Recycle Love Festival

Forewarning....this will NOT be the only post about this Festival... rest assured that I will pretty much drive you crazy talking about it!  :)

First off, a little background.... when I started trying to find a new church here in our new town, I ended up contacting the pastor of the Foursquare Church asking a ton of questions.  Mitch was amazing, answered all my questions, and made us feel truly welcome.  Well, he did some "research" on us..LOL...and read my blog, Facebook posts and such.  I am SO grateful he did!  After he read a bit about what was important to me and what made me me, he told me he had someone to introduce me to that he thought I would really get along with.  Boy was he right!!  I was introduced to a wonderful woman who's heart mirrors my own on so many levels, yet she is so passionate about things and so into her walk with Jesus that she continually inspires me daily!  Her mother is absolutely wonderful and just as passionate about injustice and loving Jesus!  One day I was talking to my new friend and she was telling me about this vision she had that she and her mom were working on (with a group of friends) and would I be interested in helping out with it.  I have to say I am humbled to be part of something that I think is such an amazing thing!  God works behind the scenes for His grand plan, and I do believe that it wasn't a coincidence that our family ended up moving to this sleepy little Oregon town!

Now, I will tell you what exciting amazing things are happening here....but I think the easiest thing to do is to post parts of the letter we are sending out to people talking about it.

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Learning the truth about human trafficking and its gut-wrenching exploitation, especially of children, has been appalling and disturbing. Many innocent lives, especially of young children, are being used and abused for the sake of MONEY and self-gratification. Knowing this happens around the world is a travesty but knowing it happens in our local community and State as well is very frightening. (for information on trafficking specifically in Oregon go to Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans ~ http://www.oregonoath.org/ - Please watch video at end of this web page.)

It's also surprising and eye-opening that so many are hungry or in need of clean water or medicine throughout the world but the simple and inexpensive solutions are not available to them. This information has stirred us to ACTION!!!


On August 21, 2010 (5-10pm) we will be hosting a FREE "Recycle Love" Festival at Heath Football Stadium, next to Lebanon High School, with live music, local vendors and artists, and much more. This event will be like nothing Lebanon has ever seen. We have already partnered with Show Mercy International and CARDV (Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence). Each of these organizations will be sharing about their vision and the resources they offer, and helping to spread awareness. **There is a $ 7.00 registration cost to set up a booth at the Festival.** All proceeds will go to the organizations with which we have partnered.


We have a desire and a purpose to be a "Voice" to our community-to inform, equip, and prompt action. It is up to us to stand in the gap for the sake of JUSTICE, of many innocent and hungry people throughout the world. Let us as a community LOVE others as we love ourselves.

We want to partner with you to put on, as a community, an Awareness Event to bring us all together in ONE place, to be ONE voice that will speak up and be the voice for those who have lost theirs. To challenge and encourage each other to take action in responding, by giving and actively working as ONE towards the goal of bringing JUSTICE.


All proceeds from the event will be donated to the 2 organizations we are partnering with. We would love vendors joining us that night to donate what they wish and to the organization(s) of their choice, or maybe have a tip jar for donations. Thank you and we look forward to working with you! 

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See what I mean?  Exciting stuff!!  If you are local to Oregon and would like to come to our festival, we would LOVE to have you!!  If you would like to be one of our vendors setting up booths, we would LOVE to have you!!  :)  If you aren't local, but would like to buy one of our t-shirts once they are ready, don't worry...I'll keep you posted!!  And if you are interested in more information check out the website I put together.   RECYCLE LOVE FESTIVAL

That was easy.... :)

Okay, well that was easier than I thought!! I already have 3 volunteers, and because I am in a giving mood...ALL THREE will get a new blog!! :) I will make them in the order people signed up....it just might take a few days!! :)

I guess I better get busy!!!!

Blogger Volunteer Needed! :)

I am looking for a volunteer. :) I am just about ready to start advertising and doing blog makeovers for people, and I am looking for someone who would be willing to have me give their blog a new look...for FREE. I need more practice, plus I would like who ever the volunteer is to be willing to make a post about the makeover and refer people to my design site when I am ready. Oh, and to advertise their blog in my portfolio section of the site.

The blogging volunteer will get a custom header and background, custom signature, and post dividers.

So if that sounds like you....comment away and let me know!!! I am excited to see what I could come up with for you!

Relay For Life

This Friday (June 11) a friend from high school is participating in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. This years relay is commemorating her 10 years of being cancer free. I would love it if people were able to make their way over to her donation page and help out a little. Her fund raising goal is only $100. I think we can help her get there by Friday!

The page is set up as $10 minimum donation, but for anyone who is interested in donating only $1 or $2 or $5 PLEASE leave me a comment or email me (jennifermaejordan@gmail.com).  I have a way to still be able to donate!  :) Cancer is such a frightening thing, and I would almost guarantee that everyone has been affected by it in some way or another.  (And if you haven't, keep counting your blessings as that is amazing!)  I have lost loved ones from it, my husband has lost loved ones, my children are unable to meet one of their Grandfathers until they meet him in Heaven because of cancer, and I have loved ones who have battled it and have overcome!  The more we help out the American Cancer Society with research on cures, treatments, prevention, awareness and early diagnosis the more we do to save ourselves and our loved ones! Again, any donations on her page would be greatly appreciated!!

$130 MILLION

**** First off, I would like to thank everyone who responded to my post on home schooling.  If you left me an email address...I will be emailing you!  :)  The last couple days have just been hectic, plus given the fact that hubby wasn't working and never shares the computer...I haven't had time to type out all my questions until today.  But don't worry....I  have plenty of questions coming your way!!!*****

Now for what has me bothered that I just can't let go.....(And for the record, I am NOT trying to down talk anyone, for only God truly knows ones heart....I am just expressing my opinion and feelings.  And since it's my blog, I can do that...hehehe!!)



$130,000,000.00

First Baptist Church of Dallas is working on a new church building that costs $130 Million. I stumbled across an article about it the other day and have been trying to let it go.  But I can't. That is such a staggering amount of money. Among the amenities are....

• 1.5 million square feet
• LEED certified (its green and energy efficient)
• Glass structure
• Stone water tower topped with a luminescent cross
• Common area for downtown residents and guests
• 3,000 seat worship center (on the second story)
• 7 high-definition screens
• Choir and Orchestra pit
• Senior adult education center (under the sanctuary)
• 300-space underground parking garage
• 6-story education building for children/youth ministries
• 2 side-by-side gymnasiums
• Children’s play areas
• Outdoor concert space
• Adjacent parking garage with 500-plus parking spaces

Now don't get me wrong.  I am not going to say that there is anything wrong with a church getting a new building or a make-over on their current one.  But I am going to say that in my opinion this is excessive.   I look at the list of amenities and the huge dollar figure attached to it, and so many different thoughts come to mind.

• $1 will provide someone clean drinking water for a year.  I'd think the cost of that stone water tower could provide an awful lot of clean water wells in third world countries.
•  "Common Area" for downtown residents and guests....how about a homeless shelter?  Instead of 2 side by side gymnasiums, what about a soup kitchen?
• Why not use some of that outdoor concert space to grow a community garden to help feed people?
• I wonder what type of orphan ministry could be launched with the cost of a 3 story underground parking garage?  (That is not even counting the adjacent parking garage.)
• While $130 Million is being spent on this building, a CHILD DIES every 5 seconds from hunger related causes, and a CHILD DIES every 15 minutes from a preventable and TREATABLE disease.

(I could list thousands of ways I think the money could be better spent, but I think you get my point.)
I can't imagine sitting in a building that cost $130 Million, while listening to a preacher talk about Jesus.  It just doesn't seem right to me.  Sit in a $130 Million dollar church, talking about someone who commands us to care for the "least of these"....while homeless people are starving even just up the street from me and the cost of the chair in the auditorium would probably feed someone in America for a month, and in Africa for a year.

I just don't get it.  While I sit here in my confusion thinking of how that much money could help starving children, orphans, children trapped in sex trafficking, children being killed as sacrifices by witch doctors, spreading the Gospel, giving people bible's who have never seen one, etc... I will leave you with the words of the Senior Pastor explaining a little about the need for this new campus.
 
“As I look around downtown Dallas, I see spectacular temples of commerce, of culture and of government – many new, some restored to former glory, and all intended to stand for generations. The Kingdom of God needs a home to equal them – a spiritual oasis in the middle of downtown.”
       ~Dr. Robert Jeffress - First Baptist Church of Dallas
     

To Love Their Husbands Tuesdays

I am linking up with Lauren over at Living By Faith for her "To Love Their Husbands Tuesdays."

This past week husband was back at work on Monday. Which we were very excited about! And then Friday, he was laid off again. And we love our men, but you take away their ability to "be the man" and provide for their family, and well, it makes them kind of grumpy!! My husbands "outlet" is his motorcycle riding. After he received the lay-off news on Friday, his friend John asked him to go riding on Saturday for a stress reliever. Saturday was going to be my day to sneak away for a couple hours of quiet time, but I told husband to go riding instead. I spent the day with the kids cleaning, playing in the yard, and running a couple errands. About 6:30 that evening husband calls that he is on his way home. And what did he say.... "Thank you so much for letting me go riding today. I really needed it!"

Just hearing the relief and gratefulness in his voice made it worth sacrificing my own quiet time. And then just because, when he got home I helped him clean the bike, and clean up all his gear. So instead of him spending a couple hours alone doing it, we got it all done as a family (the kids love helping with daddy's motorcycle) within 45 mins and sat down to a game of Candy Land before the kids had to go to bed.

It was nothing extravagant, but knowing my husband, I knew he needed some time to let off some of the stress, and maybe even forget about things for a bit. He was appreciative, and I was appreciative that he came home less grumpy than when he left! :)