Shaklee Expo

Yesterday Goddaughter Maria was here for a sewing day. She finally finished the ribbon bag from Made  by Me (See previous blogs for bibliographical info.) She was thrilled to have her own purse, "not Grace's", and something which was homemade. We adapted the pattern to add a flap with a button so she is less likely to loose things. She could not find her cross stitch project, known as "MPO" for her initials, or, as Godfather thought, "Main Post Office".  She had two yards of a beautiful blue and purple floral print challis fabric with her, however, so we rummaged through my patterns and cut out a skirt. I even had an appropriately colored zipper in the right length in my stash, so we are ready to sew next time she comes over.

Last evening we also had a Shaklee Expo. It was the first time I tried the Enfuselle Calming Complex, and I have to say that I looked like a different person this morning. My skin looked so young and fresh. I am so tempted to keep a bottle on hand for special ocassions. I also won two bags of the new Cinch Crisps. I had one today as my lunch. The crisps are about the thickness of Fritos, and I have to say they have kept me well satisfied. I am now keeping a box of Cinch Meal Bars in my car for meals on the run. I heard several interesting testimonies. One of our "users" has improved so much in the heart health department that she no longer needs her pacemaker! Another woman from the Cities was able to reverse her macular degeneration, which had gone from dry to wet, by using Vivix and Omegas. I also heard of a couple more two year olds who swallow their vitamins and supplements as Ariana does. Another wonderful story told about MRSA reversal with high doses of the Shaklee Garlic. I do not think I knew Heidi when she was at her heaviest weight,  but she said last evening that she has lost 110 pounds on Cinch. It must be over the course of three or four years, which is incredible, since most people will have been on several diets in that amount of time, and will have experienced the yo-yo diet effect, lose, gain back even more, lose, gain  back even more.  Impressive. She still has a few pounds to go to get to her wedding weight. I have work to do to improve my health with more exercise and less food, but I know I am on the right track with the right nutritional supplements, and the right company.

Human Trafficking in Central Minnesota

     I often pick up copies of the complimentary magazine, Central Minnesota Women to see what is new in our area. The October/November 2012 raised my eyebrows a bit. I would like to share a few statistics from the cover story, "Trendsetters Boutique: Battling the Oldest Oppression". First note the title words: "oppression", not,"profession", indicating that prostitution is not really a profession of choice. That is certainly a change from the attitude most of us have held about prostitution in the past. Then look at the statistic on the following page that says 95% of prostitutes use drugs or alcohol, because they are more easily controlled by their pimps if they are addicted. Hardly a matter of choice. Further down you see the estimate that a girl entering into prostitution at the age of 13 will probably only live five to seven more years. According to the article, the FBI says Minnesota sells about 10,000 women and girls into sex slavery every year, with the metropolitan area accounting for the 13th largest center for child prostitution in the country. Further yet, a 16 year old woman had been prostituting out of an unnamed St. Cloud hotel 80 times in one year. That's St. Cloud, folks.

     The article hit home with me as the mother of a foster child who attempted to run away. Said child had been sexually abused in her birth home. Her counselor revealed that she had undergone "grooming" with one of birth mom's boyfriends. At the time that she reappeared at our door after running (Looked like she had made a path in the snow out to the road, then retreated to hide in a car in the garage) the police officer at our home warned her of the dangers that await girls out on the street. After three disrupted adoptions, at the age of 18 this young woman moved into her own apartment. Within days she had moved out of the apartment and in with a young man. When she broke up with him she immediately moved in with another man who had a prison record and a pornographic photography business.  She is a mother now, but sees pornography  and exotic dancing as perfectly acceptable occupations. Last we heard her three youngest children had all been removed from her home. She had already surrendered her first child. How does one begin to penetrate the years of abuse to re-educate her on what a real relationship, and a real family, look like?

      Stop the johns, and prostitution necessarily stops. But how does a person convince men that prostitution is immoral? The  same can be said for pornography. If no one bought it, no one would produce it.

     The sexual revolution and the Pill have done nothing to diminish the problems of sexual abuse and prostitution,  not even replacing them with masterbation, homosexuality (We'll not even address homosexual prostitution here!), adultery, or fornication, which one might assume would happen now that anything goes. Why not? Could it be that feeding the appetite really makes it stronger and more difficult to control, rather than easier to manage?

     Dear Lord, help us to know You, love You, and serve You. St. Michael, pray for us.