What is Human Trafficking?

What is Human Trafficking?
"The greatest and most shameful regrets of history is always about the truth we failed to tell."
—Haugen 2005

■TRAFFICKING IS…
to be deceived or taken against your will, bought, sold and transported into slavery for sexual exploitation, sweat shops, child brides, circuses, sacrificial worship, forced begging, sale of human organs, farm labour, domestic servitude.

 ■TRAFFICKING IS…
where family members and friends deceive parents to release their children or sell them for as little as $20 each, selling them on to local gangmasters or serious organised international trafficking rings.

■TRAFFICKING IS…
growing. 2–4 MILLION men, women and children are trafficked across borders and within their own country every year. More than one person is trafficked across borders EVERY MINUTE, which is equivalent to five jumbo jets every day. a trade that earns twice as much worldwide revenue as Coca Cola.

■TRAFFICKING IS…
where victims usually suffer repeated physical abuse, fear, torture and threats to families to break their spirits and turn them into saleable commodities. a person can be sold and trafficked many times
( Taken directly from STOP THE TRAFFIK website)
 

Go here: YOU NEED TO FIND OUT MORE!

 

This is not an issue that is halfway around the world! It is in our own backyard...Get educated and help put an end to this social injustice!

 

 

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.~Isaiah 1:17 
 
“Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. And above all, thou shalt NEVER be a bystander"-Yehuda Bauer
 

Love protects. Love defends. Love restores. Love empowers. ~LOVE 146

You Can POSSESS Something and NOT OWN It

You can POSSESS something and NOT OWN it and you can OWN something and NOT POSSESS it. ~Rob Bell

I went to a Rob Bell lecture last night. He was discussing suffering and creativity and how the two are linked and how it links us to others, and to God. I was grateful for the opportunity to go. Rob's presentation was thought-provoking and humourous - a wonderfully insightful night laced with a few audience participatory object lessons. Mr. Bell certainly has a gift...but we knew that already, didn't we?!

His NOOMA videos are famous among church communities in the US and Canada. These clever, entertaining, and informative short films stir the heart and the mind of the viewer. That being said, in the presentation last night, he included a clip from a trip he took and in it were people worshipping...I will not tell your more about what he presented around that clip so as not to spoil the experience for any of you who might attend this lecture, but the clip was absolutely beautiful. It made me want to stand and join those on the screen. You see, they possessed something. And ironically, what they possessed, they also gave away, or rather, shared with others - even unintentionally.

What struck me was that the expression of worship exhibited by the people in the video encouraged me to want to express myself without inhibition also.  Others viewing this video may feel just the opposite. They may feel afraid to release themselves....but why? Pride? Fear? Ignorance? ?

As Christians,  how much do we hold back thus hindering not only ourselves but others? By not sharing what we possess, by not freely give what we have been given?  What we possess, we do not own...it is not ours to hoard.

This reminds me of another quote I read not too long ago, "The function of freedom is to free someone else." ~Anne Lamott

If God has given us all we need...if He has provided for us...if He has allowed us to partner with Him...if He has set us free...who are we not to share all that we have to glorify Him?

We can possess something and not own it, we can own something and not possess it. All that God has given us, our talent, skills, food, intelligence, wealth, experiences, faith, etc....He has given to us so that we can share with others, and in doing so, we glorify Him; we are further liberated to be all that we were meant to be, and we are blessed more than we could have ever imagined. 
Think about it. And then don't just sit on your thoughts, but share them, put your thoughts into action. Be free, share freely, and give God the glory.

Finding Divine Inspiration

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost. ~Martha Graham

I am writing this from one of my favourite Cafés on Hunter Street – Black Honey...Check it out if you are ever in town (they have the best scones...coffee is fair trade and good also). My modem has been down for a while (far too long!!) and I have been wanting to blog, but I have been unable to get online for any significant amount of time – thus, I am writing this in Microsoft Word. I am doing what others in my situation do: get creative and make it work through other means.

That being said, I wanted to pass on a good book that some of you may be interested in. Actually, I believe that this book would be a benefit to anybody from the artist-types to leaders and parents. The book is J. Scott McElroy’s Finding Divine Inspiration-Working with the Holy Spirit in Your Creativity.



Mr. McElroy takes us through the concept of partnering with the Holy Spirit in our endeavour to create...whatever “creating” we are called to engage in. He gives the reader practical advice and examples throughout history of partnering with the Holy Spirit and how collaboration has impacted the individual and society. He includes interviews with Thomas Blackshear and Peter Furler among others, and their experiences in deliberately collaborating with the Holy Spirit, which I found very insightful and even familiar to my own experience. Mr. McElroy emphasizes the importance of developing a listening lifestyle. Working with our Creator in our life calling is an exciting, fulfilling journey that can sometimes be surprising, but always meaningful.

We definitely have a part to do in finding divine inspiration. We apply ourselves, develop our skills, grow in our craft. We turn our wills toward Him, discipline ourselves to practice a listening lifestyle and obey what He speaks to us. We stand against the attacks of the enemy and move forward in faith. And God meets us as we move toward Him. He provides the direction on what to do and how to do it. He inspires us with Holy Spirit light and revelation. He opens the doors of opportunity and brings us to the right places in the right timing. And He brings the anointing on the message that gives the work the impact He wants. ~J. Scott McElroy

What I Learned at Church Today

...I felt like I was much closer to where my heart lies or desires to be. I also realized that my walk has become unauthentic and religious. There's a hard hit to your walk - the realization that you have somehow strayed from the true heart of Christ to mainstream religion all the while denying it!

The Poet spoke on hope and how back in the day, Jesus' followers lived expecting Christ to return imminently. They lived expecting! Because of that hope, that expectancy, Jesus' followers impacted their community and beyond because they were living authentically in anticipation of Christ's return. They really believed Jesus was going to return within days. Now, if we were to live with that hope and expectancy, how would that change our behaviour? The Poet asked, "If we knew Jesus was returning this afternoon at 4, would we be ready or would we want Him to hold off because there were still things that we wanted to do?"

The challenge was: Do we live like that? Do we truly have that hope in us? Do we live in authentic expectancy of Jesus Christ's return? Do we really?

I must admit, I do not. I believe, but I do not expect Christ to show up within the next day, month, or year for that matter. And yes, I do have things I want to do before He returns. This challenge hit deep for me. I try to live for Him, but it is hard...I need, I want to live in the hope and expectancy of the Believers of old.
Lord, please show me how. Please show us how, to Your glory.