Rescue

Last month I had the opportunity to attend an event called ReScUe hosted by one of the most compassionate people I have ever met, and someone I'm honored to know.

Going in, I knew the night was going to be HeAvY, and that was an understatement for sure. The subject at hand was HuMaN TrAfFickInG. AKA: Slavery in the 21st Century, the ExPloItaTiOn of men, women, and children for labor and/or sex.

I wish I could fully share the night's experience with you. The speakers, dramas, video clips, images, etc. were heart breaking, startling, and quite overwhelming. My heart was stirred.

Here's only a bit of what I didn't know:

• • 27 millions people are in some form of sLaVeRy right now.
  • 50% of these people are ChIldReN and 80% are female.
  • Nearly 18,000 victims are trafficked into the U.S. each year (50/day).
  • The average age of entry into the commercial sex industry is 12 years old.
  • U.S. citizens account for 25% of SeX ToUriStS worldwide.

This issue is not something that just happens OvEr ThErE. It is close to home, in our very own country, and I didn't know ...but now I do, and I can't ignore it.

So what do I do?...

I tell you. I pray. I penetrate darkness with the light of TrUtH. I hope. I give. I speak. I love. I pray some more. I ask. I cry. I remember and not forget. I advocate. I trust in the One who is greater than all these things. I fight. I don't listen to the voice in my head that says this issue is too big. I educate myself. I move.

What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

If you are interested in speaking for those who do not have a voice, loving those who can do nothing for you in return, penetrating darkness, making a difference and joining the fight, please visit the International Justice Mission site, and let your voice be heard. It will take one minute of your time, but it could help spare many little ones a life of pain, exploitation, and utter darkness. Your voice matters. Let it be heard.

Oh Happy Day!

The Girl Scout Cookies have arrived!... and ThIs is what happens when you have absolutely no self control... even though I'd like to blame it on being a teacher:


We'll see how long these tasty morsels last...Thank you Girl Scouts for making our lives so much more delicious!

Chinese New Year

This weekend we went out with some dear friends to bring in the ChiNeSe NeW YeAr...

Our friends NiTa and AdRiaN never fail to EnRiCh our lives by giving us new experiences so we knew that when they invited us to join their friends for a Chinese New Year celebration it was not going to be your Americanized KuNg PaO ChIckEn and CraB RaNgOoN...Oh no, we knew that this was going to be the ReAl DeaL.Ten courses of pure ChiNeSe DeLiGhT...

The aPpeTiZeR:


...and SoUp....

...the MaIn CoUrSeS and SiDe DiSheS begin...

...DeSsErt...

...and last but certainly not least...

...and even though I don't take such things seriously, it just so happens that mine was true:

It is with an extremely full stomach and great joy and gratitude in my heart for my dear husband, friends, family, and Savior that I wish you a very Happy New Year... ChInEsE style.

Paradise and Peanut Butter Pie...

Once upon a time in a far, faraway land... a LoVeLy little family took my love and me to a place very near to what I imagine PaRaDiSe might be...

This MaGeStiC place was overflowing with food fit for a KiNg...

PooLs stretching for miles and miles...

BaLlrOoMs made for being swept off your feet...

...Palms and SuNshIne as far as the eye could see...

...SoOtHiNg melodies...

...and the most MaGniFiceNt desserts on planet earth.

As I sit here staring out my window at the BleAk Chicago sky, this place seems like a DiStaNt dream to me now. I thought about how I might somehow transport myself back to this time and place and escape the reality of WiNteR for awhile.

My first thought was... ChOcoLaTe PeAnUt BuTteR pie...a life changing experience given to me by my sister at the aforementioned place of paradise...

But where could I go to attempt to recreate this moment in time that seems so far out of my grasp? To whom could I turn but to none other than the PiOnEeR WoMaN...I was pleased as punch to find a recipe for this ChOcoLaTe PeAnUt BuTtEr pie on her site...In fact it's chilling in my FrIdGiDaiRe at this very moment!

...And I'm happy to say that in the time it took me to relive my West Palm Beach BrEaKeRs experience via blogging, I'm ready to relive it once again with this DeLicIouS treat...

Afterall, one can always dream...

Pure Masculinity...

Thanks to our fabulous friends Adrian and Nita, Dan has now climbed the highest heights of manhood...Behold, PoCkY MeN's...

I'm pretty sure he'll finally be able to grow a full beard after devouring this fine box of bitter chocolate on a stick...Thank you friends for the laughs and the sweets...I tried one too. One can only hope my voice doesn't drop an octave and my ability to multi-task doesn't fade away as a result ;)

M to the A double T

Dear Ratty Tatt-Tat MatT,


I'm a bit behind in posting this, but I wanted to give you a ShOuT-OuT on (or rather, in close proximity) to your BiRthdaY...So without further ado, here's a list of some of the things I love so dearly about YoU...

#1 One of my earliest memories of you is making forts on your bunk bed in the LitTle house...SoMeOnE else (I won't mention any names) wouldn't let me on his bunk, but you were so kind to humor me...Thank you for allowing me this privilege...I'm so glad to have some memories with you in this place to overshadow the TrAuMa I often endured having WaLtnEr the crazy cat walk all over my face in the middle of the night!

#2 How could I not have the highest admiration for one who produced this BuNdlE of crazy, cute ridiculousness...

...and this one...

...not to mention this one...

I'm so grateful to have such darling nieces :)

#3 I love that there are very few people in the world that can ApPrEciAte the hilarity found in the following sequence of pictures as much as you will...

#4 You look really FlY when you ice skate...

... I'm just waiting for you to bust out with a triple axle, sow-cow, double toe loop with a twist ;)

#5 It's quite possible you have no recollection of this, but when I was in eighth grade, you gave me a heart to heart about BoYs. We were sitting on the steps of our PiNk house in Florida. What you said stuck with me. Thank you for speaking so HoNeStLy to me that night. I truly believe your words helped protect me from a lot of potential heart ache. I really appreciate that.

#6 You help make my DrEaMs a ReAliTy. Case in point: The ShiGgY ShuFfLe...

This moment of FaMiLy FuN would not have been possible without your MiX. I look forward to the Re-MiX when we meet again.

#7 Thank you for bringing the secret to a natural, brilliant smile in every photograph to our family....Inhale....Aaaaaand, SmILe...

Works every time!

#8 When I'm with you, I feel free to be me...sounds CheEsY but it's true. Believe me, not everyone would allow me to perform my BrItTnEy routine in the middle of a car wash parking lot with no shame! It's so good to be loved even when I'm actin' the fool...

#9 To this day, I still remember with great fondness sitting at home watching PoIsOn music videos with you and a plate of CheEsE, ChErRiEs and BrAuNsChweigEr while Chris was at the real concert. You will never know how unbelievably cool I thought you were for this moment, and I'm still trying to figure out how in the world you ever got me to enjoy braunschweiger?!

And finally #10: I love ya just for being my brother...I'm so grateful that you have added these memories and many more to my life. There's not a single person that could take your place. Happy Birthday...a bit late, but as Grandma J says, "Better late than never." Love you Matthew!

Bling, Bling...

It is quite possible that my engagement ring has never seemed so BeAuTiFuL to me as it does today. Let's just say I have been given the blessing of living, in a small way, the Parable of the Lost Coin...

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and LoSeS one. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and SeArCh carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, "Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin." In the same way, there is JoY in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents.

After a long day with my 28 DaRliNgS, following a night of searching, I am too spent to ReLiVe the tale at present...coming soon, but I can say that in a small way I have been awakened anew to the deep JoY of finding that which is lost and the SoRrOw that comes while longing for its return...