Buy With A Purpose

A couple of weeks back Grae and I had the chance to help some friends out with a new adventure they have embarked on together. Ally is truly the one spearheading it, but I know she would say she couldn’t do any of it without Ben.

Ally and Ben both have a real heart for mission, and a big part of that call is global mission. However in this season of their lives they realize that is not what God has called them to. He has called them to have a global heart, but to be present to the missions that surround them currently on a daily basis. With that in mind Ally started developing a way to blend the two together and with that came Buy with a Purpose (BWAP).

It all started with a blog and showcasing products that were coming out of countries all over the world, but based/founded in the US. Then it flowed into buying products herself and selling them, and giving these organizations even more exposure than they would have had before. For Ally, this wasn’t just an easy way to make an extra income. Starting something like this from the ground up practically on your own isn’t easy, and she knew income wouldn’t come for a long time. It was the desire to make people like myself aware of these groups of people who exist around the world, who are making goods for the their survival, betterment of their community, and being wise with where we are putting our financial dollars. It can really be said that you are buying products that come with a purpose beyond your desire to “want it”. Hence, buy with a purpose.

Grae's and my involvement came when Ally and Ben decided to get a booth at Fish Fest, a huge Christian “Woodstock” of a day (where various different bands play throughout the day and businesses like Ally's set up throughout the space) and needed extra hands to help be available for all the day's logisitical needs. To get this kind of exposure would allow Ally and Ben the chance to share on a broader scale some specific organizations and their desire to open the floodgates for these kinds of products and their purpose.

Graeme had worked alongside Ally over the last few months in creating her logo and website, so it was great to see Ally and his work come together on this day. We got the chance to meet all kinds of people, share about four organizations Ally had been working with, and just support our friends with the calling they have on their lives.

Ally and Ben are world changers. They inspire Graeme and I to be prayerful about what our next steps are and what God is calling us to, but not just that, but how to live each day being influenced by the Holy Spirit. They are exciting friends to have and it is my hope and prayer that each of you find people like Ben and Ally, because you won’t ever be able to settle with the “average”.

Take the time to check our Ally’s blog and her website! She’s an advocate for these businesses, but really, it is the people behind the business that she is championing whether they started the organization or are the ones making the products. Her heart is for people; that we may not treat them and their causes like they are thousand miles away, but just around the block from us.

Where Did the Weekend Go?

It was the kind of weekend where Friday arrived and before I knew it, it was Monday morning, so unfortnately not a ton of time to write, but I did happen to pass this bit of inspiration. Hope it encourages your Monday morning whatever you may be doing!

A Firework of a Weekend!

What a wonderful couple of days it has been. To be able to have a three day week and a four day weekend is always nice, like a mini holiday!

Graeme and I both finished up our Wednesdays and enjoyed our afternoon together and then got the chance to take some of our good friends to one of our favorite movie theaters. It's the luxury kind, where the chairs recline all the way back and you can order food throughout the movie (it's the simple fun things in life for me!). It was kick to see how excited Ally and Ben got over the whole experience; thanks again for the champagne guys, it was a great choice!

Thursday Graeme and I decided since our big plans weren't until later that we were going to enjoy the day. We adventured off to our local coffee place and wandered around an art gallery we had been wanting to check out. Then we spent a good chunk of the afternoon laying out by the pool reading (it has been a while since we both have had this much time to read something that wasn't work related). We headed off to Dana Point, where we ventured around the harbor people watching and enjoying the afternoon's festivities. It has been great over the last three years to experience different coastal cities' celebrations, Dana Point is unique, because we found that almost everyone was on the water. There was a HUGE water fight taking place with at least 75 boats in the harbor; from water balloons, buckets, squirt guns, anything to get the other boat occupants wet. 

We then met up with some friends and headed out on a boat to watch the fireworks from the coast. This was so much fun, purely for the fact that it was Graeme's first time getting to see 4th of July fireworks up close. The first year we ended up seeing them from a playhouse a couple of miles away and then last year, because of the cloud cover they were only partially seen and really only in the distance, which resulted in us watching the New York fireworks on TV. 

I married the right guy in and of the fact that I love movies and so does he, so again, we took advantage of not working on Friday and caught an early showing of Monsters University (great prequel!) Then we came home and got ready for a garage sale we were having with some friends on Saturday morning and a bit of baking (some lemon basil butter cookies, oh so delicious!). 

Once we finished up that we headed off to a picnic in the park with some old and new friends. It was a great time to catch up and celebrate all the exciting things that are happening in each others lives! 

Saturday was a 5:00 am start for us, as we set up the garage sale at our friend's place. I haven't done a garage sale in AGES, just because I have never had the right place for it down here, but our friends have a great set up and it was so nice to be able to go through a ton of stuff, throw it out on the lawn and hope for the best! It was a fun morning of spending time with people, making deals, and even making a little bit of money. 

Then it was off to San Diego county for some good friend's wedding. This wedding was particularly special for me because I had walked enough life with the bride to know her dreams and heartaches, and to see her walking down the aisle to the best suited best friend for her was just so fun! Weddings bring out two emotions in me these days; one: that I am so happy that I never have to plan my wedding again and two: it reminds me of the vows I made to Graeme and how true they are to this day, always a nice reminder. 

So here we are on Sunday. It has been a great "lava" day. Haven't really changed out of the clothes I slept in, except to get in my swimsuit and swim in the pool for a bit. All in all it was a wonderful weekend with friends and my best friend. I realized this weekend how truly patient Graeme is with me and all my craziness; life would be a lot more boring without him that is for sure. 

Happy 4th of July! Happy Birthday 'Merica! Happy Let Freedom Ring Weekend! 

Now off to conquer my Monday...