Thursday, May 29, 2008

Proclaim release of the Captives



Check out the website. www.notforsalecampaign.org

Also check out this one thesoldproject.com

27 million people are enslaved in our world today.

Because slavery is no longer legal anywhere in the world slave holders are crueler than ever in the methods they use to control the people they keep in bondage. In the book Disposable People:New slavery in our Global Economy, Kevin Bales breaks down the comparison between old slavery and new slavery. If slavery its self wasn't bad enough, the new slavery is worse. 

Most people have no idea that is happening, or that we can do about it.

Everytime I think about this problem my mind goes to this passage:

Luke 4:17-20
And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was writen,
"The spirit o the Lord is upon me,
Because the Lord anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
The Lord has sent me to proclaim release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." 
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all the synagogue were fixed on Him.
And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fullfilled in your hearing."

This is one of the first things Jesus said publicly according to Luke. He came to proclaim the release of the captives... to set free those who are oppressed. We are his followers; we are called to do the same.

This summer I will be spending time trying to figure out more about what I can do here in San Francisco. You should find out what you can do where you are. Check out the website, get hold of some books, do whatever you can. I am commiting to only eat fair trade chocolate and drink only fair trade coffee. (these are my two favorite foods in the world, but children should not be enslaved in Africa so that I can eat cheap chocolate).

27 million people. many of them children. we have to do something.


Sunday, May 25, 2008

Be a force of nature.

I cannot get this little speach from Grey's out of my head. It might be some of the best and worst advice I have ever heard.

"Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here, and don't give a damn waht anyone thinks. There are no teams here, no buddies. You're on your own. Be on your own." ~Christina~

When I think of how much I want to be part of major change in the world I am aware of how much of my self image I am going to have to give up. You can't change the world and worry about how others see you. There isn't time for that. You can't fight the issues of poverty and modern day slavery and still have time to worry about all the other little things. I am bombarded by the little things. I don't have the nerve or the time to fight all the issues I know about, but I know that I want to be a force of nature. I believe in the power of relationships to change the world. 


Friday, May 23, 2008

you should go to this thing.
Find it in your area and go. 
it is that simple.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Where you treasure is your heart will be also???

For months as I lived half a continent away from my glorious storage unit in small town texas I have missed my beloved summer shoes. I did my best to purge my closet of most of my clothes before catching my flight. However I did have a strong attachment to some of my favorite possessions; I was not ready to bid farewell. So I filled a bag with shoes and threw it in the storage unit at the last minute. Now these were some great shoes. Grey heals that are HOT, some flip flops, hiking sandals (because I hike so much, okay maybe I have never worn them hiking, but someday, maybe), an assortment of casual flats, and my favorite pair of brown wedges. I have thought about these wedges and all the great outfits they coordinate with. 

Side Note:
Proverbs remind us to store up wisdom, and encourages us to have just enough of what we need.

Jesus references the birds of the air that do not store things in store houses and yet they are fed, the flowers are clothed more beautifully than the great King in all his glory.

Back to the story:
As soon as I got to texas two weeks ago, just after dinner with my parents I went to my storage unit to get some of my summer clothes I had stored there. I went straight for the bag with the shoes, and it was all green with mold!! Embarrassingly I almost cried. My mother and I scrubbed all of the shoes, bleached the ones we could, threw some in the washing machine, all but one pair were saved, the wedges didn't make it.

I knew as I put them in storage that it made more sense to give them away. I was not planning to wear them for 5 months, someone should enjoy them. But selfishly I feared that if I loaned them out I wouldn't get them back. And if I gave them away, they wouldn't be mine. So Instead of letting someone else sport these great shoes I threw them into a storage unit, and now they are in a garbage can. 

I feel like I might have learned something, but the truth is I still have stuff in that unit. 


Friday, May 16, 2008

This Diva is officially a Master!

I graduated! I am divine!


Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I've learned
and those roads were closed off to me while my back was turned
~sara groves~

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

"and Aunt Sarah?"

for the past 5 months as  I have lived in San Francisco every time my older sister told her precious 2 year old daughter that she was going to see someone from the family Emory would ask "and Aunt Sarah?"

Seriously!?  break my heart! 

My nephew doesn't ask about me, I am not even sure that he knows who I am. I was in Alabama when he was born. I saw him 3 times between August and January when I moved. He doesn't even know me.

I hate that part of chasing after something requires leaving other things behind. I have loved the feeling of looking back and knowing that I was going somewhere new and the things of the past could not tie me down, but I am hating that choosing one future means not choosing another. I will be adventurous Aunt Sarah from a distance. If things stay as they are they will see me a few times a year. That kills me!

I have realized over the past few days that I do in fact love Texas. I will mock it and complain about it to no end for all the days of my life, but I love this place. I love the wide open road. I love the people here. I love Baylor. (in fact I think I am going to come back for homecoming) 

So yeah old habits die hard and my bank account is sadly reflecting that it is challenging for me to maintain a simple lifestyle here. I am frustrated every time I throw food scraps in the trash instead of compost, I hate that I can only recycle paper. I have driven my car enough in the past week to melt the polar ice caps single handedly. I am definitely not loving the environment the way I would like. 

BUT I get to see my niece as she lunges for me from my sisters arms. I get to watch her consume her first ice cream cone. I get to hold her hand as she walks down the street. I get to hold my nephew and throw him in the air. I get to look into the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen and know that someday he will recognize me. 

So yeah there is this huge part of me that wants to be here, and this other part that needs to be there. 

I just wrote a paper about faith being the obedience lived out. Faith is how we follow God in the journey that we are being directed towards. Sometimes faith requires that we leave, and other times it requires that we stay.  In all of this and above all I pray that I am faithful. My older sister has trusted me to be a spiritual mentor for her daughter as she grows up, as hard as that will be from a distance it will be even harder if I fail to live in faith. 
 


Friday, May 9, 2008

die hard

old habits die hard

so i tried. i picked up snacks at the grocery store so that would waist less money on empty calorie foods (eating simply while traveling is challenging and fruit cost more here)... i bought a regular coffee not a latte... but OMG!! I want a double shot expresso coffee drink. there is just something about coming back that makes it easier to slip into old ways. plus there just isn't a place for me to get a 1.5o coffee and if i am spending 2.50 why not spend 3.50 to get the latte? for reals!

some things never change, I have plans to eat out like every meal while I am in town. but i did try to order the cheapest thing on the menu yesterday... i did get called granola today (whatever that means)

but other than feeling like there is no way for me to stick to my 'simple' lifestyle... it is officially true- I LOVE WACO and I MISS TEXAS! it is good to be home for a bit.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Sleep? What?

So this is how crazy my life is: I didn't even make sleeping arrangements in Waco tonight because I knew I would be at the library working ALL NIGHT!

My little sister said she admired my free spirit when I told her. Really it is just my procrastination kicking my tail.


Friday, May 2, 2008

I have make up on and an amazing necklace

So I need to be working on my mentoring notebook. It is after all the main reason for my failure to blog for the past few days. But really quick I must say that on day 3 post the makeup/jewelry fast I am wearing one of my favorite necklaces purchased on a trip to Houston to see my wonderful friend Rachel this past summer, a ring given to me when I was in the 6th grade by a generous church member who wanted his late wife's jewelry to be given to his pastors family because he was aware of our lack of financial means to purchase fun costume jewelry and having the pastor's family wear the jewelry would honor her, along with simple black mascara and eyeliner. 
My very kind roommate told me I looked like a model, she was so shocked to see me with jewelry and makeup on. It was nice to be looked at like I was beautiful, but it was also nice to have these things be accessories, and only accessories. They accent who I am, they do not define who I am.

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