaldale). For me part of that preparation includes gathering a few giveaways for the incredible women who will be in attendance.

While brainstorming what fabulous gifts I could collect, I had an extremely convicting thought (a Defining Moment of my own, if you will). I live in a country where I enjoy many freedoms and luxuries that women (and men) in other places around the world only dream about. These days, those of us living in developed countries have more then enough opportunities to help those in developing countries, whether it be through organizations where we can sponsor children or give funds to others in need, or through stores like Ten Thousand Villages where profits go back to those who worked to provide that product.

And so, as I begin to gather gifts for the women coming to Defining Moments, know that I'm having my own Defining Moment. I resolve to only purchase gifts that will not only be a blessing to someone in attendance, but also to a beautiful individual somewhere else on the planet.

The truth is that I'm incredibly blessed on so many levels. The least I can do is be a blessing...on so many levels.

untitled

My eyes have really been opened to human trafficking the past few weeks. From someone like Christine Caine who has started the A21 Campaign (http://www.thea21campaign.org) to the e-mail I received from Relevant this morning talking about Call+Response (http://www.callandresponse.com). The stats on human trafficking are devastating. In Greece alone, 1838 women and children are sold for sex everyday!

The interesting thing is that this tragedy isn't only happening in developing countries and in Europe, it's happening in cities all across the world, including Lethbridge Alberta.
Yesterday a friend of mine shared how there are children being pimped out in my very own city!?!

Something must be done!

It's easy enough for those of us living in Westernized countries to pull out our cheque book and suddenly feel like we've made a difference. But what about the children attending the schools in our communities, passing us in the grocery stores and malls everyday...what about them?

It's time to take a good look at human trafficking everywhere and take a stand.

As far as what must be done, I've no clue, but believe me, I'm definitely going to find out.

"Never forget, justice the what love looks like in public."
- Dr. Cornel West

Hope Lives

I've just started 'Hope Lives: A Journey of Restoration' (by Amber Van Schooneveld). I'm really looking forward to the five week journey I have just embarked upon.

But really, more then being excited about MY journey, I'm excited about the journey I'll be taking others on. Along with purchasing the book, I've purchased 'Hope Lives: Children's Ministry Kit'.

Take your children on a five-week journey - one that gives them God's perspective on poverty and equips them to respond with heartfelt compassion. Hope Lives empowers your children to understand and impact their world...to share home with the hopeless. Children experience five adventures straight from the Bible and then apply what they discover through prayer, service, and commitment.

This curriculum isn't about guilting children into helping those in need, rather giving them a Biblical look of what Jesus calls us to do as Christians to do. I think its easy for us to say 'Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...' (James 1:27), but how easy is it for us to actually live this out? It's easy to sign a check to give yourself that 'warm, fuzzy feeling' knowing that you're helping someone, but is it really a sacrifice?

In Matthew 19:16-24, Jesus tells the rich young man to sell EVERYTHING and give it to the poor! Hello, he was rich! You want him to sell his iPhone, his new 2000 sq. foot home, his wife's Coach purse...
I have a long ways to go...
As I'm sure nearly all of us living in first world nations do.

I'm actually really looking forward to this journey. Not only for what I think it will do in me by changing my thinking, but also for what it will do in the children that I have the privilege to teach and lead.

Check out other 'Hope Lives' resources here: group.com/hopelives

he's speaking my language

No I’m not talking about my husband Matt (although he does speak my language and does quite an incredible job of it!). I’m talking about Dr. Wess Stafford, the President & CEO of Compassion International.

I’ve just finished reading ‘Too Small to Ignore: Why Children Are the Next Big Thing’.
“The leader of Compassion International shares his inspiring boyhood adventures growing up in an African village and challenges us all to change the world – ONE CHILD AT A TIME. Why are children easy to ignore in the busy mainstream of human life? They rarely cry out if overlooked-or worse, traumatized or abused. Yet it is vial for the future of humanity that we make children a priority in every area of life. That’s the battle cry of Dr. Wess Stafford who heads up Compassion Internationl, the highly regarded international ministry to children. In this moving manifesto, he speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. With inspiring true stories, Stafford delivers compelling argument for championing children worldwide. Children are victimized by war, pornography, and prostitution, as well as by lack of funding, feeding, education, and protecting. Yet in a few short years, the world’s challenges will be theirs to manage. Now is the time to act on their behalf and invest in children because they are Too Small to Ignore.”

If you don’t have a heart or concern for children, reading this book will surely change your point of view. It’s not really a secret that I’m passionate about kids worldwide. Reading this book totally reiterated my heart for children and re-fueled my passion for the children of the world.

This book definitely come highly recommended by moi, although I’d like to slightly alter the title to ready ‘Why Children Are a Big Thing.’ We keep talking about how children are the future church…I’d like to challenge that thinking by saying that children play a crucial role in the church TODAY! But if your mind is in fact in the place where you are thinking that children are the future, please put some actions behind your thoughts (or possibly words as well) and treat them with dignity, respect, nurture and love, for if they are indeed our future we better better be taking incredibly good care of them...and not just OUR children, but the children of the world. The destiny of this planet rests in their hands...

They Get It

I was at an elementary school this morning. I'm part of something called Character Connex.

"Character Connex is a school assembly program developed specifically to teach good character traits to your students. This high-energy program captures all the senses, featuring video, skits, puppets, games, illusions, and audience participation. Character Connex helps students leave with a better understanding of why honesty, kindness, respect, responsibility, as well as other good character traits are important to exercise and cherish."

Even though our assembly went great (we presented Preseveance today), and the children were very receptive the greatest part for me was something that had absolutely nothing to do with me, or with our team. It had to do with kids...

Before we were even given the stage the school presented some awards and such. One of the awards was presented to a man from a charitable organization, although it was so much an award but a gift. This man received a thank you card from the grade 1 & 2 students for the presentation he shared with them. He was also presented with a check for over $2000 to send to children in developing country. $2000 was collected from the grade 1 & 2 students in two weeks!!!
I was moved to tears by this presentation (partly because I'm just a big sissy). These kids showed the whole school that they care about social justice, that they see what's going on in their world and they're not going to stand for it.

I've heard it said that this younger generation is selfish, spoiled, and have not been taught manners. You cannot look at these grade 1 & 2 children and tell me that they are selfish, spoiled, and have poor manners...

Interestingly enough, my husband & I have joined a company of people who care about the starving Haiti and Africa. We've made a stand that today we will fast in honor of those who have no choice but to not eat, and all the money that we would be spending on food we are instead sending to an organization that will feed children who are starving.

Just so you know, there is a generation that cares for the needs of others.

I love (RED)

I love (RED). You should too.