Monday, December 30, 2013

Dressember 30th





Time To Celebrate!


Only One Day Left!


In some ways, this was a super long month, and in other ways, I can't believe it's over!



We've been A-Dress-ing social justice for 30 days now!

We've had many sponsors!! And I've been blown away by God's faithfulness!


This was a much more exciting and tough endeavor then I ever expected!


It's not over yet, with one more day of dresses left, we have New Year's Eve to celebrate freedom!


There's Still Time To Join The Fun!
  •  Commit to Praying for Sara, Hope and I this month so we can continue to stand strong in our challenge this month to stand with those who stand alone. Leave a comment below to let us know you're praying!
  • Sponsor Hope, Sara, Holly and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!
  • Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!


----------------------------------



Sunday, December 29, 2013

Dressember 29th


Only 2 days of dresses left!


We have been wearing dresses ever day this month to help raise funds and awareness for the 27 million people trapped in modern day slavery.


IJM seeks to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law. {source}
Campaign 1:17 seeks to bring awareness of modern day slavery to people, and raise funds for IJM to continue their work.


Wanna Join The Fun?
  •  Commit to Praying for Sara, Hope and I this month so we can continue to stand strong in our challenge this month to stand with those who stand alone. Leave a comment below to let us know you're praying!
  • Sponsor Hope, Sara, Holly and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!
  • Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!




Saturday, December 28, 2013

Dressember 28th - In memory


Only 3 Days Left!!



Today, my dress has special significance. It belonged to my sweet cousin, Jessica Jean Wyatt. She passed away this day, 4 years ago, in a car accident. She was 19 years old. I wear a dress today to remember the 27 million trapped in slavery, yes, but I wear this dress today to remember a dear soul that was taken from this earth too early by most standards. 
Please remember the Wyatt family in your prayers today. 


Jessica
1990 - 2009





Wanna Join The Fun?
  •  Commit to Praying for Sara, Hope and I this month so we can continue to stand strong in our challenge this month to stand with those who stand alone. Leave a comment below to let us know you're praying!
  • Sponsor Hope, Sara, Holly and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!
  • Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!




Dressember 27th


Only 4 Days Of Dressember left!!!




8.4 million children are in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labour, forced recruitment for armed conflict, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities (ILO 2002) {source}

<-- Boy bonded labourer Pakistan (Sindh Province)
©Shakil Pathan/Anti-Slavery International {source}





Restavek girl sat infront of piles of washing
We have been wearing dresses ever day this month to help kids just like us! So they can have a hope and a future!                              --> Mideleine Chersetal is a 13 year old Haitian domestic worker. She works from 5am to 11pm each day. Her work includes taking her employer's children to school, but she is not allowed to attend school herself. ©Pete Pattisson - www.petepattisson.com {source}


IJM seeks to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law. {source} They help children, woman and men from every corner of the world to escape from forced slavery of all kinds and provide opportunity for a better life while also bringing justice to their oppressors. 


Campaign 1:17 seeks to bring awareness of modern day slavery to people, and raise funds for IJM to continue their work.


We are wearing dresses every day this month to be noticed so we can tell people that millions of people deserve justice.

Wanna Join The Fun?
  •  Commit to Praying for Sara, Hope and I this month so we can continue to stand strong in our challenge this month to stand with those who stand alone. Leave a comment below to let us know you're praying!
  • Sponsor Hope, Sara, Holly and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!
  • Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!





Thursday, December 26, 2013

Dressember 26th

Did you know? 

$160 Can provide six days of aftercare for a sex trafficking survivor.


$225 Can provide five days of undercover investigations.



$675 Can provide the trial fees for three cases against violent traffickers.




$1,550 Can provide one lawyer for a month to help sex trafficking survivors receive justice.




IJM seeks to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law. {source}
Campaign 1:17 seeks to bring awareness of modern day slavery to people, and raise funds for IJM to continue their work.


We are wearing dresses every day to bring awareness that millions of people deserve justice.


It's More Than a Dress




Wanna Join The Fun?
  •  Commit to Praying for Sara, Hope and I this month so we can continue to stand strong in our challenge this month to stand with those who stand alone. Leave a comment below to let us know you're praying!
  • Sponsor Hope, Sara, Holly and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!
  • Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!
 -------------------------------
Don't miss a single dress!

Dressember 25th

Merry Christmas!!

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:4-7

Lowly and simply He came.


Mary was stretched, swollen and endured the pain to complete the labor. 

She saw past the scoffers, took God at His word and believed.

There were no kings to offer her a prize for her faith, no facebook or instagram 'likes', no viral youtube video of her describing her 'angel encounter'. 

Just child like faith - followed by the speculations of others, body contortions and pain.

Yeah. Lots of pain. 


No one threw her a baby shower, in fact, it was only because God told Joseph to hang in for the long haul that the town didn't shower Mary with stones. 

Ah, yes, pain. Loss. Disappointment. Rejection. 

Nine months later, is everything all peachy? Not so much.

Glorious? Yes. Miraculous? Yes. Merciful? Blessed? Yes, yes. 

There is NO ONE like our GOD!

He takes the weak, lost, broken, misused, torn and destroyed. Puts them under a little pressure - and, behold.... all things are made new.

He took one of the most beautiful of things - a new born baby - and two thousand years ago, placed it in the lowest place, a smelly, messy barn.
He takes that same beautiful Son and places Him in the lowest place, in me, a smelly, messy sinner. 

How can I understand this? It is the Ugly/Beautiful that I can be thankful for, even if I can't understand it. 

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Luke 2:8-14

No, you wont recognize Him, the King of Kings, by the royal entourage, or the jeweled crown on His head. No, it's not that baby. It's the baby sleeping in a feed trough. It's the Savior who makes Less of Himself, and Much of His Father. It's the Beautiful prize, the Savior of the World, that will be sleeping with the cattle and the dumb sheep. 

And later, when He is grown, you wont find Him at the feasting tables of the great kings of the earth. You'll find Him eating bread and fish with the poor. You wont find Him in the company of the respectable, the proud and reputable. You'll find Him in the house of the tax collector [aka; town cheat], or the hooker, the heartbroken and the leper. You'll find Him seeking the lost, the broken, the ugly.

He took the low road. The one where people questioned His motives, where they scoffed, ridiculed and spit on His face. He chose pain. Yeah. He chose to take all the pain and endured the wrath so I might be free. Me, this messy, awful, selfish girl. This dirty, broken, cheat. I sold my heart to the world like a cheap hooker, and yet; He took pain for me. 

That is the Christ we are meant to imitate. That is the Christ the heavenly hosts praised God for when they sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!" 

Will you sing with me? In your brokenness and your post-Christmas-mess-disorder?? In your ugly-sugar-crash state, will you sing of the beauty that chose to seat itself within you?

Merry Christmas to you, you in all your ugly/beautiful glory.

--------------------------------------------------

Wanna Join The Fun?
  •  Commit to Praying for Sara, Hope and I this month so we can continue to stand strong in our challenge this month to stand with those who stand alone. Leave a comment below to let us know you're praying!
  • Sponsor Hope, Sara, Holly and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17Go Here to hear the story behind the campaign and Go Here to Donate [be sure to add a note to say who you're sponsoring!
  • Go To the Campaign 1:17 blog and leave a comment for Grace to encourage her to continue the fight!
 -------------------------------
Don't miss a single dress!