Thursday, March 31, 2016

One Dress, One Year. A Book Review.


One Dress. One Year.
One Girl’s Stand Against Human Trafficking.
By: Bethany Winz with Susanna Foth Aughtmon


This book fully intrigued be right from the title- to the subtitle- to the fact that the girl who was wearing this dress was a 16 year old with a heart to end slavery.  Human Trafficking is a phenomenon that plagues our world today more than ever. The statistics are unbelievable and infuriating… but what have I done to end it? Nothing really… But Bethany Winz has. She has written a book about her personal journey through 366 days of wearing the same black dress to raise awareness and funds to stop modern day slavery.

This book is written like a journal, which made me feel like I was part of this project, following along and participating. It has a real personal vibe, as Bethany shares her personal struggles with feelings of unworthiness, being overwhelmed, not loveable, and of being a teenage girl with curly hair in hot humid florida.  Her personal story which intertwined between mini blog narratives is interesting, honest and pure. 

A great read, motivating, encouraging and engaging. I feel it would be fantastic for youth and young adults to read in order to encourage them to look outside of themselves and into the world around them, and understand that it doesn’t take a year of wearing the same dress, or a big commitment to do something, or to be part of something, what it takes is a willing heart, and a little bit of courage, armed with those two things, the world will change- one day at a time, one person at a time. For Bethany, it was one day at a time, in one dress.


What will you do today to help raise awareness? One teeny tiny small thing, done daily will amount to big things over time...
Share the love,
M.

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Wild + Free and Kinda Prickly

If you've ever wanted to know a little bit about me... this little print tells you a lot. I love to think of myself as wild and free and easy going- now I'm a lot more easy going than used to be... but I can still be slightly prickly... as I am sure we all can be... if this is you too - than this one is for you!

Share the love prickly people!
M.


LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN : wild and free and slightly prickly : Home decor : printable : donate to download : PERSONAL USE ONLY! : www.lostbumblebee.net : www.lostbumblebee.com
LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN
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Wild and free and slightly prickly!
©LostBumblebee 2016 MDBN : Wild and free and kinda prickly : Home Decor : Printable : donate to download : PERSONAL USE ONLY : www.lostbumblebee.net : www.lostbumblebee.com
©LostBumblebee 2016 MDBN : Wild and free and kinda prickly : Facebook Cover image :)

Monday, March 21, 2016

New Life, New Hope, New Beginnings...

Easter is coming... and with that comes new life, new hope, and new beginnings... 
Share the story, share the hope... He is not here, He is risen! 

Share the love, 
M.
LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN : He is Risen : Easter Home Decor Print : Donate to Download : Personal Use Only : www.lostbumblebee.net : www.lostbumblebee.com
LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN
 He is Risen
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LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN : He is Risen : Easter Home Decor Print : Donate to Download : Personal Use Only : www.lostbumblebee.net : www.lostbumblebee.com
LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN
He is Risen
Personal Use Only
8x10

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Empty house... happy heart.

Wow, who would have thought that emptying out our home and packing up would feel right? Of course there is anxiety, and stress... but there is so much happiness too. Our lives are not what we would have planned... this jet set kinda life isn't what we thought we would be doing, we thought we would be raising tiny humans to be highly functioning members of society... but alas, we are just raising ourselves and are somewhat functioning members of society- and more so somedays than others!

It's really funny, when I shared with my Dad we were headed overseas for two years, he made a very remarkable statement... it took me a little while to get my head wrapped around it, and make it part of my own philosophy. He said "Miss, you don't have kids... you don't need to live your life as though you do. There is no reason for you to have the house, the two cars, the close to school proximity, the backyard... you don't need any of that, unless that is what you guys want. You're living your life as though you are tied to it... you aren't. You and Duy have freedoms that others don't have... you also have loss that others don't have... But whatever you do, don't get stuck living your lives for someone else... or, for Pete's sake,  don't live it because that's what you think is expected of you... live it for yourselves..."

It took me a long time to think about this, to really embrace it. Is this selfish? Can we actually live our lives for ourselves and not be idiots? We don't have children, not because we don't want children, but because at this time-it's not happening (you can read more about our fertility issues here: Why I do -what I do! ) But what is happening is an opportunity that perhaps we would not have had, if we had children. I'm not saying our lives our better or worse... they are just different... and that is ok...  It took me awhile to learn that living our lives for ourselves did not mean selfish at all... Duy and I are consciously living our lives on purpose, what should we be doing, what are we called to do, where are we called...  How will we give when we arrive... after mulling this over... I realized that living our lives for ourselves, didn't actually mean selfish at all, it meant honouring what God has placed in our lives, and living it for Him, no matter where we were or what came across our path...

So looking around this empty house, my heart breaks a little... there is no pitter patter of tiny feet, no baby toys, no backpacks and sneakers at the door... but there are boxes... boxes that hold the past adventures of our lives, and hopes and dreams and expectations of future adventures, together with the man I love. The man who has stood by me through thick and thin, loved me through chubby days, skinny days, and now chubby days again... he has loved me through poking and prodding at the fertility clinic, 4 rounds of IVF, he's loved me through, loss, heart break, laughter and tears... and now we are so blessed to have this amazing opportunity ahead of us that we get to take together...

It's just another adventure along this journey we call life... no matter where we end up, as long as we are together, we will be home... as long as we are living our lives on purpose we will have peace...

So no matter what you are going through at the moment, just know... the life that you had planned may not be the life that you are living, and that is ok... look into the life you are living and find the diamonds, find the gold- hold onto the positives and focus on just how awesome life is, even if it isn't the one you had planned... there is always something to be thankful for...

Share the love,
M.

LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN Printable Home Decor : Home is wherever I'm with You : Personal Use only : www. lostbumblebee.net : www.lostbumblebee.com
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LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN
Home is wherever I'm with You
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Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Coffee...

Coffee + Jesus... that's about how I'm making it through at the moment... and I guess I'm ok with that, because neither have let me down!

It's a crazy week here... and about to get even crazier and I'm up for it... I think (!)
Bring it on world, bring it on :)

Share the love,
M.

LostBumblebee ©2016 -03: Coffee and Jesus : PRINTABLE : Donate to download : Personal use Only!
LostBumblebee ©2016
Coffee and Jesus
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LostBumblebee ©2016 -03: Coffee makes everything possible : PRINTABLE, home decor, kitchen decor : Donate to download : Personal use Only!
LostBumblebee ©2016
Coffee makes everything possible
Donate to download
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LostBumblebee ©2016 Coffee and Jesus Facebook Cover Image : Personal Use Only!
LostBumblebee ©2016 Coffee and Jesus Facebook Cover Image : Personal Use Only 


Friday, March 4, 2016

It is well... with my soul.

... all in all, it is well...

So much is happening here, I just can't believe it.  I am packing up a house, my hubby is currently renovating our restaurant -literally at this moment... renovating! We were up at 4:30 this morning and off to the restaurant to clean up a little, move a few things in order for the gas guy to come in and re-hook up our gas appliances... So yup, mid renovation.  I cannot believe how fast this week is going! And me, you ask? I'm home, working away at organizing, cleaning, fixing, prepping, and hauling stuff out of this house, my mom was here last weekend, my dad arrives this weekend-it's a revolving door of craziness! And on top of all of that, the hubby has a big exam on Monday... re-opening day... when we decide it's time to get to work, what we really mean is how much can we actually jam pack into 7 days and stay sane? let's see... well we may actually be teetering on the sanity line...

Not every week is like this... I'm not sure if they were, if I could survive let along thrive in life...

Last weekend was our presentation of our Living Life On Purpose 2015 Uganda Journey and I wanted to share with you the video we made of some of our photos...  plus a little print... "It is well... with my Soul" because when it comes right down to it, not matter what is happening externally in my life, I know that all is well with my soul... and there is this unexplainable peace that is just blanketing me at this moment, and I am so grateful for that.

Share the love,
M.

Living Life On Purpose 2015


LostBumblebee ©2016 It is well with my soul : Printable : Home decor : Donate to download : Living Life on purpose 2015 : Personal Use Only
LostBumblebee ©2016 : 8x10
 Donate to download : Personal Use Only





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M.


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