I have been trying to write this post for the last 30 minutes. (Seriously, it’s 6:30am. I’ve been trying since 6:00. #hellomornings!) I’ve been trying to think of a great hook to get you focused on this post. Why? Because today I want to grab your heart and encourage you to DO SOMETHING.
Do something?
Yup. I want us to do something together. I know my blog can be all over the place. One day I’m moaning about the fact that I want to be wilder. The next day I’m squeeing about Disney World. I hypocritically write about whole foods and gluttony. I feel the tension. It’s the extremes of being a rich American Christian.
So, I hope when I write something like this you see my true heart. Yes, I love Disney World but I love Jesus more. Yes, I am excited about buying raw milk AND a pirate ship cake…but what I really do want kids in Africa to go to bed with full stomachs. I hope you can feel that I struggle with the dichotomy of my rich life, too.
There are some people who just write about doing hard things for God (ie. ME) and then there are some who actually DO something about it. Today we are going to join those people.
First, the belt:
Allow me to introduce you to Amy from Permission to Peruse. She’s one of the first folks I met on twitter. I thought she was a famous blogger, so I followed her. She’s been in my favorite-people-column ever since. She really is a bloggy genius, she’s funny, has a tender heart and a great sense of style. This sense of style is what led her to blood: water belt.
Amy went to Anthropologie one day last month and bought a belt. It was $28. That’s a lot for a belt, I guess. But $28 at Anthropologie seems like a steal! At this same time she was reading Radicalby David Platt. And she got convicted. The $28 she just spent on a BELT she’d wear a few times could give clean water to a village in Africa for a year!
So, just like that, on a whim, she offered to sell her belt on her blog. She wasn’t sure if anyone would even buy it. But she wanted to “sell her possessions and give to the poor”. And here’s where it gets good! One of her bloggy friends, Dani (who has a great fashion blog) latched onto this idea and said, “I’ll buy the belt, but I don’t really want it. I just want to give $28! See if someone else will buy it, too.”
Now Amy and Dani are asking women to donate $28 to Blood: Water Mission , an organization that brings clean water to those that need it. If you donate $28, you will be a member of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt! And everyone in the sisterhood will get the belt for one day! You’ll get to wear it, post about it on your blog and then send it to the next member of the sisterhood. How awesome is that?!
I signed up the second I heard about it and am eagerly awaiting my chance to wear the belt!
Now, the necklace.
I’m sure most of you know Kristen from We are That Family. I link to her regularly and she’s a hero in the bloggy world. After her trip to Africa with Compassion, her life turned upside down. She felt the need to do something. And she jumped into that something with BOTH feet.
She and her husband, along with a Compassion graduate from Kenya, are starting The Mercy House. A home for pregnant teens in Kenya. A place where girls who have been raped, turned out of their homes or are simply poverty stricken can come to live, have their babies and meet Jesus.
Do you see how big this is? A mom in Texas is helping pregnant teens in Kenya! God is making our world smaller through the internet and we are seeing lives changed all over the world! I love it!
Kristen has set up tons of ways to help with The Mercy House. I love this because that means anyone can get involved on any level. You can donate monthly, buy a gift from The Mercy House etsy shop (how cool if you went Christmas shopping in here?!) or (and this is my favorite) set up your paypal to donate $3 on the 3rd of each month. Why $3? To remind you of the 3 girls that are raped EVERY 45 MINUTES in Kenya.
This just stirs my heart! I want to be a part of big things like this! What? You don’t think it’s big? Giving $28 so a village can have water? Buying a necklace so The Mercy House can buy a blanket for a baby? Well, guess what? It IS BIG. We cannot save the world. God’s already done that. Our job is to be His hands and feet. Our job is to take the one, two or three steps we can take to help others.
Will you take a step today?
Will you join one up with Kristen and Amy?
Here’s what I’m asking you to do. Click around through blood: water belt and The Mercy House. Let their missions settle into your heart. Hear their passion. Then do something:
1. Join the Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt {someone is matching ALL donations to Blood: Water Mission this month!}
2. Donate to The Mercy House
3. Buy something from The Mercy House etsy shop
4. Set up the $3 for 3 donation.
If you actually GIVE and do one of these things above, I want you to put your name in the linky below. You don’t have to blog about it (unless you want to), just put your name in so we can all see! {This is obviously the honor system, you don’t have to prove to me that you donated! Just make sure your email address is valid!}
Now, just to show you how your gift is bigger than you think, for every person that links up I will donate $2 to the Mercy House. I’m kind of hoping at least 50 people will link up. Can we do that, dear readers and friends?
On top of that, I bought this pretty purple PRAY necklace from The Mercy House shop and am giving it away to one reader today. Just leave me a comment–you don’t have to give or donate. Just a comment will do. When this necklace hangs around your neck, you can remember to pray for Amy, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt, for Kristen, The Mercy House and for women like me and you who want to DO SOMETHING for God and for others.
{{Updated: I’m also giving away one copy of Richard Stearn’s book, A Hole in the Gospel to one commenter.}}
Don’t forget: Let others know and let’s see how much we can DO for God today–LIKE on facebook, tweet with #beltnecklace or send an email to your friends! Comments and linky will close at 9pm on Monday, October 25!
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Thanks so much for doing this post. And just by blogging about it you ARE doing something. Bringing awareness to causes like these are half the battle. People just need to know these opportunities are out there. We are also supporting The Mercy House. Kristen, I love what you are doing!
Love you, Amanda, thanks again!!
Yay! Let me know how many people sign up for bloodwater belt, ok?
{ps–can you read this? my comments have been messed up lately.}
Love, love, love this post.
I am excited to say that I just bought six necklaces from Mercy House. They all have ORANGE beads, and I’m giving them to my team for Christmas. I thought that was the perfect way to give and give some more.
Beautiful post Amanda. Thank you for going where God leads you.
Kathy: what an awesome idea–the orange necklaces! Love it!
“We can not save the world. God’s already done that.” Wow. Love that.
Amanda, this is wonderful! I’m a friend of Amy’s and when I found out about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt, I knew I wanted to be apart of that!
My sweet friend Mary at Giving Up on Perfect encouraged us to pop on over to your blog today. I’m so glad she did. This week is Missions Week at our home church. We are so sad that we can’t attend since we just moved out of state but after reading blogs like this I know my cup can get more than full this week just thru the wonderful bloggers out there (like YOU!) that love the Lord and do your part in spreading the word on the important of Giving. Love it!
Love this post! Thanks for pushing us to do something. 😀
How exciting! I am a part of Marla’s Radical read along and I am a member of the Traveling Belt Sisterhood!! Can’t wait to get the belt. I bought a “Hope” necklace from Mercy House etsy just now! God is at work and we’re a part of it.
I love what Kristen, Amy, and you are doing – bloggers who are using their influence for good – to help those in need. love you!
Thanks for this. 🙂
What amazing stories of women doing BIG things for God and allowing us to help with those BIG things by doing seemingly small things! It all adds up! Thanks for the info on both great sites!
I’m excited to have enough bloggy income to take my monthly Mercy House support straight from the blog account. When you click around my blog, you’re supporting Mercy House. YAY!
My heart is so happy today!!! Thanks so much for an awesome post. Anytime pretty things can be combined with purpose my heart just soars. You are one of the ladies I am most excited to see in the belt! I wish we could just zap it from one person to the next rather than waiting on the mail 🙂 I just bought part of Amy’s Christmas present from the etsy shop and in honor of my three girls am signing up for the $3 a month.
I feel the tension in my blog too, you aren’t the only one. Writing one day about fashion and another day about orphans. But thanks for this post, it does show your heart 🙂 I’m supporting Mercy House and actually trying to get my church to support them as well…we shall see.
I signed up for $3 for 3! What a great idea! I also signed up for Blood Water Belt while ago, so hopefully, I’ll get to “buy” the belt!
A beautiful post to stumble, Amanda. Thank you for sharing the beauty of your heart.
Oh, this post got me all teary and inspired-like! 🙂 I am bookmarking it to come back when I can and follow directions to commit financially (I’m not able to do so at this precise moment, but will w/in a very short time). Thanks to all for your amazing work!
Oh, Amanda. You are a blessing to me. Thank you so much for the love and support that oozes from this post, your blog, your life. I am proud to call you a friend. xo, Kristen
I HEART how honest you are about our 21st century Rich American spiritual schizophrenia.
*Blessings*
I love this post. I was at a conference last week and a huge theme at a lot of the sessions was about Corporate Social Responsibility, or getting behind an organization that benefits a great cause. I had the privilege of hearing a 20-year-old tell her story, which was so compelling I was in tears. She was born addicted to drugs, went through foster care, dropped out of school at 14, and finally ended up in a hospital from an abusive boyfriend. An organization called Bright Endeavors found her, gave her housing and a job making goods that they sell to corporations, taught her how to manage her finances and be self-sufficient, and now she’s working for JP Morgan Chase and getting her degree. All that from a 20-year-old. She was so poised and confident because of what this organization gave her. I am trying to encourage my company to exercise their Corporate Social Responsibility and buy items from organizations like them. But I love this post because it reminds me that even though I’m not a corporation with deep pockets, I can make a difference on my own with just $3. Thanks, as always!
Okay, so guess what–I know Maurine the Compassion graduate that Kristen is working with…she was one of the Kenyan graduates that were here this summer! She told me she was going back to kenya to start a home for women, but I didn’t know any more about it until I just read your post and found the website!
That necklace is beautiful and that ministry amazing!
I’m in!
I smiled a bit because I had already set up the $3 per month for Mercy House. One thing that I’ve been planning to do is the 30 day giving challenge (30daygivingchallenge.com) next month … focusing on family, local opportunities and international opportunities.
I am participating in the Sisterhood!