Dressember- The Rest of December- Trials

This will likely be one of my last Dressember posts.  I may surprise you with a post-New Year's post (kind of like the new hat-see picture above- I got from my friend Carey as a "mistake" as it didn't fit my husband), but as of now, I'm not going to promise any more posts in December.  I've found out that I'm not willing to give up certain things to blog (while working full-time).  For instance, for those of you who know me at all, you know how much sleep I typically function well on (and it's at least an hour more than most of you!) and since I now have two children who essentially sleep through the night, I'm allowing myself to sleep for that amount of time, and thus it doesn't give me a lot of undistracted time to type on the computer as my morning times are spent with Jesus before my wee ones wake up ( a gift I hadn't had for about 18 months when my littlest was having a challenging time with sleep in general!)  So enjoy what may be my last dress picture/post...with my most handsome hubby who really was a lot happier than his facial expression in this picture denotes. 

And now on to the topic that's been on my heart for a while. Trials.  We all go through them, the Bible promises them, and not only promises them but tells us to count trials as all joy.  What?  I've never really had a clear understanding of what that actually meant.  I mean, I get that trials often cause us to lean of Jesus more, so that's a bonus.  But joy? For the trial?  I feel in the last month or so the Lord has allowed me to gain a little bit more of an understanding of trials and counting it all joy.  5 years ago, if you would have told me the trials I would face in the upcoming few years, I would have said a big NO THANK YOU! And likely walked away from some of the best blessings of my life.  I'm not going to spell out the trials because I think we have a tendency to "compare" trials- saying things like, "well that's not a big deal, look what I'VE had to deal with", or "wow, I shouldn't even be the least troubled by my trial when they've had to endure that!".  And I don't want the comparing to hinder what the Lord may want to teach you right now.  

Let's just say the trials I've had were HARD, REALLY HARD for me.  I've been thrown some loops I wasn't at all prepared for, in areas where I've had NO experience, at times when other trials hit hard simulataneously (refer to the 18 months of sleep challenges!).  And there were times when I could only put one foot in front of the other, one minute at a time, even one second at a time.  I got really good at pretending the knot in my stomach didn't exist while I preformed the necessary tasks of life.  Often just when I needed it most, God would send someone to help me in some way.  I remember a time when I was driving home with both boys by myself and it was past their bedtimes.  Both were asleep, so I had to carry both into the house. My youngest was an infant and would need nursed and changed before I put him to bed and my oldest, who was a little over 2 at the time just wanted mommy to hold him.  As I was opening up the door to go into the house, carrying my 2 year old (leaving the infant in the car for a moment), I suddenly smelled poop.  I quickly realized the poop was on my arm, from an intense blow out from my 2 year olds diaper!  I actually stopped for a second as I had to think about what to do first.  And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, my dearest friend and neighbor pulled into the driveway and got out and asked if I needed any help bringing the boys into the house.  She hadn't known my plight, didn't know my infant was wailing in the car and I had a huge poopy mess with my tired and crying 2 year old.  She had just stopped because she was driving by and "remembered how it was to get little ones into the house by yourself".  What a blessing!  

There were other times, though, when I didn't think I could make it another minute and none of the people who normally could give us a hand were around or able to help. And you know what?  Those times were a blessing too.  I realized that God was saying that He and I really could do this together and that when He was all I had, He was really all I needed. What a blessing!

The additional "joy" of trials that we have recently understood (we being my husband and I), is that when we go through a trial, we often get first-hand experience of how the enemy operates.  We see the strategies, we see the causes, and we see the effects more clearly because we are living them!  What if we realized that what the enemy has planned for our destruction can be flipped right on its head and all that is really happening is that we are gaining more and more insight into the enemy's schemes and therefore can be more equipped to fight and win and help others do the same.  If we believe that the Cross and the resurrection actually means that death/evil/darkness has been defeated then we, as co-heirs with Christ in that victory, also have victory and power over that evil. So the next time we are faced with a trial that looks or seems overwhelming, we can begin to thank God for allowing us to see and experience the enemy's schemes, and trust in His promises that we are overcomers with Him.  We can thank Him for giving us more tools to combat the enemy's schemes and equipping us to plow ground that others won't have to plow because of our experiences and resultant knowledge/understanding/equipping. 

I pray that we will leave a legacy to these sweet boys of love, POWER and authority over the evil one, by how we handle trials and what we do for those in need and going through trials.

If you want to contribute to those fighting for those enslaved in human trafficking, click on the link on my Facebook post to donate!  When they are freed and living for Christ, those that are now in chains and living through trials we can't imagine, will become some of the fiercest warriors in the Kingdom of God!

Dressember day #23- A moment

Yes, this is my dress picture for the day.  If you need to know what the full dress ensemble looks like, please refer to yesterday's post.  It is the exact same outfit, including the socks.  Yes, I wore the same socks two days in a row too,. And you know what?   Nothing happened!  My feet didn't fall off, my boots weren't suddenly contaminated, and there wasn't even any odor!  So for those of you who, like most of us, aren't akin to wearing clothing two days in a row, rest assured, it can be done with little to no negative ramifications!

So this moment is a quiet one...sort of.  Quiet in the "lack of toddlers running around, climbing on Mommy, trying to type on the computer, asking for a snack, needing to go potty" kind of way.  The boys are with my mom, sister and nephew likely having a rambunctious time playing together.  And so before they come back, I have a moment. It's not actually a serene moment, however, as we are getting a new roof on, and so you can imagine the pounding noises.

But still, I have a moment so I'm choosing to blog.  I don't really have a lot on my heart to write today, except for this encouragement:  Be aware of your moments and what you are choosing,. Even being one degree "off mark" over a period of time can eventually cause you to be 180 degrees "off".  The little things do matter.

And to do a "little thing" for those caught in human trafficking, click on the link on my Facebook page to donate!

Dressember days up to #22- Apologies

Apologies are in order once again. I'm seemingly having trouble with this whole working full-time and still posting a blog every day.  The first two pictures were taken a few days ago (with a dress on, I promise) and is part of the reason for the no posts for several days.  (Aren't they just the stinkin' cutest?!!).  We are having a lot of fun these days as the boys are a constant source of entertainment and it has also been a time of realization of just how much responsibility God has entrusted us with in the raising of our boys. As my husband remarked this morning, "I just don't want to miss it with the boys!"  Sooooo much of what they see and experience at their young ages shapes their view of authority and ultimately of God, and we realize just how much we need God in order to reflect God!
And while we are not excited about the times that we do "miss it", we are realizing just how God can use that too as we then get the chance to show what repentence and forgiveness looks like and they are given tools to use when they "miss it" too.  At their young age, they don't understand in their head what happens and what strongholds are broken in the spiritual when they repent and ask forgiveness, but I know that their spirits recognize that the "yuckies" are gone when they do!

The forgiveness and faithfulness of the Lord is what gives me hope when I remember the reason I'm wearing a dress every day this month.  When those that are caught in the web of human trafficking and sex slavery are rescued, I believe the Lord is able to redeem and heal them completely.  Today my prayer (and you can join me on this one!) is for God to send His Laborers to those that have been rescued to show them the cleansing and redeeming Love of His Father so that true and complete healing and restoration will occur!

To donate to this cause, click on the link on my Facebook page!

Dressember day #18- Not the original

This outfit was not the original dress outfit today.  Originally I had the dress, tights, boots and a loose cardigan.  However when I got home from church, I was going for more of a comfy Sunday afternoon outfit so on went the leggings and fleece over top of the dress. And note, this picture was one EJ took.  He is definitely improving on his photo skills!  

Today in church, we sang the song "You're Beautiful" by Phil Wickham.  It's always been a favorite of mine since I first heard it when my dear friend Cindy sang it quite a while ago.  The last verse gets me every time (and of course this was one of the only days in the last month I actually wore mascara!): 

"When we arrive at eternity's shore

 Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful"
Every time I sing those lyrics, all I see is Jesus welcoming me home as his bride and my emotions are 10X the intensity they were when I walked down the isle to marry my beloved husband 4 1/2y ears ago.   Today as tears were streaming down my face as I sang those words and envisioning Jesus welcoming me home, I also had tears for those whose lives here on earth are a horror I can't even being to imagine.  My heartfelt cry was "Lord, bring them Home too. Let them know of your Love and bring them to eternity with You".

Thanks for those of you who are with me on this journey.  Financial contributions to help those organizations working to free those enslaved in human trafficking are essential  AND so is prayer to bring them to eterrnal freedom!

Dressember day #15-Socks and smoothies

My apologies again for the delay. This picture (with a cute boy drinking his smoothie and me in my dress and socks) was actually uploaded on the blog 2 days ago but I didn't get to actually blog. I can't recall the exact details of the events surrounding the non-blogging, but I would surmise that it included one of the following:  toddlers needing to go potty, older toddler yelling to be wiped after just going poop, toddlers hungry, toddlers making a mess that needed intervention before a professional cleaning crew was needed, toddlers unable to mediate a successful resolution to the both-wanting-the-same-toy-at-the-same-time conundrum, toddlers wanting to snuggle Mommy, toddlers wanting to play "hide" under the blanket, toddlers needing pj's on and teeth brushed, and/or toddlers needing to be sung to and tucked in bed.  None of these are a super duper excuse in the big scheme of things, but they are likely the reasons nonetheless.

Yesterday's schedule included me working another full day, followed by dinner (prepared by hubby and Lexi), followed by donning layers upon layers to go see the Christmas lights at Rocky Ridge.  It was well worth the "hassle" as both boys LOVED all the lights!  We as a family have been praying about what to actually celebrate during this holiday season (after becoming more aware of the actual origins of "Christmas") and while we are still in a time of limbo on certain things,  putting up lights was one thing we felt the Lord gave a thumbs up for as HE is the Light of the World.  So the light display at Rocky Ridge park was a wonderful delight to celebrate for all of us.  I may have  a picture of me in my layers, boots and dress, but if I do, it was taken on my husband or Lexi's phone, so I'll try to post tomorrow if I can find one.  It was a sight to see for sure!  

But as I was getting dressed with the layers, any small "inconvenience" of wearing a dress was quickly dismissed as I reminded my husband of why I "had" to wear a dress.  If my wearing a dress for a month helps to free just ONE innocent child from a life of abuse, rape and horror, it is MORE than worth it. 

If you haven't yet, would you like to join the fight against human slavery and donate to the link on my Facebook page?  Thanks friends!

Dressember day #14- Different roles

Today was work day #3 for me this week.  For the next two weeks, my hubby and I are switching roles.  Due to a work incentive for my company for the next two weeks, we felt it was best for our family for me to work full time and for him to stay home with the boys for the majority of the time.  So far so good.  The house is still intact, and actually as clean as it normally would be (cue my husband saying: I must have cleaned up the kitchen 10 times today!), the boys LOVE daddy time, and it turns out my husband is as good of a cook if not better than me.  Bonus is that we are both now on the same page with healthy, mainly plant-based eating and his suggestions and ideas are amazing!
I'm hopeful that we can both maintain a good attitude while being stretched a little in our different roles for two weeks!

What is not at all different is what I choose to wear every day. I have now saturated any new ideas and am re-living my original outfit creations over and over again. But once again, I realize how fortunate I am to have options to choose from, despite the dress requirement, and how fortunate I am to have options for layering and staying warm in the cold weather, which I hear is going to get even colder in the next few days... brrr!

So this idea of different roles leads me to challenge the readers of this blog..however few there are, to ponder if there is/are different role(s) that God is asking you to step into, whether temporarily or permanently.  Have you asked lately what HE wants for you?  How HE wants you to "care for the widows and orphans" as His Word commands?  I'm not going to list different options for I don't want you to get different ideas from me.  But I would encourage you to ask!

If supporting two organizations who are working hard to free women and children from modern day slavery and sex trafficking, click on the link on my Facebook page.  Every dollar counts, it really does!

Dressember days #12 and 13- Joy and Delight

Day #12's blog was postponed due to the train display at the E-town library last night.  My boys were wide-eyed the whole time we were there last evening.  The lights and the sounds and the buttons they could push to make things happen....oh my the joy!
Today was a typical day of work made slightly atypical by my honeymoon summer dress made into a winter outfit :)  The smiles I had all day as I was reminded several times of the delight I felt when I first wore this dress as Mrs Hershey.

The episodes of joy and delight the past two days were admittedly interspersed with moments of trial as my joy was attempted (sometimes successfully) to be stolen by situations similar to challenges trials of the past. The moments in and of themselves were not challenging, just the memories of prior moments.  It was a reminder to me that
1) there really is a battle and and enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy and will try to do so at any opportunity
2) I desire to be more and more rooted and grounded in Christ so regardless of the situation or temptation of the enemy to draw me away, I remain steadfast in the peace, hope and joy that is offered to me every day as a result of the Cross and Christ's resurection from the grave and defeat of death.
I know it is possible.
The Bible tells me so.  And I'm so grateful to know what I am striving after!

It is also possible for those imprisoned in slavery today to be freed. I can only imagine how the impossibilities of that reality are highlighted every day to those persons.  But the Bible says that NOTHING is impossible with God. Nothing.
And so my prayer today is that the enemy's tactics are thwarted by the power and might of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth who came in the flesh, and that more children and women experience not only earthly freedom, but spiritual freedom from all entanglements and strongholds of the evil one.
Thanks for joining me in this fight!

Dressember Days #9, 10 and 11- Options

Occasionally intentions and actual reality differ somewhat.  It's like my friend Erin has said, " I THOUGHT about swimming quite often" when we were training for a triathlon a few years ago.  However the intention and actuality didn't mesh...just thinking about swimming is quite different than actually swimming (the part of the triathlon she didn't like and additionally the only leg of the triathlon that I would come out ahead!).  And just like thinking of swimming, thinking of blogging is very different than actually blogging.  So for my readers, I apologize for the absence of a post for the past 2 days.  There isn't really an excuse - other than I chose to do other things- sleep, pray, cook, snuggle- instead of blog.  I could have stayed up a little later and blogged, sacrificed some of my youngest's nap time to blog, or attempt to blog while my two littles use me their jungle gym.  But I didn't choose that.  The things I chose to do instead weren't actually bad and I actually wasn't just lazy.  (Refer to the middle picture of "dance/worship/flag" night with our boys after we made our homemade "flags" as a craft project).  And I have continued to wear dresses every day, leggings and sweaters and all. 

And it occured to me as I began blogging, that most of us have choices about how we spend our time. Sometimes it doesn't really seem like choices, but they are choices.  We don't HAVE to do the laundry (although smelly clothes would be the resultant consequence).  We don't HAVE to take time to cook healthy food (although unhealthy bodies/fatigue/possibly sick family members would be the resultant consequence).  We don't HAVE to pray (although the consequences of that would be significant in all parts of life!).  Most of us have choices.  However, the reality is that some don't have choices about how they are going to spend their time. They are slaves.  Today.  Women and children who are forced to do unspeakable things day after day without the choice of saying no. Without the choice of freedom. Unless we who do have choices, do something about it. 

Thankfully, in this modern age, doing something is relatively easy. Supporting financially those on the front lines of the battle against human slavery is.  The link is on my Facebook page to to so. And PRAYER which is the most powerful thing to do break down strongholds, is something we can choose at any times. 

Thanks for fighting this battle with me, friends!

Dressember day #8- Cozy snuggling

This here, folks, is how to make dress-wearing comfy: leggings and slipper socks.  Maybe not ultra stylish or sleek, but since that wasn't what I was going for, I enjoyed the comfy.  EJ was able to take this photo with minimal (although not quite non-existent) blurriness.  He is always SOOOOO ready to help with anything Mommy or Daddy is doing and taking today's photo was no exception.  He is also a big snuggler and sometimes he will randomly say during the day, "Mommy snuggles!" and come over and want me to snuggle with him on the couch.  Even my littlest munchkin is getting to be quite the snuggler (especially in the wee hours of the night when he makes it known he would much prefer snuggling with Mommy or Daddy in their bed than with his stuffed animals in his crib).  And most of the time, it is a wonderful delight for this physical affection Momma!

Sometimes I think for a moment about the little ones whose only touch has been abuse and I can only stand to think on it for a moment...it hurts my heart in a way that is almost unbearable.  I just want to rescue them, hold them, snuggle them gently and whisper that they are safe and loved and priceless and valuable.  So today I see the Lord and ask Him, in the wee of the night, when these little ones are hurting beyond what we can comprehend, would You hold them and comfort them?  Would you whisper to them that there are people fighting for their safety and rescue? And Lord would you empower the rescuers in the midst of the fight to know where and when to go to rescue them?  Thank you Lord that you are a God who is bigger than this evil. And thank You that You allow us to be a part of Your rescue plan.

Thanks to all who are praying and supporting financially the rescue of victims of human trafficking.

Dressember- Day #7- Speaking Life

My personal photographer has not been available the past two days, hence the second selfie of my dress wearing.  

Tonight, I was blessed to have to fun cuddle/snuggle time with my boys.  We have a fun game I invented where I say, "I have a secret to tell you..." and I whisper in their ears something positive about them...and sometimes tickle them in the process. They LO

VE it!  Even little Nathanial was giggling and asking for "more more", and EJ wants me to do it over and over again.  It's a way that I get to speak God's Truth to them over and over again.  I tell them they are loving, they are joyful, they are patient, they are a great big/little brother, they are self-controlled, they are obediant, they are just like Jesus.  Do they always manifest those traits?  Nope. But they get to be reminded of who they really are despite of their choices and behaviors.  

And isn't that how our loving God lavishes His love on us?  He tells us we are pure, and righteous and blameless, that He is well-pleased with us, that we are dearly loved.  How contrary that "feels" soemtimes when the enemy is whispering something that I make an agreement with for a short time.  Good thing it's not about feelings, eh?  The Word of God is the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth.  As we begin to believe more and more of His Truth about us, then our behaviors start to line up with that Truth more and more. 

My prayer tonight is this: For those caught in a life of horror and slavery and abuse:  Lord, speak Your Truth to them so loudly that no matter how many times they were told or believed lies, that Your Truth pierces their hearts and they hold on to that Truth piece by piece. Send Your laborers who know You and walk by the power of the Holy Spirit to speak Truth to them, to love them with Your everlasting Love and to miraculously heal through Your Power and Love. 

Amen

Dressember Day #6- Home -based

Today's post is brought to you by steady busy: Woke up, children fed, oldest off to preschool, to Roots for produce with my littlest, home, pick up oldest at preschool, off to work, to friend's house to pray for her, home, snuggle two cute boys, quickly make dessert and biscuits, off to neighbor's for dinner (thankfully I didn't have to cook and it was YUMMY and healthy!), back home to prepare for tomorrow's work, quick take a selfie in the mirror and upload to my blog before going back to neighbor's to finish the movie they have already started while my boys race around with their children.
Whew.  Maybe for some of you, this is a normal day, but prior to today, I've had a little more time just to be at home so this is a little much for this momma who is used to the beautiful chaos being primarily home-based.
So in saying all of that, I'm aware that some people/children do not even have a home base. They are caught in a viscious life of slavery.  Lord, use us as instruments to end this horror!

Dressember day #5 - Progress!!

It could be the fact that he used Daddy's phone with a much better camera than my phone, or could it be that he is actually making progress at taking pictures?!  Maybe both.  Whatever the reason, it was a fun photo session today.  The lovely garage back drop is courtesy of the fact that Daddy was outside working in the garage with his two "helpers" and dragging either of them away from "helping" Daddy is not a feat for the faint of heart.  Hence the amazing scenery in today's photo.

And there's been some progress in taking back ground that the enemy has stolen.  In an article just linked on Facebook by a friend, a massive child pornography empire was just exposed and 400 children rescued from an awful, horrific life of abuse.  Oh how my heart ached at the mere thought of what those precious children have endured, and the pain and scars that truly only Jesus can heal and deliver them from. Here is the link for those of you who are interested: (Disclaimer: I haven't taken the time to verify the source of this article so please feel free to do so on your own):

 http://fightthenewdrug.org/400-children-rescued-hundreds-of-adults-arrested-after-police-take-down-child-porn-empire/

It's times like this when "progress" in the technological sense doesn't really seem like progress at all.  Internet used to sell the abuse of these children all over the world for someone else's "pleasure".  The demonic laughing at the countless souls entrenched in such evil while God weeps for all involved.  Yes, all involved.  The innocent children as well as the adults who are fathered by satan and filled with demonic so strong that they delight in such evil. He weeps for all of them, and so do I.  Having seen the extend of evil that the demonic can do in someone who is otherwise loving, gentle, strong, compassionate, patient and kind, I wonder what kind of men and women are underneath all of that evil. What plans does the Lord have for them, created for them before the beginning of time, that the enemy is stealing, killing and destroying? And will any warriors in the Lord's Kingdom pray for deliverance for them as well as healing, deliverance and restoration for the children?  

My prayer as of late has been "Lord, give me eyes to see.  Really see, like You do. Help me see what is really going on, where the battle really is.  For You say it is not a battle of flesh and blood.  So if the spiritual battle is won on behalf of that person, and he/she is freed from evil's grip, what do they look like? Give me discerment to know how to pray, what grip the enemy has that he is able to do what he is doing in the person, and what weapons I need to use to defeat the enemy and deliver that person from the horrific evil." 

Friends, I know it's not an easy task to love the unlovable, especially in cases like this and in human trafficking used for similar purposes.  Our natural minds want justice for those dear, sweet children and of course there are consequences for any actions that we do in our earthly bodies, regardless of who is operating through us.  But can we love like He first loved us?  Can we at the very least admit that we might not be loving like He does and ask for help to see what He sees?  Ask for His compassion, His kindness, and His power to bring healing to the broken and hurting souls. And pray, not out of judgment or condemnation, but out of heartbreaking compassion for those caught in satan's schemes, pray with authority over the evil one in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who came in the flesh. 

Amen.

Dressember day #4 -Where is your focus?

Today's message is brought to you by focus.  The two pictures above are quite illustrative of the message of today's blog as I sought the Holy Spirit in what/how He wanted me to write today.   First let me say, that the first picture as you may have guessed by now was taken by my sweet always so helpful 3 year old, EJ.  Little Nathanial seemed very interested in holding my hand during this time, so he was included in the picture.  Sensing the likely "un-clarity" of the photo, I asked Daddy to step in and take another photo and of course, my little hams both wanted to be in the photo too, hence the second photo.   And what came to mind is "he will grow in stature and wisdom"...and photography skills :)    Yes, he will grow!  And so will Than (our short nickname for Nathanial).  So where will their focus be?  Likely wherever they've seen Mommy and Daddy's focus, at least initially.  

And so I have some repenting to do, as I want my boys to know the freedom and joy that is received when we repent when we sense correction and conviction.  It's a "little thing", but as my husband and I grow in our understanding, wisdom, power and authority in Christ, we are realizing more and more of how the little things really do matter. 

On yesterday's blog and notification on Facebook, I completely neglected to mention or link the website for Dressember, the whole reason I'm wearing a dress every day this month and blogging every day in the first place.  Was yesterday's blog post real, honest, and had the goal of encouraging it's readers?  Absolutely!  And hopefully it indeed did just that in some way.  But it also neglected the very thing I'm trying to bring awareness of and had a little more of "me" than I intended.  Is it a "big deal"?  Not in the natural, but I was convicted of it last evening and so I wanted to ask all of you reading this to forgive that oversite.  The daily pictures are fun and I hope they make you smile a bit so I will continue to post them.  In addition,   I want to remind you (and ME) of my focus.  

My friend Megan is also doing Dressember and her post on Facebook 2 days ago was one of the things that caused a little conviction in me.  It was simply her daily picture with this written:

"Stat: There are 45 million people enslaved in our world (that is 5 times the population of NYC). Let's end this!"

Yes, let's end this!

Here is the link to donate should you so choose!  Donations go to the International Justice Mission and A21

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/team/92668

Dressember day #3- What are you wearing, part two.

let's call it artistic, shall we?  my son's photography skills.  After all isnt there an effect that you can choose for photos that gives it the same look as the first photo? im going to go with my son has some sweet photographer skills.  The second photo was added by yours truly just for verification purposes that it is indeed me wearing the dress in the "artsy" photo.

So today's post is going to take a bit of a deeper, internal tone.  For the past few days, I keep hearing "clothed with dignity".  I knew it was biblical and figured it was proverbs 31 so i just verified. The actual verse is Proverbs 31:25 "she is clothed with strength and dignity...".  So I've been challenged to consider whether I am clothed with strength and dignity. And for clarification purposes,  I took a  minute to clarify the meaning of these words in the biblical text:  Strength= strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise) and diginity can also be translated as honor.  So am I clothed in strength and dignity?  And my honest answer is sometimes I indeed am, and it's awesome! And when is it the most awesome?  Not out in public, or with friends in social situations, but at home, with my boys when they are having challenging days, with my husband when there are things we don't agree on, when there are unforeseen challenges or trials of such magnitude that it can take your breath away.  That's when being clothed with strength and dignity is the most amazing. It takes away the enemy's grip, not giving him a foothold, allowing Christ to "take away the yuckies" before they even land.  

And some days I am not clothed in strength and dignity and oy, how they "yuckies" flourish!

Let's take today for example:

Last evening we had the awesome privilege of hanging out with some dear friends and their six children, friends who have supported us and prayed for us through some of our toughest storms, who loved us unconditionally and saw through external behaviors to the actual spiritual battle and who have shown us what it means to actually fight with the weapons that are not of this world.  And they are fun!  And they know healthy eating to a degree that still challenges me and is scrumptious to boot!  But in order to receive this gift of fellowship with this amazing family, we had to drive 2 hrs each way.  We ended up staying later than what our normal bedtime is to begin with and then had to drive 2 hrs home on top of that.  Needless to say we were ready for bed when we got home!  Our sweet almost 2 year old has traditionally had trouble sleeping when he is over-tired, and while we are praying for him continually for his sleep, he yet again had a night of frequent awakening, thus so did the rest of us.  This morning I was a little tired but not overly so, but I was indeed comfy and snuggly with my blanket and my sweet 3 year old on the couch.  My husband announces that he's out of creamer for his coffee.  Neither one of us felt like going to get some, but I did anyway.  And when I got back, I told him, "it's a pleasure to serve you".  Clothed with strength and dignity.  It started the day off on a great note!  The boys were a bit more tempermental towards late morning, with fatigue likely setting in.  But I loved them and held them a little more than normal. Clothed with strength and dignity.  And then old triggers came a knocking during a conversation with my husband, and I forgot about my "clothing". I gave in to whispers from the "yuckies" and felt the ugly effect of doing so. 

Thankfully the Lord has been teaching my husband and I how to not keep agreements with the enemy's voice, and so after a short time of prayer when running an errand, I was able to repent and recieve the Lord's forgiveness and extend that to my husband and boys as well. Whew, clothed again with strength and dignity.

I pray for all of you reading this, that the Lord will show you today how to receive the strength and dignity that is your inheritance as a daughter (or son) of God.  Repent, get rid of the "yuckies" and put on your "clothes", yo!

Dressember day 2!

When quality of the photo takes a lesser priority than the sweet 3 year old who wanted to take Mommy's picture this morning, the result is the above picture.  Rest assured I am wearing a dress, a different one than yesterday. And yes, for those of you with eagle eyes, it is the same cardigan.

In other news, I changed the title of my blog site!  woot woot!  It can now reflect my heart on a whole range of topics as I move forward with my goal of "going back to Eden" and encouraging others to do the same.

Today's blog post will be a short one as we are heading to a family friends' house to enjoy some time together this evening. I'm going to share a few posts from the aforementioned amazing friend of mine Allison.  She has taken the time to research different companies that sell clothes, jewelry, etc made in a "fair trade" kind of way.  I will challenge you as I have been challenged to seek to answer the question "What are you wearing?".  Are you "wearing" the result of forced, slave labor?  Are you "wearing" inexpensive at the result of someone else's nightmare?
I am speaking to myself when I ask these questions, especially as I look at the actual monetary price tag of items made by hand by those who would otherwise be impoverished.  Is it worth is to have only a small wardrobe of more expensive (monetarily speaking) items if it means it is made up of life and hope for those not as fortunate as we are?
I'll leave you with those questions as I myself ponder how to purchase differently from now on.
Enjoy the below posts that describe some really cool companies with some awesome products!


http://www.outoftheboxmama.com/shop-small-the-root-collective.html
http://www.outoftheboxmama.com/shop-small-uncvrd-jewelry.html
http://www.outoftheboxmama.com/shop-small-spearmint-spruce.html
http://www.outoftheboxmama.com/shop-small-willow-and-burl.html

Dressember day# 1- What are you wearing?

Welcome to Dressember Day #1!  Today's dress is surprisingly much more comfy and cozy than I had suspected.  It's an "at home" day for us, so I wanted something lounge-able and this definitely works!  Thanks to the leggings, it's actually quite warm too!  I have a feeling this might be my go-to dress a lot of the time!

And now on to the deeper stuff.  My goal currently is to blog every day of Dressember. I'm not sure what the topics will always be. I'll wait to see each day what the Lord brings to my heart and mind, with the goal of not just talking about me wearing dresses (although you did requests pictures, so I'll try to oblige on that part!), but rather to stir any of you readers to bring Heaven to earth, whether inside of you, in your families or extending further into your community or the world. In fact, as I was getting around to setting up this blog, before I opted to just use my old blog site, I was going to title this blog "Getting Back to Eden".  And isn't that what we all really want?  Taking back ground that the enemy has stolen, and replacing the "yuckies" as we say with our boys with Love, Peace, Joy, Hope.
So today, I pray that out of the glorious goodness of God's Love, and with His Strength you will take back a piece of ground that the enemy has stolen, in whatever form that takes for you.

There has been a lot stolen from innocent children, women and even men in the form of human trafficking. This link below is from my friend Allison's blog who was my inspiration for doing Dressember.
 http://www.outoftheboxmama.com/statistics-of-human-trafficking.html.  

If you desire to take back ground in this area, then I would encourage you first to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!   Prayer really is the answer!  And if you want to monetarily support the soldiers who are battling this on the ground, literally rescuing human beings from their captors,  then click on this link to donate.

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/team/92668

Blessings to you!