Slavery and St. Nick

A few weeks ago a lady at my church, an amazing wife and a homeschooling mom of 6, completely shaved her head.  She said she felt the Lord calling her to shave off all her hair in order to raise awareness for sex trafficking.  She is courageous, she is obedient, she is changing the world. 

When I first heard about it, I admired her bravery but honestly did not see the connection between a shaved head and sex trafficking.  I would have understood more if it were to raise awareness for cancer.  BUT, let me tell you, I have never thought so much about this issue that is truly modern day slavery as I have these last few weeks.  Of course, when I see her at church, I immediately think about it.  I also just have a heightened awareness of the issue, so when I see an article on the internet or hear a report on the news, I pause.

The other day, I read something about girls as young as Anna's age (3!!) being sold or kidnapped into this type of slavery and I was enraged.  As I watched my two girls playing innocently without a care in the world (as they should be), I felt I had to do something for the girls who are enduring much different lives.  When some of my family members asked what they could get me girls for Christmas, I asked them to donate to a charity that helps to bring freedom for these precious girls.  We picked Love146, but there are many others.

I can't let myself read too much about the horrors and evils of child trafficking and exploitation, because then I begin to lose hope and there IS hope.  I also read and listen to the stories of restoration and healing.  I need to be aware of the bad and the good to help me to pray and help me to act.  I read the following quote once and it has really stuck with me.  I reflect on it when dealing with issues such as this one.

“When you are standing in a mass grave in Rwanda, the question that came to my mind was not the question that was coming to everyone else’s mind perhaps. I’ve had people ask me, ‘Where was God in the midst of all of this?’ But I could sense, at least from Scripture, what I knew of my heavenly Father, was that I knew where God was: He was right in the midst of all that incredible suffering. The more relevant question for me was, ‘Where are God’s people?’
“… What I also saw so clearly was the biblical mandate, because when you go through Scripture with an eye for that, all of a sudden there are these very clear commands: Micah 6:8, ‘He has told you, O man what is good and what the Lord requires of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God,’ or Isaiah 1:17, ‘Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.’” (Excerpted from RELEVANT magazine, “A Call to Justice,” March/April 2007 with permission.) 

Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/rwandan-genocide-where-were-gods-people/#ixzz2FoNC8VAJ

    
Then, just this week, I heard the following story about St. Nicholas~

He did not spend his inheritance of three bags of gold coins, but considered how he might use it to serve the poor. There lived in his town a man who was poor and could not afford dowries for his three daughters. This man had determined to sell his girls into slavery when they came of age. As each one came of age, St. Nicholas dropped one of the bags of gold coins through the window of the man's house in the middle of the night, providing a dowry and redeeming each of them from slavery.  

It was both a reminder and confirmation to me that this is what Christmas is about.  This is what Jesus came to do for each of us.

"Some Pig" and Charlotte

Since Anna liked the book and movie so much and was always pretending Wilbur, I thought it would be cute to go with a Charlotte's web theme for Halloween this year.  It might be my last year to have a say. :)

 

  I put my hair in pigtails and told Anna I was Fern.  She loved it and my lack of effort towards a costume didn't matter to her at all.

 

  We started off the evening with our superhero cousins to get $2 burritos at Chipotle and then headed to a fall festival.

 

Daddy got home in time to go trick-or-treating and that is when the fun really began.

 Our first stop was our neighbors who we know pretty well, so it wasn't a big deal when Haven darted into their house.  At least we knew what to expect for the rest of the night.  Haven had no fear and would run up to a house and grab for the candy bowl as soon as the door opened.

 The girls were able to get a little more wear out of their costumes at Anna's school's Storybook Parade (also known as kids walk down the halls in costumes and get candy along the way).

Anna with her favorite friend, Zoe.

 

 Wilbur has now been showing up at breakfast...

 

and likes to color. 

 

His Voice

The other morning after breakfast, I found Anna laying quietly on the couch in the living room.  She had been up for an hour and wasn't tired so I was surprised to find her there.  I asked her what she was doing and she replied "I'm just thinking about God".  I said "Oh, what about God" to which she replied "well, I'm thinking about His love".  

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

When I told Brad this story, he told me that just the day before, he found her sitting quietly as well.  When he asked what she was doing, she told him she was trying to hear God's voice. 

The Sunday after she told us these things, she came home from church with this.  I was so excited to see what the paper said because I know that concept had been on her little mind.  I asked her what the Big God Story was that day and she told me her version of 1 Samuel 3, when Samuel heard the voice of God.  I love how the Lord responds to us when we go to him, even to three years old who come to Him with innocence and childlike faith.   

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me

John 10:27

Pumpkin Post

If I were to pick a theme for this month, it would definitely be pumpkins.  

I decided to combine all our pumpkin related pictures into one big post with way too many pictures.  And yes, the girls are wearing the same outfits in all the pictures, I've washed them several times this month. :)

Our first stop was a pumpkin patch in Burleson with cousins and friends.

 Not sure what sign Haven is flashing??

 

 

 Love my sis and this pic of her boys.  Next year another little pumpkin will be added to the family.

Then, we had fun at a pumpkin painting playdate at Ashley and Emilynn's house.

 

All the little one participated but the three year olds actually painted longer than 30 seconds.

We never pass up a chance to take a picture of these three girls together. 

We also went as a family to my favorite pumpkin patch in Mansfield where Appy and Grandy were able to join us.

I loved the way the sun was shining into the bounce house and attempted some artistic looking shots.  I said attempted.

 

 Haven was a little timid of the goats at first but quickly warmed up with Grandy's help.

 Anna loved them and was up in their face telling them how cute and sweet they were.

 Appy showed the girls what happens when you pick some grass to feed the goats.

 Anna jumped right onto the horse and insisted on riding it by herself.  Lately, she has been telling me that she wants to be a horse when she grows up.  I thought she was just saying it to be silly one day but its been 2 months now and she is not kidding.  She also wants me to be a dolphin when I grow up. :)

 Haven had no fear either.

 This pic is for Grandpa Gene.

 Note to self: never wait until 8:30 at night and you are leaving to take a family pumpkin patch picture.  I want to remember the reality of life with a 1 and 3 year old, so I included these pics.  It was actually pretty funny in the moment. 

 

 

 Sorry honey, you better get used to this kind of drama!

Lil' Liza Joy

 This precious face entered the world on August 16th.

Shortly after she was born, the doctors discovered she had aortic stenosis.

To make a long story short, she had to have surgery when she was less than two weeks old to open her aortic valve.  

There will probably be more surgeries in her future, but she is doing well now and is just as sweet as can be.

 

 We got to spend some time with her this week when Aunt Sandy brought three members of her crew to ride the train.

 

As you can see from the pics below, Liza was definitely the center of attention. 

Each baby girl added to our family is a special blessing!

I never want to take for granted the time these cousins have to grow up together.

  It hit me that when school starts next year, Nalani and Lucas will be in kindergarten, so they won't be able to meet up on these kind of playdates.  

The year after that, it will be Anna.  

Just a reminder of how fleeting childhood is and how I want to let my girls enjoy it as long as possible.  

There will be a time for practices, lessons, games, performances and homework but for now it is just time to play!

BFFs

In the last week, I have heard from two different sources that siblings can and should be best friends.  When I hear something more than once in a short period of time, I start to pay attention.  

I've just always thought that obviously I want the girls to be best friends but it can't be forced. 
What if their personalities are too different or they just prefer to be best friends with others, is that so wrong? 

One source was set of parents who explained that it was a rule in their house that the siblings would be best friends.  

It is within these relationships that their children learned to honor, respect and love others and to work out conflicts.  

If children can't do this at home, how can we expect to do it out in the world?  

It was also a rule they said, because circumstances always change and other friends will come and go and move away, but siblings are always together.  

 

I still don't think I can force the girls to be best friends, but this value will be encouraged in our home.  

It is not something that just happens, we will have to work at it!  

In fact, I hear screaming right now (not kidding), so here is a chance to put it into practice. :) 

This was taken seconds after the first picture. Anna tends to hug Haven longer than she prefers.