Halloween? or Missions Day?

I am a Christian. Growing up as a Christian makes Halloween a difficult holiday to celebrate. It is all about devils and demons and ghosts...etc, everything that diabolically opposes "light". As a kid, I always wanted to go trick or treating. Dressing up and getting free candy sounds like heaven when you're little. To be honest, I still think it sounds FUN! For many years I was never aloud to participate in activities on Halloween. Halloween night was the night my family would turn off all the lights and go into the back of the house and quietly watch a movie. If the door bell rang, we would hold our breath and shoosh each other in hopes "THEY" wouldn't hear us and then giggled with relief when they walked away.

One Halloween my brothers and I pleaded with my parents to let us "TRICK OR TREATING". I think it's hard for parents of strong faith to explain to little kids why Halloween is truly a "scary" day, when it is so fun. I think we got to them because they caved! Well, you can imagine how excited the three of us outcast-ed "Christian kids" felt on the day our parents caved. There was a craze that went through our house. What would we wear? FREE CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!

Then came the set of rules. We weren't aloud to say "TRICK OR TREAT" for that was not good. We had to say "GOD BLESS YOU." I don't remember what my brothers dressed up as that year but I was Ruth. If you are laughing or don't know who Ruth was...well, you are not alone. Ruth was an amazing woman from the Bible, BUT she was an old lady. Why they didn't let me dress up as Queen Esther or some beautiful woman in the Bible is still a little unclear to me, but provides a lot of humor now at family gatherings.

Imagine a little girl with powdered hair and her mom's "granny" looking clothes coming and knocking on your door Halloween night. You open your door and hear,"GOD BLESS YOU" in a robotic submissive voice. You look and smile at and say sweetly, "Who are you?" The little girl with bright eyes lights up and says with pride, "I'm Ruth!" LOL

Yeah, Halloween is a difficult day to justify participating in and "celebrating" once you've studied what goes on around the world on that day and the history of that day. So what am I supposed to do? Hide in my house on Halloween? This is something I have prayed about and consider year after year. I trust others do the same. I'm not preaching my views or conclusions on this day but felt to share them.

This is what I do know. I am called to love people 365 days out of the year. Halloween isn't a holiday that my God created, but it is a day He celebrates, because He made it. So I want to be like Him. I rejoice in the day that God created despite what man has made it to be about. On the day that God created, I realize people will be coming to my door. If they knock on my door, I answer it! I don't hide from the world on this day, I welcome them today, like every other day, into the love of my home. I tell them they are valued and loved, and if I don't have time to tell them with words I tell them with my actions and warmth. These children that come to my door will not be sent away because of darkness, they will be invited and drawn in, because my light is on. (In all respects)

Deception cannot make us push people away one day of the year. Loving people is not the same as celebrating the holiday. I know people who use this day to dress up like a prostitute or pimp, drink a ton and say they are "loving people in God's name by not acting judgemental." That isn't true. That isn't what they are doing. I'm clear on that. Loving people like Jesus did, looks just like that! These friends don't understand the damage they do to God's name, but they also don't understand how loved they are, or they wouldn't do this.

I can't imagine Jesus hiding out in the back of his house/tent with His lights off watching a movie Halloween night because the Devil is running about. Nah...that doesn't sit well with me. I can know this by reading about his life. So why is His church feeling to do that? I'm not sure. I think it would be awesome for the church to truly recognize what Halloween is about so that they could truly magnify light on a day where "darkness is fun". I do know some churches are doing this on a deeper level then simply providing an alternative.

That said, I look forward to this evening. My heart is to love this world every day. This is not Halloween Day, this is His day! I can't wait to do His business every time my door bell rings. I have at least 30 seconds of face time with children He loves, to look into their eyes and tell them that Jesus is absolutely crazy about them. While I tell them this, I get to hand them yummy candy! Sounds like a win win to me. I also get to smile at their mom or dad and ask them if they want some coffee or cider and introduce myself into their life. Yeah, I can do this on other days, but it seems like "heavenly justice" to do it on this day! Why you ask? Because my enemy does not want them coming to my door! He's not interested in them being introduced to Jesus. He's interested in them being introduced to deception. Today is missions day! The day that deception is peeled back because love is just stronger! "He has overcome the world." I want to act like I believe that! Justice is overcoming evil with good.

People aren't evil, they are loved by God and called to great things. Some are broken hearted. Some have fallen on hard times. Evil is real and does exist but I am armed with Love, which casts evil out of the picture completely. In fact, He's knocked so far back, He silenced at the perimeter of my property. He has to watch love unravel and tumble all about, and be silent! That makes my house a safe spot for my neighbors. So why do I close-up when darkness comes? All the more reason to "Arise and Shine, for my light has come and the Glory of the God has risen upon me" Isaiah 60:1

Welcome to Missions Day!

Did I really bring up the Holiday Season before Halloween?

So much news!! I'm super excited about an upcoming Craft show right outside my front door in Spring Hill at the Elementary school. I've been making all kinds of sets that include Nativity, 12 Days Of Christmas Ornaments, Baby Gift Sets, Boy and Girl children Alphabet Sets, Faith/Hope&Love Sets, princess ornaments, Sesame street play blocks, puzzles...and more!!!! Yep, if you throw a little in here and there with each batch it adds up! ;) If you are local, come and see me! I'd love to meet you! (OCT. 30th 8-4pm at Spring Hill Elementary School)

I have officially picked up. This last week, and the week prior, I nearly doubled my regular weekly sales. I'm super pumped about the Holidays this year. I have given up my social life...not sure if anyone has noticed yet though. lol
The sooner the better for Holiday orders. Because I have to depend on UPS to ship my blocks, I have to have an early cut-off date for ordering. November is a great time to order because when December gets here, I may have a break down...just kidding...kinda...of course not...well..just in case, it's best to order in November or the first week of December, or now. ;)

Personalized Ornaments are so cute and so very special. They are my favorite thing in the whole wide world to make and they look darling hanging from a tree. I made too many last year and now have the most beautiful tree ever. ha! They are $12 each and include a name, the year and a photo.

Remember, 15% profit from each sale goes to support the efforts in Haiti through the end of the year! I am absolutely thrilled to send off that check!

Blessing and Huge buckets of Joy to all of yoU!

Child Sponsorship

Several years ago after giving birth to Sage Elyse, my oldest, my heart grew for other children. It's strange how that happened. I paid more attention and found myself being even more entertained and delighted by children in general. I always loved them, it wasn't like I didn't like kids, but my heart grew, it just did. The second they placed that crying baby in my arms and she heard my voice, her crying subsided. Simultaneously, my instincts as a mother kicked into high gear.

I know most of you understand exactly what I'm talking about. Some of you may not have children yet, but I'm sure can relate on some level too. It's very human, raw and pure. Selfishness is forced out of you as you tend to continuous needs of a child so precious. It's hard and beautiful. I look at young mothers with newborns and my heart just wants to hug them. I seriously want to go over and rub their backs and hold them while they cry. lol If you're a new mom reading this, you're doing SOOOO good! It's HARD! You are keeping that little one alive and that is more than most of us do all day. Nurture is an amazing ability isn't it?

So yeah, my heart enlarged. I'm realizing every time my heart opens wider, the Lord fits something perfect in it's place to cause it to stretch out even further. It can be quite painful. I guess if that didn't happen the most unfortunate thing would though. I'd draw inwards, become selfish and begin focusing on my life, my dreams, my 401k. I don't think these things are bad, actually they are awesome, but God knows how unfulfilled I would be if I focused on them, and made my life about them. I can't imagine how much sorrow I'd hold in my hands at the end. It's the goodness and mercy of God to keep enlarging me, even though at times it seem too heavy and breaking open is the only release.

Eric and I have never had a lot of money. There's been times where we've had more, but never a lot. In one of the seasons of most lack, my heart became the most full. I saw a show that tore me up. It was about child sponsorship. Who knows whether manipulation with flies and the rest were used as tactics to extract money from people, I don't really care. The truth is, since then, I've seen the flies and those precious sad eyes. I don't care about motives as much as I care about truth and you know, that stuff is real. It is so important to find trustworthy organizations though since so many don't give the money where it is most needed. But in that moment, the organization didn't matter. The compassion in my heart did. I saw those children as if they were my Sage, my only child at the time. I was holding her, watching them and a miracle happened. My heart enlarged again!

We didn't have enough money to pay our mortgage each month. We didn't have enough money to buy groceries each week. We were stressed and in debt and too be honest, had a good bit of debt.
Did you know that when your heart is filled with compassion and you don't act, it goes away? I only know this because I've had it happen many times in my life. It does, it just goes away eventually. You get distracted and stop feeling that little nag and life goes on. You know what's crazy though, you know how much God loves these people, He loves them so deeply he allows that feeling to overwhelm you again some time later. And again, and again, and again it comes until you cannot move forward without acting. You have to act or you will be crushed under the weight of such love. This is what beauty looks like.

We figured that God was going to have to supply our needs any way, why not start believing for theirs to be covered too. We took on our first sponsor child. If I told you the money came rushing into our lives after that decision, it would be a lie. It didn't. We acquired more debt after that decision. That said, that decision remains one I'm most proud of. Every time I looked at my fridge and saw her face, my child's face, I knew my life was bigger than me and that my footprint now extended through the world. I knew that she knew, someone in this big lonely screwed world, someone loved her enough to prove it. And every time I walked away from my fridge and saw the abundance of my home and what I have in comparison to others, my financial lack was the furthest thing from my mind.

If you don't know this feeling, it is truly unique. I have nothing to gain by exposing our experiences but this, that you might know how lovely this world can be when we love each other and when we cooperate with compassion by allowing it to cause us to move. Little decisions make big impacts in peoples lives. Consider your own life. Do you remember things or moments? Do you remember when someone stopped for you, listened to you, loved you, valued you? I sure do.

To esteem value to someones life who has never done a thing for you, and who you probably won't receive any gain from, is the most God like thing we can do. We value people all the time for what they can do, for their abilities,or how they may improve our life. Sponsoring a kid is not like that. It's not selfish, it's raw and pure and beautiful!

Because this is a subject of great passion for me, I have done a lot of research on trustworthy organizations. If you feel inspired, it's a great time to act, because if you don't, it will go away. ;)
I'm not pushing any organization, but did post a really great one on my NCB facebook page. If you're interested in knowing more about that one or where Eric and I sponsor our kids, I'll be glad to share. Much love!

May your heart enlarge today!

Destiny calls day and night!

Well it's been a few weeks since I wrote about Haiti. I've endeavored to plug back into life here in Tennessee. I'm still trying to reconcile what I became as a result of Haiti, with who I am here. It's a little tricky to look in my fridge and see mold growing on something that should have been eaten or cleaned out already. Throwing food away, scraping plates, emptying the garbage and other routine chores have taken on a kind of heaviness, that is hard to explain if someone hasn't had a similar experience. All that to say though, I've never been able to taste destiny so clearly, so divinely, before now. We are here but for a short time. To think how many people our lives touch between today and death, and how each one can be marked with a memorable love, is awesome. This brings me to live, to life!

Life really is very precious. Depression and other terribles endeavor to steal it's beauty away on a daily basis. My weapon against depression is thanksgiving. Days that I wake up heavy, remind me to enter into thanksgiving. Thanksgiving in it's true form actually repels depression. It causes my eyes to lift away from my lack, my disappointments toward beauty, toward that which is good. It provides a new platform to view my life and other lives, as well as their value. It's from this platform, I can change the world. (A lofty goal I know, but if I fall short...maybe I will change a nation. ;)

I recently re-watched "Swing Kids". I saw it many years ago and loved it. Not to give anything away, (although it is at least 10 years old so...) the German kid throws his life away to stand up against the Nazi's by swing dancing in the end. (Ok, sorry I gave it away. lol) In my youth I probably thought that was awesome how he stood up for his beliefs in the end, how he wouldn't be cloned by the Nazi's, how his passion overtook him. This time I found myself thinking, "Why didn't he save some Jews, stay undercover...do something for real? I mean if he was going to end up in the camps anyway, wouldn't it have been better if he didn't just throw his life away by....dancing?" It got me thinking, there is so much to be passionate about, but are we throwing it away, wasting it on something that is only meaningful to us?

Passion comes with a greater purpose than to envelope our own hearts. If I am fixated on MY vision or MY "passions", they can distract me from a compassion that draws me and others into something vital. It keeps me mind-locked in a small room with nobody but myself. I don't want to distract myself with all kinds of different passions, I want to be controlled by true passion, by compassion. This is what gets me excited..this is my destiny! It calls for me day and night.

It's so easy to toss away a day because I feel troubled/depressed/angry..or fill in the blank. That's happened too many days in my life, a mistake I hope to avoid for the rest of it. On days like that, something doesn't happen. Destiny stops short for an hour, or day, or month, or year. This life comes with a destiny! Whether I make blocks, travel the world, eat dinner with my family, or dress my girls for school...my mindset it what attracts my destiny, and allows me to live in a continual renewal of my mind. I prefer a renewed mind to the alternative.

Back from Haiti, never to be the same again.

Haiti has been all but forgotten. It isn't in the news anymore. There are no celebrities raising money, and for most people, Haiti is assumed to be back to normal. When you walk through the streets you see the hopelessness of their situation. It isn't back to normal, but far from it. 1.3 million refugees in camps are experiencing rape, abuse, starvation, and utter desolation. This is compounded by rubble and architectural damage on every block throughout Port Au Prince, Haiti's capital.

I've decided instead of re-writing one of the stories that spoke to this desperation best, I would just copy it out from my journal entry.

July 10, 2010

We hadn't even gotten out of the truck before these four boys came and grabbed my hands and started patting my hair. We had been dropped off in a tent city, it was across from the crumbled palace. It was like a maze. We went to meet with some people and hear there stories and hand out what little money we had. Walking through the maze of tents, I saw different faces. They would look up at me and smile and say "bonjour". Seeing into their tents, tents they had lived in for over six months now, broke my heart. Some had nailed together metal scraps, mixed with sheets and some tarps. The floors to their tents were dirt. All the while the four boy were following us back in, and working hard to keep my attention, constantly holding my hands.
I was walking past this one tent where I saw a woman (very skinny) sitting at the opening to her tent washing a shirt in this little plastic basin of water. There were four other women with babies inside the tent. My first thought was that there wouldn't be enough room for me in that tiny tent, but I felt pulled in by this one woman's smile. They wanted me to come in. I was a "Blanc" and hope is scarce for them. I was trying to get past the woman who was doing laundry and she wouldn't move. She didn't want me in. The other women started scolding her until she moved. Tripping over them I found a spot. This tent was horrible. It was SO BRUTALLY HOT, and right next to this stone wall. They told me, water would flood the tent, coming down the wall and they had to be careful it wouldn't drown the babies. (When it rains in Haiti, it is torrential.) They actually went out and got a fan from someone else's tent and brought it back to make me more comfortable. This was humbling, at the very least I could suffer in the heat with them.

The ladies one by one began telling me the nightmare of their lives through Blan, our translator. He was so awesome, I love him! Since nearly every woman I had the honor of speaking to had been raped in the tent villages, I started there. I asked if they felt safe? A couple of them laughed and said they had knives, but that yes, each one had been raped at least once. They had been robbed, abused, beaten, and raped since living in the tents. They had been there since the earthquake. (Over six months ago) One of their daughters had to perform oral sex on a man in order to get water. Her daughter was nine. This is common.

I didn't know where to go from here. I wanted to know their story, for it deserved to be told. I saw their value as if they were Jesus himself. I asked if anyone had pain in their body. One woman at the doorway told me her stomach hurts all the time. My first thought was she is hungry, but we prayed. She was still in pain. The second time I prayed, I begged. I called forth her destiny, I proclaimed her value and I literally poured my heart out before her, for her healing. My good and amazing Father healed her when compassion began to control me. With tears in her eyes and mine, she told me it went away. It was at this moment, the woman who had been doing her laundry felt to talk to me and tell me what happened to her. She had a baby a few months ago in the tents. When some men came to rob her, she wouldn't let them take anything, so they pulled her baby from her and left. I've had two children and I remember the extreme pain of when your milk comes in. I've often thought of how painful it is, that you HAVE to nurse, or you feel like you will die. I believe God made it so in those early weeks, so we would wake up in the night and feed our babies. When she was telling me that they took her three day old baby, I couldn't help but think about her emotional anguish coupled with her physical pain. I wanted to die, the pain and compassion was so great. There are no right words to say to a woman who just bared herself like that and experienced that. She told me that they brought the baby back three days later just to die in her arms that night. I bust out crying, weeping in her tent. I could hardly see her through my tears. I couldn't get to her for all the other women and children were in my way. I just kept telling her I was sorry, that I was so sorry. I was blowing her kisses and putting my hands together in prayer. She started to cry as well and we had a moment that will be remembered throughout my entire lifetime and into eternity.

Before leaving that tent, I asked if anyone else needed prayer, if anyone else had pain in their body. One woman who had been nursing the whole time spoke up. I looked at the interpreter and he said in a quiet humbled voice, "Aimee, she said she is hungry."

I don't know if I've ever been split open like that in my life. I had very little money left, but i left it. I had some candy and a granola bar..,I left it too. It wasn't enough, it was almost mean. I had two toothbrushes and as I laid them on the floor, I thought about how very "American" it was to think of bringing toothbrushes to starving people. I had no idea the need there. I looked up at Blon and said, "What can we do?" with as much hopelessness as anything. He said, "We can go buy some rice? Don't tell them though, in case we can't come back. Let's just go now." I felt excited about buying them some food. I blessed each one on the head, babies too, and left.

We went to buy 6 bags of rice and 6 jars of oil. It cost $50. This was outrageous to me. I didn't have it on me, but my brother stepped in to the rescue. Haiti imports everything and apparently someone is taking advantage of the situation to be charging that much for freakin rice.

Anyway we drove back to the tents and decided it wouldn't be wise to carry food past that many starving people. We sent Blon in to get the women and discreetly bring them out. They could carry the bags back. I felt excited waiting to see them again. It was like they were my sisters that I never had. It was unfair that they were suffering while I was playing my life away.

I saw them emerge and felt panic whip through my body. They had nearly tripled in size. I remembered the women, but there were more women and men that came out with them. It was like being in the middle of a shark feeding. Babies were screaming due to the chaos and yelling. Every person was so desperate for a bag of rice and we only had six. Oh Lord have mercy, this man starting grabbing a bag before it made it to the nursing woman and I began to yell at him. I started to push him as hard as I could from the angle I had until he looked at me. I yelled at him "NO, it's for her." He let go, which I'm glad of. In those situations I don't know what I'm capable of, but I feel so much stronger than I actually am.

I gave the bag to her. I soon realized that the woman who had been healed of her stomach ache didn't get rice. I walked over to tell her sorry, but sorry doesn't feed her her and her family. It just doesn't. She was gracious in her disappointment. As they all walked away, the woman who lost her baby, the woman who didn't want me in her tent originally, looked back at me. We locked eyes again and she blew me a kiss.

I climbed in the front seat of the truck as we drove away...weeping silently. It's just not right. Oh God, please send people to help them. Please don't let me have to live wondering how they are forever. Bless them, keep them...love them, hold them, feed them, comfort them....please God, have mercy.


July 11, 2010 (journal excerpt)
After handing out all the candy and toys, I was invited into this woman's tent who had a one month old baby. With no translator, I simple said one word..."Jesus". I looked at her. She was crying. Her husband died in the earthquake. She looked at me through her tears and smiled and said, "Jesus."
That's all that was needed for me to know I could pray for her baby and for her. I sang, "Jesus loves the little children" and the baby just looked at me. I looked right into her eyes and her babies eyes and I saw my Lord. It broke me. She showed me her hand-done c-section wound, that took place in that tent. I have never seen anything more horrible in my life. It was black, almost purple...completely and utterly infected (dried puss) and she was putting a bandage equally as dirty back on top of it.

Jesus, truly you were more beautiful in that tent then in any church in America. I felt your heart beat in that child, I saw your eyes look at me through her mama. I felt your essence pour out of me like liquid gold and yet, I couldn't access your kingdom fully on her behalf. But truly you are with the broken and the weak. You have not forgotten them. Please use me to help bring glory and hope and comfort to the people of Haiti, and all throughout this earth.

Oh God the need is overwhelming, what can one person do? I feel so helpless, so small in the grandeur of their pain and suffering. It nearly swallowed me whole. Lord, I would waste my life for them if I felt like it would make a difference, will it make a difference?

Cases and Dice Blocks

Much fun is going on in the Perry household these days. Outside of record amounts of block orders keeping me busy, my mom came for a visit. We re-did the girls room, and re-arranged nearly the whole house (or so it felt) in two days. I feel as though I'm on vacation in my own home. HOW GREAT IS THAT!!! Thanks mama!

My supplier stopped selling the cases I've been using for the blocks. They may get them back, but for now they are gone. I had about two seconds of grieving before I had an idea; custom cases. Yep, there are so many great shops in Franklin TN and the surrounding areas. I'm officially on the look out for great unique one-of-a-kind looking cases. Here is a couple I've found already.

I've had a new idea too. What about dice blocks...you know for romance, or chores for kids, or game dice. Like, say I want my kids to do some chores. I'll tell them to roll the dice....is that like gambling? May be that's bad. I may try it and tell you later. Ok, romance dice...nothing dirty, but like one dice would say "kiss", and the other one would say, "nose". I don't know, always thinking. The game dice could be different activities on each side, for ideas when you get bored. I'd love to know your thoughts on dice blocks. :)

This idea came while sanding sixty blocks. That takes a long time and it can get awfully boring and dusty to say the least. Any way, that's all I guess. :)

Blockeroos.

I haven't written about blocks lately, but I'm still having a blast doing them. :) Lots of little changes I'm making as this business grows.

I've added a new photo album to my Photo Album page on the website. I'm going to start posting the different supplies I buy for people who like to visualize their blocks before handing all decisions off to me. haaha
I have ulterior motives though as well and that is I'm posting the supplies I want to work with!!!! haha I'm leaving out obnoxious ideas and things that insult my taste of course.

Let's see, I am also going to add the blocks of the month. These will be blocks I just LOVED making. Blocks that are unique and interesting with a new creative element. I get credit for a lot of creative ideas, but most of them come from you guys, my friends and customers! I love all your ideas....keep them coming.

Lastly, I have added Puzzle blocks to my list of blocks. I posted a picture of a set I did a couple weeks ago. This was a personal photo. Because some photos just may not work, I've asked in my form for a "back-up photo" to be sent as well. I think these are going to be a lot of fun and present me with a new challenge.

Love you all! Thanks for making this first year so fun, so great!