#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.