The Evils of Social Media

I googled that exact phrase. Some articles I found defended social media and some ripped any type of credibility to shreds. All I can say is what I feel. You might thoroughly disagree.

Blogging is a type of social media. It is a way to interact indirectly or sometimes directly, with others. There are controls which allow us to limit who can view posts, add their comments, or share a link. Facebook is another, as well as Twitter and LinkedIn and Pinterest and Myspace and goodness knows what else is out there (that I am A-okay with not knowing about).  It can be overwhelming. That’s what I’ve found I’ve been feeling lately, toward social media and networking specifically, overwhelmed.  It is like an emotional rollercoaster – sometimes you are so excited to read about something or hear good news and other times you might find yourself jealous, envious, and cynical. That’s arduous.

So for November, I’ve taken a break from Facebook. I have to admit … I slipped up while in Denver and “checked-in” at the H&M store. But! I am very proud to say I have not browsed around, stalked, or had a single rollercoaster emotion for several days – at least in regard to Facebook. I’m a girl. Rollercoasters, unfortunately, are natural phenomena in everyday life. Hence the reason I am trying to lessen the amount of up’s and down’s in my day!

I am sad to report that I have turned to Pinterest to fulfill my sad addiction that is perusing the endless depths of a social media sight…However, I will now be giving that up as well. Pinterest is just as addicting and overwhelming as Facebook. At first I didn’t think it was. At first I thought it was just people being carefree and posting pictures of things they like or enjoy. At first I viewed it as an outlet for self expression. Then it happened. I started seeing people post pictures of how they hoped to look one day, recipes for all foods “skinny”, pin boards titled “one of these days…” for the girls longing to find Mr. Right, DIY trends that only few people can really pull off, family and baby photographs, etc.

It hit me today. I need to stop looking at these things. They make me long for things, contribute to my fears, and leave me feeling hopeless and empty. The only ones I like to see are the inspirational quotes that help me get through the day or someecards (someecards.com) that make me laugh even when I don’t want to.

Here is to not succumbing to social media pressures to be a certain way, want a certain thing, and envy others. Here is to counting my blessing. Here is to taking it one day at a time. Letting go and letting God. Social media shadows my life too much and inhibits my ability to bear the fruit of the spirit.

"Don't buy children for sex"

DID YOU KNOW....

12 Million children are kidnapped or sold into slavery each year.  200,000 children are smuggled into the United States of America each year.  Human trafficking of children is the 2nd largest growing crime in the world according to the United Nations.  In 2008, the Department of Justice released an alarming discovery: An estimated 300,000 children  between the ages of 11 and 18 are lured into trafficking are American Citizens. (Embassy of Hope Center website)

A few months ago I had the privilege of attending an event hosted by three beautiful (inside and out) girls C, C, & C (seriously). The event's purpose was to open the eyes and hearts of fellow friends to sex trafficking, promote knowledge of local sex trafficking, what all trafficking entails, and ways to help. There were snacks and items for sale from Eternal Threads, guest speakers, and incredible testimony by two sex trafficked, abused victims. Embassy of Hope Center's Elizabeth Crooks was one of the speakers who divuldged TONS of good-to-know information (along with a few other guest speakers).

To make a long story short, the title of this post is the ad campaign that Embassy of Hope Center and Shared Hope International have come up with to bring a provocative message to our city. In a message they write, "A cry for help. Reports are made. Investigation begins. The result? A child is rescued from the crime of human trafficking in San Antonio. A trafficker is prosecuted. Justice advances...San Antonio children are lured into a pimp culture that wants ownership of their spirit, soul, and bodies.  Manipulation is the game = capital gain. While drugs are sold once, a child is a precious commodity that is sold again and again."

The cost of the billboard is $4,000 per month per billboard. If 80 people donated $50, the board could get put up.

I encourage you, with everything in me, to host a gathering to sell eternal threads merchandise and get the word out about human trafficking in the USA and your community. It's just like hosting a Pampered Chef, Stella & Dot, or Scentsy party. It will be near-effortless, life changing, educational, eye-opening, and a huge blessing to so many victims.

If you would like to learn more about hosting a human trafficking awareness and Eternal Threads event, please contact me and I can help get it going! You don't have to sell anything, buy anything, give away anything, just open your home and invite your friends. If one person tells ten people, and each of those ten tell another ten, think of how quickly we can help promote, prevent, and eventually end trafficking in our local communities.

To donate to the ad campaign click here. To learn more about trafficking and what you can do, visit Embassy of Hope Center.  To purchase items from Eternal Threads, shop online. To contact me, click here.

[Eternal Threads establishes sustainable methods of helping women and their families, who live in poverty to increase their income enabling them to educate their children, buy nutritious food and medicine and other basic necessities. Increased livelihood will also help mitigate the risk of trafficking and exploitation that women and children in extreme poverty face.]

[Embassy of Hope Center is a 501(c)3, faith based, non-profit organization that specializes in professional training on issues of human trafficking, prevention education for at risk youth, and survivor care. Their services include advocacy for survivors and family reintegration assistance for exploited men, women, and children who are victims of crime such as forced prostitution, pronography, stripping, and other types of human trafficking.]

Straight vs. Snaggletooth

If you need to justify your own or other peoples’ crooked teeth by creating a trend out of it, then you are in serious need of help. Yes, I just saw an article on MSN’s homepage (my go-to source for all the latest happenings in the world, and my homepage that I, apparently, am not allowed to change – company idiosyncrasy) that read “Are Crooked Teeth the Next Big Beauty Trend?”.  Really? So because Kate Moss has slightly crooked teeth, we all should? No. I mean, don’t get me wrong, my teeth aren’t perfect by any means. Shoot, this isn’t even about TEETH or how straight or snaggletooth you may be. It’s the principle of the matter, people.

Why do we have trends? What is a trend? Is trending the hot, new thing? Aren’t we all individuals, equally and uniquely made? Why does an imperfection need to be a trend? Are we that shallow? Are we that insecure that we have to expose our slight “flaws” (better referred to as “differences” or “character traits”) in order to make ourselves feel better?

Toddlers and Tiara’s – perfect example (ok, maybe not perfect) – those poor, little, sweet, overly shiny tots are a conformity waiting to happen. Yes, they are cute and they might have fun, but those moms are NUTS.  And yes, we might dress our kids up (for the record, no kids here!) and snap a picture or two but this show is extreme and they are exploiting these little girls to an immoral level.  They even give the girls fake teeth to put in since they are losing them left and right! Getting off my soap box now.

Where is the love? I am not perfect. My family isn’t perfect, but I love them and they love me. Don’t succumb to trends. Don’t drink coffee at Starbucks because everyone else does, do it if you like it. Don’t dress a certain way to fit in, unless that’s truly your style. Don’t eat a certain thing, like sushi, because it’s a hot topic, especially if you really hate raw fish! Don’t change yourself to fall into a trend (example – frizz out your hair just because that’s “in”). Being different and unique is what makes you, you. Those are the things, the crooked teeth, frizzy hair, curves, funny looking toes (will explain), that make you stand out above the rest. The less conforming you do, the more true to yourself you are.  I guarantee you will be ten million times happier in life, too!

Side note – yes, I have funny toes. One is shorter than the other, the “middle” toe on both feet, to be exact. Of course I get made fun of, but I don’t mind, because, to be totally honest, I love my little toe.  You should love your distinctive qualities, too!

PS - LET'S GO RANGERS!!! C'MON NOW!!!