March 10, 2009
· Filed under In the News, Product Reviews, Safety, Uncategorized · Tagged children, handbag, Justaposie, prostitution, purse, Purse of Hope, sex crimes, sex trafficking
I remember getting my first Coach bag. I really felt like it was a life-changing experience. And I still love my Coach bags with the special kind of love women feel for their handbags. But now I’ve got a handbag that is literally life-changing.
My new handbag is a Juxtaposie handbag. Founder Kristen Hendricks made a decision that part of the profits from the sale of her handbags will go toward providing hope and healing to children who have suffered from commercial sexual exploitation. “As fun and fabulous as our handbags may be, we recognize purchasing one may not dramatically change your life, but it may change someone else’s. Thank you for helping us make a difference,” Kristen says.
Kristen recently founded a not-for-profit called Purse of Hope. The initial mission of Purse of Hope is to rescue and rehabilitate 100 girls in Uganda who are the victims of sex-trafficking, forced prostitution, rape or other sexual crimes. The organizations long-term goal is to expand this program to include several other countries and rehabilitate more than 1,000 girls worldwide. A portion of Juxtaposie profits go to this organization.
Now, check out my cool purse:
One of the really cool things about these Juxtaposie bags (besides the amazing quality and attention to detail) are the beaded handles. Incorporated into each handle are several hand-rendered beads created by Northern Ugandan refugees that were forced to flee their homes due to a 21 year civil war. Plus, the handles are detachable, so you can buy several different versions to go with one purse, totally changing the look.
Juxtaposie also offers women a career opportunity to sell these fun bags. One of my friends, Dot Vision, is a sales director in the St. Louis area, and she’d love to tell you how to earn a Juxtaposie bag for yourself for free. You can reach her at dot.vishion@juxtaposie.com. Or, if you want to shop online, you can do so here, and then enter Dot’s consultant code, #001007.
Now, I need to go play with my new purse some more.
March 1, 2009
· Filed under Church, Faith, Safety, Uncategorized · Tagged Beth Moore, Bible study, courage, Esther, Faith, fear, God
Before I became a mother (the BM years), I had my share of fears. My biggest fear was that my husband would be killed in a plane, car or helicopter accident. I couldn’t imagine life without him and the thought that he could be taken from me suddenly made me frantic. Sometimes his job requires him to ride in a helicopter, and I still insist that he call me before going up and immediately upon landing (I have a reasons for my helicopter issues, but that’s for another day). My point is, I thought I knew and understood what real fear feels like.
Then I became a Mom. And my ability to experience fear increased a hundred fold. I know all Moms harbor some form of the same fear — fear that something will happen to one of their children. Okay, let’s just say it — fear that one of their children will die. That’s even hard to type.
I could write pages and pages about the way this fear has caused me to behave or the decisions this fear has influenced in my life. But that’s probably not necessary. Here’s a a very condensed, brief summary:
- I’ve passed on many offers of help with the kids over the years out of fear.
- I skipped a trip to Scotland, all expenses paid plus some spending money.
- I’ve driven many more miles than necessary to avoid letting the kids ride in a car with other people.
- I’ve made my kids miss opportunities to spend time away with grandparents to avoid letting them ride in a car with someone else or in a plane without me (as if my presence on a plane will keep it in the air).
- I’ve made my oldest say no to weekend trips at a lake with friends, again out of fear for her safety in a car and a boat with another family.
I think it’s probably normal to have this fear as a mother. I mean really, what Mom has not worried about this at one time or another? But what I learned this week is that letting this fear control me isn’t only unhealthy, it’s damaging to my faith in God and it may even stand in the way of my destiny or the destiny of one of my children. That’s huge.
I’m currently doing Beth Moore’s Bible Study on Esther. This week’s session focused on fear. Here are some things that I heard, learned, loved, felt convicted by and wanted to share during this week’s lesson:
The most frequent command in the Bible is “Don’t Be Afraid.” – There must be a good reason for this. God doesn’t want us to be afraid and He commanded us NOT to be afraid.
- You can be brave, even if you have an entire history of “chickendom.”
- Courage comes from a heart that knows it is loved.
- Conditional trust (i.e. trust in God as long as He doesn’t allow our worst fear to become true) leaves us in the tight fist of fear.
- Courage isn’t the absence of fear, the knowledge that there is something more important than fear.
- We will never be fearful in a situation in which God won’t offer us courage if we will accept it.
- You may be one brave decision away from the most important turn in your path/destiny.
I’m not saying that as a Mom, I should act irresponsibly or take my role as a protector of my children less seriously. I’m not saying that there aren’t times when I should prevent my children from doing certain things because I consider those things to be unsafe. If a friend or neighbor has a history of bad driving or driving under the influence of alcohol, then I should not allow my children to ride with that person. If another Mom doesn’t supervise her children effectively, then I shouldn’t allow her to watch mine. If I think a social gathering will involve more peer pressure or exposure to inappropriate activities than I think my teen is ready to handle, then I’m responsible for blocking her access to that social gathering.
But I AM saying that I’ve got to let go of the idea that I can control everything when it comes to the safety of my children. And I’ve got to let go of a fear to which I am often a slave. It is time that I trust God more completely and trust Him less conditionally.
I’ve prayed a lot this week for courage — courage to let go more and courage to trust more. So far, it’s been a “freeing” experience.
December 10, 2008
· Filed under Baby stuff, Church, Safety, Uncategorized · Tagged blessings, car accident, carseat, Christmas, holidays, perspective, stress
While driving my baby to Mom’s Day Out yesterday, I wrecked my minivan.
I was driving around a curve on Strecker Road in Wildwood, MO, when I encountered an SUV coming the other direction that had crossed the center line. I swerved to the right to avoid the SUV, and my right front tire went off the road. I swerved to the left, overcompensated, lost control and my minivan went careening across the road, between a tree and telephone pole and into the ditch.
I found out today that the van is totaled. You can’t really see the damage in the picture because it’s all on the driver’s side, but the glass broke out of the windows on that side, the roof buckled, etc. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that my baby was completely unharmed (she was in back on the passenger side in her Britax Marathon carseat) and I only suffered some minor stiffness last night.
The accident could’ve been a lot worse. The van could have rolled as we went down the embankment. I could have hit the tree or telephone pole head-0n. My baby’s carseat could have been on the driver’s side, which likely would’ve resulted in at least cuts and scraps from the branches that came into the van when the glass broke. Suffice it to say — I think Jesus took the wheel. I’m thankful and feel very blessed, once again.
Several times in my past, something or someone has helped me put the holidays in perspective. Two years ago, we got an amazing Christmas letter from a neighbor whose husband beat a terrible form of blood/bone cancer. When I read it, I took a deep breath, counted my blessings and vowed to try to appreciate the holidays as much as their family appreciates them. Last year, I got an heartfelt letter from a friend who is raising three kids alone after her husband died from cancer the previous January. Again, it reminded me to cling to those I hold dear and not sweat the small stuff. Almost 10 years ago, one of my husband’s co-workers died in a car accident right before the holidays and just months after she’d married the love of her life. That one made me realize how important it is seize happiness and joy when it’s in front of you.
While my car accident isn’t nearly as dramatic as the above-mentioned events, it did help me adjust my attitude.
- There have been some people who have really gotten on my nerves and under my skin lately. (Insignificant)
- My house isn’t as clean as it used to be. (Totally insignificant)
- I’m not done shopping. (I’m lucky to have money with which to shop)
- Money is tighter. (My husband is employed, I’ve got freelance work and I’m not having to choose between food and heat)
- My van is totaled and we may only get enough money from insurance to pay it off. (We have insurance and my DH was GREAT about the accident)
I am truly blessed. My three amazing kids and my husband are upstairs sleeping, which is where I’m headed when I’m done here. I will say my prayers of thanks before I close my eyes.
November 20, 2008
· Filed under Baby stuff, Safety, Uncategorized · Tagged accidents, child safety, children, injuries, shopping carts
I recently went to a grocery store with my 1-year-old DB and had to plow through at least four carts before I found one with safety straps that were functional. And I conducted this search in the cold air that hovers by all grocery store entrances, with DB perched on my hip, frantically signing “eat,” which is her way of telling me she expects that free cookie RIGHT NOW! But I digress.
This shopping-cart search didn’t happen at a “discount” grocer, although I think that’s irrelevant. It was a nice store and a regional chain that charges above-average prices for their groceries.
My experience reminded me of a conversation I had with my pediatrician when DD (now age 13) was turning one. Doc was going through the usual safety spiel about the hazards lurking in the home , the hazards of choking, the dangers of riding in a car without a safety seat, etc. And he said to me, “Always use the safety straps in shopping carts. As a pediatrician, I’ve never lost a baby to SIDS*, but I have lost one to the injuries resulting from a fall from a shopping cart.” That statement made a big impression on me. After all, I was a first-time mom , and I worried myself SICK over SIDS (I never got over that). But I’d never given a second thought to the possibility of a shopping cart-related death.
And it seems that my doctor wasn’t exaggerating the facts. According to the policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Shopping cart-related injuries to children are common and can result in severe injury or even death.” The same statement goes on to say that an estimated 24,200 children younger than 15 years were treated in emergency rooms in 2005 for shopping cart-related injuries. Fractures are the most common injury, and deaths have been reported from falls and tip-overs.
So, when you’re shopping with your little ones, take the time to find a cart with straps that are operational. And let the store manager know if there are carts with straps that need to be repaired or replaced. Do the same thing when you’re at a restaurant and the highchair they bring you has broken straps. It’s been my experience that restaurant highchairs — in addition to being filthy — almost NEVER have straps that work.
* (Unfortunately, my pediatrician’s office can no longer say they’ve never lost a patient to SIDS).
