Companies I Love: Good Fortune Soap & Spa

A person with a dream.  That's all it takes to impact the world.  Jennifer Strain of Good Fortune Soap & Spa is one such person.  You can read about her remarkable journey of starting her own company here, and you should, because stories like this are best told from the person her/himself.

Spurred on by her desire to impact others for Jesus, Jennifer has created a company that has grown exponentially, even in the few short years that I've been aware of it.  What started as a company that produced soap has grown into an enormous company of face and body products and spa services, all created by Jennifer and her staff at good Fortune Soap & Spa in Tennessee.

I've been a huge fan of this company's products for a few years now, and I have used many of their different soaps and lotions.  I've recently started switching over my skin care products to theirs, as well.  Let me tell you, they produce very high quality skin care products, and I've loved every single thing I've ever tried.

The great things about companies like Good Fortune is that they don't just make great products, they impact the world.  Jennifer's company is very active in different charities and ministries, some of which you can find here. 

And it's so easy for us to impact the world through companies like this.  Most of us use soap and skin care products of some sort.  So why not use or spending power in an ethical way? Check out Good Fortune Soap & Spa's amazing line of products, and start trying some out! We can be the change we wish to see in the world, as Gandhi so famously challenged, by making simple choices like buying every day products from companies that are rooted in ethical, charitable business practices.

I don't know about you, but I would rather know that I'm using my spending power to impact peoples' lives, instead of funding some CEO's 3rd vacation home.  And supporting companies like Good Fortune that provide amazing products, while doing just that....those are companies that I love.

Loving the simple ways to change the world,

-AA

(Disclaimer: yet again, this post is my own opinion of a company that I stumbled upon. I am in no way associated with Good Fortune, Jennifer Strain, or anyone associated with the company, nor was I asked to promote it. I just really like it, and want you too, as well!)

No More...It's time to stop domestic and sexual violence.

12.7 million people are physically abused, raped or stalked by their partners in one year.  That's approximately the populations of New York & Los Angeles combined.  That's 24 people every minute.

Because it's someone you kNOw.

(www.nomore.org)

Think domestic/sexual violence isn't a big deal? That it's "their problem" and that you shouldn't get involved? That the victim can just get out at any time and he or she is simply choosing to stay in an abusive situation? Well, I'm here to tell you, you're wrong.  It's time to put a stop to domestic and sexual violence. Together, we can stand up and say No More.

+ About every 9 seconds a woman in the US is assaulted or beaten. And every day at least 3 women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends.

+ Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women - more than car accidents, muggings, and rape...COMBINED.

+ Studies estimate that nearly 10 MILLION children witness some form of domestic violence.

+ Men who, as children, witnessed domestic violence in their home are twice as likely to abuse their wives than men from nonviolent households.

Still think this issue doesn't concern you? I'm still going to tell you that you're wrong. No one should be a victim of domestic violence. A lot of times it's easy for us to look at a victim and say "Why does she stay with him?" or  "Why doesn't he just leave her?" But instead, we should be asking, "Why is he abusing her?" and "How can we help him get out of this abusive situation?" Because abuse is NEVER the fault of victim, and ALWAYS the responsibility of the perpetrator. Because abuse is all about power. And many times, the victim is conditioned (like Pavlov's experiment with the dogs) to believe that he or she is powerless to do anything, especially leave.

Together, we can make a difference.  Together, we can stand up and say No More. Because domestic/sexual violence is not ok.

The great thing about the internet, is that there a thousand ways to get involved right at our fingertips. But to save you the few seconds of typing "stop domestic violence" into your preferred search engine, here are some great resources to get started doing your part to end domestic/sexual violence:

No More: Take the pledge to help end domestic and sexual violence

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Stop Violence Against Women

Here's a list of 20 groups committed to stopping domestic violence

So, now that I've done the work for you, you have absolutely no excuse to not get involved and help put an end to domestic/sexual violence.

Because it's someone you know. 

Because love shouldn't hurt. 

Because no one deserves to be a victim.

Because you have a voice. 

And I have a voice. 

And together, we can use our voices to do great things.

Dreaming of a world where domestic/sexual violence is eradicated,
-AA

(all the stats listed in the beginning of this post were taken from: http://domesticviolencestatistics.org/domestic-violence-statistics/)

Companies I Love: Smile Squared

Taking care of your teeth and gums isn't just about preventing cavities or bad breath.

The mouth is the gateway into your body's overall health.

-American Dental Association-

When's the last time you brushed your teeth?  Hopefully sometime today.  But when is the last time you actually put thought into brushing your teeth? Or the ramifications of not doing so?  Chances are, most of us don't put much, if any, thought into the reasons why we brush our teeth, or what would happen if we don't.  But Eric Cope and his wife did.  You can read the story about what lead them to start Smile Squared, a one for one company that donates toothbrushes to children without access to dental care.  (If you aren't familiar with what a one for one company is: for every one product bought by you, as the consumer, one product is donated by the company to a specific cause.)

Think about how many diseases can be prevented by brushing your teeth.  Gum disease, tooth decay, bad breath...these are the common reasons we are taught to have good oral hygiene.  But there are studies that show there may be links between lack of oral care and things like pneumonia and dementia (check it out here.)

We founded Smile Squared in hopes of giving children their smiles back.

Millions of children in the United States and around the world lack access to basic oral health care - or even a simple toothbrush! 

Together we can take a small step for big change.

-Eric Cope-

I've used Smile Squared's toothbrushes, and they are definitely a great product.  However, we all have different preferences for our oral care.  The Copes have taken this into account as well, and have an option where you can just donate toothbrushes without purchasing one for yourself, which is perfect for those of us who prefer to use a certain type of toothbrush.

According to Smile Squared's website, their toothbrushes have been distributed in all 50 U.S. States, along with 24 countries across the globe.  You can be a part of changing the world for the better through the simple, necessary act of brushing your teeth!

Here's my challenge:  start buying your toothbrushes through Smile Squared. That's it. Simple.  Or, if you are like me and prefer your own type of toothbrush, every time you switch out your toothbrush, donate one on Smile Squared's website.  According to the ADA, you should replace your toothbrush every 3 months.  Which means 4 times a year.  So in just one year, you could impact the lives of 4 different children.

As I say so many times, we need to live outside of our self-centered bubbles.  And companies like Smile Squared provide us with very simple, effective ways to change the world.

So what are you waiting for? Go donate some toothbrushes!

-AA

(disclaimer:  I am in no way affiliated with Smile Squared, I don't know the Cope family, and I just happened to stumble across this company one day while searching for ethical, charitable companies. This is solely my own opinion about the company, spurred on by my desire to spread ethical consumerism, and I was not asked to plug this company in any way.)

How Many Slaves are Working for You?

It's so easy to think about modern-day slavery as an "out there" problem; one that we can avoid and ignore as something that doesn't affect our day to day lives.  But if you truly believe that your everyday life isn't impacted by slavery, you are living in a fantasy world.

Think about everything you've done so far this morning.  The products you used to shower, wash your face, brush your teeth.  The makeup you put on.  The clothes you are wearing.  The food that you've eaten.  Chances are, most, if not all, of these things involved slave labor at one point or another in their production process.

Think I'm exaggerating or blowing this whole slavery issue out of proportion?  Take a few minutes to work through the quiz at slaveryfootprint.org. This is a great tool to see just how close to home this issue of modern day slavery hits.  My slavery footprint is 59.  That's 59 slaves working for me in the clothes I buy, the products I use, and the food that I eat. That's 59 people too many, and it is not OK.

As you move through this quiz, you will be provided with a number of helpful facts and statistics about modern day slavery, and ways that you can help move towards global freedom.  At the end you have the chance to send a form letter to several major brands, asking them to adhere to ethical production standards.  All you have to do is fill in your name.  Unless you are an exceptionally slow typist, it literally takes a few seconds.

I encourage you to take the time to find out how many slaves you have working for you on a day to day basis, and then do something about it!  With knowledge comes responsibility....

"We are not called to be an abolitionist, we are commanded to be an abolitionist." 

[Don Brewster]

What we do matters.  Let's move beyond ourselves and our own conveniences and comforts and move towards making a positive impact on the world through our actions.  Over the next few weeks, I will be highlighting several companies that I love to support, companies that uphold ethical business practices, through which they are changing the world.  I don't want to have any slavery footprints in my life.  I hope that you will join me in seeking to become a more ethical consumer, and, consequently, in changing the world, one small choice at a time.

Ready to change,
-AA

And they'll know we are Christians...

"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord...
and we pray that our unity will one day be restored,
and they'll know we are Christians by our love..."

(Disclaimer: this opening anecdote is going to be extremely vague in order to conceal identities.)

Several weeks ago I was reading a letter written to someone I'm associated with.  Throughout the entirety of this letter, the author berated the recipient for basically being a terrible human being (the author's perception, not mine).  The letter was riddled with vulgarities and insults towards this person, and everyone he/she was associated with.  Prior to this letter, I had to interact with the author a number of times, and each time that person was rude, often insulting, and generally would end up hanging up on me, or dramatically storming away. 

So as I was reading this letter, I was thinking to myself that the author must be a truly miserable person because he/she just seemed to spew venom with every word spoken. And then, after several pages, I got to the end of that letter.  There it was in black and white.  This person started quoting Scripture, and talking about how great it is that God loves us all, and that we need to be saved through Christ Jesus to be with Him in heaven someday. 

I must have reread that last page about 20 times, thinking to myself, what just happened?!? You spent several pages insulting this person, telling him/her how terrible he/she is, and then you have the audacity to reference God's love?!? The author of this letter was truly one of the most unpleasant people I've ever had to interact with, and let me tell you, in the line of work that I'm currently in, I deal with A LOT of unpleasantness. 

After the initial shock of the realization that this person was apparently some form of Christian, I really started to think.  I would never in a million years have thought that this individual knew anything about Jesus, or had ever even cracked open a Bible, let alone been able to quote scripture and give a gospel presentation. 

Which got me thinking about that old spiritual "and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, and they'll know we are Christians by love." 

How are we living? Are we living a life full of love that has people seeing that we are different?  Or are our friends, relatives and acquaintances shocked when they find out that we are Believers? 

Now, we may not write nasty letters to people, or shout insults or profanities when we don't get our way, but what about all the other ways we aren't evidencing Love (capital intended, as in God is Love) in our lives?  What about all the judgment that we offer to people who are different from us? What about the gossiping, the backbiting, the cliques, the in-fighting that happens even within our own churches? Our own families?

I feel as though I don't need to expound on this much further. We all know the areas in our lives where we are showing anything but Love to those around us. 

Take a good hard look at your life.  Will people know you are a Christian by your love, or will they be shocked to find out you are a follower of Jesus? 

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

and we pray that our unity will one day be restored,

and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

and they'll know we are Christians by our love.

-AA

2015 Reading Challenge!

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, then you know that I'm the type of person who is reading about 10 different books at a time. Last year I found 14 books on my bookshelves that I had started but never finished. Ridiculous. 

So this year, I found this really great reading challenge on Pinterest.  I think it has about 50 different types of books to read on it, which is totally unrealistic with as busy as my life is...but I figured I'd give it a go and see how far I can get. So far I've crossed off two categories from the list:

*A Trilogy*

For this category I read The Hunger Games. I could seriously not put them down. I was staying up until 3:00 in the morning to read...I finished the trilogy in less than 3 days. So. Good.  I would say I'm a little obsessed with this series. I've the movies a bunch of times, but the book is ALWAYS better than the movie, so now that I'm talking about how much I like this series, I want to read the books again. Yeah. Just slightly obsessed. 

*A Memoir*

My sister had given me a book called Shattered Dreams which is a memoir of a woman who spent a large portion of her life as the wife of a polygamist. Let me tell you, I was so enraptured by her story that this is another book that I just could not put down.  It was so intriguing, so hard to comprehend everything she went through starting at a very young age, so compelling. Spoiler alert: her story has a happy ending!

Stay tuned for more little book review type posts as I continue to cross things off the reading challenge list!

Happy reading,

-AA

Like the Moon Reflects the Sun...

It always amazes me how you can read the same Bible passage a hundred times, but suddenly glean something entirely new from it.  This happened to me a few weeks ago.

I just started an in-depth study of the book of Genesis because I haven't read the entire book of Genesis since my Old Testament classes in college.  And because I embarked on a plan to study each book of the Bible in depth for the next however long it takes me.  And Genesis seemed like the best place to start.  Since it is the beginning after all.

So the other night I had my 2 study Bibles, 3 commentaries, my regular every-day Bible to make notes in, and my copy of the Message (good paraphrases can be great for in-depth Bible study to drive home the main points of the passage), my notebook, pens, highlighter and cup of tea, and started into Genesis 1.

Of course before I started reading, I thought to myself how many times I've heard/read/taught this passage and just assumed that it was going to be a drudgery to get through.

But then, as usually happens when you're engaged in in depth Bible study, I came across a thought in one of the commentaries that I have never heard before, in reference to God creating the light.

"The sun is the great centre of light, and the centre of our system.

Round him the lesser orbs revolve. 

From him, too, they derive their light.

Hence he may very legitimately be viewed as an apt symbol of...the Lord.

The moon, being in herself opaque, derives her light from the sun.

She always reflects the sun's light, save when the earth and its influences intervene.

Now, as the sun is a beautiful and an appropriate symbol of Christ, so the moon strikingly reminds us of the Church... 

The world seeth Him not, but she sees Him; and she is responsible to reflect His beams upon a benighted world.

The world has no other way in which to learn anything of Christ but by the Church."

As many times as I've read and heard and taught the creation narrative, I've never once been that profoundly impacted by the relationship between the sun and the moon.  But what really hit me was that last line. The world has no other way in which to learn anything of Christ but by the Church. 

What a humbling and profound thought.  I know that more times than not I fail in my duty to reflect the Son.  At least in a way that it a true reflection of Him.  

What kind of Christ are we reflecting to the world? I think, more times than not, it is not the true Savior.  

"If the Church only walked in the light of Christ, she would assuredly reflect His light;

ad this would ever keep her in proper position. 

The light of the moon is not her own.

So it is with the Church. 

She is not called to set herself before the world."

I think it's time to start learning how to truly reflect the Son. 

-AA

MacKintosh, C. H. "Chapter I." Notes on Gensis. New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1954. 8-10. Print.