Dressember 31st - Happy New Year Results

New Year's Eve we had a fun gathering with our church family. Food, games, music, dancing, coffee and bubble tea!! It was a grand time! The ladies and girls surprised me and to show their support almost every lady there was wearing a dress!! Grace made her dress [above] just for this purpose. And most ladies mentioned, 'This is the ONLY dress I have!' and one sweet lady said, 'This is the first time I've worn a dress in 15 years!'. 

Wow!! Thank you, sisters in the Lord, for your sacrifice and your support!! I love you all so dearly!

Dressember ladies!
Photo credit: Bickel Famliy

Photo credit: Back Forty Coffee

Photo credit: Back Forty Coffee

Photo credit: Back Forty Coffee

Photo credit: Back Forty Coffee

I took my camera, cause I wanted to take lots of pictures, but when I pulled it out, there was no memory card!! :^(  So I took a couple shots with the camera on my phone. I hope to be adding more pictures from friends as they email them to me. :^) 

Through sponsors like you, and God's blessings, we were able raise more funds then I imagined, just by wearing a dress every day!

The total? 

... Drum roll please...

$350.00!

These funds went straight to Grace's Campaign 1:17 to get her closer to her goal of $4,500.00 in one year. She will be donating all of the funds raised directly to International Justice Mission so they can set slaves free and bring justice to their oppressors. (IJM is a human rights organization that works to rescue victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression.)   

We praise God for allowing us to be a part of this kingdom work! Thank you for partnering with us this past month!

Can you imagine... 

There are children as young as 4 and 5 years old who are in forced labor. 

There are girls 7 and 9 years old who are held captive in brothels around the world.

These sweet children can have hope, and you can be a part of that hope.

Praising God as we ring in this coming year He grants us!

Waiting for midnight!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Thank you all so much for your support and prayers this month! God did big things, and He's NOT DONE YET! Be sure to go follow the Campaign 1:17 blog and see all the creative ways people are raising awareness of modern day slavery this year!! You can be a part too!

In Christ,

Kerry

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.

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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 1:17. Go 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!

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Don't miss a single dress!

Dressember 1st ; Dressember 2nd ; Dressember 3rd

Dressember 4th ; Dressember 4th 1/2 ; Dressember 5th

Dressember 6th ; Dressember 7th ; Dressember 8th
Dressember 9th ; Dressember 10th ; Dressember 11th

Dressember 12th ; Dressember 13th ; Dressember 14th

Dressember 15th ; Dressember 16th ; Dressember 17th

Dressember 18th ; Dressember 19th ; Dressember 20th

Dressember 21st ; Dressember 22nd ; Dressember 23rd

Dressember 24th

Dressember 24th

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Celebrating 

Freedom

And

Femininity

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 1:17. Go 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 1st ; Dressember 2nd ; Dressember 3rd

Dressember 4th ; Dressember 4th 1/2 ; Dressember 5th

Dressember 6th ; Dressember 7th ; Dressember 8th
Dressember 9th ; Dressember 10th ; Dressember 11th

Dressember 12th ; Dressember 13th ; Dressember 14th

Dressember 15th ; Dressember 16th ; Dressember 17th

Dressember 18th ; Dressember 19th ; Dressember 20th

Dressember 21st ; Dressember 22nd ; Dressember 23rd

Dressember 23rd

The day flew by on Dressember 23rd and I forgot to have anyone take my picture! So, when I remembered, and everyone was in bed already, I tried taking it of myself! Lol

I may re-wear this outfit another day before the end of the month and have some one take a picture of me, so you can see the whole thing! 

It's More Than A Dress

It's a message, a statement, 

a stand for Freedom.

It was late when the little Dressember girls remembered to take their picture this day today... 

A little too late for miss Holly. :^)

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 1:17. Go 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 1st ; Dressember 2nd ; Dressember 3rd

Dressember 4th ; Dressember 4th 1/2 ; Dressember 5th

Dressember 6th ; Dressember 7th ; Dressember 8th
Dressember 9th ; Dressember 10th ; Dressember 11th

Dressember 12th ; Dressember 13th ; Dressember 14th

Dressember 15th ; Dressember 16th ; Dressember 17th

Dressember 18th ; Dressember 19th ; Dressember 20th

Dressember 21st ; Dressember 22nd 

Dressember 22nd

The whirl of the Christmas season is slowing down and I have some time to post all the dresses you've missed!! On the 21st I wore my First Repeat Dress. And on the 22nd my second repeat dress! I still had a couple 'new' dresses to share, but also some repeats coming up. I was surprised at how many dresses I actually have, and then I borrowed a few, and had a couple donated for the cause! Thanks everyone!

Did you know there are girls like us who are trapped in abusive brothels this Christmas? 

Approximately 27 million people are trapped in some sort of modern day slavery. 

We might not save them all. But we just might save one! 

Be on the look out for all the dresses from the 22nd to the 26th today, and also some exciting news from the front lines of the battle for lives caught in slavery!

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 1:17. Go 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 forGrace to encourage her to continue the fight!

 -------------------------------

Don't miss a single dress!

Dressember 1st ; Dressember 2nd ; Dressember 3rd

Dressember 4th ; Dressember 4th 1/2 ; Dressember 5th

Dressember 6th ; Dressember 7th ; Dressember 8th

Dressember 9th ; Dressember 10th ; Dressember 11th

Dressember 12th ; Dressember 13th ; Dressember 14th

Dressember 15th ; Dressember 16th ; Dressember 17th

Dressember 18th ; Dressember 19th ; Dressember 20th

Dressember 21st

Dressember 15th

Dressember 15th!

[Little Miss Sadie McCrary took this picture! Thanks!]

 

I got to go to church this Sunday, and it was such a blessing!! I've missed church family and the teaching of the Word.

I got to share about Dressember with everyone there and got a few more donations! Praise the Lord, and may He receive the glory!!

 

 

Sara and Hope were prairie girls today! Holly had fallen asleep for the night before she got a chance to get her picture taken. But you should see her tomorrow!

Sara, 7yrs

Hope, 5yrs

 

 

 

 

They have a beautiful Christmas tree in the foyer at our church.

Me with my adorable Momma!

 

We [Kerry 25, Sara 7, Hope 5 and Holly 3] have partnered with Grace at Campaign1:17 to raise funds for the International Justice Mission.

IJM seeks to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law. {source}

•  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 and/or I, by giving to Campaign 1:17. Go 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 1st

Dressember 2nd

Dressember 3rd

Dressember 4th

Dressember 4th 1/2

Dressember 5th

Dressember 6th

Dressember 7th

Dressember 8th

Dressember 9th

Dressember 10th

Dressember 11th

Dressember 12th

Dressember 13th

Dressember 14th