Chopped it for Children!

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chop it for children

I've been contemplating cutting my hair for years.  This time last year I cut off 7 inches without hesitation or noticing much of a difference.  I wanted to donate it, but I failed to go through with the motions to do so.  Plus, we were out of the country and it was sort of a day-date to the salon for Thomas and I.  I just cut and went along with my day.  

It has since grown back and I plan to be not only deliberate in donating it, but adding to the event by making it into an entire project.  

The 

Chop It For Children Project 

officially starts today!

first:

For the next 6 weeks I'm going to ask for pledges.  

Each dollar I raise will be pooled into a fund 

to handoff to a local family with a cancer-stricken child.  

second:

if I reach my goal..
I'll cut off my hair!

and donate to

 Children With Hairloss 
so that a wig can be made 
for a child who is losing their hair to cancer.  


third:

In celebration of my new short 'do, 

I'll be treating myself to this headband 

from the amazing shop of 

Much Love Illy

MuchLoveIlly~Etsy Shop

Gorgeous, right?? 

Her items are just lovely, 

totally handmade, 

and she has incredible style.  

  

Sounds awesome, right?

Well I'm not done.

I want YOU to join me!!

Right now I'm asking each woman, or man, reading this to consider joining my effort to provide a cancer patient with the gift of a head of hair.  

The commitment is 8 inches, but they definitely accept more.  

The benefit is a child who can receive a wig if they desire one.

The sacrifice is a teeny bit of pride and a year to grow out your short style.

The reward: UM, YOU TOTALLY ROCK!

Ladies.. we love our hair.  We fuss with it, we curl it, we color and texturize it, we straighten it, we goop it and swoop it and stick it with pins until it (hopefully) makes us look beautiful.  

But think about the young women who cannot do this.. 

By donating your hair you are giving a young girl or boy the opportunity to choose a wig that can make them feel good again.  Though many children choose to embrace their skin, some children wish desperately for a fun head of hair during their time.  

Added bonus? 

I'll be giving a Much Love Illy Headband

to one of the few, or many, who decide to join in!  

Rules:

The day the cuts are made, send pics of 

1. your new 'do!

2. the process going from long to short

3. your hair with the form to go to Children With Hairloss

Once all of the submissions are in, I'll pick a winner and send you your headband :)

Let's do this!!

If you decide to join in, 

please email me at 

theechomission@gmail.com 

for more details!

the knitting project

I have an amazing group of women 

that I am connected to on Twitter.  

Some I know, and some I don't

All I heart, however

Today I'm spotlighting 

Jen Hatzung 

of 

Rellas Bellas

who is working on her Purpose Project 

as challenged by

The Mocha Club

The Mocha Club is an organization that works a little at a time in a BIG way.  By "giving up the cost of a few mochas", they "support strategic and solution-oriented relief and development projects in Africa."  It's truly awesome!  

They recently challenged attendees of 

The Influence Conference 

to start their own Purpose Projects; 

small but effective outreach projects that can dramatically

improve the lives of people in Africa.

and Jen did just that :)

In a culture where we can spend $5 on a coffee or $400 on a pair of shoes this is a very simple request.

Want to see what just one project can do? Check out this post on Jen's blog, which includes more details on exactly how The Mocha Club is working for women in Africa, and to learn a bit about that incredible scarf she is sporting in her pic :)

She Reads Truth; staying full with my internet sisters

almost as soon as I got going with this blog, i got distracted.

The Princess Posse was on break, school was about to start, and I was just slipping on keeping up with personal study

I knew this was going to happen 

but most important of all

I knew that God would give me the perfect kick in the tush to get back on track

And just like that, in the middle of my stress and overwhelm, I found 

Founded by  Maggie Whitley of Gussy Sews She Reads Truth is a community of amazing women gathering daily to get into the Word encourage one another and live out the Truth to the best of our abilities
We studied Proverbs through August into September, and we are currently on Galatians

Aside from daily reading and devotion, we connect to share what God is doing in our lives and work on memorizing Scripture together
This week's memory verse

If you are looking for a bible study group, this is a great start
If you are already in study,  this is the perfect online accompaniment
I don't know these women outside of  twitter or their blogs.. but being sisters in Christ,  that is more than enough for me.
make a point to visit them today; you'll be glad you did :)

LOVE WEEK!

is happening

August 6-10, 2012 in Detroit

thanks to the 

Student Ministries Team of Northridge Church

Our very own Princess, Tracie Harris

reached out to The Echo Mission

for us to share her daughter Kaitlyn's request

for your support as she steps out on this mission!

Tracie and Kaitlyn

Here is Kaitlyn's message to you:

Hi Everyone! 

This summer I have the opportunity to participate in a daily, local outreach trip in the metro Detroit Area. It is called Love week and I will be with other students from Northridge Church. We will be showing God's love to the local community by serving, working, cleaning, painting, repairing, and sharing the gospel of Christ through our work! The dates of the trip are August 6th-10th.

This trip is being organized  through the Student Ministry Department at Northridge Church, where I have been attending for 8 years.

I would like for you to be involved with this experience and really appreciate your support. You can help me in two ways. The most important way you can support me is through prayer. Please pray for the team and I as we prepare for this trip, for safety and health of us all, success with the work projects and that the people we will be working for will see Christ in everything we do.

The second way you can support us is financially. 

The cost of this outreach trip is $160. 

Some of which I will earn. 

A contribution of $10, $25 or $50 

will help make a major difference. 

Any amount would be greatly appreciated 

and all can be tax deductible. 

Ask for that specific information if your'e interested.

Due to the nature of the trip all expenses must be paid in advance and would be due by August 5th. I decided to participate a little late, so the trip is coming up very quick! If you would like to support me we accept all forms of payment. 

My contact info is to my mom, Tracie Harris.  

You can reach her by email or telephone

fanciekid@hotmail.com ~ 734.891.7758 

Please remember your prayers are most important to me and greatly needed. Thank you in advance for your support and prayers and I look forward to sharing this experience with you when I return home.

Kaitlyn Elledge

By helping Kaitlyn reach her fundraising goal 

and spend a week of her young life serving her community, 

we are doing three amazing things

1. Helping a local area

One great focus of the Echo Mission is to serve locally in any way you can.  Kaitlyn is very excited to reach out to those people who are needing help RIGHT HERE!

2.  Growing Kaitlyn's faith

As a young and impressionable "tween", there is no greater gift you can give someone than that of opportunity and wholesome influence.  Kaitlyn is the perfect age to not only realize her own impact on the world but to also ACT!!

3.  Sharing God's Love

As is the main focus of The Echo Mission, Kaitlyn will be sharing the love of God with those she comes into contact with.  Something as simple as cleaning up a field, organizing food at a shelter, or just smiling at a stranger is enough to remind them of HOPE.

I pray you will consider 

sharing your prayers with Kaitlyn, 

and if it's possible, a small donation.  

She will forever be impacted by this upcoming week!

Help this gorgeous girl show some LOVE!!

The Water Project

what kind of water 

did you drink today?

tap?

filtered?

fiji?

voss?

surely you made sure it was laced with electrolytes..

maybe even spiked with a dash of citrus for flavor

If I'm wrong so far, 

I can be sure that none of you resorted to sipping toilet water

or drawing a bucket from a manhole.

who would do that?  

well.. these children in Sudan would

courtesy of 

so would these residents in Kenya

courtesy of

certainly not because they want to, however..

but because it is the only kind of water they have access to..

Thanks to 

The Water Project

that can be changed

By making a small donation

you can make a huge difference for a community by 

helping to bring clean water to them

Clean water for 

drinking

cleaning

personal hygiene

cooking

and farming

One of the greatest things you can do 

through The Water Project is 

fund an entire well

courtesy of

this takes a generous donation, or a team,

but carries the greatest result in 

providing a community with 

continued access to clean water

If you would like to serve 

in this small but significant way,

you should consider helping our personal friend 

Bernard Chung

shown here with his fiance, Janice

Bernard will be 30 next month

and in lieu of birthday gifts, 

he has requested that his 

friends and family instead

donate to his 

personal Water Project

Not only is his birthday coming up, 

but with an impending wedding, 

these two could easily accept

many gracious gifts..

instead, they want to GIVE.

how awesome is that?? 

He has a pretty great goal, 

but I know he can reach it!  

Please, take a look at his page

and the donation options available

Any amount will help get clean water

to a child that needs it!!

seriously.. 

think about it.. 

This is the reality

What will you do about it, today?

We're printed, people

My first batch of promo gear for The Echo Mission arrived last night

I adored it this morning during "magic hour" while doing bible study on the deck

I prayed over the supplies

(true story)

with hope that they would go on to 

serve their own little mission of

bringing people to share their personal goals and dreams with us

I cannot wait to sprinkle them around town

Watch for them.. they are just the beginning of the Echoes you'll see popping up :)

Thank you all for believing in this with me :)

Sole Hope!

Inspired by this post 

by one of my fave Blogtresses, 

Alissa Circle over at Rags to Stitches 

I decided to round up the Princess Posse 

and anyone else who's willing, 

to join me in a shoe cutting party for 

Sole Hope.

courtesy of

An amazing organization, this is..

Spurred by the video I have attached, 

Asher Collie, Founder of Sole Hope, 

courtesy of

decided she wanted to make a difference in the lives 

of those affected by the terrible effects 

of contact with jiggers (chigoe fleas).  

This is a parasite that lives in the sand and soil 

and burrows deep into the skin, 

infecting and paralyzing the body.  

this video is graphic in contact, 

and shows you exactly what is happening right now 

to residents of areas contaminated with this parasite.

Sole Hope works to provide shoes for these people,

as well as equipping them with a trade: sewing shoes!  

courtesy of

By hosting a "shoe cutting party"

you simply cut the pattern for the shoes

and Sole Hope mails your material to these areas

where workers are paid a fair wage to construct

closed-toe shoes for residents

Such a simple act 

and it provides comfort on many levels.

courtesy of

Think of all of the times you 

waltz into your yard to get the mail...

Or dance around the yard with your children...

Or decide to try running...

BAREFOOT

Where we have the choice of shoe-style,

or to wear them at all,

these people have none.  

Many are forced to put their 

precious skin into contaminated soil

and risk this awful result

If you would like to join 

our shoe-cutting party please email me at

theechomission@gmail.com
There is not a date, yet.
I'll be organizing this based on our current
philanthropy schedule!

If you would like to start your own Shoe Cutting Party, 
follow this link and read on for details

You can also purchase shoes, or simply donate to the cause

'Tis the season to go barefoot

with fresh-painted toes into fresh cut grass...

Let's help those who dread 

something we take for granted everyday!!

courtesy of

2 Million Dollars for REFUGE CHURCH

When I was young, I had the chance to meet

Krystal Stewart

She lived down the street from me.  

A few of my memories of her include figure skating together, walking to 7-11 for slurpees, and then swinging on her front porch, trying to touch our toes to the ceiling of the overhang.  She also had a huskie that could say "I love you".  So awesome!

Her father, York Ash, was a Pastor at a church in our neighborhood, WestWayne Christian Academy, and her home was always 

full of love and Jesus.  

She was one of my first "gateway friends" to the Lord.  

Later on I became a believer and found her again on Facebook.  
She is married and has three beautiful children.

I now have the pleasure of following her through the process of growing the church her and her husband, Ronnie, started just two years ago, in New Port Richey, Florida.

Refuge Church

In the following video you'll "meet" her husband, 

Pastor Ronnie Stewart

and hear his prayer for funding for their new church.  

Yes, you heard that right; 2 Million Big Ones!
In our day, that is not much at all.. reallyIf we can pay athletes to play games (even when they, *ahem*... drop the ball..)Build skyscrapersDrive luxury carsand so on..
We can help Refuge Church meet their markto build a church and serve GOD!
My challenge for all of you is to simply share the heck out of this video and donate if you can!
Help Pastor Ronnie and Krystal meet their goaland build a church that can grow their communityand serve the entire world!
If you have any questions, please refer to the above linked Refuge Church site, or message Pastor Krystal through her blog, facebook page, or her twitter
God's Best, and God Bless!

2012 Memory Walk; walk to end Alzheimer's

Join The Princess Posse 
our team leader, Maegan Bartell,

and thousands of Michiganians 

this year for the 

Memory Walk; Walk To End Alzheimer's

Held at the Detroit Zoo on Saturday August 25, 2012

People of all ages will walk with one great purpose:

To raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's.

courtesy of

If you are unaware of Alzheimer's, it is a debilitating disease that claims not only one's life, but their mental quality along the way.  Memory is lost, comprehension fades.. families and friends become strangers.  People change so drastically before the worst happens that it is difficult to keep up.  Just like all terminal illnesses, it takes its toll on the entire family.  

In raising this awareness, we can better serve the Alzheimer's-stricken members of our community and learn more about how to treat and prevent Alzheimer's in the future.

How you can help:

1. Start a team!!

Click Here to enter your information

and start a team of your own

2. Join the Princess Posse in the walk!

Click Here to learn how you can join our team and walk with us Saturday August 25 at the Detroit Zoo

3. Donate!

Click Here to donate to either the Princess Posse's goal

or to the walk, in general!

You'll see the "Donate" button on your lower right

4. Share This Post to raise awareness!

You can repost or email this post in order to share the information and bring awareness to your friends and family

If you have any questions or suggestions, 

comment and we will discuss together!

Thank you all ~