random

Okay, so I know I usually post stuff about causes and organizations and making the world better and all that jazz, which believe me, I still will a lot, but this one is just going to be a random post :)

Okay, so what I really want to do is start some discussion, cause frankly, I am not that interesting and theres no way people are interested in what I have to say. So this is what YOU need to do. Tell me what you want to talk about...I will put it up as a post and everyone can have a big (friendly) discussion. So you all better do it!

Today has been one of the best days. It was a beautiful snow day! Everything looked so pretty. And inside was nice and warm. Great day to just sit and absorb everything. So happy it snowed!

my new goal

So I have come up with a new goal. Every gift I buy for someone I want it to be something that raises money for something good. Theres so much cool stuff out there that would make great gifts and at the same time raise money to help people! Things like Toms, Hannah Teter's two products, maple syrup and panties, Mariska Hargitay's charity, Joyful Heart. Theres so many out there!!! A better list soon to come if any of you guys are interested in buying too!!!

Also, any of you who expect gifts from me, expect one of these!!!!

Christina

Long time no post

Okay, sorry guys...I really need to keep updating this thing...Ive been real bad. I was reading something my good friend Matthew sent me (because he is so good and always encouraging me to blog more) its was about blogging and that you should try and do a new post daily. Ugh, daily! Jeepers, I better get on that!

So, what to talk about? Something that I have been thinking about for a little while now. I am sorry if people reading this feel like I am beating you over the head talking about these subjects, but this is what I will mostly be talking about. Just giving you a heads up, cause if you don't want to hear it, stop reading now.

So everything that happened in Haiti, let me say up front, I do think it was horrible and it is so sad. But the thing that has been on my mind - Everyone is running around, trying to help everyone in Haiti, which is awesome. But what about other places in the world, who are living in horrible situations ALL THE TIME. Who is constantly helping them? I know there are organizations dedicated to such things like Invisible Children, Save Darfur, 24 Hours for Darfur, Love 146, etc. But wouldn't it be amazing if like EVERYONE could realize how crappy the world is (sorry for sounding so pessimistic). I mean I am constantly seeing commercials, news (TV), ads, newspapers, for Haiti, but what if there was a daily reminder of the crappy situations that are going on in Africa, South America, Asia, etc. Maybe more people will want to do more things. Do you know how much just a little bit of money can do for someone in Africa. I am rambling now, but I just think people need to be constantly reminded about ALL the situations going on in the world and maybe it would touch more people and help more people.

So that was a less organized blog I just posted. Pretty much came out as word vomit. But take it how you want to, I don't even know if it made sense (sense.. Matthew, I will never spell that wrong again thanks to you!). But feel free to talk to me about what I wrote if you didn't understand it, or disagree with it, or whatever. And now I am just continuing to ramble, so I will just leave you with that to think about.

Christina

Time for a little Love

Okay guys, this one is a long one, but please read it, its one that is very important to me!

So I know that not all of you have the same interests as I do...I mean, everyone in the world is different. And I know that this is suppose to be a blog with my words and my stories. But I need to share someone else's story in this post. There's an organization, Love146, I have done a lot of work with them and they are an amazing organization because they are working toward abolishing sex trafficking. I just wanted to share a quick story from the co-founder and pres. of Love146.

"We found ourselves standing shoulder to shoulder with predators in a small room, looking at little girls through a pane of glass. All of the girls wore red dresses with a number pinned to their dress for identification. They sat, blankly watching cartoons on TV. They were vacant, shells of what a child should be. There was no light in their eyes, no life left. Their light had been taken from them. These children...raped each night... seven, ten, fifteen times every night. They were so young. Thirteen, eleven… it was hard to tell. Sorrow covered their faces with nothingness. Except one girl. One girl who wouldn’t watch the cartoons. Her number was 146. She was looking beyond the glass. She was staring out at us, with a piercing gaze. There was still fight left in her eyes. There was still life left in this girl...

“Because we went in as part of an ongoing, undercover investigation on this particular brothel, we were unable to immediately respond. Evidence had to be collected in order to bring about a raid, and eventually justice on those running the brothel. It is an immensely difficult problem when an immediate response cannot address an emergency. Some time later, there was a raid on this brothel and children were rescued. But the girl who wore #146 was no longer there. We do not know what happened to her, but we will never forget her. She changed the course of all of our lives." -Rob Morris, President and Co-founder

I still cry whenever I read this. I have spoken to individuals and groups of people on this subject and I have found a lot of people don't even know what child sex trafficking is. People don't realize that its going on in every single place in the world. Yes that includes your state, could even be your town, your street.

Abolishing sex trafficking. Sounds impossible, right? Some might ask, what is the point, there is no way that will happen. Well there's no reason not to try. After a while the word impossible doesn't even enter into the equation anymore. Why is it impossible? What I do know is that people who try to help can make a difference in one, one hundred, one million peoples lives.

So why am I sharing this? I don't expect all of you to read this and to run out and try and fix this problem. What I do ask though, is to open your heart and mind up to what is going on in the world... Cause lets face it, sex trafficking is not our only problem. So please just keep some other, less fortunate people on your mind, who knows what kind of difference you are gonna make!

I'd really love to hear anyone and everyones comments on this one!

Christina

Blog post numero deux!

Hey all,

so, yey, I am writing my second post! So I have realized that I do a lot of my blog thinking in the shower, it is where I came up with the idea to start my own blog and it is where I decided what today's topic would be. So chances are if I never showered I would not have this blog...or friends.

Anyway, what do I want to talk about today? It is kinda a two parter.

I was on this totally awesome site called Invisible Children which you should all go to cause its an organization helping to rescue child solders in Uganda. Child solders, its pretty crazy right! I mean we get so mad about our war in Iraq, but in Uganda they have children fighting! I can't even imagine. (If you don't know about child solders I posted a definition at the bottom of this post from a website.) It is really interesting, everyone should check out the site and learn a little bit about the issue!

Anyway, while I was reading the Invisible Children's blog I came across a pretty cool website. Its called www.stickk.com it helps you to stay committed to your new years resolutions. Let's face it most people end up slacking off, me being one of them... Im even surprised at the people who are still keeping up their resolutions in February. I myself don't actually believe in making new years resolutions, I just try to accomplish things that will help me to become a better person, no matter what time of year it is (though I still end up slacking off and not completing them!). Anyway, the site is even good for that. You have to register, but hey its free! And don't we all love free things? Yes, yes we do! Its really cool, you even have the option put money at stake (you dont have to put any credit card info in, don't worry) and if you do not commit to your goal it will tell you how much money you owe. You can do a charity, a friend, a foe, whatever! Anyway, its a fun thing to do and it will help you commit to that one thing you are having trouble with! Hope you enjoy. Let me know if any of you try it...I am!

Also I would like to thank everyone who has read my first post! Hope its entertaining!

Christina

Who are child soldiers?

While there is no precise definition, the Coalition considers a child soldier any person under the age of 18 who is a member of or attached to government armed forces or any other regular or irregular armed force or armed political group, whether or not an armed conflict exists. Child soldiers perform a range of tasks including participation in combat, laying mines and explosives; scouting, spying, acting as decoys, couriers or guards; training, drill or other preparations; logistics and support functions, portering, cooking and domestic labour; and sexual slavery or other recruitment for sexual purposes.

This is from http://www.child-soldiers.org/childsoldiers/questions-and-answers

First post...hopefully more to come

So ever since like Jr high I have successfully failed at creating blogs. Well I create them just fine, but after one post I'm usually done. Every time I create a new blog I say to myself "I am going to keep up with it!" and then I don't. So why am I making another attempt at blogging? Well its pretty simple. I am reading a book called "Generation Change" which encourages people of our generation to...can you guess it? change! It shows us that there's so much we can do to make ourselves, our community and our world a better place. But enough about that. One of the things it said to do was to "blog for good."

So that is what I am doing, trying to blog for good. Most of you who know me know that I'm involved in some non-prof organizations and I want to travel around the world volunteering and what-not. So I thought it would be a good idea to put my thoughts on a blog, including interesting articles and stuff I find about crazy things thats going on in the world we live in. I always hear so many people say "people are trying to change the world, but they aren't doing anything productive by sitting on the computer." Well here I am to try and prove them wrong. I want to not just blab about stuff, I want to start discussions! So if you have something to say, say it here!

Okay, so I think I have babbled enough for this post. Hope you enjoy the future posts.

(just and fyi, I'm not going to reread this, and know me there will be many grammatical errors, so if you have an issue with that...too bad!)

-Christina