freedom watches.

During the month of August, Sak Saum is selling freedom watches to help end human trafficking in SE Asia. $10 of every purchase goes to The Exodus Road and their ongoing efforts to identify and rescue sex trafficking victims. 

To purchase a watch, go here.

For more information on the collaboration, visit here.

want other ways to help human trafficking victims? Read this. and to find out how this whole thing began, start here. 

get involved- end human trafficking.

There are 27 million sex trafficking victims. Over half of these are children, some as young as three years old. Every 30 seconds, another victim is captured. These statistics can leave us feeling overwhelmed and defeated. However, I firmly believe that where there is light, darkness cannot stand. 

Fight for Them is an organization in which 100% of the proceeds from jewelry sales go directly to Pearl Alliance. Pearl Alliance works with onsite organizations in Southwest Asia, such as Zoe International and She Rescue Home, to end human trafficking.

Mindy Greaves, Founder of Fight For Them. Photo credit Lark Photography.

Each necklace and bracelet comes with the “Fight for Them” logo, a pearl of hope and the initials of an actual sex trafficking survivor. Those initials put a face to the staggering statistics and can be a humbling experience. Every time I hold my daughter and she plays with my necklace, we say a quick prayer for "P.K." I don't know her story or who she is but God does. This has also provided a great opportunity to raise awareness in my own daughter’s heart and to tell her how much she is loved and valued and to fight for those who have been told something different.

If you are looking for ways to help more long term, visit Jamie’s blog. Jamie is a former missionary who has seen first hand the effects of human trafficking and is working hard to rescue young victims. As a monthly sponsor through The Exodus Road, you help an investigative team in a specific SE Asia city rescue those trapped in human trafficking and put those responsible behind bars. (please visit Jamie's blog in the link above for instructions on how to become a sponsor.)

photo credit Jamie the Very Worst Missionary facebook page.

Remember, we can’t do everything, but we must do something.

 (If you have any questions or want to learn more about sex trafficking, please visit the links above or email me at Brittney.bray30@gmail.com)

another mans war.

Recently while I was at the gym, the evening news was playing on the television in the ladies locker room. The report was about how the crime and murder rate in Chicago is affecting the children in the community. Young boys are scared to ride their bikes. Little girls are scared to play outside. Children living in constant worry; yet this is all they know of life.

The young woman getting dressed next to me shook her head and said, “This is why I don’t watch the news. It’s always bad. I know bad things like this happen but I don’t need to watch it and be reminded.”

I politely nodded my head and gave her a sympathetic smile while something stirred in my heart.

It IS important. We DO need to know what is going on in our communities, see the hopelessness and see how the consistent cycle of violence is plaguing innocent children. We DO need to know and be reminded, daily, that there are children who are simply surviving their childhood and who have made friends with fear and hunger. We DO need to know that human trafficking still exists. We DO need to see how the homeless spend Christmas day and compare their thanksgiving meal with ours. We DO need to hear the statistics, see the numbers then listen to the solution and give an explanation why we can’t spare $35 a month for lasting change in a community stricken with poverty.

It IS important.

I am not saying we should overwhelm ourselves with the depression and unfairness of life. It can and does do something deep in your spirit over time to constantly meditate on the injustices of society. There is a point where you begin to lose faith and hope in humanity and questions begin to creep in. “How can a God that allows things like this to happen be good? Why them and not me?” I know the enormity of the needs of this world can feel overwhelming. However, ignorance is not bliss. It’s selfish and un-Christ like. And maybe if we stop acting aloof and DO SOMETHING, we can channel those feelings of despair into action and hope.

During a sermon recently at Jacobs Well, Isaac Anderson encouraged us to find our “to do.” Understand that God knows you care about multiple social injustices plaguing this world but focus on the problem God has placed on your heart and know that he has someone else taking care of separate issues.

We are not all called to start orphanages in Sudan but we are called to treat other humans like…humans. Maybe it’s as simple as having more gratitude and thankfulness in your heart. Hugging your child a little tighter. Giving. Support organizations who are working to end violence, hunger, sex slavery. Look the homeless in the eye next time you walk past them instead of judging them and wondering why they just don’t get a job. My “to do” at this time is poverty on a global scale and child sponsorship through World Vision. (More on this in a future post.)  Ask God for your “to do” and know that it is going to look different for each one of us.  Mother Teresa once said, “I can do things you cannot; you can do things I cannot. Together we can do great things.”

Remember, Christ does not call us to tell the recipient of our giving what to do with their gift, but only that we GIVE.

Teach your children these things. Become contagious in your generosity and sensitive spirit.

We need to stop pretending the problems in this world are another mans war. They are mine. And they are yours. 

We can’t do everything. But we must do something.

In the next couple of weeks, I will be posting tangible ways you can make a difference in the life of a child and those affected by poverty and sex trafficking.

Bon Iver.

For a long time, I didn’t get “it.” Bon Iver is good, sure, but what is all the fuss about? People are swooning and practically worshiping this guy. “For Emma, Forever Ago” was just ok and as far as folk music goes, there are better artists out there. 

That was until I saw them live on Austin City Limits.

they opened with “Perth” and the organized chaos gave me chills while the bass sax rattled my soul. throughout the performance, Sean Carey (background vocals) hits notes that I am pretty sure would make God weep.  The entire band is seeping with talent, having fun yet taking their craft seriously.

Hearing the live version of Beth/Rest is a religious experience. Dramatic? Maybe. But this song stirs my soul, making me feel hopeful and closer to God than most of the mainstream “worship” music out there. If music moves the heart of God, he is grinning from ear to ear during this one.

This Austin City Limits performance makes me appreciate Bon Iver and their albums even more. Remember this post on inspiration? This performance does the same thing for me, beckoning me to be creative and reach my full potential. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWEWJZnuQag

(Although a huge Bon Iver fan, I can laugh and appreciate this video. I can't get it to upload here directly, so just copy/paste it. It's hilarious.)

lent reflections: the social media epidemic.

well here we are, already into the 3^rd week of Lent. Participating in Lent is such a great spiritual practice and I am lucky to go to a church that acknowledges and encourages this important time during the church calendar. The act of giving something up for Lent represents the 40 days Jesus was in the desert. More than that, it represents things we may have become dependent on more than Christ. It is also a time to stop pretending, to get real with God, telling him what truly is on our hearts.

This year I gave up social media (facebook, twitter, instagram, blogs, websites) and chocolate. I am allowed to post on my blog, check my email and use the Internet only when necessary, like to look up directions or listen to music.

Now, I don’t think I am dependent on Chocolate or facebook, but when you give up these things, especially social media, you realize how much time it actually does fill.

Believe it or not, prior to 2006, people still had friendships and communicated with each other. Honestly, each year I give up social media is easier than the last and when I check facebook after Lent is over, it all seems so silly. Of course, these things in and of themselves are not bad; in fact, I have connected and built relationships with people I know or keep in touch with mainly through the Internet. But the time and distraction these sites become IS. It takes away from family, human interaction and being real with each other instead of the person we have made ourselves out to be behind the profile picture. We become so concerned with what everyone else is doing and making sure our live look good to others we loose our identity and begin to lack the confidence and knowledge that being our true selves is enough.

I saw a book at Barnes and Noble on this very subject titled, “Together Alone.” Those words perfectly sum up what too much social media has done to this generation. I think everyone would benefit from staying away from social media for 40 days. Heck, I would challenge some people to give it up for 24 HOURS. Stop the constant status updates and being so consumed with what your friends or followers think and comparing your life to the lives of others. Whatever happened to a little bit of privacy? Look up from your phone every once in a while and find other, possibly more productive ways to kill time. Life goes on and I promise you will only benefit from the break.

farewell to hostess and 2012.

I started writing these yearly round up posts at the end of 2007, which makes this my 6^th year-in-review write up. (Is that even possible?) And while sometimes I look forward to the task, other years I have a hard time summing up the year, creating homework out of a hobby. However, these yearly wrap ups are not necessary for today but for tomorrow. When re-reading about the years past, I have never regretted that I took the afternoon to reflect and remember where my life was or where I wanted it to go. So let’s get this started shall we?

My dear friend Louise wrote a “Year In Review” on her blog in the form of a time capsule. I immediately thought, “This is brilliant! and exactly why we are best friends.” So for my yearly round up, I too, shall create a virtual time capsule. A small box it will be, hand carved of rich mahogany, and will contain personal memories, snaps of pop culture and world events.

First off, my time capsule would be a music box and when opened, the pinnacle of Whitney Huston’s “I will always love you” would play. You know the part.  RIP girl.

To eat, I would place a Hostess Cupcake and a pack of Donettes in remembrance of the great snack brand that went out of business in 2012. I am sure they will taste just as delicious when they are opened in the future as they do today.

  

In my box, I would place the face of a synchronized swimmer, the ass of Misty May Turner and one of Gabby Douglas’ hair clips to remind me of the 2012 Olympics. I firmly believe that for the 16 days the Olympics are televised, you should watch them. Yes, I am that guy who Tivos handball matches. I only watch swimming and track once every 4 years, yet I was screaming at the television like I had serious investments in the winner. It is a slight relief when they are over though, so I can go back to not feeling guilty about not watching Canoeing.

The world did not end so maybe just a calendar of 2013 in there.

I would bottle up an afternoon at home with Lola. She is funny, smart and adventurous and developing into her own personality. I love it.

 I would write the prayer, “come lord Jesus, come” which was constantly on my mind and tongue on December 14, 2102, when 20 children and 6 adults lost their lives at an elementary school shooting in New Town, Connecticut.

Other events that took place in 2012 include being approximately 50 feet away from Thom Yorke himself when we saw Radiohead live and to my honest shock and amazement, America voted President Barak Obama to a second term after defeating Mitt Romney in the 2012 Presidential election.

My box is getting heavy. Real heavy. And while I bury it in the virtual ground, I think about what I want to be in my time capsule this time next year. As most resolutions go, mine include health, personal and spiritual improvements.

I want to work out 4 times a week. I know this is probably not going to happen as life gets in the way, but out of the 52 weeks in a year, if I can work out 4 times a week for 25 weeks, I will consider that a success. 

I want to stop eating so horribly after I get off work in the mornings. If I must eat, have something like cereal, a granola bar or a piece of fruit. Once again, being a realist, I know this is not going to happen every week, so I am allowing myself one cheat day every 2 weeks.

No soda! Eek!

I want to read through the entire Bible in 2012.

As a family, I would like to save $50 a week, which is $200 a month, adding up to $2,400 in savings for 2013. This is completely doable for us. It may take some discipline and limiting the crap we buy but isn’t that kind of the point?

As with every year in review post, I take a look back at the resolutions I made and how I measured up to the expectations I previously set for myself. One of my resolutions from last year was to limit my crafting and spend more time with Lola. It may seem silly, but I think I was trying to keep up with the Jones’ and crafting because, “That’s what young moms do!” I definitely limited my crafting in 2012, except for around the holidays, which is exactly what I needed. 

I wanted to write more. I did enter a piece I wrote into a contest and wrote 11 blog entries this year but that’s about it.

I did not buy a Vespa and I am not happy about it. I still turn green every time I see one. I’m not sure if it’s the price tag, the ridicule I get from friends or the threat of death from my mother that is stopping me. Whatever the reason for not buying a Vespa in 2012, it was a lame one. I still want a Vespa and probably always will.

 I did participate in Lent and plan on doing this every year. It is such a great spiritual practice and I am lucky to go to a church that acknowledges and encourages participation in this important time during the church calendar.

I prayed for patience at my job and while I am still at Menorah, the winds of change are blowing and I need guidance more than ever on which direction to take. Many options are possibly presenting themselves this year along with new desires to work in areas of nursing I never thought I would be interested in (addiction specialist? children’s hospice care? Who am I?) I need the Lord to make available and clear the path he wants me to take and when to take it. I need courage to not be afraid and step out in faith. He has always worked out the details and I am confident he will again.

I wanted to participate in races throughout the Metro, and while I did a few, I did not reach my goal of 7. At the end of November, I decided to take a break from running, as it was becoming something I loathed and did out of obligation instead of an enjoyable form of exercise. I started taking a bodypump class, cycling, swimming and getting back into yoga which has been the exact change of pace I needed.

Resolutions may seem silly but I have to believe that any time someone has the ambition to improve themselves, whether it be financially, physically or spiritually, it’s a good thing. Ultimately in 2013, I want to find this weird balance between self-discipline and self-improvement without being too hard or critical on myself for being someone I am not. 2013 is going to be a great year. I can feel it. 

best of film. 2012.

(As was the case with my "best of music" list, I feel like it is worth noting that these are my favorite movies of 2012 that I have SEEN. If you strongly believe a film is missing from this list, it may be because I haven't seen it yet.)

#1 The Grey
I did not want to see The Grey. When I reluctantly made my way into the theatre, I thought, “Oh good, here’s another plane-crash-stuck-on-top-of-a-mountain-survivor-movie.” Boy, was I wrong. It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen “The Grey,” but it has stuck with me so profoundly, it feels like it was just yesterday. Essentially it is a survivor story, but done differently involving surviving a pack of hungry wolves. The deaths are vicious. I loved this movie but I never want to see it again. Hold on to your hats, boys and girls. This one is brutal. 

#2 Prometheus

Sci Fi at its finest. At one point a severed talking robot head is about to fly a spaceship and you don’t even think twice about it. While the actual story line has a few holes and loose ends, it doesn’t take away from this great movie of science, faith and trying to find the answers to humanities biggest questions. 

#3 Django Unchained

By now, we should know what to expect when Quentin Tarantino makes a period piece. He writes a story that didn’t and probably couldn’t have happened. But that’s what makes it so great. He somehow takes a dark time in human history and makes a movie about it bearable because you know at the end what should have happened, will happen. Leonardo Dicaprio is chilling as a blood thirsty, dirty rich slave owner. He can act his ass off and portray angry better than anyone else in the game. The violence is definitely there but for a Tarantino film, it could have been much worse. It is funny yet frightening. “Django Unchained” is a revenge history film like only Mr. Tarantino can make.

#4 Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson’s take on pre pubescent love. Not his best film but “Moonrise Kingdom” still has everything that makes Mr. Anderson’s films so unique and better than most.  

#5 A Tall Man

Nevermind that Jessica Biel is the lead role; this movie will surprise you. (So will Jessica Biel for that matter.) Just take my word for it and watch it to the end. There is a twist you will never see coming. (And afterwards, jump into the ethical conversation this movie will force you to have.) 

#6 The Dark Knight Rises

I’ll give him one thing: Christopher Nolan knows how to make a villain. Bane, with his permanent metal mask, oversized cargo pants, that dreadful leather coat and just the sheer girth of Tom Hardy all aid in making a villain only Mr. Nolan could create. Sure I was cheering for Batman but I caught myself almost liking Bane. I found him so damn intriguing I enjoyed when he was on the screen. I was skeptical of Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman and while I wasn’t necessarily disappointed, I wasn’t blown away either. I was, however, impressed that they were able to make her look like Cat Woman without dressing her like she was going to an Alpha Delta Sigma’s Halloween party. The way her glasses looked like cat ears when placed on top of her head was subtle yet effective. “The Dark Knight Rises” is ultimately a serious comic book movie that carries a very real and heavy issue in its plot.  Cue Cat Woman to Bruce Wayne at an extravagant and wealthy party: “You think this can last? There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne…when it hits, you're all going to wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us.”  Intriguing, no? I found The Dark Knight Rises to be an appropriate ending to an outstanding trilogy. 

#7 The Hobbit

I just flat out disagreed with the negative press this movie received. I have sat through movies that felt way longer and way more boring than this. “The Hobbit” is fantastical, well paced and easy to follow. A great re-start for the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and a new generation. 

#8 Argo

I was nervous wreck the last half of this film. “Argo” is a true story that produces excruciating tension and suspense (understandably) until the end. Let’s just agree to stay BEHIND the camera, Ben.

#9 The Imposter

What? This is real life? A true story documentary about a 23-year-old French citizen who pretends to be a kidnapped 13-year-old boy and returns home and fools the boys’ family. Or does he?