I believe this weekend my question(s) changed though.  For the last month I’ve been asking what am I supposed to do with this.  Looking back I see that in some elements this is me seeking how to do it in my own power [hint: this never really goes well].

I feel that it’s time to share that passion that I feel God is fueling to be my dream.

About a year ago God heavily placed orphan care on our hearts.  It’s something that has grown in intensity.  We read all we can, we follow people who are doing adoption & orphan care advocacy.  Our hearts break and tear at that stats we hear.  We believe God has called us to do something.

For me (and the both of us) these stats are overwhelming.  I wonder how I can make any difference to such a huge problem.  Especially when I know I we’re supposed to do something, knowing that if doing something only touches one life it still makes a world of difference.

I feel that God wants to lead me into something with adoption & orphan care advocacy.  It is very general and broad and I’m still left with lots of questions as to how [especially since i have no sense of entrepreneurialism] .

Saturday Shawn and I sat over chips & salsa and a shared Mexican mini-appetizer plate.  We discussed what we’d heard so far from the speakers at !C//Orphan.  We discussed the overwhelmingness of the emergency that is set before us.  And he brought up new ways we should be asking our questions.  From “What am I supposed to do?” to “Lord, what would you have me do?”  They are the same question but one as I said earlier puts the weight on me, while the other Jesus power is behind it.

So once again I ask for your prayers as we both seek God’s guidance.  Pray that fear would have no part in our seeking.  Pray that we would have open hearts to where God leads.  One thing I plan to do over the next several weeks is to contact people who are doing adoption & orphan care advocacy and see how I can get involved.

If you’re interested in what happened at !C//Orphan, my friend Elora, live blogged during the main sessions.  You can read those posts here.

Today slavery encompasses more than just servitude in a home or picking crops.  Today – young girls (and boys) are kidnapped for prostitution.  Women, men, children are forced to labor for at most pennies a day in fields and factories – so you and I can pay less for a candy bar or  t-shirt.  Children are kidnapped to become soldiers.

I’m not discounting the history of slavery that tore our world asunder.  The crimes committed are tragic and inexcusable.

So many men and women fought to abolish slavery.  What a giant step backward we’ve taken.  The work of men like William Wilberforce & President Lincoln and women like Harriet Tubman & Anne Knight seemingly all in vain.

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

There is obviously a huge problem.  A problem that continues to be overlooked despite gaining more media attention.

You can help.  Spread the news.  Join the fight.

Learn more!  Below are organizations and people that are actively fighting to end human trafficking.

Invisible Children – Is fighting to raise awareness of the rebel war in N. Uganda where children are kidnapped & forced to be child soldiers.

Not For Sale – Is an organization fighting to re-abolish slavery world wide.

Scarlet Cord Ministries – Kamrie is a young lady raising awareness and fighting the sex slave industry.  Last June she organized a movement to pray over the length of the World Cup, in which thousands of girls were taken to South Africa for prostitution.

Streetlight Phoenix – Streetlight is a Phoenix, AZ local organization that helps rescue girls that are in the sex  slave industry.

Breanna’s House of Joy – Breanna’s House of Joy is an orphanage in Thailand that helps keep girls from the sex trade.

Free To Work – Free2Work promotes transparency by rating major brands based on their policies to address this human rights issue.

Free To Work iPhone App

Love146 – Love146 is fighting to end child sex slavery & exploitation across the globe

She Dances – She Dances provides healing, hope, and a future for girls who are victims of human trafficking in Honduras.

Children’s Hopechest – Fighting & raising awareness of child sex trafficking in Moldova & Russia.

A21 – Fighting human trafficking in Eastern Europe.

In 2010 I didn’t choose a One Word.  Instead my life and emotions took hold and my emotions decided my Word should be fear.  Fear seemed to take up residence in so many areas of my life.  I felt at times as if i was being defined by fear.  It took hold of me in areas it never had.  So I decided I needed to be defined by a different word.  A word completely opposite of fear:  Trust.

For 2011 I decided that I wanted to choose a word ahead of time rather than let one decide to define me.  The more I prayed about it the more I felt I was called to learn to live in a state of grace.  I am extremely impatient with people.  I often refuse to give them the benefit of the doubt.  I so often fail to have grace on them, but choose to bestow my silent judgment.

I want to be defined by grace.

Here are some of the things I’m planning to do over the next 12 months that will hopefully help me become this definition:

Memorize Scripture.  I used to be “really” good at memorizing scriptures when I had to for school.  Now that I’m an adult.  Well….  So one of the things I want to do is to memorize verses that speak of having grace & grace being upon us.  I am planning one verse/passage a month.  So that is 12 passages by 12.31.11.  Here are the verses in no particular order:

• Luke 6:35 & 36
• Proverbs 22:11
• Romans 5:21
• 1 Corinthians 15:10
• 2 Corinthians 1:12
• 2 Corinthians 8:6 & 7
• Ephesians 1:5-7
• Exodus 34:6
• Hebrews 4:16
• Colossians 4:5 & 6
• Ephesians 4:31 & 32
• Colossians 3:12 & 13

At the beginning of each month I’ll share which passage I’m memorizing.

Read books.  [links are Amazon Affiliate] There are a lot of really smart people out there.  People that God reveals Himself to and gives them an understanding of spiritual things.  These really smart people write books.  I am planning to read the following books over the next year:

• Generous Justice – Timothy Keller
• Grace Abounding In A Believer’s Life - Charles Spurgeon
• Compassion – Henri Nouwen
• The Grace of God - Andy Stanley
• Gracenomics – Mike Foster

If there are any others you would recommend please let me know.

Tomorrow I’ll share my verse(s) for January.

You can also see the other One Word posts that Alece has linked up on her site.

A winner:

The winner of the Story canvas is: Bethany.

Congratulations.  Please email me your address to prudy[at]prudychick[dot]com and I’ll get it out to you.

Our lives are a multitude of stories.  Some are sad tales, some are filled with stomach wrenching laughter, and some are family legends that grow more epic each time they’re told.  Join me this week as we curl up in our favorite spot in our virtual living room.  The tree casting a twinkling glow.  Hot chocolate, eggnog, and cookies sit in our laps.  Our friends & family sit with us as we laugh, rejoice, & begin to share our tales of Christmas.

When Prudy asked me to write about a story, a Christmas story, I was a bit overwhelmed. Or underwhelmed. I guess I was just a little uncertain because although each year Christmas is good, & I am incredibly blessed, I usually go into it expecting something, whether it’s a certain thoughtful gift or having the perfect holiday experience. Each year I feel slightly let down, and the more I think about it, it’s because my heart isn’t where it should be. Christmas really isn’t about gifts, it’s not about that special someone to kiss under the mistletoe. I’ve been reflecting a lot the last month about what I really want Christmas to mean to me, the actual reason we celebrate it, and have discovered (way late in the game) that it’s not about me. We celebrate it because of Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice for us. He came from glory and lived a sinless life, which is much more than any of us have, or will, ever do, and then to top it off, he suffered a terrible death. He lived knowing that He was going to die for us, and I get upset about not getting the great gift that I wanted, or get disappointed when I don’t get to ‘experience’ Christmas the way that seems perfect. This year, I’ve been purposing in my heart to think on Him, of Him, and the love that He must certainly have for us. I want to remember the greatest gift of all when I reflect on December 2010 and the different things we did to ‘celebrate’. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I want to purposely change the pattern I’m in of expecting unimportant things just because it’s Christmas and change the way that this story will be told. I’m not sure what this Christmas story will look like, but I’m hoping that I can look for ways to see joy and love and to feel His grace in the unexpected places.

Mandie is one of the most crafty people I know.  She is wife to Gabe. And is an Albuquerque transplant from Michigan.  You can check out her blog and follow her on Twitter.  She also has an Etsy shop: Moxie Mandie.

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On Friday, Dec. 24th, we will have a link up for all of us to share our Christmas stories, and I’ll have a giveaway.

I really am living the American Dream.  I have a great job.  “Own” my house.  Happily married with two dogs.

I can with in reasonable limits pretty much buy myself anything, my family anything they want for Christmas.  I’ve been blessed beyond my ability to understand.

In that, in realizing and not taking for granted all that God has blessed me with, He’s opened my eyes to those who don’t have.

So this year for Christmas I want to give, with a heart that wants and expects nothing in return.

Will you join me?

On December 15th, 10 days before Christmas, I am going to blog for water.  And I’m looking for as many people as will join me.  People who will take one day from their traditional blogging to raise money for clean water.

Do you realize 90% of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week are from drinking dirty water.  And not just dirty…disease ridden.

So here’s the deal.  If you are interested in blogging with me email me at prudy at prudychick.com.

You can also help spread this request by tweeting: I’m going to blog for water w/@PrudyChick on Dec. 15. Will you join us? (Benefiting @CharityWater) http://bit.ly/d9MAvI.

Let’s see what we can do.

Are you in?

Over the last few days I’ve been listening to the Genesis Series from The Austin Stone.  It’s been a great series.  One particular message (The Toll of Sin vs. The Peace of Jesus) brought instant tears to these green eyes.  Halfway through the message Jeff Mangum, the teacher, brings into the story Hosea and Gomer.  In a brief few minutes he tells their story and convicted my heart.

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I’m prostituting myself to things that care nothing about me.

One of the more impactful points Jeff made was in paraphrasing God speaking to Hosea.  He told Hosea to go get Gomer.  You woo her.  You pursue her.  If someone is bidding for her you out bid them for her.  You show her, her worth is found in your love for her.

I sat at my desk hearing these words and my eyes filling with tears.  I sat there and realized I’m Gomer.  I’m chasing after cheap things rather than the one who loves me.

My pursuer has pursued me till death (and raised Himself from death).  He’s out bid every single thing that vies for my attention, for my heart, my mind, my passion.  However, I’ve continuously chosen the lower bid.  I’ve chased after the things that tickle my fickle heart and leave me wanting more over the God who has given me all I need:  Himself.

I’ve been less than intentional.  In all honesty I haven’t been.  I’ve chosen to be lazy and just get by.

This week has been hard.  The past couple have been in all actuality.  Exhaustion, hormones and a possible imbalance of chemicals in my brain have left me ragged and the fingers of depression tickling.  I shared this with a friend yesterday.  The imbalance I was feeling.  I know she prayed, but I can’t help but wonder.  I’m not saying that if I’d been in the Bible more consistently it would have staved off the tickles of depression, but it surely wouldn’t have hurt.

My plan for the next while is to inundate myself in the book of Hosea.  To remind myself of of my sin, my prostitutional ways, and the redeeming love of my God.

I am selfish, impatient, pride filled, occasionally manipulative, often angry, jealousy ridden.

More that that, I am forgiven, accepted, redeemed, slowly being sanctified, worthy, found beautiful, precious in His sight, worth the price of the land, made new and clean.

As I see more of my sin, I realize more, that I am evidence of His grace.

Today I’m here to ask for prayer for my dear friend Jenny.  She and her friend Susan are boarding a flight today for Africa.  They are going to Burundi, Ethiopia and possibly Rwanda.

I’m feeling the incredible urge to pray for their trip, their time spent ministering and training Christian leaders over there.

So I’m asking you to remember them as they are traveling across blue waters and African plains.  Pray for the time ministering and training.  That God would give them the right words to speak and ears that are open to what the nationals have to say.  Pray that God raise up mighty leaders in these countries and that we would see wave upon wave of lives changed for Jesus.

Also pray for their health.  Jenny came down with a dreadful cold when she was there earlier this year.  Pray for quick adaptation to the time difference both going there and coming home.

They are flying out this later this morning, and will be back in the States November 13th.

Thank you for your prayers I know they appreciate them too.

Jenny has become one of my closest confidants over the last few months.  She’s someone I text when I’m battling a bad mood.  We have Skype dates and though our pups have never met, they’re best pup friends.  Jenny’s blog.  Jenny’s Twitter.

We’ve talked this week about online community.

Is it real?

Is it sustainable?

Does it make a difference and if so, how?

We have heard personal stories, watched beautiful connections develop, and listened as people have expressed why they feel online community is real  or at least real to them.

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Yet is online community practical?

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Because at the end of the day, as much as we love the mooshy-gooshy feel good stuff, we all have lives to live, mouths to feed, and tasks to complete.

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My left-brain wants to know if online community works.

I want to know if online community makes an impact in our practical, everyday life?

I believe that it can and it is.

True Biblical community is supposed to be about life change and life change is exactly what is happening in these online communities.

When Tam received a new bed from her online community and she began sleeping through the night for the first time in years.

When Elora and Russ shared on their blog some of their very-real financial struggles and watched as a community of folks showed up with practical assistance.

When Alece stepped off the plane into the awaiting arms of an online community she was meeting IRL for the first time… and then watched as God used that community to support her through the crucible of a valley-experience AND came together at a bloggers meet up to raise funds for Thrive Africa, a ministry she started in Africa.

When Jenni and Brian renewed their vows surrounded by several of their best friends – who two years prior had only been known to them across the blogosphere.

When Gitz was surrounded by the (in)courage reader community during the loss of her sweet father.

And as several of us have made the trek overseas on mission, how a loving online community came together to pray for our journeys and do guest posts while we were gone.

True biblical community is what the church is called to be to each other.

Church is happening online.

It is powerful. It is real. It is good…

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In closing… I will share my unfolding story of the power of online community in creating life-change.

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I am a regular reader at the Ragamuffin community, not only because Carlos (@loswhit aka Los) is hilarious and impacting simultaneously, but also because the group of Ragamuffins there are really good peeps.

For the last several months I have been looking, praying, researching for a DSL camera because I want to be able to capture the essence of “moments” whether they are on the field in Africa or in my back-yard.

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Last week Carlos posted a blog entitled Share your Photos and Gear and the Ragamuffins shared!

One reader – Jay – shared this:

To which I replied:

Two hours later – I had purchased a Nikon D700 and it is on its way to me TODAY!

Just in time for my Burundi trip next week

With camera case, strap, and a gogillian memory cards thrown in out of the goodness of Jay’s heart.

All at a great discount “Because I was a fellow Ragamuffin”

Not once was I worried that he was a scammer, because he was a part of this great community I loved {Plus, knowing Los and the community, if Jay was a scammer… the community would have united in protest!}

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So now I have the big-girl camera I’ve been looking for just in time for my Burundi trip at a cost that I could not have even gotten on e-bay.

A practical-solution to an every day need.

A solution generated by online community.

An event that will undoubtedly be transformational as I step into this new season of my life.

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Does online community work?

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Yes.

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. Acts 4.32 (NLT)

Lisa Jo, Tracee, Alece, Jenny

I connected with Jen through Alece.  It was through a video stream interview with Alece that I made my first Twitter friend in OZ.  I love the how she shares her experiences over miles/kilometers of oceans. Jen’s Blog.  Jen’s Twitter.

Bloggy-Twitterverse Interwebs

I opened my first online diary on August 17th 2004.

Lets take a look at those arguments

Firstly, we need to define real.

A couple of definitions there are

1. Being or occurring in fact or actuality
2. True and actual; not imaginary, alleged, or ideal
3. Genuine and authentic; not artificial or spurious

But the one I loved the most is

Existing objectively in the world regardless of subjectivity or
conventions of thought or language