This semester, I re-enrolled as a student at a community college. I always thought I’d want to keep learning something, but that’s not the only reason I made my student comeback. When I realized I should probably upgrade my software because it was 3 generations behind the current release, I shopped around and was reminded how beneficial it is to have a student ID. So I enrolled in a couple of music classes, one of which is Popular Songwriting (as opposed to, my friend pointed out, Unpopular Songwriting). Thanks to FAFSA, it’s been more than worth Continue reading…

In an introduction of Gary Haugen at an IJM event, the MC recounted a conversation they had early on in their friendship. He commented how amazing he found it that Haugen was able to return from such trauma and start IJM. Had he been in Gary’s shoes during his initial trip to Rwanda with the  Department of Justice and witnessed the horror Haugen describes in his book, he personally would still be Continue reading…

Several times when people have prayed over me, they tell me God wants to give to me, not because He has to or because I need it, but just because He wants to. He gets a kick out of giving good gifts to His kids. I’d receive that gladly, but I never knew what that meant, what it could look like. This week, I got just a taste of it. Continue reading…

This year, I thought I’d challenge myself to do a few things that have been (to me) intimidating. One is to pray through Operation World. Thanks to Facebook accountability and the occasional pre-scheduling on WordPress, it’s been completely do-able and extremely informative. What has been most striking to me Continue reading…

2010 Global Forum on Human Trafficking

I had the privilege of attending the Global Forum on Human Trafficking this year. As with many modern social movements, this one featured a lot of artists and creative expression. In keeping with that tone, one of the sessions featured a documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate. Even with the motion-sickness-inducing secret footage, I was hooked. What has stayed with me days later is the footage of a boy, about 8 or 9 years old, crying at one of the transportation stops. He had just been dropped off by a trafficker, but not yet picked up by the next person in the chain. Continue reading…