three items

 these are some things that have been running through my mind all day today.

1. i recently bought a camelback waterbottle from the school store and the hydration since then has been endless. i never, ever carried a waterbottle around with me before and frankly, i thought it was a hassle and downright irritating. i love water don't get me wrong, but once you chug a whole bottle of water in one class sitting, (to me it wasn't worth it to carry one around if i wasn't going to consume monumental amounts of water) you're stomach puts up the stops. and you have to go to the bathroom all day. however, my brand new camelback has this wonderful little tube you bite down on to obtain water and it brings the drinking facet to a whole new level. not sure how long this obssession will continue, but i've drank like five bottles of water today. this waterbottle is my boyfriend.

2. i have been compiling a list of things that comfort me:

- lists
- having my duvet at about mid-forehead when i sleep
- city lights [but we already went over this]
- old wood floors
- the MPR classical station
- pine forests
- small hot towels
- PBS when its not cartoons
  [except for sometimes]
- surprisingly bit 'o honeys: everyone thinks they're disgusting but i distinctly remember being around the age of four and eating one on the side of the road during a parade. i just had one today at the alpha center and the nutrition information listed coconut oil, almonds, and honey as the main ingredients. brought me right back to the parade days.

the Lord has been teaching me a lot about comfort lately and what that really means. not only has He given us tangible gifts of comfort, but a lot of the time, when we experience really terrible situations or even just difficult circumstances, it's often because God is providing us with an understanding of that specific occurence so that we can turn around and comfort/help those who go through the same thing. 

3. this is horrible. did you know that south africa is legalizing prostitution this summer for the world cup? because south africa is the center for the global HIV epidemic (more than 5 million adults affected) the country wants to legalize prostitution so they can start screening and treating the women who have aids so they can continue on in their "profession."

not only is this plan flawed but legalizing this is going to lead to even greater consequences. trafficking is the third largest international criminal activity after drugs smuggling and arms smuggling. millions of women and children are kidnapped into trafficking every year. hundreds of thousands of these are forced into prostitution, pornography, and stripping in the United States and around the world. these victims are raped and exploited in a form of modern-day slavery that has been referred to by federal officials as one of the most violent and unconscionable crimes committed in our country and world today.

legalizing it WILL increase trafficking and prostitution. 
the risk is getting higher and higher now for everyone as summer gets closer.
can you imagine your sister, daughter, baby niece, girlfriend, mother, etc. as part of this?

read about it more:
the link that makes it sound good:
call to legalise world cup sex trade

the link that tells the real story:
this was written awhile ago
(honestly, it was really difficult to find any legit sources from a Christian, preventative stance...please comment and let me know if you find anything else)

do something:
the freedom project
FREE BOOK
call + response



If you have…   
ONE MINUTE
- PRAY for victims of human trafficking and for a generation to be mobilized to stand against injustice.
- BE A BILLBOARD by wearing a “Slavery Still Exists” or “I AM NOT A COMMODITY” T-shirt sold by the Freedom Project.

ONE HOUR
- RESEARCH trafficking on the web and arm yourself with knowledge.
- TALK to a friend about trafficking and challenge them to action.
- WATCH a documentary on trafficking or if you have a bit more time, rent the movie HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

ONE DAY
- VOLUNTEER your day to a local organization that works to stop human trafficking.
- DONATE a days wages to an anti-trafficking organization like the International Justice Mission or The Freedom Project.
- ATTEND a public awareness event that focuses on human trafficking.


God has been laying this on my heart for awhile. we need more people to stand up and defend.

sorry this post has steadily increased in intensity.
and content. wow listen to me blabber on about waterbottles while this kind of thing is going on.