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The Locust Effect

Today’s article is different from my regular posts. Bear with me if you are new here. It communicates a passion close to my heart concerning human trafficking, poverty and violence. There is a compelling video at the end of this article if you are not in the mood to read. Thanks for sticking with me through some difficult realities in our world today.When we see a hungry child, we want to feed him. A sick child, give him medicine. An illiterate child, educate him. But what about do we do about a child that lives in constant fear of violence! 4 billion people live outside of the protection of the law. How do we help the vulnerable? #locusteffect

Last night our family watched the Dreamworks animated movie The Prince of Egypt. In this life story of Moses, there was a scene in which the Israelites, who were slaves in Egypt, were being whipped for not working faster.

My youngest was completely distraught and defensive.

“Mommy, the slave dropped that bag because it was too heavy for him! Why are they hitting him? He should run away!”

This sparked a conversation that I was planning on having with you today as well. I explained to my son that slavery meant they had no freedoms, and the enslaved man was not permitted to leave…ever.

I listened as my angered son shared how unfair that was. He asked repeatedly,

“Why doesn’t somebody go help them?”

I smiled at such an innocent and obvious response. You could imagine his surprise when I told him there are 30 million people being held as slaves today.

“Again, why doesn’t somebody go help them?”

If you know me in real life, you know my heart for the International Justice Mission, a human rights organization I have been involved with for over 8 years. You have heard me tell stories, share pictures, and be a voice of women and children I have met in the poorest communities around the world.

…Stories like the 6-year old girl I met in Cambodia that IJM had just rescued from a brothel where she had been repeatedly used as a prostitute. 6 years old! As I held her in my arms and she smiled a toothless grin at me, I could not help but think of my own daughter back home. This precious Cambodian girl was somebody’s Lily….only stolen away from her mother and sold into a lifestyle never intended for her.

2 million children are exploited in the commercial sex trade a year. (UNICEF)When we see a hungry child, we want to feed him. A sick child, give him medicine. An illiterate child, educate him. But what about do we do about a child that lives in constant fear of violence! 4 billion people live outside of the protection of the law. How do we help the vulnerable? #locusteffect

“3.5 billion of the poorest people live with a constant threat of being raped, robbed, assaulted and exploited. They frequently name violence as their “greatest fear” or “main problem.” For them, vulnerability to violence is just as much a part of being poor as illness, malnutrition, dirty drinking water or inadequate education.” (Gary Haugen in the Huffington Post)

What would life feel like suffocated by the constant fear of violence upon you in a community unprotected by the law? If you are willing to have your view of poverty challenged, my friend and founder of IJM, Gary Haugen, released a book today co-written with Victor Boutros called 

The Locust Effectthe end to poverty requires the end of violence

The premise of this book is that the end of poverty requires the end of violence. Filled with poignant stories and comprehensive research, their argument is both compelling and motivating. The vastness of this feat may seem overwhelming but they offer hope and provide detailed example of how this has been accomplished in modern-day cities.

The Locust Effect

What can you do?

  • Watch this video
  • Buy the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 100% of the author’s royalties are going back to IJM to fight violence against the poor.
  • Tell world leaders to make this a priority by signing this petition to the UN.
  • Visit IJM.org and learn more.
  • SHARE and increase awareness.

IJM offered to give one of our readers a copy of The Locust Effect. The giveaway has closed and the winner will be announced shortly.

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Our Words Matter

POST- Every time we open our mouths, we have an opportunity. How we use it, is up to us. I woke up this morning excited to share a post I had been working on this week, but two red notifications stopped me from hitting publish. The first was an alert that my blog had just reached a major # in page views, and for a very brief moment, I was excited to achieve a milestone I never considered possible. But that momentary joy was gone as I clicked on the second alert. It was a notification that somebody had linked to my site. When a person shares links to the House of Hendrix on their own blog, I get notified. In the past it has been a fun way to see my posts play out in other people’s lives. But this was not that.

This was an entire post attacking my character, my blog, and the comments of my readers. Because my writing often leaves me vulnerable, her words felt like a dagger into a tender bruise. I couldn’t breathe and sat in shock stunned over a stranger’s attack.

Why do we hear the negative comments louder than the rest?

As I came downstairs, I must have looked like somebody had sucker-punched me in the gut. My husband immediately came to me asking “What’s wrong?”.  I explained that a woman on the internet was mean to me and wrote an entire article attacking me. As I rested my head on his shoulder, he spoke this truth over me:

Hurting people often hurt others.

As I lifted my head to look into his eyes, I broke. With a cracking voice and the tear gates open,  I said, “But it still hurts.”

Folks, our words matter.

The words we speak to our spouse.

The words we speak to our children.

The words we speak about a faceless woman on the internet.

Every time we open our mouths, we have an opportunity. How we use it, is up to us. We can bring encouragement & kindness into someone’s life…or discouragement and pain. I remind my children that our words can be sharper than a double-edged sword and we must learn to control them.

If you are hurting and tempted to lash out at those around you, think through if you are causing pain to those you love the most.

Today I had to forgive because I didn’t want a seed of bitterness to take root in my soul. But I wanted to defend myself. I wanted to explain that she was wrong about my not caring for those less fortunate than myself. I wanted tell her that friendship IS a blessing, and that teaching children character values isn’t a waste of time. But I didn’t.

Instead I was reminded of the times my own words have exasperated my children, hurt the heart of my spouse, and discouraged a friend. Today, I cling to the scripture:

POST Every time we open our mouths, we have an opportunity. How we use it, is up to us. Our words matter.

(The referenced post has been deleted, and the author and I are at peace with one another. It is all good )

I am thankful for my readers. If you would like to connect further, please join our Facebook community.

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Christmas ideas

Remember when I wrapped my son’s lunch for his Birthday? We just did it for Christmas and he LOVED it.

Wrap your child's lunch in Holiday paper for a fun surprise.

Need some last minute Stocking Stuffers? These socks are the cutest in town.

Socks are the cutest stocking stuffer

Wood Ornaments Tutorial

DIY Wood Plaque Ornaments20 Days of Kid-Made OrnamentsIn our home, we have been trying to focus on the meaning behind the season. In my efforts to stick with that theme, we created some ornaments that had reflected the gift of that first Christmas. Our kids had a lot of fun with this craft. It is definitely for an older child though as my youngest is 6 and oldest 12. This post will be added to a series from 50 bloggers called 20 Days of Kid-Made Ornaments. You can also check our the other adorable ideas from these other bloggers on the group Pinterest board.

SuppliesSupplies:

  • Mod Podge
  • Scrapbooking paper
  • sponge brush
  • wood rectangles
  • Vinyl or sticker letters
  • Stamps and ink

Trace wood rectangles onto patterned paper and cut out.

Add a layer of Mod Podge with sponge onto wood. Mod Podge

Then stick paper on top of wood and add another layer of mod podge on top. Allow to dry.drying

Several choices for adding words. Vinyl, Paint, or Stamp.

  • Vinylfromdiecutmachine- I cut out vinyl stickers from my silhouette machine with the words my kids chose for their ornaments. Then transferred them to contact paper.

    Transferring vinyl to contact paper

  • Stickers – You can print sayings off of your computer on sticker paper and cut them out
  • Paint words by hand
  • Hand stamp as seen below ( I was inspired by hand stamping from the Swenglish Home)hand stamping DSC_4177Use a staple gun to attach a ribbon to the back.DSC_4181DIY Wood Christmas Ornaments - the House of Hendrix

I found the imperfection of the kid’s hand stamping quite charming and I love how my daughter did words like JOY in red.DIY Wood Christmas Ornaments - the House of HendrixDIY Happy Birthday Jesus ornamentDIY Joy Wood plaque Christmas ornamentsPrince of Peace - DIY Wood Christmas Ornaments

DIY Wood Christmas Ornaments - the House of HendrixWant some more fun ideas? Check out our holiday boards on Pinterest.

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