"our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

will you flourish in the desert?


Therefore I am now going to allure her, I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of (Trouble) a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the days she came up out of (bondage). “In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ (Hosea 2:14-16)


Lately i have found myself in the midst of this and found those wise words extremely helpful for my situation. I hope that whoever comes across this can also be encouraged.


"I wonder, sometimes, if God doesn’t take that same strategy with us today. Could He be allowing us to go through a desert and even at times lead us there so He can “speak tenderly” to us and show us a new side of Himself? Sometimes God allows us to go through certain deserts as consequences of our sin or some bad decisions we made along the way. But other times, I believe He will lead us through a desert because of how He wants us to experience Him there. What desert might God be allowing you to walk through right now so He can show you a new side of Himself? To make sure you don’t miss your opportunity to see a new side of God and grow closer to Him through your circumstances, remember these three things when the winds of difficulty begin to blow your way: 

1. Seek God’s Favor –Ask God what side of Himself He wants you to see, what characteristic of His He’s waiting to reveal to you, what level of His love He’s wanting you to experience. To seek His favor is to say “I want You to be pleased, Lord, in how I’m handling this. Grow me through it – for your glory!”

2. Surround Yourself with Support – None of us were intended to “go it alone.” Find some women in your church who support you in your faith and can encourage you and hold you accountable during the tough times. Having strong friends to lean on – and who can pray for you – will steer you in the right direction and keep you from becoming bitter. 

3. Sing – regardless of your circumstances. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we’re told “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I’ve paraphrased that verse to read, “In all things, sing…” To sing in our suffering lifts our hearts and keeps us focused on the growth God wants to incorporate in our lives. God will, at times, do what it takes to draw us to His side so we will depend on Him more. Kris and Robert are learning this, and are determined now more than ever to bloom amidst their burdens. Will you flourish in your desert, as well?"

Thursday, August 21, 2014

dear heart...take courage


pornography is continuing to erode children's innocence if we don't do something about it.











Almost eight out of 10 young women said pornography had led to pressure on girls to look and act a certain way,

In findings that will add to concerns over the sharing of explicit photographs, 46% of 18-year-olds polled said sending sexual or naked photographs and videos was "part of everyday life for teenagers nowadays".

read more:
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/aug/20/teenagers-internet-pornography-damaging-poll

EASY TIGER: Sydney Bar profits from the sexualisation of women



If we aren't already facing enough bombardment from our media, advertising and culture with the hyper-sexualised images of women, we can now also expect it from our bars and clubs as well. I know this is not a new thing to have women on display to service the needs of men in bars and clubs etc... but they are usually advertised in a certain way to draw a certain clientele ( e.g. strip clubs) 

The new bar in Paddington Easy Tiger is being praised for it's 70's theme that includes nude pictures of women around the place and that "people have been taking advantage of our roller girl services." "so you can take a seat and a roller girl will come and sort your food and drink out"

We are living in a society where women's bodies are continually being used to profit the business of men. Women are viewed as a commodity and this is why it is a problem. When we are continually conditioned to see a woman as a sexual object it has a negative affect in a variety of domains: 

  •      Cognitive and emotional health: Sexualisation and objectification undermine a person's   confidence in and comfort with her own body, leading to emotional and self-image problems, such as shame and anxiety. 

  •        Mental and physical health: Research links sexualization with three of the most common mental health problems diagnosed in girls and women—eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression or depressed mood.     

  •       Sexual development: Research suggests that the sexualization of girls has negative     consequences on girls' ability to develop a healthy sexual self-image.







When we as a society remain silent and complicit about these issues we are contributing to a culture that is intoxicating the spirits of women. I don't know about you but i do not want to be one that contributes to that. Especially when i know that one day i may be brining a girl into this world i want to be able to face her and tell her i have done all i can to make this world a better place for her. At Collective Shout our vision is to end the world of sexploitation. We are a Collective Shout of people who are determined to create a better world for young people, to help heal the beauty sickness young girls and boys are experiencing and challenging the cultural messages that have been spoon fed into us that are making us ill! 




Monday, August 18, 2014

REDEFINING BEAUTY:


 “This photo shoot is my tribute to all the brave women across the globe who have gone through this gruesome torture."


We live in a society where women are bombard with a one-dimensional version of beauty. Young girls are conditioned from a young age that to be 'hot', 'sexy' and 'attractive' to men is all they are designed for. When we put this pressure on young women we are knocking out of them their ability to focus on things that are more important than their outward appearance. When we see articles like this i wonder what women in Australia think. Would they honestly be able to cope with this being a reality for them? Would they stand in front of a camera and have a photo shoot? The way i see women obsessing over themselves i wonder if they would honestly not want to kill themselves if their outward appearance was damaged. Our society is creating a beauty sickness and what disturbs me the most is that women who have absolutely no defect are depressed and ill because they feel like they're not "pretty" enough. pretty enough for who? for what reason?? Is there not so much more to life than tying to achieve an attractive outward appearance?? This article is truly inspiring and i cannot even fathom what this would be like to experience, the excruciating pain of it and the absolutely inhumane experience of it all. Yet these brave women are rising above it all and being a voice of hope to all the other women in the world who are at the hand of horrific torture. 

below is the link to the article and an opportunity to help stop acid attacks:

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

let go of fear and love yourself as the person you are. what i think, therefore i am


a collective shout for a world that is free



WE MUST DO SOMETHING!!!!! 
The repercussions of girls growing up believing this and this becoming their lives is detrimental to the progression of our society! please understand the impact we are all having on the lives of young people. We must break away from what our society has made us believe about worth and beauty as a woman. A girl is more than her body parts. She is not defined by how "hot" she is or how may clothes she has, or what size she fits in to. We must overcome our own insecurities and be strong for the girls who have no guidance and help against a society that convinces them they are never good enough!!!! 

“Girls aren’t born hating their bodies. They aren’t born hating their lives. Something was happening that was poisoning girls’ spirits.”

“Problems such as eating disorders and self-harm, which once had been extremely rare, were now happening in every classroom and every street. But more than this, the average girl was stressed and depressed in a way we hadn’t seen before," - Steve Biddulph