Give Mercy

I cried last week when I learned that Mercy House Global had to pause the rescue of pregnant teen moms in Kenya. This ministry is a ministry that I have advocated for and supported for many years now. It broke my heart to read these words from Kristen Welch:

For the first time in a decade of March’s, we have temporarily paused the rescue of new pregnant teens in Kenya so that we can continue to support hundreds. 

I won’t lie: this wrecked me. 

God, we know you’re in control when things seem so out of control. Please rescue us, all. 

Friends, will you join me in praying for new donors, new shoppers, new sponsors, new club members to RISE up.

Due to COVID-19, Mercy House had to close their retail stores in Texas. The proceeds from these fair trade stores helps to support the work of Mercy House, so this has created a loss of revenue for them. And as the economy suffers in the months to come, this also has an impact on Mercy House, and on many other nonprofit organizations, who rely on the generosity of donors.

But even when the economy suffers here in the United States, the needs remain in Kenya. There are still more than 50 young mamas and 50 babies in Kenya who need our continued support. There are grandmothers of the babies in the maternity home who continue to weave rugs and make jewelry for Mercy House to sell. There are artisans in the slums of Kenya who rely on Mercy House to continue provide work for them. There are still more girls who need to be rescued.

My heart breaks for these little ones and their young mamas. My heart breaks for the grandmothers who are working their way out of poverty. They are counting on us to continue to be there for them in the hard days ahead as the Coronavirus pandemic spreads across the country and across the world.

If you are able, will you please join me in helping Mercy House continue their important work? I have started a fundraiser for Mercy House that I will share below. I will also keep a link to this fundraiser in my sidebar throughout the rest of 2020 (and possibly beyond!). I know there are many worthy causes that need our support right now. Perhaps Mercy House is one that you would like to consider supporting in the coming days and months.

Another way you can help Mercy House is by shopping in their online store. They sell beautiful fair trade products! The proceeds from the sales help to fund the maternity home in Kenya. By shopping in the Mercy House store, you help to provide jobs for women in poverty around the world, and you help to support the ministry of Mercy House. This is shopping with a good purpose!

If you do shop in the online store, you can use the code SPEAKUP to save $10 on a purchase of $25 or more. And currently all purchases over $75 get free shipping!

In the coming weeks I will be sharing more ways you can help Mercy House. I will blog more here, and I will share regularly on Instagram and Facebook as well.

Mercy House exists to engage, empower, and disciple women around the globe in Jesus' name. Engage those with resources to say yes to the plight of women in poverty. Empower women and teenage mothers around the world through partnerships and sustainable fair trade product development. Disciple women to be lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.

- Mercy House Global 

All photos are courtesy of Mercy House Global.

A Refuge in the Storm

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  

Psalm 91:1-4

This spring, a robin built a nest in a lilac bush bordering our yard. The mama robin faithfully sat on her nest day after day, keeping her eggs warm. After almost two weeks, one baby robin hatched, and I enjoyed watching this baby bird grow up. Each afternoon I went outside to peek into the nest and see how the baby robin had grown and changed from the day before. 

The mama robin sat on her nest throughout the day, but at some point in the afternoon she would always go off to find food, giving me a chance to see the baby bird. I was able to peek into the nest to see the baby robin every day… until there was a storm.

When the baby bird was eight days old, we had a rain storm that lasted an entire day.  I did not get the chance to see the baby robin that afternoon because the mama robin would not leave her nest.

On that rainy afternoon, I glanced over to the lilac bush to see the robin sitting on her nest with her wings stretched out, covering her baby and protecting it from the storm. It was a beautiful illustration of faithful care and protection. Immediately I thought of Psalm 91:4, "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge…"

Every other time I had seen the mama robin sitting on her nest to keep her baby bird warm, her wings were tucked into the nest. But when the rain came, the robin stretched her wings out over the edge of the nest, providing shelter from the rain. The baby bird still had to go through the storm, but the mama robin was right there with him, keeping him safe and protecting him from the full force of the thunderstorm.

This robin gives us a small glimpse of God’s amazing care and protection over us. We may face stormy trials in life, but we never face them alone. God is right there with us in the midst of our storms, covering us with His wings. We still have to endure the storms, but we do not face them alone “for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5b). 

We are shielded and protected by the Most High God. He is our shelter in the storm, and we find true refuge in Him alone. Let’s cry out with the psalmist, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (Psalm 57:1).

What storms are you facing in life today? Are you dwelling in the shelter of the Most High? How is God your refuge in the midst of your storms? 

This article was originally published on The Irresistible Church.

Five Minute Friday: Blessing

Today I am joining the Five Minute Friday writers. We all write on the same prompt for just five minutes, and then we gather together to share our posts.

We used to gather at Kate's blog, but Five Minute Friday has a new home! We now meet on the Five Minute Friday website. You are invited to join us there.

This week the writing prompt is: BLESSING.

God's blessings are abundant in my life. I have been given so much more than I deserve!

As I count my blessings, I think of:

• a house that feels like a home
• a loving husband
• two children
• food
• an old van that keeps on running
• a wheelchair, walker, and seat cane
• running water
• toilet paper (this is seriously something I think about - I am so grateful for modern-day toilet paper!)
• clothes
• ice pack vest to keep me cool in the summer
• air conditioning in the summer
• heat in the winter
• medical care
• dental care
• family and friends who come to visit me

The blessings go on and on!

But if all of those things I just listed were taken away... what then? Would I still be blessed?

Yes. Because the most important blessing I have received is the gift of salvation. Though everything earthly be taken away, my salvation can never be taken away.

If salvation was all I had, I would have more than I ever, ever deserved.

Jesus suffered the wrath of God in my place. His righteousness has been credited to my account. I have been forgiven of my sins. My debt has been paid in full. I have been saved from the eternal punishment I deserve. I have been given an eternity I don't deserve, and could never earn, in Heaven.

What an amazing blessing!

What are some of the blessings you have in your life?

Do you know the blessing of having Jesus as your Savior and your sins forgiven?

Christ Is Risen

Happy Easter! He Is Risen!

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. 

Luke 24:1-12

Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed

(If you are reading this in an email, you may need to click over to the blog to see the video.)

How can it be, the One who died,
Has borne our sin through sacrifice
To conquer every sting of death?
Sing, sing hallelujah. 

For joy awakes as dawning light
When Christ's disciples lift their eyes.
Alive He stands, their Friend and King;
Christ, Christ He is risen. 

Chorus
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Oh, sing hallelujah.
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed;
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. 

Where doubt and darkness once had been,
They saw Him and their hearts believed.
But blessed are those who have not seen,
Yet sing hallelujah. 

Once bound by fear now bold in faith,
They preached the truth and power of grace.
And pouring out their lives they gained
Life, life everlasting. 

Chorus 

The power that raised Him from the grave
Now works in us to powerfully save.
He frees our hearts to live His grace;
Go tell of His goodness. 

Chorus 

He's alive, He's alive!
Heaven's gates are opened wide.
He's alive, He's alive!
Now in heaven glorified. 

by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Ed Cash

It Is Finished

Today is Good Friday. It is the day that we remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The Lord "laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus suffered the wrath of God in our place. His suffering and death brought about great good - the salvation of all who believe!

Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all. 

Isaiah 53:4-6

Photo Credit: Full of Eyes

The Crucifixion 

So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.[d] But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, 

“They divided my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.” 

So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 

The Death of Jesus 

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

John 19:16-30

It Is Finished

Sung by Caitelen

Animation by Full of Eyes

If you are reading this in an email, please click over to the blog to see the video.

It Is Finished 

See the God-man in the garden
Calling, "Abba"
The cold set in as his weary friends
could not keep watch 

His hands, they were open
And his heart willed to obey 

So they took him
and they struck him down
And they mocked him
with a thorny crown 

But his hands remained open
praying "Father, forgive them" 

Tetelestai
Tetelestai 

Betrayed with an unholy kiss
Our curse became his heaviness
The Father's wrath upon his only Son
They pierced his side, blood and water flowed
The curtain tore and they laid him low
The sky went black, but darkness had not won 

It is finished!
It is finished!
Hallelujah! It is finished
It is finished! 

Tetelestai 

by Caitelen Schneeberger

Jesus bore the wrath of God so that you might never have to. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? If not, I'd love to talk to you about how you can be saved from the wrath of God and receive eternal life. 

Merry Christmas! Hope Is Here!

Immanuel

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Merry Christmas! Hope Is Here! Truth Has Come!

Jesus came for you, and He came for me. He came as Immanuel, God With Us. He came to live a sinless life and die on the cross to take the punishment that you and I deserve for our many sins. He absorbed the wrath of God in our place. He rose again from the dead, and He is now in Heaven preparing a place for all who will believe in Him. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus?

I invite you to watch this animated video that beautifully illustrates why Jesus came to earth. If you are reading this in an email, please click over to the blog to see the video.

Close By - An Animation by Full of Eyes

These are the Scripture verses that you will see during this song and animation:

Their sin is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart… Jeremiah 17:1

He is the radiance of the glory of God… and he upholds the universe by the word of his power… Hebrews 1:3 

Your hurt is incurable,
    your injury beyond healing...
because your guilt is great,
    and your sins so many.
Jeremiah 30:12-14 

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the wrath-absorbing sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10

Dear friend, do you know Jesus as your Savior? If you don't know Jesus, please email me! I would love to tell you more about Him so that you can know Him too. He has changed my life, and He can change your life too. You need Jesus! He is the one who makes each day worth living.

Merry Christmas! Hope is here! Truth has come!

Resurrection Day

Happy Easter! The tomb is empty, and Christ is risen!

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 

Luke 24:1-7

Image Credit: Full of Eyes

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?” 

1 Corinthians 15:54-55

The Lord Jesus Christ has conquered death! He died and rose again so that all who will believe on Him may have eternal life. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we have hope! In Him we are brought from death to life.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:4-9

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures...

...For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  

1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 21-22

(If you are reading this in an email, please click over to the blog to see the video.)

Dead Come Alive
An animation by Full of Eyes

Lyrics:

I felt alone, in the world on my own,
Then You came to me, Hope flowing through my veins.
I was lost, in the black so far gone,
Then You drank my shame letting sin flow through Your veins.

Lord, You are good
God, You're so good
Lord, You are good
God, You're so good

You were there, from the start before it all,
Still You left Your throne, love lowered down in the flesh.
Born to serve, born to heal and to lay Your life
You're the final offering,
Cause up from the grave You rose.

Lord, You are good
God, You're so good
Lord, You are good
God, You're so good

Oh the miracle, You're the miracle
That makes the dead come alive

Let me take a little second to tell you as we see a prophecy that came true
You see we need to believe that He literally bled through
the clothes on his back His sweat the day was just like crimson rain
crimson stains tide bounty and the devil can't wash these stains away

Who's he you ask He's a friend of me
cause my inability He was sent from me
I hear birds and trees there all telling me
it's a good thing He won Gethsemane
cause this enemy is to much for me
and this flesh and world is triple teaming me
it seems to be the very end I scream please oh please pass this cup from me!

The thing is it did pass
and it passes every day
He took my cup from me and gracefully He drank the grave
and I don't mean to speak blasphemy when I say
but I am speaking of the day when my God passed away, Okay?

no wait wait wait no that's not it no that's not all
I don't wanna leave you hanging
this stories banging
against my throat and against these walls
It cant be contained no it wont stay in here it will thrive
cause stories just don't die when the dead come alive!

Oh the miracle, You're the miracle
That makes the dead come alive

Good Friday

Image Credit: Full of Eyes

Today is Good Friday. It is the day when we remember the suffering and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We remember His death that paid the penalty for our sin.

Long ago God promised to send a Savior. In Genesis 3:15 God promised that an offspring of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent, but the serpent would only bruise the heel of the offspring. And that is exactly what happened.

The Lord God said to the serpent, 

“Because you have done this,
    cursed are you above all livestock
    and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
    and dust you shall eat
    all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.” 

Genesis 3:14-15

Image Credit: Full of Eyes

On the cross Jesus died and took the punishment that you and I deserve. He died in our place. But His death was not permanent. He overcame death and rose again (and we will celebrate that on Easter)! By overcoming death, Christ defeated Satan. One day Satan's final defeat will come, and he will be thrown into the lake of fire, where he will stay for all of eternity.

Those who trust in Jesus as Savior receive forgiveness of sins and everlasting life! Do you know Jesus as your Savior?

Dear friend, if you do not yet know Jesus, set your eyes on Him and believe.

(If you are reading this in an email, please click over to the blog to see the video.)

Set Your Eyes 

Music by Jonathan and Emily Martin

Animation by Full of Eyes

Lyrics: 

O my soul lift your eyes
The Son of God has been crucified
O my soul lift your eyes to your salvation 

O my soul lift your head
The weight of sin has been nailed to Him
O my soul lift your head to your salvation 

Jesus has been lifted high
Set your eyes on Him
Set your eyes on Him
Jesus has been lifted high
And He is drawing all men
Drawing all men 

O my soul look and believe
By His stripes you have been made clean
O my soul look and believe
On your salvation 

Look to the cross
Look to the cross
Look to the cross
And believe 

O my soul get up and go
Tell someone Christ has made you whole
O my soul get up and go
Tell of your salvation

Eight Reasons I Am Thankful for Dysautonomia

God has given me a life that is much different than I dreamed it would be, but also better than I could have ever planned or imagined. I trust that life with dysautonomia is His good plan for my life. I do not understand all of God’s purposes in allowing me to be a disabled and homebound wife and mother. God’s ways are not my ways. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. But even in my limited understanding, I can see ways that dysautonomia is beneficial for me. I am thankful for the many blessings that have come because I have dysautonomia.

Here are 8 reasons I am thankful for dysautonomia:

Dysautonomia reminds me each day that I need the Lord. Every day I wake up to a sick, weak, and miserable feeling in my body. I am keenly aware that I cannot control my health or my strength. I cannot make my body function properly. It is truly the Lord who sustains life, gives health, and gives weakness. I have learned to see the pain and weakness in my body as a grace and a mercy. It is a daily reminder of my need for, and my dependence upon, the Lord.

I have made many friends online whom I never would have met if I did not have dysautonomia. Through places like DINET, blogs, and Facebook groups, I have met so many people with dysautonomia, chronic illnesses, and other disabilities. These friendships are a treasure to me! I have learned a lot from my friends who live with various illnesses and disabilities. They have encouraged me through their examples, inspired me with their courage, and blessed me with their friendship.

Dysautonomia brought me to the point of starting a blog. I probably would not be blogging if I were not ill and homebound. Blogging has been a wonderful creative outlet and connection to the outside world. If I did not have dysautonomia I probably never would have started blogging. I would have been too busy to sit down behind a computer for hours each week. Dysautonomia has caused me to slow down and take time to write.

Through living with dysautonomia I am learning to persevere. Although trials are not pleasant, they are beneficial. They are so beneficial that we are to count it all joy when we face trials (James1:2-4). For this reason, I am grateful for dysautonomia. It gives me opportunity each day to persevere in hardship. Each day I push my body to keep going and not give up. I seek to be content and enjoy my life. I spend time with the Lord when my mind and my body are tired. I give of myself to my husband and my children. I am learning to persevere, and it is growing me to maturity. What a blessing!

My children learn compassion through having a disabled mother. Because of my needs, William and Adelaide had to learn from a very young age to be gentle and quiet. They learned to look out not just for their own comfort, but for mine as well. They have learned to serve me when I need help. These lessons in compassion and servanthood will be beneficial to them for the rest of their lives.

Dysautonomia provides challenges that cause our marriage to be strengthened when we persevere in love and faithfulness. Marriage affected by a disability is hard. But when Will and I determine to persevere in the challenges, to love and serve each other, and to cling to the Lord through it all, our marriage is strengthened. Dysautonomia makes marriage hard, but it brings us closer together, and that leads to much happiness in marriage!

Living with dysautonomia reminds me to keep an eternal perspective. My body is tired and weak. My health has been steadily declining for 16 years. My hope is not in good health in this life. My hope is in the life to come. My hope is in the One who paid the price for my sin, taking the punishment that I deserve, so that one day I can be free of this body of death and live forever on the New Earth. As I struggle to persevere in this weak and tired body, I am reminded that this body is not the only body I will ever have. This life is not my only chance at happiness. The best is yet to come!

I am gaining reward in Heaven when I suffer faithfully. This is such a reason to be happy in life with dysautonomia! I cling to these verses daily: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

It always astounds me that suffering is incredibly beneficial to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ! A faithful response to suffering will result in a greater reward than we would receive if we did not suffer at all. And the reward awaiting us in Heaven is far out of proportion any suffering we could ever endure on earth. Suffering will one day be worth it all. Because there is reward for living faithfully in the midst of affliction, I am very grateful for dysautonomia!

I would love to hear from you! What hard things do you face in life? What reasons have you found to be thankful for suffering?

Changing Lives with Fair Trade Friday

For several years now I have been praying for Mercy House, a maternity home in Kenya for pregnant and teenage moms. The girls who are brought to Mercy House have all become pregnant as a result of rape or because of forced prostitution. They come from tragic and heartbreaking situations, but at Mercy House they find hope and support. It has been a joy to watch the countenance of these girls change as they are rescued out of poverty and as they come to know Jesus. What a transformation! Through pictures I have seen the joy that begins to light up their eyes when they live in a safe place and find hope in Christ.

Today I want to tell you the story of Pauline, one of the first residents of Mercy House. I also want to tell you about Fair Trade Friday, a new ministry of Mercy House and a fun way that YOU can help to change lives around the world.

This is Pauline. When she was 15 years old she became pregnant through force. She was desperate and hopeless. Mercy House rescued her, gave her a home, medical care, good nutrition, education, and taught her from the Bible. They showed her the love of Christ, and the Gospel has changed her life. As a result of the work of Mercy House and the grace and mercy of Christ, Pauline and her son, Melvin, are doing well today.

Pauline has now graduated from the Mercy House program and is attending vocational beauty school. Her son is able to attend school as well because of sponsorship. While at Mercy House, Pauline learned how to make many different types of crafts, and she is now passing on that knowledge to moms in the slums. Each week she goes into the slum and teaches these women. The crafts that they make are sold through Fair Trade Friday, and the money these moms make from their crafts is able to pay for food, school fees, and rent. Their needs are being met because Pauline is teaching them useful skills, and Mercy House is selling their crafts.

Only a few years ago Pauline was hopeless, but now she knows Jesus, and she has hope! Her life has been transformed, and now she is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of others. Pauline is a good mom and teacher, and her future is full of potential.

In August of last year, Mercy House launched a new ministry that enables them to help even more women in poverty around the world. This new ministry is called Fair Trade Friday. It is something unique and special and fun that you will want to be part of!

Fair Trade Friday is a membership club that delivers one-of-a-kind fair trade products to your home each month. By joining Fair Trade Friday, you help to provide jobs and dignity for women in poverty. You remind them that they are not forgotten, that their work matters, and that they matter.

Mercy House partners with Christian organizations in procuring fair trade products, so when you support Fair Trade Friday you aren’t just helping to provide a job for those in need, you are partnering with organizations that will share with their workers the love of Jesus. We can empower marginalized women by providing jobs, but only the grace of God can transform lives, and that is why Mercy House works with Christian organizations in their Fair Trade Friday ministry.

Here is a glimpse of just a few of the artisans at work around the world as they make products for Fair Trade Friday:

Women in the Middle East making jewelry

An Ethiopian woman creating beautiful products

An Ethiopian woman making paper beads

 Women in Zambia sewing bags

A woman in Ethiopia spins thread from sheep's wool.

Another woman uses the thread to weave fabric.

The fabric is then made into little bags.

Kristen Welch, founder of Mercy House, tells about buying bracelets from an artisan in Kenya:

Probably one of the most profound moments for me was in a mud home in Kenya talking with a woman we were buying paper bead bracelets from for a Fair Trade Friday box. She grabbed my hands and squeezed them tight. She looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Tell the women in America that we need them to keep buying what we make. Tell them it is feeding my son and two daughters. Tell them not to forget us." I will spend the rest of my life reminding these marginalized women they are not forgotten.

The work of Fair Trade Friday is important. It isn't simply providing a food and money for those in need. It is providing meaningful work and restoring dignity. It is providing an avenue through which the Gospel can be introduced to those who might otherwise never hear it.

Do you want to be a part of Fair Trade Friday? It isn't just important; it is fun too! You receive unique fair trade products once a month, and 100% of the proceeds go to the artisans around the world. There are two monthly subscription options. 

One is the Earring of the Month club. This is a subscription membership that costs $11.99 per month, and you get a new pair of earrings each month! Each package comes with a small fair trade gift bag for you to use if you choose to give the earrings away as a gift.

The other option is the original Fair Trade Friday box. It comes with 3-4 high quality fair trade items for $31.99 a month. I have received a few of these packages, and they are amazing! I love reading about the different products, seeing where they were made, and praying for the women who made them. There is currently a waiting list for the monthly Fair Trade Friday box. If you want to join this Fair Trade Friday club, please sign up to be on the waiting list! Having spots filled on the waiting list helps Fair Trade Friday to plan ahead for orders with their artisan groups. When they are able to add more club members, you will receive an email letting you know that you can sign up and officially join the club!

If you want to try out Fair Trade Friday, but don't want to commit to a monthly subscription, you can try a Fair Trade Friday One-Time Trial Box.

If you are interested in buying specific fair trade items, you can check out the Mercy House Shop here for beautiful and unique products!

Please come back here on Wednesday because there is more that I want to share about Fair Trade Friday! I want to tell you about a special coin purse and the story behind it. I will also be showing you pictures of the items I have received through Fair Trade Friday this year so that you can get an idea of what comes in the packages each month. And! There may be a giveaway. :) So come back on Wednesday for more Fair Trade Friday fun!

Images are courtesy of Mercy House and Fair Trade Friday.

Five Minute Friday: Grateful

It is time for Five Minute Friday! Last night I saw on twitter that Lisa-Jo had announced the Five Minute Friday word prompt: grateful. "That will be an easy one," I thought to myself. "I have had a very difficult week, but I can choose to focus on what I have to be grateful for, and I can share about that."

I had a simple post in mind, one that could easily be typed up in only five minutes. It was a post that would briefly share the physical struggles I have had this week and then focus on a list of all of the many wonderful blessings for which I am grateful. But it didn't sit right with me. Something was missing. The post I had in mind I was mostly choosing to ignore the hard things and just focusing on the happy and cheerful things of life. It is good to be grateful for those things, but gratitude should go farther than just focusing on happy things.

I have been mulling things over last night and this morning. I've never put so much thought into a Five Minute Friday post! I have been thinking about gratitude, suffering, and Ephesians 5:20 in which we are commanded to give thanks for everything. Everything. Even the weakness, loneliness, and bad days. After much thought and prayer, here is my Five Minute Friday post. (Disclaimer: I forgot to look at the clock when I wrote my five minute post. I probably went well over my allotted time.)

This has been a difficult week for me. On Monday I felt pretty well in comparison to the last few months, but after a meeting that afternoon and supper with my family, my body was done. I was tired, weak, and exhausted. It is now Friday, and I still haven't recovered from Monday.

My health has been steadily declining since September. In December my health started declining more quickly. My body is weak and tired, and I have to spend most of my time in bed. When I do choose to push myself to have friends over or spend extra time with my family, I pay for it for a week or more. These are hard and challenging days for me.

As I think about gratitude in the midst of my current circumstances, my mind keeps going back to Ephesians 5:20. I look it up in my Bible, and it says, "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

For everything? I am to give thanks for declining health and diminishing energy?

Yes, I believe I am. As a Christian, I am to give thanks for all things. Even suffering is a gift from God.

I turn to Philippians 1:29, and it reads, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake." In this  verse, "granted" (echaristhe) means to give freely and graciously. God in His sovereignty bestows suffering. Suffering is a gift.

On these weak and tired days suffering feels like anything but a gift. How can this be a gift? And how can I give thanks for it? It helps to remember Romans 8:28,  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

And there it is. God is working all things for my good. Even dysautonomia. Even declining health. Even the loss of energy. These things are, as Joni Eareckson Tada says, "a severe mercy." Because God is ultimately using all of these things for my good, I can thank Him for them. I must thank Him for them.

I think of 2 Corinthians 4:17, my favorite verse: "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Wow. What a reason to be grateful for affliction! The suffering that I endure faithfully now will result in great reward in Heaven, a reward that is completely out of proportion to any hardship I endure.

Thank you, Lord, for this severe mercy. May I never forget to be grateful to you for your many blessings, whether they be pleasant or painful.

Five Minute Friday: I Will Take Joy

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    He makes my feet like the deer's;
    He makes me tread on my high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

This winter has been difficult for me, and the past three weeks have been especially hard. The lonely, stuck-in-bed days aren’t too bad at first, but in time they start to wear on me. It has been over a month since I have stepped foot out of our house. It has been three weeks since I have visited with someone other than the mail man. I grow weary of having to rest so much. I get lonely.

On days like these, joy is a struggle. I have to fight for it. It is easy to focus on my circumstances and think that I have it so hard. But do I really? No. I live a very comfortable life. Here are just a few things that make my life comfortable and easy:

• A soft bed
• A laptop
• Running water and indoor plumbing
• A recliner
• Plenty of pillows and blankets
• Internet
• Good books and movies
• Yarn to crochet when my hands are strong enough
• A good husband who loves me and takes care of me
• Children who adore me and are so patient with me on the sick days

The list could go on and on. I have been truly blessed! I have a good home and a comfortable life. Best of all, I have been forgiven of my sins and adopted into the family of God. The Lord has poured out His grace and mercy upon me, saved me from my sins, and given me a home in Heaven. Now that is a reason to have joy! I can take joy even on the hard days. I will choose to live a joyful life.

When I take my focus off of the hard things of life and start to look at the blessings God has given me, especially the gift of salvation, I find that the joy of the Lord is my strength! And the weak days aren’t so hard when the joy of the Lord is my strength.

Giving Thanks

Count Your Blessings

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings, see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done!

Today I am thanking God for:

- a warm and comfortable home.

- friends nearby and friends far away.

- family nearby and family far away.

- a husband who loves me unconditionally and faithfully cares for me each day.

- children who love me and enjoy being with me.

- good food and never going hungry.

- all of my immediate needs being met.

- modern medicine.

- modern conveniences like air conditioning, heating, indoor plumbing, toilet paper, electricity, and online shopping.

- the internet because it keeps me connected to the outside world even when I am home-bound.

- things that make my life easier such as a kindle, laptop, cell phone, and a wheelchair.

- things that make my life more comfortable such as a soft bed, pillow, heating pad, ice packs, a recliner, and a Roho cushion.

- a God who loves me and sent His Son to die in my place.

- God's Word, which is living and active and equips Christians for every good work.

- the ability to approach the throne of grace with confidence and find mercy and grace to help in time of need.

- mercies that are new every morning.

- grace that is greater than all my sin.

- the hope of resurrection.

- troubles that are insignificant in comparison to the joy that will come.

- blessings beyond what I deserve.

- a home in Heaven!


What are you thanking God for today?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, friends! May your holiday be filled with fun, family, thanks, and giving!

Photo: "Grace" by Enstrom

Raise Your Broken Praise

Life with a chronic illness is hard. Life with a disability is hard. Life is just hard! We all suffer to some extent. That is the reality of life in a fallen world, a world affected by sin. But in the midst of the brokenness, we can still praise the Lord. He is sovereign over hardship and suffering, and He is worthy of our praise!

Last week my friend, Melanie, shared the song Broken Praise on her blog. This song is based on the story of Job in the Bible. Like Melanie, I can identify with the words of this song. I think that many of my chronic illness friends will also identify with this song on a very personal level.

In the midst of whatever you are facing today, will you join me in giving God praise? Let us say with Job, "'The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.'" Job 1:21, ESV

(If you are reading this in an email, please click over to the blog to view the video.)

Broken Praise

If one more person takes my hand and tries to say they understand
Tells me there's a bigger plan that I'm not meant to see
If one more person dares suggest that I held something unconfessed
Tries to make the dots connect from righteousness to easy street
Well I, I won't deny I've relied on some assumptions
A man's honest life entitles him to something

But who am I to make demands of the God of Abraham?
And who are You that You would choose to answer me with mercy new
How many more will wander past to find me here among the ashes
Will You hold me? Will You stay?
So I can raise this broken praise to You

Who else will see my suffering as one more opportunity
To educate; to help me see all my flawed theology
If one more well intentioned friend tries to tie up my loose ends
Hoping to, with rug and broom, sweep awkward moments from the room
But I, I can't forget, I have begged just like a madman
For my chance to die and never have to face the morning

But who am I to make demands of the God of Abraham?
And who are You that You would choose to answer me with mercy new
How many more will wander past to find me sitting in this ash
Will You hold me? Will You stay?
So I can raise this broken praise to You

But You were the One who filled my cup
And You were the One who let it spill
So blessed be Your Holy Name if you never fill it up again
If this is where my story ends, just give me one more breathe to say
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Written by Nichole Nordeman
Sung by Todd Smith