Freedom Friday: Round-Up

It's been awhile since there's been a Freedom Friday around here, but I found it only fitting [and just a teensy bit cliche- but who can't resist that??] to do one today, on the day that we celebrate freedom as a country.

I thought I would do a round-up of all previous Freedom Fridays here at The Things That Make Us Tick. Check them out, get educated, and take action! And remember, action can be as simple and powerful as prayer.

Stop the Candy Shop
An initiative by Street Grace Ministries, an organization out of Atlanta, GA (the 3rd top trafficking city in the WORLD, by the way) that fights against the exploitation of children in the sex trade.

Sold
A novel by Patricia McCormick- a quick and life-changing read.

Krochet Kids Intl.

A company that empowers people to rise above poverty by creating sustainable economic development programs that support holistic growth of individuals and communities within developing nations and inspiring the knowledge of a generation about their ability to bring change to a world that is in need.

IJM Eau Claire Just Us Run
A run in Eau Claire, WI sponsored by the International Justice Mission. All proceeds go to IJM. This year it's on July 9th... so coming up quickly! Register here if you like!

Love 146
An organization fighting to end child sex slavery and exploitation.

Reject Apathy Magazine
A magazine [both online and in print] shoot-off of Relevant Magazine focused on social injustice, poverty, violence, the environment, etc.

Human Trafficking Stats
Stats and images on human trafficking from the CNN Freedom Project.

Nefarious
A hard-hitting documentary that exposes the disturbing trends in modern sex slavery. 

Freedom Friday Intro
The vision and hope behind Freedom Friday.

Happy Fourth everyone! How will you be enjoying your freedom today?

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[image via Pinterest, typography mine]

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Coffee Date (Round II)

If we were having coffee, I would totally get an iced chai, duh.

If we were having coffee, I would let you know that life feels like one never-ending adventure right now with all the newness that's going on, but that's ok because I really like it and I have lots of familiar people to travel through these not-so familiar seas with.

If we were having coffee, I'd want to know what fun things you like to do in Minneapolis. I'd ask you your favorite places to eat and shop and walk.

If we were having coffee, I would share about how I've been dreaming a lot about the future lately. The design nerd in me has just been having too much fun dreaming about having our very own apartment. And being that there's a wedding drawing ever closer, I'd say the future has been a pretty wonderful place to have my head.

If we were having coffee, I'd let you know that even though I've been future-dreaming I've also been soaking up every minute of the present. With roomie nights, travel, family, and time with my man I have been savoring the season of life God has placed me in.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that trusting God with an unknown future is hard. But I would also tell you that God is more-than-faithful in the ways and timing that He reveals things. To say that my future is much less unknown now than it was a few months ago is a huge understatement.

If we were having coffee, I would ask you about your pyramid that you want to build. I would listen as you shared your passions and then maybe I could share some of mine.

[image via big girls small kitchen]

Pyramid Builders

Do you believe this? That lots of small things add up to great things? You know, they say that Rome wasn't built in a day. And the pyramids are simply composed of bricks stacked one on top of the other, day after day. Sometimes really great things take time. Time and energy and lots and lots of planning.

I think oftentimes when we have hopes, dreams, or goals, we tend to get overwhelmed. We see what we are reaching for as way higher than we could ever reach. We look at our awesome, unique, totally-us ideas and see the end result- the pyramid. And then we run away. Farrrr, farrr away. Because really, who want to tackle that job??

But what if we began to see our dreams and goals in terms of the bricks that make them up, rather than as the completed pyramid? In terms of the many small things that will be brought together to form the great thing? I believe that when we view our big ideas through the lens of lots of small ideas that will get us there, that's where action takes place.

So how do we do this? How do we build brick by brick? We start day by day. Throw the phrases "someday," "when I get around to it," and "when I have time" out of your vocabulary. Let's be real—someday is always in the future and you're most likely never going to "get around to it" or have more time, if your life is anything like mine.

So think about your pyramid. That great thing. That one [or two or three] idea that is maybe always at the back of your mind. That one thing that makes your heart beat faster just thinking about it. That one hope you have for your future, dream you want to see fulfilled, or goal you can't wait to meet. Now break it down. What are a few [or hundreds] of little things that you can start doing now to work toward that dream? What are the bricks you can begin laying now?

Then start today. Do one small thing today that will eventually be brought together to form that great thing. Yeah, it might be a month from now, or 10 years from now when that great thing is finally formed, but at least you are taking steps now. And when all those small things turn into that great thing, you will have built a pyramid.

Yes, it's going to take work. Yes, it's going to take planning. But it's a whole lot easier to be a pyramid builder when you have those small bricks you can start laying. So go out there and start building your pyramid! Oh, and P.S....

[1. via Kelli Trontel, 2. via Pinterest]

Engagement Photoshoot... 'Nuf Said.

A couple weeks ago Loverboy and I headed over to Eau Claire for a quick afternoon photoshoot with the talented Megan Nicole Photography. I lived with this lovely lady and her family while on staff with Navs, so it's always a joy to get to spend some time with her and her younger sister, Emily. 

On this particularly beautiful day in June, the sun was bright, the sassy comments abundant, and the love tangible. What follows is the combination of all three. Enjoy! 

P.S. There's lots more where these came from... maybe they'll be popping up on the blog every now and then. Keep an eye out! :)

Interior Inspiration: Dreaming

Loverboy and I have spent more than a few hours lately working on our wedding registry and dreaming about what our future place will look like. I must admit that it gives me strange kind of butterflies toward this man when he expresses how excited he is to see how our place will be decorated and that he's pretty sure we'll have the coolest apartment/house ever. Major points right there.

Today I read an article about defining your style. It was interesting because I don't know if I've nailed mine down yet. I so often feel torn between modern and vintage, sparce and cluttered, color and black & white... that I'm not really sure what my style is. As we have been registering there has been more than one occasion where Loverboy just laughs at me because I can't decide, or because I simply love two things that are so completely opposite. 

But regardless of what my style is, there's just something in me that loves pretty things! I love when a room is beautiful and welcoming, when there are so many things to look at and appreciate, but also a balanced simplicity. I delight in patterns and colors, florals and geometrics. I guess it's just the design nerd in me, but when this part of me is encouraged, I start to dream. I dream of ways that I can make my current space pretty. I dream of future blank walls and empty shelves, just waiting to be covered and filled. So dream with me...

#mancrushmonday

So there's this thing teenage girls do called man crush monday... basically they throw a photo of Ryan Gosling [or insert other "dreamy" celeb here] with the hashtag #mancrushmonday onto their instagram to prove to the world their undying devotion and love for him. 

So I figured that if they're allowed to do that, then I should be able to do my own man crush monday, with the one man I'll be crushin' on til the end of my days. 

Meet Loverboy. 

I am marrying this man in NINETY-FIVE days you guys!!! That's less than 100! And let's just say that I am pumped out of my socks about this fact (that's a thing, right?).

Here are a couple little tid-bits about my Mr. to-be. He genuinely cares about how people are actually doing and is a listening ear to many. He is a constant learner and teacher, always trying to figure things out and then sharing his new-found knowledge with anyone with two ears and a brain in-between. He works hard and seeks the Lord in all his endeavors. He serves tirelessly, loves fiercely, feels deeply, and seeks to know me endlessly.

So my man crush for this Monday, and Tuesday, and every day from now until we meet Jesus is this patient, kind, good man who I get to walk alongside for the rest of my life- this man who is too good for me and who the Lord has abundantly blessed me with. He's a keeper.... so I'm gonna!

P.S. Enjoy the sneak-peak of our engagement photos, captured by the ever-lovely and talented Megan Nicole Photography! More to come, loves. 

P.P.S. Who even posts man crush mondays at 8 o'clock in the morning?? I guess grown ups who have to go to work. Toodles!