We’ve been keeping a secret from you…

But we can’t any longer!!!

Coming this October…
Baby Telfer!

Need to Give Your Money Away?

I’ve been wanting to write a post like this for awhile, just haven’t taken the time to do so.  But now, it’s urgent.

If you’ve been wanting to support a worthy cause, I have one to share with you.

These are friends and a ministry Chris and I know personally, love dearly and can vouch for.

Asha Mission is located in Delhi, India.  It is home to 33 kids who are all packed into 2 tiny bedrooms.  They are in desperate need of buying new land and the opportunity is at their doorstep.  They just needed $75,000 to do so.

Since Rusty and Ericka Jackson first started posting about this need less than a month ago, people have donated nearly $47,000!  A mutual friend is hosting a benefit concert this weekend, one family is matching up to $3,000 in donations AND one person even SOLD THEIR CAR!  I can’t help but get excited about this.  When we work together, mountains move.

Once again, this is a ministry Chris and I support personally.  They are legitimate and we can vouch for them.  Please watch the video below to get to know these kids and Asha Mission a little better.

If you’ve been wanting to donate to a worthy cause…
If you’ve been saving up, waiting for something to come along,
This is it.  We only have $28,000 to go… by this Sunday.

These kids are real.  These people are real.  The need is real.

Xo,
Chris and Jenny

I Am A Mattoo EP now available on iTunes

The “I Am A Mattoo” EP is now available on iTunes!

Once again, 70% of all proceeds go to fight human trafficking through Mattoo.org.  That includes all digital downloads and CD orders.

To order, click the links below:

i-Tunes

CD

This is a just another way we can fight human trafficking together.

xo,
Chris and Jenny 

Fight Human Trafficking through Music

It’s a great day when you can combine the gifts God gave you to support a cause you’re passionate about… and today is just that day.

While we were attending G42 in Spain last year, Chris and I met Andrew Hanson, the founder and chairman of M.A.T.T.O.O. (Men Against The Trafficking Of Others).  After hearing his heart for men to get involved in the fight against human trafficking, I watched as my husband’s wheels started turning. He approached Andrew soon after about partnering with him to write and record a song for MATTOO.  The next few weeks he’d lock himself in the back bedroom of our tiny apartment, piecing together lyrics with new sounds.  It’s not easy to give words to feeling, but Chris did it.

Now, it’s 6 months later and he just finished recording the featured song, “MATTOO” in the studio.  It will be featured as the first song on a 6 track EP entitled “I AM A MATTOO”.

How are we fighting Human Trafficking through this EP? 

70% of the profits from all physical copies sold and digital tracks downloaded will go straight to MATTOO.  MATTOO will then use those donations to further their movement to reach their goal of ‘seeing the end of human trafficking within our generation’.

Why is this awesome?

Because it’s something we can be a part of together.  Buy music.  Fight Human Trafficking.  Free victims.  Raise awareness.  Spread the message.  Promote justice and love.

Everyone’s invited.

Pre-Order the I AM A MATTOO EP today

Joseph Kony Update

Did you see the front page of YAHOO! News today?

US Special Forces Help in Hunt for Kony

Even with all the conflicting views, forward movement for the freedom of others has been made.

For freedom,
Chris & Jenny

Stop and Listen

I don’t usually post stuff like this on our blog, but art and beauty hit so close to my heart, that I couldn’t help it.  If anything teaches you to slow down and enjoy life, it’s death.  Since my Grandma died a year and a half ago, I’ve appreciated and loved life to a whole new extent.  Ironically, that’s what death does to you… it helps you love life.

Today is my Grandma’s birthday, so I’m sharing this in memory of her…

…Because she would have stopped.

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

.

For me, the point isn’t that the violinist was world-renowned.  But that beauty in all forms is worth stopping for.

Living, breathing, groaning Grace

We’ve seen a lot of darkness in our short lives, Chris and I.  Merely 30 both of us, we’ve seen some things you’d watch only on Lifetime movies… and I say that not to brag.  There’s nothing glamorous about the dark night of the soul.  There’s nothing to boast about in suffering of any kind.  But living through these has taught us the one thing we truly can boast in… Jesus, the Saving One.

Our friend, Dave Hearn, posted this quote on Facebook today that reminded me of something:

“Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” -C.T. Studd

It reminded me of who I am… and that I love that.

God doesn’t bring us through the ugly only to run away from it on the other side.  Embarrassingly, I’ve run from it only because of what others have thought.  I have hidden my story based on the reactions of a few of the other holy.  I thought I wanted to rise up and be shining glory like them.  I thought I wanted to be sparkling white like they seem to be.  Even though they’ve gone through hells of their own, their shiny white gowns seem bleach white.  It’s like they are capable of handling and accepting their own dark, but when it comes to the dark of others, they don’t want anything to do with it.

But. That’s not how God made me and I regret that I wanted to please them by becoming like them.

You see, I don’t mind getting dirty.  I don’t mind the mess of others.
I would rather be known by sinners than by the religious elite.

And that’s how I’ve come to know Jesus.  He’s all-accepting, all-embracing, all-loving.  He turns no one away.  He doesn’t label us by the sins we commit like we people often do.  Instead, he labels us as “Friend” and “Son” and “Daughter” and “Beloved” and “Bride”.

Can we then forsake the obsession with sin and focus solely on the greatest calling of Love?
Can we please choose to forgive one another and restore one another to places of honor instead of ignoring each other and turning the other way?

We are all living, breathing, groaning Grace.  I’m proud to be a part of the crowd who have come face to face with their humanity and had it washed clean by the face of Jesus.  I have seen the dark and I have seen the light. And only because I have seen and touched the dark am I able to fully embrace and know the meaning of the light.

There’s no dark too dark, no deep too deep.  No sin too shameful.  He is above it all and because of Him, so are we.  We accept our past failures, drown them in Grace and stride on toward bringing Kingdom to earth.

Given Grace, so that we can give grace.  Loved, so that we can love.  It’s a beautiful thing, this Kingdom, this God.

To Him

To Him who gave His life for the sinners and broken down that we might be one with Him.
To Him who gave His life for those who intentionally and unintentionally betray Him.
To Him who performed the greatest act of love this world has yet to fully recognize…

I sit in a spare bedroom this morning, my heart full of hope and joy and a fullness I can’t describe, because of Him.

Because he accepted death to his body years ago on this day, I am able to breathe in the deepest life today.
Because he gave up his temporary back then, He gave me His eternal today…and forever.

Time has no hold on Him.
And time has no hold on us… but to witness the greatest union the world has ever known.

So, today I sit, surrounded by His presence, talking with Him, receiving from Him, beholding Him,
because He gave up His own will for the greater will of his Father… the will that said:

“I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” -John 17:23

That we would know such love!

So, here’s to Him… all my praise, all my wonder, all my hope, all my worship, all my love.
Lord, you are my ocean.

Sex Trafficking: We Can’t Afford to Forget

I’m reposting a blog from our good friend and mentor Seth Barnes. Seth is the CEO and founder of Adventures in Missions and The World Race.  He’s a father, mentor and friend to many of us and we’re so blessed to know him.  One of the things I admire most about him is his compassion.  He truly loves people, no matter what state they are in.  He looks at their heart and sees what God sees.  He’s forgiving, tender and merciful…

But he’s also fierce and loves justice.  No matter how busy he gets, his heart doesn’t stop beating and fighting for the lost ones around the world (including us… the kids in his own backyard).

He posted this blog about a recent experience in Thailand.  One of the World Race teams, currently on the field, witnessed first hand the much-talked about sex-trade.  As you know, the fight against this injustice runs close to our hearts.  In reading this story, I was reminded how easy it is to become numb to things we hear about often, but don’t necessarily see.  It is for this reason I wanted to share this story with you…

Written by World Racer, Katie Swan ::

Currently six World Race teams are working directly with sex-tourism throughout Thailand. The average age of the girls in these brothels continues to drop-in 2003 it was hovering at 13 years. Four years later, girls were being sold as young as three.I have received stories from the teams that have literally stopped me in my tracks these past few days. Stories of street boys being transformed into women against their will so that they could be sold for sex. Stories of a family being so desperate for money that they sold their two-year-old daughter for cash. Stories that are real and messy and happening right now.Look closely at these two snap shots.      One of the teams came upon this situation as they were walking down a street within the red-light district. The older man on the motorcycle was stroking the hair of an eight or nine year-old girl. He was smiling at her and reinforcing that it would stop hurting soon. He encouraged her in the job she had done and told her the first time is always the hardest. The girl’s pimp laughed alongside him as the little girl stood there-crying.   If we don’t do something about this, then who will? It is possible to rescue little girls like that, but it takes some commitment. We can’t do much from the comfort of our living room. But for those willing to dive in, it’s possible to rescue some.

We cannot afford to forget…
We need to keep fighting.

Native American Wisdom

A friend of mine, Sean Smith, recently posted the following poem by Chief Tecumseh. (I believe they quote it in the movie, Act of Valor).

It’s one of those poems I’m going to have to read repeatedly so I can really grasp the wisdom in it. I really liked it, so I thought I’d share it with you.  Enjoy!

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

Chief Tecumseh
Shawnee Tribe