Human Trafficking Awareness

I remember clearly learning about human trafficking about five years ago.  I was driving through a rough part of Ft. Worth and witnessed a wild funeral procession.  Cars were turning corners on two wheels with girls sitting out of the windows.  Loud music was basing enough to rattle my windows. 

When I recounted the event to some friends, their comment was, “Yeah, there is a lot of traffic in that area.”  I thought they were talking about funeral traffic or daily traffic.  Sadly, they were actually talking about human trafficking.  I knew a young lady who was working with Redeemed Ministries, but I didn’t really understand everything. 

My friends told me read two books: Sold and Not for Sale.  After reading these books, I went to my principal and asked to buy a class set of Sold as an option for my PreAP English class.  It was not a required reading, but every single kid read it that year.  We had lots of conversations about the story and how trafficking looks in different countries.  We paid attention to the news and stories of a local restaurant not paying workers.  That year, we became aware.  We learned more than we wanted to know.  And we can’t be unaware now. 

Today I’m in a different kind of classroom at a discipline campus.  My students are learning history and literature that I get to flavor with my knowledge of what I’ve learned.  That’s what teachers do: bring personal experience to the classroom.  I get to talk to the students about the amendments and the Civil War.  We talk about what slavery used to be and what it is now. 

More people know about it today, but not everyone does.  I find it easy to talk about the subject because I am a teacher.  But what if you aren’t a teacher?  How do you bring it up in conversation?

Watch the news.  Talk about Redeemed.  Find fair trade products like Sparrow House Botanicals and others to promote.  Read a book.  Follow social media movements.  Do any one of these things and it will help one more person become aware.  It will help to save one more person.  One more person counts for everything.  

Social Stigmas

Reposting from http://redeemedministries.com/social-stigmas-of-victims/

As an English teacher, I feel that it is my duty and my pleasure to become a complete literary nerd with the classics.  However, I somehow did not read many of them in high school or college.  That is probably some kind of system failure.  Although, maybe the detriment of my youth will lead me to a better appreciation of the classics as an adult.  I also read current Young Adult fiction that my students enjoy.  The amazing thing that I notice is that there are trends that never seem to die.  Trends that probably should die. Let me explain.

Stigmas in Literature

Recently, I read Dracula for the very first time.  Vampire literature has become very popular in the past decade.  Yes, I’ve read the Twilight series, but that’s a whole separate topic.  Diving into Dracula was exciting for three reasons: it’s a classic, it’s a vampire story, and that’s one of my nicknames.  I enjoyed how the story was narrated from different points of view and how the characters came together to fight against this evil.

But here is the kicker: I was totally thrown off balance when Mina Harker was rejected by God because of something that Dracula did to her.  She did not want it or ask for it.  This doesn’t give too much away, I don’t think.  It is a classic worth reading for its style, descriptions, and suspense.  What I really want to point out is the idea that because Mina was bitten by a vampire, God rejected her.  I was more horrified by this idea than the evil vampire.  Dracula’s role was was no Edward Cullen of a gentleman.  I think this book reveals something more about cultures around the world.  It reveals how society views victims of sexual crimes.  Thank God that this is not how God really views us and our sin.  Thank God that He still loves us!

I couldn’t let this idea go that easily.  Other characters in other books carry these stigmas as well because of something done to them instead of a crime or sin that they committed personally.  Tess of the D’Ubervilles suffered shame after a child was born to her out of rape.  She had a child out of wedlock.  Hannah in 13 Reasons Why carried the weight of a false social image that was unfairly forced on her.  It was part of the reason that she committed suicide.  Melinda in Speak drug the shame of ruining a party although no one understood why.  Lakshmi in Sold probably was never able to return home because her stepfather sold her into a life of slavery.  She would be rejected forever because of what was done to her.

Literature often reflects the culture.  These novels, whether classic or young adult fiction, reflect the views that society has held against the victims of sex crimes for too long.  Check out these studies that expose what culture is thinking.

Studies

According to The Atlantic, “moral values play a large role in determining the likelihood that someone will engage in victim-blaming  . . . rating the victim as ‘contaminated’ rather than ‘injured.’”  I had to stop and check my morals.  Life used to be so black and white and easy to understand.  Now there are so many shades of grey.  I remember reading Sold and the way that Lakshmi was considered “contaminated.”  Do we think the same way?

A study done by Southern Connecticut State University highlights the dangerous issue that often victims feel like it is harder to come forward if society will possibly blame them in some way for the abuse that happened to them.  That statement is so difficult to believe even as I type it.  It is probably difficult until someone is faced with a real situation.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape agrees with Southern CT and adds that “offenders may intentionally encourage victims to engage in bad or illegal behavior knowing it is one more layer of protection for themselves should the victim report their sexual assaults.”

So then . . . 

Reading stories like these give personal accounts of the victims’ experiences.  Reading helps us to connect to these situations that we would otherwise never encounter.  Reading helps us to add emotion and background to a circumstance so that we can connect with a character on a different level.  Even the fictional accounts originate in reality somewhere.  These accounts help us to change our minds as a society in order to help real victims gain the opportunities for a good life which was stolen from them.  We’ve got to see them as victims who are people that have something valuable to offer society.

http://time.com/4909912/congress-sex-trafficking-bill/

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/the-psychology-of-victim-blaming/502661/

http://southernct.edu/sexual-misconduct/facts.html

http://www.pcar.org/blog/common-victim-behaviors-survivors-sexual-abuse

#ATD2016 The Event

On the night of the event, 30 ladies and girls gathered in a local town with our camo and crowns! The anticipation was overwhelming as this was the largest event so far.  Previous years had numbered 18-20 ladies.  Even that number humbles me.  How did we reach 30? 

A friend of mine at church asked if her daughter could come because she had expressed interest.  Another lady brought her daughter last year.  I mulled it over briefly and thought, why not?  I don’t go into details on the night of the event about the atrocities of human trafficking.  My personal children know that there are illegal slaves in our country and home state.  They know some things, but they don’t yet need to know all at the tender ages of elementary school children that they are.  And so the invitation was extended to the daughters of the ladies who were invited.  Thus we reached a grand total of 30 plus ladies and girls at the event this year. 

We started our night at a local hunting mega-store with a friendly competition at the kids’ arcade shooting range.  Yes, the ladies played the game.  I handed out quarters freely to the kids to play round after round, 20 shots for fifty cents.  Friends arrived and changed into the shirt for the evening.  Some found camo shirts or pants of their own.  We were a sea of green camo and sparkle! 

New friends after shooting competition.

We moved our party over to a local home cookin’ eatery.  Honestly, I think we overwhelmed them with our size, but I wanted to eat there for my birthday by golly!  We had three waitresses plus a few others helping out between all the tables we occupied.  I got the tip jar out, and people grabbed it right away.  We’ve done this a few times and I only had to explain it to a few.  The tip jar represents who we are, not the service we get.  Although, the service was really good!  I made the presentation at the end of the meal with a little speech about what we were doing.  The ladies were very appreciative, and there was applause all around. 

Every year I tell the story of the ladies that come together for this.  I’ll see if I can approach this task this year.  There are several overlapping groups of friends that come from all over the state of Texas.  Donations even came from as far away as Georgia! 

This year, I was particularly excited to have the original group of tiara loving friends back together in the same place with our sparkle on top!  This concept started when I worked in Smithville, and there are several ladies who come every year from that area, but one has been missing.  Shannon made it this year with Alicia and me to complete our trio.  It was the two of them that gave me my first crown.  It was with them that I developed this crazy need to display my royalty.  Thank you, Shannon and Alicia! 

Moving on with the group of teachers, there were several local Lockhart teachers who go to local churches other than mine and mine as well.  We all work to serve our community and share the love of Christ in our classrooms.  I love working with these ladies.    

That group of teachers overlaps the group of ladies that attend worship with me every Sunday morning.  I am very humbled by the number of ladies representing our congregation that join me every year.  This time, the event fell on the same evening as our church garage sale.  I know one mom in particular plays a huge role in that event, but she came to the ATD with both of her daughters for the very first time this year.  Thank you, Tara.  We also had several newbies from church attend: Liz, Liz, and Jennifer.  No, that was not a typo.  There were two ladies named Liz.  One just moved here from Arizona and jumped into this crazy group with both feet! 

My church wasn’t the only one represented.  My town wasn’t the only town.  My school wasn’t the only school.  Women from all over this state are coming together to acknowledge the problem of slavery.  Collectively we come together and take a stand to say that we are not ok with it.  And we are doing something about it! 

Thank you , Bonnie, Skylar, Liz, Lilly, Rebekah, Liz, Jennifer, Tara, Emily, Marion, Suzanne, Shannon, Alicia, JoAnne, Deidra, Patricia, Stacy, Jennifer, Sherry, Joy, Diana, Tanya, Jenna, Gale, Alex, Shelby, Courtney, Macy, Lora, and Taylor.  Thank you for coming that evening.  And thank you to all the other amazing people who donated and were not able to come that night.  We raised $1326!  

#ATD2016 The Plan

There are several aspects which have developed as part of an ATD.  Fundraising, theme, and location.

Every year, I try to think of different ways to collect money.  This year, I had two ideas. 

First, I created a poster with sticky notes that numbered from 1 to 45.  I asked my friends to pick a number and donate that amount.  $45 isn’t too much to ask anyone one person.  People picked numbers that represented different things.  One lady pick 13 because it was her favorite number.  I reminded her that 2013 was also the first year that she started attending the ATD which made that number special to me for her.  Another young lady picked 14 because that is how old she is.  Another lady said she wanted to give $200, so she picked numbers that added up to the amount she wanted to give.  Another lady picked a number based on her favorite Scripture. 

Second, a friend at a local t-shirt company worked with me to create a design for the event.  The design begins with a cross of three nails representing the price that Jesus paid for us when he died.  Because of this price that is already paid in full for our sins, we can be accepted in the royal family of the king.  Romans 6:23 tells us that we have the gift of eternal life because of what Christ did for us.  Ephesians 1:5 says that God wants to adopt us into His family.  Romans 8:17 says, “If children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” That’s why the tiara is part of the picture.  The nails and the crown go together.  They must. The crown cannot exist without the nails. To go with the camo theme, the shirts were army green with silver print.  I was amazed how many shirts were ordered.  Last year there were only about 20 people that came to the dinner.  This year, 35 people wanted shirts.  I ordered a few extra and am distributing them also. 

The sticky notes were more successful in raising more money even if not all of the sticky notes were selected.  The t-shirts were certainly fun to do and did raise a portion of the goal, but not as much as just pure donations.  The pictures of the event were certainly awesome with everyone matching. 

The theme always develops out of a personal struggle or desire that I have toward issues in my own life or related to the ministry to which we donate.  Last year’s Super Hero Princess was certainly a desire that I had to help rescue the ladies out of trafficking.  This year, I have been personally soaking in Scripture about spiritual warfare.  A camo themed party seemed only appropriate.  I need to be more diligent in sharing where my ideas originate. 

Finally, the location was based on and related to the theme.  Because it was camo which could be interpreted as army or hunting, we went to a local hunting sports mega store to play at the kids shooting arcade.  You could say that we were either hunting down the bad guys or gathering the troops to fight the enemy.  Both would be correct.  And what do soldiers and hunters want for dinner?  Home cooking!  And we loaded up and headed to the quintessential home cooking restaurant next door for just such a thing.

#ATD2016 Inspiration

Last Spring, I read TheHelp.  One of the main characters religiously wrote her prayers down.  Then, as I was looking for something for our church Bible Study group, I read Fervent by Priscilla Shirer.  She emphasizes writing down prayers also.  I knew right then that I needed to return to a practice that I had neglected for too long.  Both pieces are clearly focused on fighting a battle.  Shirer emphasizes Ephesians 6:12 which says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

The drama in my life was completely overwhelming me.  I felt like I had no control over it.  The drama was seeking me out and not the other way around.  However, the way I was reacting to it was like plant food to a weed.  I wasn’t necessarily trying to create more drama, but I was not handling it very well to put it mildly.  The drama seemed to be magnified.  Slowly, I began to realize that I was complaining about physical enemies instead of firing back at the spiritual enemy behind the scenes. 

The verses in Ephesians 6 about spiritual warfare became very real once again to me.  For too long, I had been too lazy.  My spiritual life had been collecting dust on the shelf.  My armor was rusting in the corner.  I was out of shape.  Therefore, I began to exercise spiritually as I dove back into the Word of God for inspiration in my life to once again regain my passion for a relationship with God. 

Thus was born the idea of Camo Queens for the ATD2016.  Camouflage has long been a symbol of a soldier.  We must first fight the battle on the spiritual level to prepare us to handle any physical representation that we encounter.

 I know there are physical enemies that each of us fight in different ways.  The young ladies rescued by a local ministry are certainly fighting physical enemies called pimps and johns.  They are fighting physical battles of wounds and disease.  They are also fighting emotional battles of brainwashing, self-doubt, and diminished self-worth.  All of these battles are also being waged spiritually.  The Enemy is behind the scenes of it all.  This local ministry may be able to physically rescue a sparrow, but then the spiritual needs of that lady must be met.  Even the physical rescue cannot be successfully accomplished without prayer.  The recovery process certainly cannot be accomplished without prayer.  I am blessed every year that my friends and I can donate to this ministry.  

Adventures in Teaching

This became normal attire for teaching with these ladies.
Yes, we are royalty!
Yes, our students thought we were nuts.  

Teaching is worth it when you are remembered
four years later and get a graduation announcement!

I've given up patrolling the gum issue!

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorites.
 I don't know why the students don't love it as much as I do.

Taking notes in this century.
I spent all that time writing it out on the board.
Then the first kid says, "Can I just take a picture?"

And this kid?  He wore it the whole period.
Yes, I let him.  He still participated.  

No, I don't just work Monday through Friday.

I can't believe I actually did this.
I am not an elementary teacher!

Odysseus got lost for ten years because the gods were mad.
The Hebrews wandered for 40 years because God was upset.
I think I'll try not to make the real God upset.  

One time, I actually made these to introduce
The Odyssey to my students.
One time. 

I absolutely loved watching these students devour poetry!  

This is an award winning book,
and I got to share it with my kids
and talk to them about modern day slavery.
I get to do that with literature.  

I let kids write notes on a note card for the test.
This is just evidence of how different
each kid's brain works.
Each card is organized so differently.
My job is to figure out how to reach
each of those kids.  I have nearly 145 this year.  

Tiara Dinner: Super Hero Princess

Time for this year’s Annual Tiara Dinner in review!  Can I just share with y’all how awesome my friends are?  Thank you.  I think I will.  My friends are amazing!  Ok, that’s enough exclamation marks for a minute.  This year’s dinner was just over the top amazing.  Seriously, every year gets a little bigger.  Here’s how it went down. 

Several months ago, I polled my friends casually and asked for opinions about what the theme should be this year.  The consensus was overwhelmingly in favor of “Super Hero Princess.”  Each person was challenged to create a costume for the party.  Creativity and thriftiness are encouraged.  Silliness ensued online as some people refused to reveal a secret identity.  Others did shared so as to encourage and inspire. 

Location is very important.  The location often establishes who will be able to attend, and it also determines how visible the party goers are to the public.  A friend pointed out that our 2014 location was not as public as previous years.  I needed to select a place that was more public because one purpose of dressing up and going out like this is to share about our purpose: to share Christ in a non-threatening way and to educate others about the problem of human trafficking.  My favorite Mexican restaurant won the toss-up.  It is located on a major highway in a shopping area filled with parking lots, trees, and a playground for kids.  I knew it would provide multiple opportunities to share with people about what we were doing. 

After the determination of the theme and location, the fundraising talk began.  Being a princess and a super hero is fun but with that distinction comes a great amount of responsibility.  I was excited about the super hero aspect to the party this year because our goal was to raise enough money to rescue at least one lady from a trafficking situation.  Last year, I think I was told that the initial cost to rescue someone was around $800.  At least that number got stuck in my head, so that was the goal that I set.  We met that goal last year.  This year we raised over $1000!  I asked my friends, “What can you do to stop human trafficking?”  The emphasis was on the “can.”  Some people held garage sales or cleaned out their closets.  Some people rinsed out a can after dinner one night and started collecting change in the can.  Yes, my friends brought me tin cans of change.  Some friends wrote a small check or sent me a $10 bill.  I asked my friends what they were able to do, and they did it.  Some friends came and participated in the evening without a donation.  That was fine too because with a bigger crowd, we got the attention.  With that attention, we could tell people about the injustice of human trafficking. 

On the night of the event, the Super Hero League of Princesses descended in the parking lot of my favorite Mexican restaurant.  My mom and sister came for the first time this year.  Another mom brought her 15 year old daughter and a friend.  Friends from my childhood, past teaching experiences, current job connections, and several different churches were all there.  New neighbors, old neighbors, and friends of friends were there.  Cat woman, Super Nona, Super Teacher, Wonder Woman, Super Confused, Super Soccer Mom, Ursula, Elasta Girl, and other supers came!  We were a sight to be seen with women from 15 to 60-something dressed up in self-assured crazy costumes!

Immediately, a little girl spotted us and wanted to take a picture.  A super hero princess always makes time for little admirers.  Then we set out for more pictures in a scavenger hunt.  This took all of us all over the shopping center, play ground, local stores, and restaurants to take pictures doing silly super hero poses.  The list of challenges also included taking pictures with people we didn’t know.  Doing the scavenger hunt gave us some great pictures from the evening.  One team met a biker who works with another organization to fight trafficking.  Another team got a $5 donation. 

After working up an appetite, the SHLP from this year’s ATD flew in to the designated restaurant for tacos, burritos, fajitas, and nachos.  Our waiters were lots of fun and even tried on a tutu and tiara!  This year I made a little speech about the purpose of the event and then awarded the tip can to the waiters.  Every year, I decorate a tip jar to pass around.  We all stuff it full of cash to hand off to the waiter as a symbol of who we are and not just the service we receive.  (We don’t always get good service.)  This year it was a large tin can because I had asked my friends, “What can you do?”  We were all very excited to give the decorated tin can to the guys this year.  They were fantastic.

The night ended with a trip to an ice cream icon.  20 Super Hero Princesses filled up that ice cream parlor!  I got free ice cream because it was my birthday.  And do you know what I gave in return?  A big tip! 

Until next year, my dear crazy friends!  Until next year . . .

If you are reading this for the first time, you need to understand why we wear tiaras.  We are not spoiled ladies who like lots of bling.  Some of us don’t even like bling to begin with.  We wear tiaras occasionally, but we are royal all the time.  We are adopted into the family of the Heavenly King of Kings.  And I want you to know that you can be royal too.  Romans 10:9 says that if you confess and believe in Christ, you will be saved.  That means that your soul will be saved for a better eternity than this world has to offer.  If you have any questions about this, find a local church or let me know.  I’d be tickled pink to help you! 

Learn more about human trafficking:
http://redeemedministries.com/austin/
https://secure.enditmovement.com/
http://www.a21.org/index.php
https://www.ijm.org/

Pirate Princess Party - Part 3

And now for the finale!

 Let us take a moment and remember how we've come this far.  Two years ago, I asked my friends to bring with them to dinner an assortment of toiletries and gift items that could be assembled into bags for Redeemed Ministries.  I brought home a few shopping bags full of things.  Last year, I asked my friends to go shopping with me for items to put in similar gift bags for the same organization.  I'm glad I had help getting the trunk load of goodies home that night!  This year, I asked my friends to collect change to make a change.  Oh my goodness!  The result was amazing!

I have to share something, and I'm not just being all English teacher symbolic about this.  Maybe I am.  It is part of me.  As I was going through the change, I was amazed at the pieces.

First, the pennies were amazing!  My friends collected $30 in pennies!  A few pennies from a Sonic run for a happy hour cherry limeade doesn't seem like much until you add it together with everyone else's change.  Likewise, individually we can only do so much.  Together, we can do amazing and big things!  My friends amaze me every year that they indulge me in this adventure.

Next, the condition of the coins varied tremendously.  There was one coin that was so beat up that I'm not really sure it was a penny or even if it was from this country.  My hands were dirty from sifting through the coins because most of them had been through circulation a few times.  There were also some of the shiniest coins I've ever seen.  Did my friends just go to the bank and request a few rolls of coins just so they could fill up a bottle?  I have no idea.  Do you know people who are beat up?  Dirty?  Strangers to this country? Or still clean and brand new?  Redeemed Ministries takes care of those beat up and dirty women and some strangers too.  I'm working on the brand new people to let them know about human trafficking.  People need to know about it because it is often hidden.  People need to know so they can help stop it.  Young girls need to know so they don't get mixed up in it.

Finally, some of the coins were foreign.  I found one coin that is from the Philippines.  I will be honest and say that I kept that one because a dear friend just moved there with her husband to work at a seminary.  The problem of human trafficking is not just in the United States.  It is everywhere around the world.  I can't help them all, but I can help some.

When I asked the abolitionists at Redeemed Ministries what they need this year, I was told that they need help with their operating costs.  My friends came through with $800 for the ministry.  I couldn't have donated that much by myself.  I had the help of about 20 friends.  20 people more who are fighting against human trafficking than before.  $800 more than there was before to help the lives of women in the area
.

Those women are all valuable.  I am so thankful and amazed at the generosity of my friends.  Yes, I am claiming them with a zealous nature.  They are a powerful group of women!  I only wish we could have done more.  I can dream of next year and adding to the 20 to do more and be more!

Pirate Princess Party - Part 2

On the night of the Pirate Princess Party ATD, the crew assembled in small pizza establishment in a tiny, out of the way, small Texas town.  We probably doubled the business of the eatery that night.  I was just a little late on arrival as I was waiting for two crew members to meet at my own house before setting sail for the party. The costumes and the energy that these ladies have every year for the theme is fun!  Seeing them already invading this place was so exciting!  Let me tell you about these amazing ladies!


There are a few pictures of ladies who either jumped ship before the group picture or sent in a tiara picture later because they were not able to attend that night.  I could ramble on about each lady individually and how awesome they are.  Do you want to know each one?  Maybe some people reading this don't know all of my crazy friends.  Let me summarize this group if it is possible.

There are moms, ladies who want to be a mom, single moms, and just single.  Our kids range in ages from not here yet to college and grandkids too.  There are teachers, secretaries, office managers, a law enforcement officer, 31 sales rep, and leather worker, and more!  Don't let me leave out physical therapy and massage therapy.  Our education ranges from not out of high school to MA degrees.

 What is the point of all these distinctions?  The point is that we are regular, (sort of) normal women.  We work, study, live life big, and love strongly.  Together we can do something that will impact our world for good.  We do it every day in our normal lives as we speak Christ to others.  We come together one day a year to make a specific difference for ladies affected by trafficking.

This is who we are!

Stay tuned for Part 3 - Learn what we did!

Pirate Princess Party - Part 1

Before the ATD (annual tiara dinner), I had a serious fit of silliness in coming up with this year's theme: Pirate Princess!  Pirates of the Caribbean was on television several times recently.  Several people, including my mother, asked what I was thinking.  They all knew the answer.  I like to be silly and dress up and have fun.  It was going to be my 39th birthday party the way I wanted it.  Do I sound spoiled?  I am.  I am spoiled by my friends who indulge me in this every year.

I liked the idea of a treasure hunt.  "X" marks the spot of the treasure.  Each clue had an "X" with it.  You will see that some of the messages are about us as God's treasure.  To top that, the red "X" is the symbol for the End It Movement, which is an anti-human trafficking organization.  I borrowed that idea because it all fits together perfectly.

To start the pirate proceedings, I lined out specific clues to lead the princesses to the treasure.

My friends had to decode the date, time, and location.  I picked two history teachers to receive the coordinates.  Everyone posted their clues to Facebook so friends could help figure out the meaning.  Posting the clues in this way also helped a few people to be involved in the event who couldn't make it to the actual event that particular evening.  

Some messages were about getting together and just for fun.  I either included a scripture or wrote a quatrain for each person.  Then I put it in a bottle, labeled it and mailed it for $2.32.  Yes, I mailed a message in a bottle.  Each message was tied with a cord of three strands.  I also tossed in a dozen pearls, flower petals, and some red glitter!  

Again this year, my friends and I planned to make a donation to Redeemed Ministries.  Because we were doing a pirate theme and messages in a bottle, I asked them to collect change for change in a bottle.  Each person was to collect pocket change to help change the life of another lady.  

The last thing to do in preparation for the event was to create a tip jar.  Another friend had put together redneck wine glasses for her own birthday party and gave me an extra as a donation to the ATD.  She knew that we could use it for the tip jar.  Some restaurants add gratuity to the check for large groups, but we do a tip jar anyway.  The tip we give is a reflection of who we are and not necessarily the service we get.  Sometimes we have great service and sometimes not.  I include a card with some scriptures that tells about who we are and what we do.  Then we stuff that sucker with cash!  I'll show you the full jar in the next installment of this story.  Here is the jar I created just to bless the people who served us that night.  No matter what kind of service we might have, I trust that our waiter needs the blessing we are sharing.  

I wrapped the stem in the cord of three strands.  Flowers, sea shells, and gold glitter are hot glued to the top.  I think it fit the whole pirate theme with treasure included.  

Then I had to wait and see how many friends dared to join my silly crew and drop anchor at the given coordinates that night! 

{This is not actually me, but it is a cool picture!}