Ariah Fine has just published his second book – a children’s book – “Clean Water for Elirose.”

His first novel, “Giving Up” deals with a number of justice issues and his latest book, continues with the same theme but shares it in an easy to understand way for younger children — alongside great illustrations by Don Robb.

The book tells the story of Maria and her friends and how they join together to build a clean water well for Elirose.

Amazing how stories can simplify so many complicated ideas — isn’t it?

The book also includes a brief discussion guide to help you and your children discuss the issues together.

You can order a copy of the book today – and a portion of the proceeds go to help build a clean water well through charity:water.

Order the book.

And if you’d like to see the book before you buy… can also read the entire book right from your computer screen – right now.

What’s even cooler — is the book is now available with a Pay-What-You-Can model. So you can pay $3 for the book or $50 and know that what you’re giving goes to make a difference in the lives of others this Advent season.

And finally….

Ariah is also giving away one book a day from Dec. 1st to Dec. 15th. And there are a few ways to enter each day:

• Like the Clean Water for Elirose Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/CleanWaterForElirose
• Refer someone to “Like” The facebook page (proven by them posting your name on our wall as the person who referred them)
• Follow @WaterForElirose on Twitter
• Tweet or post on Facebook about Clean Water for Elirose linking back to the website, facebook or twitter page
• Blog about Clean Water for Elirose on your blog (counts as two entries) – And you might want to post it on our Facebook or email info@cleanwaterforelirose.com just so he doesn’t miss it

Clean Water for Elirose is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• greg garrett :: 2.28
• the light has come
• will taylor :: 4.3
• heatherlyn :: 3.41

Porcelain Dolls

Just in time for Valentines day…

Our friends Kari McHam and Jana Vanderburg have just put together a short video detailing some of the work their doing — caring for and loving on the women in Waco’s adult entertainment industry.

As Kari shared on our show last year, through Porcelain Dolls, they’ve built a number of real relationships with the “un-loved” in their community and have witnessed some serious life changes in some of the women as well.

Over the weekend the girls took part in a Valentine’s Day outreach and also recently gave away 3 computers to several girls who are trying to further their education.

Watch the video and consider how you might get involved to help…

Find out more on Facebook, Myspace or donate online.

You can also listen to Kari’s story and Jana’s story on the podcast.

Who in your community needs this kind of love and caring?

Kari McHam and Jana Vanderburg keep at it is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• emily timbol :: 4.7
• marlon hall :: 3.43
• All is Grace – Brennan Manning
• russell ramirez :: 4.17

Disasters Emergency Committee (UK): www.dec.org.uk

One Day’s Wages: onedayswages.org

Salvation Army (US): salvationarmy.org

Haiti Reborn: quixote.org/haiti

i am not for sale.
you are not for sale.
no one should be for sale.

january is national human trafficking awareness month. a time for each of us to not only educate ourselves about the issues of modern slavery, but to raise awareness to our friends and family members and to do what we can to end all forms of human slavery.

trafficking is…
to be taken against your will, bought, sold and transported into
slavery for sexual exploitation, sweat shops, child brides, circuses,
sacrificial worship, forced begging, sale of human organs, farm
labour, domestic servitude. 80% of all victims are women and girls,
50% are children.

trafficking is…
where family members and friends deceive parents to release their
CHILDREN or SELL them FOR AS LITTLE AS $20 EACH, selling
them on to local gangmasters or serious organised international
trafficking rings.

trafficking is…
growing. 2–4 MILLION men, women and children are TRAFFICKED
across borders and within their own country EVERY YEAR. more
than one PERSON is trafficked across borders EVERY MINUTE,
which is equivalent to five JUMBO JETS every day. a trade that
earns twice as much worldwide revenue as Coca Cola.

trafficking is…
where victims usually suffer repeated physical abuse, fear, torture
and threats to families to break their spirits and turn them into
saleable commodities. a person can be sold and trafficked
many times.

charles lee and one voice to end slavery offers up 11 practical ideas to combat slavery.

we also invite you to educate yourself :: listen to amanda kloer talk about her life as an abolitionist

national human trafficking awareness month is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• #justicefriday :: Slave free Christmas
• amanda kloer :: 2.30
• kathlee roscoe :: 3.8
• charles lee :: 3.5

Already seeing Christmas/Advent decorations and sales at your local stores? Wanting to make a difference this year and ensure your purchases are slave free?

Be sure and check out NightLight’s and NotForSale’s online stores for products made by (and supporting) former slaves.

Both groups have some great jewelry and products for men, women and children.

Some info on NightLight:

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2

NightLight is an international organization committed to addressing the complex issues surrounding trafficking and prostitution by catalyzing individual and community transformation. NightLight’s vision is to offer intervention to sexually exploited women and children, to enable them to discover their dignity, and to provide a program of holistic transformation, empowering them to live and work in their community.

NightLight’s mission is to build relationships and provide hope, intervention, rescue and assistance to women and children exploited in the sex industry by offering alternative employment, vocational opportunities, life-skills training and physical, emotional and spiritual development to women seeking freedom. NightLight builds support networks internationally to intervene and assist women, men and children whose lives are negatively impacted by the sex industry.

In Bangkok, Nightlight operates as a business (NightLight Design, Co. Ltd) and a non-profit (NightLight Foundation). In the United States, NightLight operates as a 501c3 with branches in Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Visit the NightLight store.

Visit the Not For Sale Campaign store.

UPDATE: Julie Clawson has a number of additional resources shared on her blog…

#justicefriday :: Slave free Christmas is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• the christmas nines 2011 :: 4.40
• Share your holiday memories
• national human trafficking awareness month
• What’s your Christmas wish?

Andrew Jones video via Bill Kinnon:

Click here to view the embedded video.

From Andrew’s blog…

Urgent Appeal: 5 Ways To Help the Jones Family
Thanks everyone for your suggestions on getting supported and on our way to the next 25 countries. So much opportunity. . . so little funds. You know how it is, especially in this financial crunch when things have dried up. We have just lost a huge amount of support and need to make it up really quickly. In fact, we really need a chunk this week for visas, ferry tickets and diesel so that we can continue.
Special thanks to Shannon Hopkins of Matryoshka Haus, who has generously allowed us to use her 501c3 account at Givezooks. We have launched a campaign called “Friends of the Jones Family” which we think will be a good short term solution.

5 WAYS YOU CAN HELP

1. Put a widget on your blog. Clicking on the widget will take people to our special campaign.

Widget code:

<iframe src="http://matryoskahaus.givezooks.com/campaigns/jonesberries/widgets/545" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; width: 200px; height: 187px;"></iframe>

2. Tell your church. They might have a mission fund that is looking for more opportunities. They can contact me directly about having me speak at their church to share what God is doing around Europe and beyond.

3. Join our email list and receive the top secret updates on our journey, adventures, prayer requests, and updates. Request it and I will put you on the list. This is the best way to see exactly what we are up to and where your funds are going.

4. Give. Yeah! You can use Givezooks or send me an email if you would like to support us directly or in a different way. tallskinnykiwi [at] gmail [dot] com

We hope you’ll consider doing what you can to help the Jones family continue on their mission. Thanks!

Help the Joneses is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• Ways to give aid for Haitian Relief
• help Tall Skinny Kiwi share God’s story
• stephen burke :: 4.34
• jeff goins :: 4.8

From Change.org

Right now, thousands of young children are held in slavery in Western Africa, harvesting the cocoa that is used to produce chocolate for many of the worlds largest candy companies. These children are beaten, raped, forced to work with untreated wounds, and denied access to schooling and medical care. They are not allowed to leave and are threatened daily with violence. They are child slaves producing what should be a delicious and simple joy of childhood: chocolate.

The best way to free these children and end child slavery in the chocolate industry is for major chocolate companies like Hershey to buy Fair Trade Certified cocoa. Other large chocolate companies like Cadbury and Mars have recently made the decision to end child slavery in Africa; it’s time for Hershey to do the same.

Sign the petition to ask Hershey to buy Fair Trade chocolate – or find out more

Tell Hershey to go Fair Trade is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• #justicefriday :: Slave free Christmas
• charles lee :: 3.5
• national human trafficking awareness month
• amanda kloer :: 2.30

Through differing relationships we (together) have been presented with the opportunity to help 42 labor trafficking survivors make ongoing and necessary phone calls with their families in Indonesia, Dominican Republic, and the Philippians.

How?
Purchase ‘International Calling Cards” and send them to the address below…

Where to Find these Cards?
You can purchase International Calling Cards at your local Walgreens, Costco, local grocery stores, and even online.

How many minutes should the cards have on them?
We suggest at least 30 minutes +
Even send multiple cards.

Address to send cards?
Jacobs Well
attn: Shana Puckett
1617 West 42nd St
KC, MO 64111

Please let drop a note of encouragement to the unknown individual that might receive this gift.

Thanks for participating, spread the word through twitter (@endingslavery), facebook etc…

To read more about the bust click here.

Purchase calling cards to help the victims of slave trade is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• Help the Joneses
• help Tall Skinny Kiwi share God’s story
• Helping a friend in need

what is it? it is a day that different people “tweet” about, blog about, facebook about, and generally raise awareness for all sorts of justice issues. from human trafficking to malaria, all sorts of justice issues are raised, with the end goal of generating awareness and action. the point is not just to share statistics, the point is to help other people understand the great justice issues of our day, and how they can respond and act to bring justice.

you can get involved in a couple of ways:

1. follow the action by searching the hashtag #justicefriday on twitter – read the tweets. (here’s how hashtags work…)
2. tweet, blog, update your facebook status and also retweet (repost) stats, info, and facts about your favorite justice issues. do you have a favorite organization like the IJM or not for sale or compassion? follow them on twitter and retweet their info for the rest of us! there are lots of ways to get involved. remember to use the #justicefriday hashtag.

what injustices are you passionate about? what would you like to see your friends and family and others become more aware of and involved in?

HT to exagorazo for the info.

justice friday is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• the twitter connection
• share the podcast with a friend — you know you want to
• What is your dream for the church?
• Just worship

Kevin writes ::

In late March 2009 we traveled to Ethiopia to bring home our son Milo. While there, we witnessed the reality of unclean water:

• Time and time again we saw the people of Ethiopia carrying these 5 gallon jerry cans, often walking hours to muddy water holes for their daily supply of tainted water.
• Milo came home with giardia, a water-borne intestinal parasite common among people with no access to clean water.
• I fell sick for a day, stricken down by water unintentionally consumed either in the shower or from rinsed dishes. Thankfully it was a mild case (yay for meds!).

We know firsthand what a lack of clean water can do.

Donate now

If we can give clean water to 30 people in 30 days for my 30th birthday,
I’ll shave my head.

That’s $600
for charity: water
by June 13 and
I’ll shave my head.

Donate now

So here’s the deal: I’m turning 30 in 30 days and I need your help to celebrate. There are more than a billion people in this world who don’t have easy access to clean, safe drinking water. To celebrate my big 3-0, I want to give 30 people clean water.

It’s not much, a drop in the bucket so to speak. But to those 30 people it would mean life.

The nonprofit charity: water can give one person clean water for 20 years for about $20. So giving clean water to 30 people will cost $600. That’s a pretty big chunk of change, but with your help, I think we can do it.

So help me celebrate my 30th birthday by raising $600 in 30 days and giving clean water to 30 people.

Oh, and if we can do it, I’ll shave my head. Welcome to the Bald Birthday Benefit 2009.

Read More

Donate now

Just think, if each of our listeners gave $5, we would push Kevin over his mark and provide clean, fresh water for 30 people in Africa!

Donate now

Kevin Hendricks’ Birthday Wish :: clean water is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• GOOD: Drinking Water
• Addition by Adoption: Kids, Causes & 140 Characters
• ariah fine :: 4.39
• kevin hendricks :: 3.16

Always, first and foremost…prayers. I applied for a grant in January that we will hear about in May. If it is still under consideration, it is in the final review phase right now. If we receive it, we will be able to provide increased services (day care, counseling etc.) and some type of housing assistance for men. Please pray about that specifically.

Material needs: Chicken, ground meat, coffee filters, creamer, laundry baskets (6 Large), baby bed and mattress, twin bed frame (no headboard), gas stove, new front screen door (metal, solid bottom, screen top), men’s jeans (32 & 34 x miscellaneous), large backpacks (for men), rain ponchos, small ladder…yada, yada, yada.

related ::
joy shares Daniel’s Den story on YouTube

helping the homeless in ellis county is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• joy ranton pt. 2 :: 2.19
• joy ranton :: 2.18 :: pt. 1
• gene anderson :: 4.15
• david timothy :: 3.7

Get involved.

Help.

Take action.

living water international
charity:water

GOOD: Drinking Water is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• Kevin Hendricks’ Birthday Wish :: clean water
• ariah fine :: 4.39
• Addition by Adoption: Kids, Causes & 140 Characters

Shaun Groves and eight others are about to embark on another Compassion Bloggers trip. Sunday they’ll be meeting up in Chicago and heading off to India to report on the work Compassion International is doing there.

We’d like to ask all of our listeners to join these bloggers in their journey.

Here’s ther assignment – straight from Shaun:

1. Pray: Already there have been small setbacks as we prepare to depart for India. A couple bloggers are already dealing with minor illness. All of us are leaving someone we love behind. All of us are a little nervous about the long hours of travel. The twelve hour time difference will hit us hard once we arrive. The heat will threaten dehydration. Typhoid, meningitis, and other ailments are not uncommon in the areas we will be visiting. So there is a great deal to be prayed through believing that God is listening, powerful and present with us.

2. Follow: We’ve made it as easy as we can for the world to read every post, see every picture and watch every video from this trip daily.

- http://www.compassionbloggers.com/india A snippet of every post, every pic and video will be uploaded to this page.

- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53591862382&ref=ts A Facebook group has been created not only to generate prayer and encouragement for our bloggers but also to share links to posts, pics and videos.

- Twitter.com. A few of us will be attempting to use Twitter while in India. Here are our addresses:
@theshaungroves
@spencesmith
@flowerdust

We will also be using the hashtag #CompassionIndia to mark every tweet. Searching for that on Twitter should bring up all of our tweets for easy perusal.

- http://feeds2.feedburner.com/compassionbloggers This is the link to the trip’s RSS feed. Subscribing to the feed will send a snippet of every post from every blogger to your RSS reader.

- If you’d prefer to follow the trip by visiting each blog here are their addresses:

Bloggers:
Pete Wilson – http://www.withoutwax.tv
Melissa Fitzpatrick – http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com
Angela Smith – http://www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com
Robin Dance – http://www.pensieve.typepad.com

Photography:
Keely Scott – http://www.keelymariescott.com

Videography:
Anne Jackson – http://www.flowerdust.net

Leaders:
Spence Smith – http://www.spencesmith.com
Patricia Jones – http://jonesbones5.com
Shaun Groves – http://www.shaungroves.com/shlog

3. Link:
Share any of the links above with your readers.
ReTweet on Twitter.
Invite your Facebook friends to join our group.
Post a widget in your sidebar:
http://tinyurl.com/TripWidget200square
http://tinyurl.com/TripWidget150square
Or a banner: http://tinyurl.com/IndiaTripBanners
Please link the banners to http://www.compassionbloggers.com/india

4. Encourage:
Leave a comment for our bloggers or drop them an e-mail letting them know you’re reading. Give us some feedback. Sometimes, on these trips, bloggers begin to wonder if what they’re doing is connecting with anyone. Let them know when it does!

The response to this trip is already greater than to any other we’ve taken. These bloggers are incredible communicators, huge fans of Compassion’s ministry, and are already having great impact with their words. Please help them release more children from poverty by praying, following, linking and encouraging them between now and May 2nd. Thank you in advance for all you’ll do for the children of India.

And thank you for using your on-line voice to speak for children in the developing world.

There you have it. Join the conversation and see God’s Kingdom at work.

Compassion Bloggers heading to India is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• shaun groves :: 4.10
• FREE DOWNLOAD :: shaun groves :: kingdom coming

With the National Day of Prayer coming up (May 7), a lot of folks around the country are organizing prayer services in church sanctuaries and town halls. We’re all for getting together to say prayers — but we’re also challenged by the ways scripture stirs us to become the answer to our prayers. So we decided to start a little campaign. Here are 50 ways – some little, some bigger — that we can start to be the church we pray for. If you can join us in committing to do at least one of these things between now and May 7, consider yourself a member of the movement and share the list with your friends. Maybe we’re a little late for a national organizing committee — but, then again, maybe we don’t need one. May the Spirit spread its truth like kudzu, and may God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

1. Fast for the 2 billion people who live on less than a dollar a day.
2. Contact your local crisis pregnancy center and invite a pregnant woman to live with your family.
3. Ask your pastor if someone on your church’s sick list would like a visit.
4. Join an open AA meeting and befriend someone there.
5. Adopt a child.
6. Mow your neighbor’s grass.
7. Volunteer to tutor a kid at your local elementary school. (Try to get to know the kid’s family.)
8. Grow your own tomatoes — and share them.
9. Ask a small group in your community to meet regularly for intercessory prayer.
10. Build a wheel chair ramp for someone who is homebound.

Read the rest of the list.

UPDATED LINK :: Read the rest of the list.

50 ways to love your neighbor is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• adele sakler pt 2 :: 2.15
• All is Grace – Brennan Manning
• Kari McHam and Jana Vanderburg keep at it
• shane claiborne :: 4.1

Also, overnight Jonathan’s grandfather passed away. Services are expected to be held Friday afternoon in Mesquite, Texas.

We are thankful to know that God suffers with those who suffer. Please pray that he brings comfort and peace to both of these families. And we rejoice that He is already doing so.

prayer for those suffering is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• joy wilson :: 4.33
• clara oleta knotts :: 3.9
• Ways to give aid for Haitian Relief
• paul partridge & st. peter’s brewery :: 2.43

as we heard in episode 2.5, tall skinny kiwi is getting ready to head out on a cross-European adventure with his family in the tall skinny kiwi mobile.

the missional tribe is rallying around TSK to help him purchase a new camera, boom mic and other equipment so he can better tell the story of God across Europe on his journeys this year.

Bill Kinnon writes:

At Missional Tribe and elsewhere, we are raising funds to equip the Jones’ family with a great small AVCHD camera, monopod, shotgun mic, handheld mic and mini camera audio mixer. Andrew already has the editing facility on his Mac laptop. The film One Size Fits All, shot with a more expensive but less capable camera than what we are proposing, shows the power of well told stories. We can expect great stories from the Jones’ family, as well.

if you’d like to help out, simply use the widget below:

for more, read what Steve Knight and Johnny Baker have to say.

help Tall Skinny Kiwi share God’s story is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• Help the Joneses
• tall skinny kiwi (andrew jones) :: 2.5
• amena brown :: 4.2
• Sara Miles – The Work of Ordinary Saints

The young man, Donavon, just called Brad to inform him that one of his dear friends, Taylor was in a bad car accident over the weekend and is now in the hospital with severe brain injury.

Brad said things don’t look good for Taylor.

The Vanderburg’s are hoping to pool some money together to help Taylor’s family in this time of crisis. If you’re interested in helping, please click the button below and we’ll get the funds to the Vanderburgs ASAP. (As a note, the donation will likely show Refugee on the PayPal page)

UPDATE :: Talked to Brad this morning, he said Taylor is still in a coma and there’s no evidence of change. He will be stopping by the hospital later this morning to see him and meet with the family.

Thanks in advance!

Having trouble with the link? Click here.

If you’d prefer sending a check, please drop us an email and we’ll send you the mailing address.

Helping a friend in need is a post from: something beautiful

something beautiful is powered by WordPress and HostGator.

You may also enjoy ::

• vanderburgs part 2 :: 2.7
• mike rusch :: 2.38
• Help the Joneses
• Purchase calling cards to help the victims of slave trade