Check Ups {Mandela Day} 26 / 67 ways to change the world

Wow, I have just realised that tomorrow will mark my final month of the 365 day challenge to blog daily! Crazy how the time has flown!

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health:

26. Take someone you know, who can’t afford it, to get their eyes tested or their teeth checked.


Many people cannot afford things that we consider to be basic rights, such as eye tests or dentist appointments. In the UK, we are fortunate to have the NHS system, which often covers these costs for those who cannot afford it, but I know that this kind of healthcare system is not in place in many countries. Support someone less fortunate than you are by enabling them to access these things that we take for granted/consider basic needs.

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit : http://www.summer-fit.com/blog/slow-metabolism-i-think-not}

CRC // Exerciseathon // ENDIT

I'm going to register for this event tomorrow! The CRC London exerciseathon on 14th September 2013 http://crclondon.com/exerciseathon Are you in? It's to raise money for The A21 Campaign as part of the ENDIT movement which fights against human trafficking and modern day slavery. I would LOVE IT if you could do it with me! The poster below is for more than one event (including their prayerathon happening from 8th September), but I'm going for the exerciseathon on 14th September. It is for men, women and children over 12 and should be really good! We need to register asap and then start getting people to sponsor us/donate to the cause. 

If you don't fancy taking part, you could always sponsor me/donate online to The A21 Campaign Check out The A21 Campaign here: http://www.thea21campaign.org/ and ENDIT here: http://www.enditmovement.com/
Blessings!

Ronell x


{photo credit: http://crclondon.com/exerciseathon}

Martin Luther King

50 years ago today, Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous "I have a dream" speech, urging his fellow Americans to keep striving towards their goal of equality.

Today, we look to his inspiring words, as we work toward building a more equal world - a world where everyone has the right to walk free. Read more about modern day slavery and how we can end it on Walk Free.

Leave your mark in the world. 50 years ago today, Martin Luther King stepped out and acted courageously to change the  face of the world. We don't all have the opportunity to change the world on such a large scale, but we all have a voice and a responsibility to do what we can to change the world.

Blessings!

Ronell x

Urgent Petition to End Child Slavery in India

I received this message from the Walk Free team today and wanted to share it on here. Please read it and sign- children's lives are hanging in the balance here!

Blessings!

Ronell x

***URGENT*** Time is running out. The Indian Parliament is going to adjourn on Friday so we are in Delhi and planning to deliver the petition TOMORROW calling on the Indian Parliament to abolish child slavery in India by passing the "Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill”.

 Click to take action before 8pm on Wednesday so we can add your signature before we head to the printer!

Every day, millions of children in India wake up to long hours of backbreaking labour, working everywhere from stone quarries to carpet factories to rice mills. These children—some as young as 5 years-old—are kept from school and forced to work 7 days a week for up to 18 hours a day in hazardous situations that leave them permanently injured or crippled by heavy loads and dangerous equipment. 

Because these children are often left illiterate and plagued with health problems, they are—in a cruel twist of fate—less likely to find employment once they reach adulthood. This continued enslavement of children traps generations of Indians in a vicious cycle of slavery, illiteracy and poverty.

Thankfully, Indian politicians are considering legislation called the "Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill," which: 1) prohibits employment of children under 14 years of age, 2) outlines harsh sentences for violators, and 3) provides for monitoring of suspected cases of child slavery. This legislation would put an end to the enslavement of children in India, but it risks not passing without a demonstration of mass public support. That is why we are personally delivering 1,010,917 signatures on the 29^thof August to the Parliament of India, calling on them to immediately pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill.

TAKE ACTION. Add your name to the petition calling on the Indian Parliament to abolish child slavery in India.  

Days from now, the Parliament of India will close the doors on its Monsoon Session. They need to know that any further delay in the passage of this historic law banning child labour in their country is simply unacceptable.

For every day that this bill is delayed, millions of children in India will continue to be trapped in the nightmare of modern slavery. While leaders in India remain inactive, an entire generation remains at risk of being bought and sold to work in unimaginable conditions of sex slavery, bonded labour and domestic servitude.

By keeping this crucial bill off the agenda, the Indian Parliament is allowing modern slavery to continue to rob children of the chance to be healthy, educated and free to build a bright future for themselves and for their country.

Tell Indian politicians to pass the "Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill" NOW.

We can end child slavery in India.

After you take action, will you take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family to make sure that as many people as possible join us in pressuring the Indian Parliament to protect millions of children from modern slavery? Thank you in advance for your help.

In solidarity,

Debra, Nick, Jessica, Kate, Mich, Amy and the Walk Free Team

Medical Supplies {Mandela Day} 25 / 67 ways to change the world

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health:

25. Donate some medical supplies to a local community clinic.


If you have access to medical supplies that you can donate to a local clinic, do so. If the local clinics where you are are unable to take these kinds of donations, donate supplies to organisations that are sending them to third world countries (be aware of their specific requests, needs and guidelines). If you do not have access to medical supplies that might be useful to a clinic, you could do something like put together very basic household 'first aid kits' (plasters, disinfecting wipes, antiseptic cream, etc) and distributing them to homeless people, homeless shelters, or local families who may not be able to afford these items that most of us consider to be basics.

Blessings!

Ronell x


{photo credit: http://dailynewsdig.com/10-things-you-shouldnt-donate-after-a-disaster/}

Go To The Park {Mandela Day} 24 / 67 ways to change the world

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health:

24. Take younger members of your family for a walk in the park.


If you do not have younger family members, you could always take a friend's children to the park- give the parents a well earned rest and have a treat and some time out of the house for the kids! Plus, it is actually really fun to baby sit other people's kids for an afternoon (especially when you don't have your own)- win/win situation :)

Blessings!

Ronell x
 
{photo credit: http://www.medicorium.com/}

Donate Toys {Mandela Day} 23 / 67 ways to change the world

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health:

23. Take a bag full of toys to a local hospital that has a children’s ward.


Children's wards often have old, tatty and out of date toys. Or sometimes, just not a big enough variety of toys (especially for children who are there for longer periods of time). Have a clear out and instead of throwing old/unused toys away, donate them to a children's ward at a hospital, or to a charity shop. If you don't have children and have no old toys to donate, think about donating something like books or magazines to your local hospital or charity shop.

Blessings!

Ronell x


{photo credit: http://veryrosenberry.com/2012/07/no-toy-gets-left-behind-toy-story-party/}

Get The All Clear {Mandela Day} 22 / 67 ways to change the world

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health':

22. Get tested for HIV and encourage your partner to do so too.


As previously mentioned, HIV and AIDS is rife in South Africa, so it is the disease at the forefront of South Africans' minds. Raising awareness of an illness such as HIV/AIDS can save a life as it is also (but not by any means exclusively) a sexually transmitted disease and raising awareness of how it can be contracted in this way could and does save lives. If you are sexually active, it is very important that you (and your partner) get yourselves tested for STDs and STIs to prevent them spreading and to prevent future illness or infertility. Knowledge is power, so go to your local clinic and get yourself tested!

Blessings!

Ronell x


{photo credit: http://www.getholistichealth.com/5338/same-day-std-tests-and-home-testing-procedures/}

Raise Awareness {Mandela Day} 21 / 67 ways to change the world

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health':

21. Talk to your friends and family about HIV.


As previously mentioned, HIV and AIDS is rife in South Africa, so it is the disease at the forefront of South Africans' minds. You could equally spread/raise awareness about another illness or cause that you (or a loved one) suffer from or support by telling others about it. Raising awareness of an illness such as HIV/AIDS can save a life as it is also (but not by any means exclusively) a sexually transmitted disease and raising awareness of how it can be contracted in this way could and does save lives.

Blessings!

Ronell x



{photo credit: http://www.voatibetanenglish.com/content/article/1381748.html}

Bring Sunshine {Mandela Day} 20 / 67 ways to change the world

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health':

20. Many terminally ill people have no one to speak to. Take a little time to have a chat and bring some sunshine into their lives.


This kind of ties in with yesterday's post about  volunteering at a hospice, as this seems like the natural place to do this, but you can also take time to visit terminally ill neighbours and friends at home. People often choose to go home to die as it is familiar and less clinical, but they are also often very lonely and sad during this time. Take the time to brighten their day by chatting to them, doing something practical like washing their hair, or just keeping them company for a while. 

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit: https://www.lds.org/topics/humanitarian-service/help}

Hospice Volunteer {Mandela Day} 19 / 67 ways to change the world

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health':

19. Help out at your local hospice, as staff members often need as much support as the patients.


I have seen the tremendous impact that hospices have in the final days of a terminally ill patient and their family! A local hospice near me which has made and incredible difference to many friends and their families is St Francis Hospice. Their amazing work is only possible through the brilliant volunteers! So why not volunteer your time at a local hospice like St Francis Hospice where you can support and stand with patients and their families? You'll never know the difference that you have made in their lives!

Blessings!

Ronell x 

{photo credit: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/good_works_of_the_hospice_volunteer_card-137153100673091317}

How To Be An Epic Lover: Beautiful advice from a divorced man after 16 years of marriage

I found this article on James Russell Lingerfelt's blog tonight and thought I would share. It is directed at men about how to fully love a woman, but there are obviously many things that us ladies can glean from it too! Enjoy!

Blessings!

Ronell x

Beautiful advice from a divorced man after 16 years of marriage

My advice after a divorce following 16 years of marriage, by Gerald Rogers.

Obviously, I’m not a relationship expert. But there’s something about my divorce being finalized this week that gives me perspective of things I wish I would have done different… After losing a woman that I loved, and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had

1. Never stop courting. Never stop dating. NEVER EVER take that woman for granted. When you asked her to marry you, you promised to be that man that would OWN HER HEART and to fiercely protect it. This is the most important and sacred treasure you will ever be entrusted with. SHE CHOSE YOU. Never forget that, and NEVER GET LAZY in your love.

2. Protect your own heart. Just as you committed to being the protector of her heart, you must guard your own with the same vigilance. Love yourself fully, love the world openly, but there is a special place in your heart where no one must enter except for your wife. Keep that space always ready to receive her and invite her in, and refuse to let anyone or anything else enter there.

3. Fall in love over and over again.  You will constantly change. You’re not the same people you were when you got married, and in five years you will not be the same person you are today. Change will come, and in that you have to re-choose each other everyday. SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO STAY WITH YOU, and if you don’t take care of her heart, she may give that heart to someone else or seal you out completely, and you may never be able to get it back. Always fight to win her love just as you did when you were courting her.

4. Always see the best in her. Focus only on what you love. What you focus on will expand. If you focus on what bugs you, all you will see is reasons to be bugged. If you focus on what you love, you can’t help but be consumed by love. Focus to the point where you can no longer see anything but love, and you know without a doubt that you are the luckiest man on earth to be have this woman as your wife.

5. It’s not your job to change or fix her… your job is to love her as she is with no expectation of her ever changing. And if she changes, love what she becomes, whether it’s what you wanted or not.

6. Take full accountability for your own emotions: It’s not your wife’s job to make you happy, and she CAN’T make you sad. You are responsible for finding your own happiness, and through that your joy will spill over into your relationship and your love.

7. Never blame your wife if you get frustrated or angry at her, it is only because it is triggering something inside of YOU. They are YOUR emotions, and your responsibility. When you feel those feelings take time to get present and to look within and understand what it is inside of YOU that is asking to be healed. You were attracted to this woman because she was the person best suited to trigger all of your childhood wounds in the most painful way so that you could heal them… when you heal yourself, you will no longer be triggered by her, and you will wonder why you ever were.

8. Allow your woman to just be. When she’s sad or upset, it’s not your job to fix it, it’s your job to HOLD HER and let her know it’s ok. Let her know that you hear her, and that she’s important and that you are that pillar on which she can always lean. The feminine spirit is about change and emotion and like a storm her emotions will roll in and out, and as you remain strong and unjudging she will trust you and open her soul to you… DON’T RUN-AWAY WHEN SHE’S UPSET. Stand present and strong and let her know you aren’t going anywhere. Listen to what she is really saying behind the words and emotion.

9. Be silly… don’t take yourself so damn seriously. Laugh. And make her laugh. Laughter makes everything else easier.

10. Fill her soul everyday… learn her love languages and the specific ways that she feels important and validated and CHERISHED. Ask her to create a list of 10 THINGS that make her feel loved and memorize those things and make it a priority everyday to make her feel like a queen.

11. Be present. Give her not only your time, but your focus, your attention and your soul. Do whatever it takes to clear your head so that when you are with her you are fully WITH HER. Treat her as you would your most valuable client. She is.

12. Be willing to take her sexually, to carry her away in the power of your masculine presence, to consume her and devour her with your strength, and to penetrate her to the deepest levels of her soul. Let her melt into her feminine softness as she knows she can trust you fully.

13. Don’t be an idiot…. And don’t be afraid of being one either. You will make mistakes and so will she. Try not to make too big of mistakes, and learn from the ones you do make. You’re not supposed to be perfect, just try to not be too stupid.

14. Give her space… The woman is so good at giving and giving, and sometimes she will need to be reminded to take time to nurture herself. Sometimes she will need to fly from your branches to go and find what feeds her soul, and if you give her that space she will come back with new songs to sing…. (okay, getting a little too poetic here, but you get the point. Tell her to take time for herself, ESPECIALLY after you have kids. She needs that space to renew and get re-centered, and to find herself after she gets lost in serving you, the kids and the world.)

15. Be vulnerable… you don’t have to have it all together. Be willing to share your fears and feelings, and quick to acknowledge your mistakes.

16. Be fully transparent. If you want to have trust you must be willing to share EVERYTHING… Especially those things you don’t want to share. It takes courage to fully love, to fully open your heart and let her in when you don’t know i she will like what she finds… Part of that courage is allowing her to love you completely, your darkness as well as your light. DROP THE MASK… If you feel like you need to wear a mask around her, and show up perfect all the time, you will never experience the full dimension of what love can be.

17. Never stop growing together… The stagnant pond breeds malaria, the flowing stream is always fresh and cool. Atrophy is the natural process when you stop working a muscle, just as it is if you stop working on your relationship. Find common goals, dreams and visions to work towards.

18. Don’t worry about money. Money is a game, find ways to work together as a team to win it. It never helps when teammates fight. Figure out ways to leverage both persons strength to win.

19. Forgive immediately and focus on the future rather than carrying weight from the past. Don’t let your history hold you hostage. Holding onto past mistakes that either you or she makes, is like a heavy anchor to your marriage and will hold you back. FORGIVENESS IS FREEDOM. Cut the anchor loose and always choose love.

20. Always choose love. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. In the end, this is the only advice you need. If this is the guiding principle through which all your choices is governed, there is nothing that will threaten the happiness of your marriage. Love will always endure.

In the end marriage isn’t about happily ever after. It’s about work. And a commitment to grow together and a willingness to continually invest in creating something that can endure eternity. Through that work, the happiness will come. Marriage is life, and it will bring ups and downs. Embracing all of the cycles and learning to learn from and love each experience will bring the strength and perspective to keep building, one brick at a time.

These are lessons I learned the hard way. These are lessons I learned too late. But these are lessons I am learning and committed in carrying forward. Truth is, I loved being married, and in time, I will get married again, and when I do, I will build it with a foundation that will endure any storm and any amount of time.

If you are reading this and find wisdom in my pain, share it those those young husbands whose hearts are still full of hope, and with those couples you may know who may have forgotten how to love. One of those men may be like I was, and in these hard earned lessons perhaps something will awaken in him and he will learn to be the man his lady has been waiting for.

MEN- THIS IS YOUR CHARGE: Commit to being an EPIC LOVER. There is no greater challenge, and no greater prize. Your woman deserves that from. Be the type of husband your wife can’t help but brag about.

—

Did you like this article about exploring the love, marriage, and the pursuit and value of women? Make sure to check out The Mason Jar, a coming of age love story from the male perspective by James Russell Lingerfelt. The novel helps readers find healing after severed relationships.

The Mason Jar movie is scheduled for pre-production in 2015 and will be directed in the same dramatic and romantic tones as The Notebook (2004) and Pride & Prejudice (2005). Follow him on facebook or twitter for updates.

Her father threw her off a bridge

Not for Sale reported the following story:

All we know is that her father threw her off a bridge.

The border of Myanmar and Thailand is laden with drug use. Parents force their children to beg in order to supply their addiction to opium. Not only are these children stateless, unrecognized by either government, but they are often enslaved by their own parents.

Maybe he was high or drunk. Maybe she didn’t come up with enough money to supply his next fix. Maybe she had become an inconvenience to him. We don’t know; all we know is that he threw her off a bridge.

Border guards often look the other way. Stateless people are of no concern to them. But in this moment, one border guard saw what happened and jumped in after the girl. He rescued her and she was taken to Not For Sale Thailand, where she has a family, rehabilitation, education, and hope for the future.

It took one person taking an unexpected action to save this girl’s life. One person is all it takes to bring a child from vulnerability and exploitation to love and opportunity. We know you would jump in after her too. You can be that one person for a vulnerable child.

A donation of $280 provides care for a rescued child for an entire year. Together, we can offer sustainable recovery to children otherwise vulnerable to exploitation. Your action counts. Join us today.

This one man's decision to step outside of the norm changed this girl's fate and literally saved her life! How can you step out of your comfort zone today to change the world?

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit: http://www.causes.com/causes/597-not-for-sale/updates/797318}

IJM // Kids fighting against Slavery!

For those of us (myself included) who think they have nothing of real value to offer in the fight against modern day slavery, watch this: http://bit.ly/17p9LJL! Kayleigh and Hannah (two little girls from America) are taking initiative by using what they have and starting where they are to fight against modern day slavery! What a challenge to us all!!! 

So... what will you do to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves? How will you raise money and awareness and fight to free over 27 million people that are trapped in modern day slavery? It can be as simple as going door to door and spreading the word/asking for change (like Hannah), or setting up a regular lemonade stand (like Kayleigh). 

What can/will you do?

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/UN.GIFTVienna?hc_location=stream}

HIV / AIDS {Mandela Day} 18 / 67 ways to change the world //

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health':

18. Get in touch with your local HIV organisations and find out how you can help.


There are many local health-centred charities that you could get involved with in many different ways like volunteering, donating, fundraising, etc. HIV/AIDS is named here because it is rife in Africa and is spreading all over the world, but you could choose an illness that is more closely affects your community/country if you do not feel particularly driven by that one. 

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit: http://www.drkabra.com/hiv.php}