Wednesday, November 27

What Would You Do If You Knew You Couldn't Fail?

What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?
This question has crept its way into several conversations over the last 6+ months. It's a simple question that had me thinking one morning.

What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail? 

I made a list silently in my head that morning. A number of little things began to fill my list such as write a book or poetry maybe, paint beautiful paintings for people, run a marathon, hike up a mountain etc. And then, a still small voice whispered "speak".  I might have gasped out loud from the thought of myself speaking.  I am not a speaker.  I have a deep and troubling fear of people. It may not be people themselves that I fear,  it may be the possible rejection, heckling, and judgement that I might would have to endure if I were to ever speak publicly.  I shuttered at the thought and quickly dismissed it.
That was late May of this year.
In August, Lynette Lewis came and spoke at the women's conference our church hosted. Lynette was incredible. She was utterly inspiring and she delivered challenges that refreshed and recharged my soul. After absorbing all she had to say about dreaming and achieving goals that seem unreachable, I found that question rising up frequently in my times with the Lord. Each time I would ask Jesus "What would you have me do, if I knew I couldn't fail?" Each time I asked, "speak" was the answer delivered to me. Each time I trembled slightly with anxiety and "No Lord. I cannot do this" would be my response and I would again dismiss the thought.

A couple months later I found myself sitting amongst some friends discussing some of our personal dreams each of us had, and ways we could be intentional about accomplishing them. When it came time for me to share the dreams I had, I felt that all too familiar tug from the Holy Spirit to admit what he had been whispering to my soul for several months. I had yet to acknowledge this whole "speaking" thing out loud. But there I was sitting with some of my dearest friends about to tell them I dreamed, somewhere deep down,  of doing what I feared the most. I dreamed of "speaking".

About two weeks after getting this dream out in the light I accepted an opportunity to be a break-out-session speaker at the upcoming Missional Womens Conference in Denver Colorado this coming April.

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I am facing my fears head on. I have finally submitted this to the Lord and I can honestly say, that I am getting really excited!  I will be speaking on International Missions and how it can fit into anyone's busy schedule and how going on the mission field has changed my life.

This conference is going to be amazing.
It is a conference for women of all ages and seasons of like and it is designed to help you be intentional to think through how God built you and how you can steward it for His glory. It is to help you discover and live out how to use your gifts and strengths for making God known and for the expansion of His kingdom.

You will get to hear from women (myself included) who are living on purpose for God's glory, be led in worship, have life-giving discussion times with incredible women and you will leave with resources to help you take the next step and you will be encouraged through God's word. 

The conference dates are April 11 - 12. The ticket prices is $119 which includes all the meals, sessions, concert and an all access digital pass. However...for Black Friday, we are offering...
 50 early bird tickets at only $89!!!! 
These tickets will go on sale Friday morning at 6:00 am (MST).  This is an amazing deal people!

I hope that you will come to this conference and maybe bring a friend or two along with you. I promise you will walk away feeling inspired and equipped to live on mission with how God has uniquely built you. Plus...if you come to my break out session you will get to be the first people to see me take a giant leap of faith and conquer one of my GREATEST fears. Who wouldn't want to miss that?

Be sure to visit the conference website here for more information.
If you have further questions, comment below and I will see if I can help answer them.
I hope to see you in Denver in April!! 


Thursday, November 21

How to Have a Really Not So Good Day

I wanted to title this post: How to Have a Crappy Day. But I didn't want to offend anyone. But there, I said it anyway.

Do you ever have those days were you just make really poor choices from the moment you wake up until the moment you crawl back into bed. And when you do finally make it back into your bed, do you ever pull the sheets up completely over your head and just groan over the repeating thoughts of failure and bad choices made?

I have those days. Today (wednesday) I had one of those days. The night before I had made a poor choice by having a cup of coffee at 7pm and lots of sugar snacks to accompany it. I later found my self awake until 3:30am. Bad choice.

7:23am the rising sun had the audacity to wake my children from their peaceful slumber, leaving this momma feeling like she had been hit with a sledge hammer. I coaxed my 7 yr old into getting his siblings and himself some breakfast while I tried to get a few more minutes of sleep. Today (wednesday) was a homeschool day. We usually use this day to lounge in bed during these morning hours. But not today. Oh no! The children wanted to play. Once cereal was eaten, the wrestling and bickering began.

7:40am. Oh how I longed for just 1 more hour. I broke the cardinal rule that society tells you to keep. I let the TV babysit my children while I "rested" for just a few more moments. Not being able to sleep due to a Ninja battle taking place in the next room over, I decided to skip my quiet time and browse social media instead. Bad decision.

9:30am. Still laying in bed. Lazy bones. It took everything in me to get out of bed and be intentional about getting things done and homeschool completed.

10:30am. I remembered I needed to get caught up on some emails. I sat at the computer and get sucked into Christmas shopping and planning. Bad decision.

12:50pm. Homeschool still not done and I have a really stubborn child who refuses to open his folder and begin. Its just one of those days.

1:57pm. Sweet endearing children tell me they are starving. I realized we were well past our lunch hour. Remembering I needed to run by T.J. Maxx to get a jacket for my trip to New Jersey the following day, we loaded up and headed to Sonic and then to T.J. Maxx. Trip to T.J. Maxx + 3 kids = Bad decision.

2:30pm. While we walked through T.J. Maxx with slushies in hand, a fight between the littles broke out and Emme girl face plants it right in the middle of the main aisle with people watching and Red Cherry Slush goes every where. I start to sweat. See... Bad decision.

2:50pm. We got home tried to fight our way through homeschool. I hate rough homeschool days. I hate when we don't start our homework right away in the morning.

3:15pm. We had a nice little break when friends popped over for a few minutes.

5:30pm. Homeschool was still not done, laundry not finished for my trip, dinner not made nor planned and sheets still not put on the kids bed.

8:30pm. Sheets were still not on beds, dinner  was finally eaten, laundry rotated and homeschool getting wrapped up. Light at the end of the tunnel.

9:30pm. Kids are finally in their bed with clean sheets, laundry put away.

11:50pm. I got my bags all packed. Laundry all caught up. Kitchen still a wreck though and notes need to be made for the babysitter.

1:14am the next day. Still working on things and my alarm will go off at 5:00am. Maybe I will sleep on the plane.

Do you ever have days like this? Days where you can't seem to put your phone down or simply get your act together?

I have found that I have days like this when I make that first morning decision to not get up, to not get moving, I don't welcome Jesus into my day and I struggle to take charge. I know everyones day will be 100x's more enjoyable if I make the best and right decision first thing. But today, I didn't. I was selfish and I made some bad choices. I am thankful that tomorrow is a new day. I can start over and redeem the crappy day we just put to rest. Or maybe that can wait until Monday. I leave tomorrow for a little getaway with my Man! Oh how I need a little trip.

In the meantime... my house is getting Christmisified. Read that slowly. Now say it out loud. I think I might have made that word up. I kind like it.

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And if this little thing of love doesn't add a little sunshine to your crappy day then I don't know what else will. She kind loves me. I love her back.

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Wednesday, November 20

2 Ways to Improve Your Skin and Have the Face You Always Wanted

Did I grab your attention? If you are reading this then I assume yes! Yes I did.
As a woman, posts, articles, magazine headlines and...infomercials...yes, you read that correctly infomercials...sometimes suck me in. Especially, when it has to do with improving my skin.  I am the lucky chick who was blessed with incredibly oily skin and I have been blessed with Adult Acne. *insert sarcasm* 
I have struggled with my skin my entire life. Or maybe at least since I was 12 or 13. I had it bad y'all
The only time my skin is flawless and beautiful is when I am pregnant. And lets get real people, I can't be pregnant everyday for the rest of my life. I mean...no, just No!  

I have tired every product known to mankind. I have tried drug store remedies, prescriptive creams and washes, pills, Proactive, Mary Kay and so many others. Some worked for a while, others not at all and some made my face feel like it was going to crack open if I attempted to make any sort of expression. This is a sad sob story of my poor pitiful skin but its real life. 
My face is the breeding ground for one of my biggest insecurities. 
I hate my breakouts. 
I hate my oily skin. 
I hate my gaping pores.
I hate feeling like people are talking to the pimple on the end of nose that makes me resemble Rudolf,  rather then actually talking to me. 
It is a vain insecurity but it is one that genuinely bothers me and one that I know is fixable. I have just needed to find the right solution.

With that, here are  2 Ways to Improve Your Skin and Have the Face You Always Wanted

Now, I what I am about to tell you is seriously going to CHANGE YOUR LIFE and face.
If I did not believe in this then I would not be promoting it. I only promote things to people if I genuinely believe in it. This...this I believe in

So 2 ways:

1) Identify your skin issue. Whether you are like me and you need help combatting your adult acne or you want to revive your dull lifeless skin into youthful glowing skin or you want to reverse and slow down those lovely age lines we resentfully call...wrinkles.

2) Order yourself some products from Rodan + Fields. You will thank me. I promise. 


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Out of all the products I have tried, and I have tried many, THIS product is the best. I am currently documenting my personal "before and afters" photos. I will be brave and show my "foundation-less" to those who are wanting to better their skin and have the face you have always dreamed of having. If we are all honest with ourselves, I think we can all admit that our skin is a big deal to us. Especially the skin on our face. Everyone sees it and every sees its flaws.

Rodan + Fields offers several skin care lines. The one I am using is called UNBLEMISH.
Here is what their website says about UNBLEMISH:

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They also have:

REDEFINE.


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REVERSE

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SOOTHE

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This product is seriously amazing. I know this is a different kind of post from my norm but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share with you a product and business that I am loving.  If you would like more information I would LOVE for you to email me so that I can hook you up and get you on your way to better healthier looking skin. Also if you are interested in the business side of the company I would love to chat with you about that as well. There are amazing opportunities for you if are interested in joining my little team. I have watched this company change the lives of several personal friends. Below you will find my website and contact information.

Website: https://jennaknight.myrandf.com
Email: jennaknight(at)gmail(dot)com

//all images from R+F.com//

Saturday, November 16

Purchase with Purpose Part II

I hope you are in full holiday mode! We are over here! This past weekend we put up our Christmas lights and I have been officially bitten by the Christmas Bug. After the lights went up, I began dragging a few of our Christmas decorations. And with Christmas decorations, come the Christmas tree and what is a Christmas tree with out beautiful presents to sit beneath it. So needless to say I have kicked off my Christmas shopping this year.
I thought for the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, I would continue with sharing some Purposeful Purchasing ideas with you on. From Fair Trade to Handmade, to Homemade baked goods. You can see my first list here.

Here are this weeks items that I am loving: tomsbagwatch photo PurchasewithPurpose2_zpsd0ce6414.jpg 1. Nepal Boots by TOMs 2.Noonday Bag 3. Kids watch



Happy Shopping!

Tuesday, November 12

11 Things I am Thankful For

During the month of November, Americans are more intentional each day about acknowledging what they are thankful for. Myself included. Each day our Facebook feeds and our Instagram feeds are flooded with words of Thankfulness and Appreciation. I wish more days, in other months, were as intentional about recounting our blessings and proclaiming our thankfulness.
I too am at fault for overlooking and taking lightly my daily blessings and thankfulness. It is easy to forget all that we are thankful for.
So today, I am Thankful for a holiday and a month that is centered around Thankfulness. I am thankful and refreshed by reading what my real life friends and my social media friends are thankful for in the present. I have felt inspired by their beautiful pictures and their beautiful words. Many have challenged me to find thankfulness in the mundane, the plain and the simple. Thankfulness doesn't have to be found in the big blessings, the flashy or the grand.
Thankfulness can be found sitting on the curb of the sidewalk listening to the laughter of your children running free, barefoot and dirty. Thankfulness can be found folding the thousandth pair of socks that cover the toes of the children that God has blessed you with. Thankfulness can be found in the middle of a battle or in the middle of darkness because your faith lies in a good God who will bring you through and turn the ugly into something lovely.

Each day I have been trying to be intentional about finding something in the normal that brings me joy and bring me to thankfulness.

Day1: Christ's Freedom
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Day2: A table full of family gathering for breakfast
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Day 3: Adoption and for a Sunday where churches and Christians gather together to be one voice for one purpose to stand up for those who need us to say YES!
orphan sunday photo IMG_5024_zpsda4bcc41.jpgDay 4: For a husband who loved the Lord with all of his heart and MIND and who love to equip others on how to defend their faith.
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Day 5: For the Holy Spirit who is whispering to my sons soul and for a son who loves the lord and strives to live to bring him glory
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Day 6: For story time with our kids
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Day 7: for random bits of encouragement
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Day 8: Delicious Food trucks :)
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Day 9: An amazing soccer team. It's rare to get this many amazing families on one team. We are blessed.
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Day 10: Christmas Lights. I LOVE Christmas lights. I wish they could be up longer. 
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Day 11: Date nights with my big. This kid made me a mom. He has my heart and he touched my soul deeply. He is a wise old soul and I love being his mom.
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What are some things that you are thankful for? 

Monday, November 11

Not About Me November

 For the month of November MissionalWomen.com has been hosting a series title
"Not About Me November".
 photo 4886891_orig_zps78a20c6e.jpg Can't we all use the reminder that this life is not about us but rather about making the invisible God visible? I sure can.  I love what Laura has to say about the series...

"I believe as we train ourselves to think through the lens of it just not being about us, it will begin to change the way we think about a lot of things and begin to change how we act and even what we are investing so much time and energy into that really are just not worthy."

This month as I prayed about what to write about, I felt God leading me in the direction of parenting. I have learned a lot about parenting over the last 7 years. I am still learning. I certainly do not have it all figured out. But one thing that God has taught me, is that parenting is not about me, it is about Him.
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When I first became a mom (7 years ago) I found myself in a place of great dissatisfaction and discomfort. I was in a place where I was feeling heavy amounts of criticism, judgment and disapproval. Most of it was in my head but some of it was actually expressed to me in some very awkward face-to-face conversations. Knowing that there was more or, at least hoping that there was more to parenting then just raising well mannered, healthy kids who, dress too adorable for words and who follow perfect "eat, sleep, play" schedules and can count to 20 and spell their names before they are two, I began to search for more. In my search for more, I found that I was parenting to make myself look better. May parenting was beginning to be about me, my comforts and what everyone else was thinking about me. Although, I don't think I ever admitted this out loud, when I look back on some of my early parenting moments, there is an underlying motive of self. I had a deep desire for everyone else around me to be pleased of the way I parented my child.

After my second son was born, I felt empty. My parenting felt shallow..... 

to read more about what God taught me about parenting and how it is about Him and not me, click HERE

The Mended Soul Project

@lilliesofthefield is so excited to introduce you to one of our new friends we "met" via Instagram. I love how this little Social Media tool connects so many people. I love meeting new friends from my blog, Instagram and Facebook.  Michelle emailed us a few weeks asking if we would like to partner with her to help her raise some funds for the ministry/project she is starting. After exchanging a few emails with Michelle, Wynne and I instantly loved her and loved her heart. God is so good to connect us to so many beautiful women who are wildly chasing after Him. So without further ado...
Meet Michelle.
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Here is a brief summary of what The Mended Soul Project is. Written by Michelle herself.


The Mended Soul Project was started this year in honor of my little ones that are in heaven.  Infertility is one of the worst struggles that a woman can face.  Not being able to have a baby is more than frustrating, it's heart breaking, mind shattering.  Women face these struggles every day.  Losing a pregnancy is even harder.  From the moment the + shows up on the test, it is a baby to us.  I have suffered multiple miscarriages, including losing twins at 20 weeks.  Each time I lost a pregnancy, I slipped further and further into depression.  Although miscarriage is fairly common, it is not something that is openly discussed.  It is one of those things that no one wants to talk about.  I learned throughout my struggles that the hospitals don't offer much support in the way of mental help or physical help for that matter.  It took me 9 years to be able to open up about the tragedy of my losses.  Once I did, I felt free of the unnecessary guilt I had placed upon myself and I felt the extreme need to help women going through the same thing.  The Mended Soul Project will provide women with a website they can go to, where they will find all sorts of information about loss and infertility.  I have also begun a local mission with my church and a few local hospitals, where we will provide women with a postcard with all the information needed to get help when they are ready.  For those women that have suffered a late term loss or stillbirth, we will provide them with a bag that will include things like breast pads for when their milk comes in and they don't know what to do about it.  Since my loss, I have been blessed with two beautiful children, but the pain of losing my children has been so hard.  Looking back at all the things I searched for online and knowing the things that happened to my body that no one warned me about, I knew I had to do something to help.  You can find more information about the project on my blog at www.mendedsoul.blogspot.com.  The new site will be up and running shortly.  Thank you so much for your support! 
Blessings to all!!!

It is such a blessing that @lilliesofthefield can be a small part of helping lift a finical need for amazing ministries such as this one. Wynne and I are constantly in awe over how creative our God is, that He can take a little Instagram "store" to help change lives. To God be all the glory! 

Tomorrow afternoon at 4pm cst. @lilliesofthefield will be hosting a sale benefitting The Mended Soul Project. I hope you will join us! In the mean time I urge you to visit Michelle's blog here. You will surely be blessed by her openness and her wisdom. 
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Who Doesn't Love Christmas Cards?

One of my favorite things about the holiday season are Christmas cards!
I love, Love, LOVE them!! 
I love sending them out and I LOVE receiving them. 
Who doesn't love receiving them? It's like little presents everyday during the month of December. 
I love going to my mail box in anticipation of a pretty envelope addressed to our little family from our friends and family members. I love opening them and seeing the cheerful, beautiful smiles, on the creative and beautifully designed cards and I adore getting the occasional yearly "newsletter" that some of our friends send out. 
Each year, around this time, I begin planning our families Christmas card. I could, and usually do spend hours browsing through all of the lovely designs. With that being said, I wanted to share with you my favorite place for Christmas cards (as well as other invitations and announcements), Minted
Have you heard of them?
If not, you need to do yourself a favor, click HERE and begin drooling over their thousands of indie-designed cards. 
**Your welcome**

I have purchased my past three Christmas cards from Minted. I adore the simple, vintage and modern look that each of their cards possess. Not to mention the impressive quality of paper they print these beauties on. It's in the small details people...

One of the things I respect and love about this company, is their desire to be unique and their desire to satisfy their consumer 100% with the best quality and most "on trend" designs.  Their purpose in life "is to uncover exceptional design from all over the world and bring this to savvy consumers who won't accept anything else." 

From their website:
"At minted, we love the idea that out products will find their way into your most personal celebrations, and we don't take that honor lightly. That's why we only use fine paper card stock, rich inks, and crisp printing methods. We guess you could say that quality is an obsession for us. We stand behind our products with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We are proud to offer a stunning and exclusive assortment of holiday cards, Christmas cards and wedding invitations sourced through our global community of indie designers. Whether you're looking for non-photo or photo cards, modern or vintage designs, Minted allows you to customize a design to be uniquely yours." 

Just to give you a small look at some of their beautifully designed Christmas cards, here are my top design choices I am going between for this years card. 
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Glitter card
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Minimal Band card
 photo MIN-X14-HYC-001CHRISTMAS_A_PD_zps5f7873b5.jpgThere are so many lovely cards to browse through! I hope you take the time to look through them and I hope you find the Christmas card that is perfect for your family.
And through the end of today, they have a Holiday offer offering $25 off + Free Ground shipping on Holiday Cards. I love a good coupon code!

Also...while you are on the Minted website, I would like to recommend checking out their blog, Julep.
You will find some really fun DIY projects on this blog.
Who doesn't LOVE a good DIY project? I am a project junky. My personal favorite DIY they have on the blog right now is the Styling Tips For A Farmhouse Thanksgiving.
One of my favorite things in life is to host dinners and gatherings around my dinner table. So much life and so many memories are made around our dinner tables. It is a place of connecting, remembering and sharing. And with Thanksgiving right around the corner, this post jumped out at me. Everything about this table scape spoke to my heart. It is simple yet beautiful. It is gorgeous without trying to hard.
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image via Minted
And those gold leaf Pumpkins! I mean can they be any more perfect and darling? 
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You can find how to get this look here.

I hope you enjoyed my little recommendations! I can't wait to see what beautiful card you will choose this year!


Tuesday, November 5

Purchase with Purpose: An Early Shopping Guide

November is already here.
I. Cannot. Believe. It.
October flew by.
If you are like me, then this is the week you begin thinking about your Christmas gift list and what you will be purchasing this year for all of your loved ones. I LOVE Christmas. It is a magical time of year. The music, the peppermint drinks and sweet treats. The lights. The trees. The parties. The cheer. It is the best.
But there is one thing that I cannot stand about Christmas...
I cannot stand the crowds that Christmas shopping brings. It is overwhelming and makes shopping for Christmas gifts unenjoyable to me.
The over commercialism of the holiday, the mass consumption and the crowds. Oh my. It is just too much stimulation for this girl to handle. So I try really hard to get all of my Christmas shopping done BEFORE Thanksgiving. That way I can enjoy the month of December and all of the festivities that it brings without battling the stress of crowds.

So since this kicks off my shopping season for Christmas I thought I would share with you some of my favorite companies and products. I adore "Purchasing with Purpose". The thought of my money going towards improving someone else's life and bettering their future while getting something pretty for myself, a friend or a family member is so exciting! It's the perfect "win-win" when gift giving.

Last year I teamed up with my friends Wynne and Alison to bring you our favorite "Purchase with Purpose" finds. You can see those posts here, here and here.

Here are some on my favorite items this year.
(click on the image to be taken directly to the website)

This Noonday Bag
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Headbands from this shop
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Anything from this Fair Trade shop especially these bracelets
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I am LOVING these stockings from No.41 this year!
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I have been drooling over these bags for MONTHS. I am trying to save up for one! 
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Lastly.... Have you checked out TOMS new Marketplace section? Its amazing! I love how this company is expanding. I have been a loyal TOMs wearer since 2008. I still have my first pair and I LOVE them I just can't seem to part with them. No matter how torn up they are or how stinky they are. :)

Here are my current favorite from TOMS Marketplace:

This weekender bag


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This cosmetic bag


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This Ethiopian bracelet - which means "Wisdom"


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Over the next few weeks I will be posting some of our Holiday traditions, more gift ideas, how we approach Santa and how we help make Christmas "manger centered" in our home. I am excited for this Holiday season.  It is such a magical and special time.

Happy Shopping!

***To see more Purchase with Purpose finds follow my Pinterest board HERE.

Monday, November 4

Thankful: Orphan Sunday

Orphan Sunday.
I love that we have this day. I mean, we should really be gathering everyday to be the voice for the voiceless but, I find it really special that there is a Sunday set aside each year for churches and Christians all over the world to come together with one voice for one purpose.
To stand up and defend the orphan.
For one day, we become their voice.
We speak of their statistics.
We advocate for their future.
We plead for people to stand up - be their hope.
We pray for them. Love them and fight for them.

While not everyone is "called" to adopt, we, as believers in Jesus Christ and the word of God, are called to care for the orphan and to defend their cause.
(James 1:27, Isaiah 1:17, Psalm 68:8, Proverbs 31:8-10)
We are called to be their voice. To be their hope. To be the ones who come to their aide and pray that the love of Jesus will be made known to them.
THIS is our calling. THIS is our job.

I feel thankful beyond words that God called my family to adopt. It has been the wildest, most humbling and exciting journey. It has brought new passions, new hopes, new friendships and new dreams to our family that I could have never imagined on my own.

Today I praise Jesus for rescuing our daughter from a life of hopelessness and poverty. And through her rescue, He is redeeming an entire family. Praise God.

There are many still waiting. Waiting for their turn to be chosen. To be loved. To be held.
There are millions starving in dark alleys, cold and forgotten about. There are thousands here is the US that have been displaced and are bouncing from foster home to foster home.

It just takes one person, one family to stand up and say "Yes!" to make a difference and to change the world.

Today we band together. We band together to pray for these children and to be their voice.