What are the best ways to help women and children who are trapped in destructive situations?
A few years ago I made some new friends who had been involved in the early days of Servants Anonymous Foundation, a organization of new abolitionists that rescue women and children from sexual slavery.
As a Christian organization, the SA Foundation believes in the importance of vision that is based on servanthood, personal recovery and community while focusing on the long-term objective that no person be trafficked into the sex trade and remain trapped in a life of sexual exploitation. (from Who We Are)
Begun in Calgary, SA’s influence has spread into British Columbia, the United States, Nepal, and is being introduced to even more places around the world.
SA’s recovery strategy includes job skills training and business initiatives. One initiative out of Nepal is Global Wonders Handicrafts, which produces knitted wool products, two lines of jewelry, and home decor (esp. baskets).
Global Wonders jewelry now has an online store. Please browse and consider this:
To answer the problem of child poverty, especially among little girls, Destiny Dresses receives donations of special occasion dresses (wedding, grad, bridesmaids, etc.), which are lovingly remade by volunteer dressmakers.
Led by Carol Schafer from Athabasca, Alberta, “Destiny Dresses seeks to demonstrate the extravagance of God's love and grace and beauty by providing the poorest little girls in the world with beautiful dresses in Jesus' name.”
“I'm especially looking for dresses in light and bright colours,” says Carol.
“Carol's a friend, trustworthy,” Brad Jersak affirms. “She was inspired by the story of a little girl (10ish?) who sold herself to be married to an old man because he promised her a dress. That should never happen.” Confirming that the girl was 10, Carol says she heard about the girl from Barry Slauenwhite of Compassion Canada who actually said that the girl "agreed to marry a 72-year-old man for the promise of a dress."
“The story of Destiny Dresses began a number of months before I heard Barry tell of this girl,” Carol notes, “but it certainly confirmed that the course of action entrusted to me was to sew dresses for these precious and vulnerable girls wherever they live.”
To raise awareness and share the vision, Destiny Dresses has held one fashion show so far. Hopefully there will be more!
The dressmakers “also remake other gently used articles of clothing into everyday clothes for boys and girls in great need.” On March 3rd, Carol reported to the Facebook group that she had sewn a pair of little girl's cullottes in just over 2 hours. “Feels good to do a quick project! The look of a skirt with the practicality of shorts. Love them!”
In addition to used clothing, Destiny Dresses receives donations of notions: fabric, buttons, lace, and thread. Volunteer dressmakers use the donations to “sew with excellence and purpose because they believe that children are precious, that they reflect the image of God, and that they have a future and a hope through Jesus Christ.”
Clothing by Destiny Dresses is distributed “by various means following ethical practices to ensure that no dress or other clothing is used to lure, entice, or in any way harm a child or any other person.” Individuals and groups get involved with this by taking clothing when they travel, or by donating money for postage and other mailing expenses.
Destiny Dresses cooperates extensively with Compassion Canada’s child sponsorship program. Carol volunteers with Compassion Canada as a Chidren's Advocate.
Destiny Dresses resonates with me, makes me want to cry, makes me want to donate dresses, and gather others to do the same.
Contact Carol through Facebook if you want to donate resources or skills.
My lizard brain* wants to hide out. My lizard brain doesn’t want to be remarkable, it wants to sun itself while blending into the bark on a branch.
My first couple of weeks on this blog were so faithful, while experimental. It was too much to sustain. So I’ve thought. Now what? Well, first, overcome the resistance, as Seth Godin sees it.* How? Get back with the programs of noting important conversations.
“If you knew that people—even 5 people—were waiting every single day to read what you were going to write on a blog, your brain would rise to the occasion, it would notice things, it would find things to talk about.”
~ Seth Godin, interviewed on Small Business Marketing Podcast from Duct Tape Marketing, available on iTunes.
Conversation: email exchanges with Kathleen, Lynette, and Grant about BlueBeary, especially about the iPhone application. The voice-over is done and the sound files are now with PicPocket Books. Lynette says it sounds great and "we'll be working on the app full tilt starting tomorrow." And now, BlueBeary’s cover is on the PicPocket Books website. So excited!
Conversation: Lana Buschert of Keys to Music Studio here in Calgary. I start teaching Wednesday afternoon, one day a week for now.
Conversation: Ollie Rogers about an expanded role with Tutor Doctor (i.e. a promotion?). What will this look like? How long will it last? We’ll discuss this tomorrow at 11:00.
Conversation: Kevin & Stephanie started her memory verse for church kids’ club. Though we didn’t actually talk about it together, just the process of hearing and saying these words over an over again was thought-provoking and fits well with the lizard brain
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
Proverbs 6:6-11
So many good opportunities. The trick is focus and hard work. Last week Rosie Perera recommended giving up certain high tech addictions for Lent, especially computer games like Settlers of Catan and Facebook’s Scramble. I was getting carpal tunnel anyhow. Fascinating the compulsion and confusion that rises to the surface without these to fill “empty” spaces and numb my brain. Good thing Easter’s still nearly a month away!
* “The idea of the resistance goes hand in hand with the lizard brain. And Steven [Pressfield] doesn’t talk about the lizard brain, but The War of Art … starts out as a book about how to overcome writer’s block, but it’s way bigger than that because writing isn’t the point, the point is shipping. And what the lizard brain does is when it feels you are getting close to something that could get you laughed at, it throws up roadblocks. Sometime those roadblocks are subtle like, “Well, I don’t really feel like writing today. I don’t really feel like doing something extraordinary. I don’t really feel like writing a blog post that people are going to read. And then, it can actually lead you to become an alcoholic, commit suicide, do all sorts of self-destructive things just to protect the lizard brain.
“If you are not shipping, if you are going to a lot of meetings, if you are whining about how your boss won’t let you do something, this is the work of the resistance, and you must call it up by name and you must follow really clear steps to find a path to defeat the resistance, because if you don’t, then you are on track to be mediocre, you are on track to be average, and you are on track—in this economy—to be trampled on and end up in a dust heap on the side of the road of failure.”
On stalling: “If you can spend 12 hours getting more efficient instead of 12 hours being remarkable, that’s 12 more hours that the lizard brain got to hide out.”
~ in 43 Folders – Interview with Linchpin author Seth Godin, available on iTunes.
A few weeks ago at Break Forth, one Canada’s largest Christian conferences, I attended a workshop on songwriting, led by the composer of some of the church’s best-known recent songs. The workshop package contained several brand new songs and we spent a lot of time sight-singing. Our presenter spoke about the origins of songs—ideas, research, collaboration, melodic lines, etc.
The group wanted to focus on the songwriting process. “Do you write the words or music first?” Our presenter said he tends to write music first, qualifying that this is partly because that’s his expertise, while his wife and their co-writer specialize in lyrics.
He also explained that while he highly values solid lyrical and theological content, he sees music as the key to a great song. If you have great words but terrible music people won’t sing it; if you have great words and great music people will definitely sing it; but if you have bad words and great music, people will still sing it. So first priority, in his opinion, is sing-able music.
Many people in the room thought he meant that melody MUST happen first. That’s not what he meant at all. This particular approach just works for him and his co-writers. Whether you write words or melody first, if the music isn’t “good” it doesn’t really matter what you do.
This led to discussing inspiration. One lady claimed, ”God gave me my song complete, words & music together.”
The presenter looked at her blankly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he declared. “God has never given me a song that’s complete. I believe that God has given me gifts and skills and I work with those.”
I could tell the woman felt dismissed. In fact, she left a little early and looked like she was crying. I wanted to follow, but was too far away to get out quickly. I prayed and prayed for her, sensing that the speaker’s response was like a slap.
What I wish he had said was this: “That’s never happened to me. I believe that God has given me gifts and skills and I work with those out of faithfulness and obedience. I suppose sometimes God might do that, but usually even the most inspired song needs work before it’s finished.”
That’s what I wish he had said. He didn’t have to shut her down. I understand his reaction. The lady talked about “my song” as if it’s the only one she’s ever written. And looking at her it was easy to assume that her song might be unsophisticated, contain clichés, with basic rhyming of the “roses are red” variety. However, none of us actually heard the song, so how could we really judge? I wish he had given benefit of doubt to the quality of her song and the integrity of her process.
There is an important relationship between inspiration and craft. Christians typically claim the Holy Spirit as muse. Unfortunately, upon that claim too many Christians do not delve into craft, so their work is trite and shallow, aesthetically weak. An undeveloped doctrine of inspiration leads to error on two side: (1) if it’s from God I shouldn’t have to revise it, or (2) it’s up to me to work hard.
I prefer a middle ground: not imagination vs. intellect, but both imagination and intellect. Both are part of a person’s mind, and both need to be transformed and renewed as per Romans 12. This applies in all areas of life. To say “that was just my imagination” is a conversation-killer with God, with others, and with our own selves. To elevate logic limits us.
The Lord clearly gives people “wisdom, intelligence, and skill,” as he did with the craftsmen for Israel’s original tabernacle in the desert. Sometimes this inspiration seems to come “out of nowhere,” but ultimately its source is the Spirit of God who invites us to participate in his creative, redemptive work.
So the people of Israel – every man and woman who wanted to help in the work the LORD had given them through Moses – brought their offerings to the LORD. And Moses told them, "The LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts. He is able to create beautiful objects from gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in cutting and setting gemstones and in carving wood. In fact, he has every necessary skill. And the LORD has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The LORD has given them special skills as jewelers, designers, weavers, and embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on fine linen cloth. They excel in all the crafts needed for the work. Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other craftsmen whom the LORD has gifted with wisdom, skill, and intelligence will construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the LORD has commanded." (Exodus 35:29 – 36:1)
So lovely to have sunny days, when the mountains are clear in the distance and we barely need to wear our coats.
So much fun to receive comments on blog posts. Also fun to receive awards you didn’t even know you could get! Thanks, Michelle!
RULES TO ACCEPT THE AWARD:
Put the logo on your blog in your post.
Pass the award on to 12 bloggers.
Link the nominees within your post. [list below]
Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blogs.
Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award. [see above]
Below is a list of 12 blogs from my handy iGoogle page.
Family Camp 2010. Shauna Archer, moderator, set up this blog to prepare friends of Arlington Beach Camp and Conference Centre for 50th anniversary celebrations this July. I’m excited about that! I’ll be the official editor of The Fish Flyer daily news.
Shauna and her family recently returned from 2 (or was it 3?) years in Indonesia, which she blogged and I followed until she returned to Canada & stopped adding posts.
Marketing Tips for Authors. Tony Eldridge is one of the most faithful bloggers I know of. Absolutely every work day there is a post from Tony. When he goes on vacation, he plans ahead for a guest blogger, otherwise there’s always something from him. And it’s unfailingly useful information. He makes me want to be a better writer, publisher, promoter, sales-person, etc., etc.
Rebekah Joy Plett, artist. Oh, this delightful, quirky girl has been such a blessing to me! She illustrated BlueBearyby Kathleen McMillan and the second book, too. We are eager for the day when we can hire her to finish the rest of the series (9 more books). Anybody care to sponsor the project?
lisa cornish | photography. Lisa is married to my cousin Don and I adore their entire family. Lisa has done a couple of photo shoots for me and I’m thrilled to see how hard she works on sharpening her eye and her skills.
Lisa’s daughter is the dancing, giggling pixie beside me in the video below.
Emily Wierenga. Here’s another artist-writer-deep-thinking-creative-woman. And new mother. Her creative work has continued and deepened with the birth of her long-awaited son. She forms pictures with paint, poetry, and prose.
Rosie Perera. Another thoughtful, writerly, creative woman. Rosie was involved in writing the original MS Word program (creative work to be sure). From Seattle she moved to Vancouver, where she and I overlapped at Regent College. She understands her vocation to involve helping people live well with technology, which blends technology with spirituality. She is also deeply interested and active in faith and arts. If you search her name on the internet you’ll soon find articles on both topics.
Dr. Chelle Stearns. Another Regent colleague, Chelle and I cheered each other across the finish line for our Masters degrees. She and her husband went on to Scotland where they both got doctorates. Chelle teaches theology at Mars Hill Graduate School and I’m in awe of (and grateful for) her ability to synthesize and integrate big ideas, especially those related to faith and the arts.
The Accidental Poet aka Accidental Housewife. (Which is it anyhow?) Sue and I first met at Write! Saskatoon where I was enthralled by the two workshops she led. The next year found me at the same conference on the same roster of workshop presenters and at the same restaurant afterwards, driving her around the city. Enthralled, I tell you. Sue inspired me to write more poetic things. She also makes me laugh hysterically and has promised to wear green and accompany me on my court day (March 17th) to contest my traffic ticket. Oh, and we’re both teaching at Write! Saskatoon again, driving together even further this time, all the way from Calgary.
Carol. Of course there had to be at least one Briercrest blogger on here. Actually, there are two, but Carol gets listed first. Carol and I met at Briercrest when I was a new professor and she was a new residence director and seminary student. She’s yet another creative woman who is also one of the most organized people I have ever met. Too many creative people sabatoge their potential for lack of order, but Carol is efficient AND aesthetically astute. Her especial skill is flower arranging. She also likes acting and, after several comedic roles (including Wicked Witch of the West), is doing her first serious role this spring as Anne Frank’s mother.
Bryan Moyer Suderman. I don’t even remember how I found this guy, but I was internet surfing for info about music and the arts and business models and sustainability (or something like that) when I happened upon his concept of Community Supported Arts. Brilliant. I became a member of Small Tall Music, started corresponding with him from time to time, and eventually co-hosted a concert with my brother in Duval. I blogged a bit about it and so did Bryan. Oh, and Bryan makes a cameo appearance early in this little video, recorded the night of his concert. He’s the first guy you see, sitting on the red couch, when the camera starts to pan.
A Holy Experience. Luminous. Transporting. This blog makes me want to be a better person, add more beauty to the world, all the while throwing myself on the grace and mercy of God. It also makes me want to be a homeschooler and a farmer. (Ann Voskamp is the only blogger I know of who is possibly more prolific than Tony Eldridge.)
Prairie Road. Erin Ortlund and I crossed paths as I was leaving Caronport, SK and she was arriving. After finishing a PhD in Scotland, her husband was taking a position teaching in the Bible/Theology department at Briercrest College and Seminary, and as Americans neither of them had lived in Canada before so Erin had been doing her “homework,” learning about her new home. Somehow she had learned about my blog, so knew quite a lot about me before we met in person. Though we lived in the same place at the same time for less than a month, we have followed one another via our blogs and have enjoyed the occasional visit in person.
By the way, Erin’s husband Eric contributes to Prairie Road, has a blog of his own (Scatterings) and contributes to yet another blog (Hosting the Text).
Joe Dueck has been working to change lives for 15 years. Joe's Place is a drug-free and alcohol-free drop-in centre for youth in in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Recently Joe's Place entered the Aviva Community fund contest and, after months of voting, won $50,000 to install a new kitchen. As a result, they were featured on Canada A.M.'s Breakfast with Jeff:
