I love the holiday season. As a Leslie Knope - I relish festivities and enjoying celebrating them to their nth degree. However, I also love the holiday season because as an Anne Shirley - it’s an excellent time to reflect.

The month of November is a great time to look back on your year or life and to be thankful for all the blessings you’ve received. Technically speaking, we should cultivate this attitude of gratitude all-year but November is a great month to start. Especially since November can be an increasingly busy month as we get lost in the commercialism and hectic schedules of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So here’s my request to you:

1. Slow down and practice gratitude every day. Make a list of 5+ things you are thankful for every day and write them down. If you love Jesus - add 3 promises that He fulfilled that day. It’s a great way to remember Biblical truth.

But also - as December approaches - I wanted to invite you to join me in participating in Dressember.

Dressember is a campaign where participants either wear a dress everyday (ladies) or a bow tie (gentleman) in order to create conversations and awareness about human trafficking. They also have a fundraising page.

While I don’t mind indulging in the feminine every now and again - the idea of wearing a dress daily has daunted me for years. Especially because my birthday is in December and well on my birthday I want to wear the most comfortable outfit ever. In years past, I’ve copped out by donating weekly or worn a dress in solidarity on Sundays. Well this year I decided that my inconvenience at wearing a dress every day in December pales in comparison to the over 30 million people worldwide who are enslaved.

So while I’d love it if people wanted to join my team and participate in Dressember with me - that’s actually not my expectation at all. Here’s what I’d like to invite you to do:

1. EDUCATE YOURSELF.
   Human trafficking is a big deal - regardless of faith. The thought that over 30 million people are enslaved worldwide should enrage us all. Not only that but human trafficking is a 150 billion dollar industry and about 2 million children are exploited in sex trafficking. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Read about how you can help make changes.

2. DONATE MONEY
   Dressember works with organizations like A21, IJM, Love146 and a whole host of other organizations. The best part about it is - they’re working with organizations that actually are focused on long term change so you can be confidence that your money isn’t being wasted.

3. SHOP SUSTAINABLY.
   Not only does shopping sustainably help environmental impacts but most stores that the average American shops at sells clothes that were made by slaves. I understand that it’s not always possible to buy sustainable clothing since it’s so expensive (that’s the price of freedom) but shopping at second-hand stores or thrift stores is an easy way to not directly give money to companies that utilize trafficking while still maintaining a budget. Salvation Army and Goodwill and a lot of other thrift shops actually help their communities as well - so double win. BUT if you absolutely have to have that new jacket from American Eagle - places like Poshmark or ThredUp are great options as well since they’re almost always slightly cheaper AND the money goes to other people just like you. Obviously there are some exceptions and grace abounds. But small choices like this really do add up in the long run.

I really believe that if we make conscious decisions towards change - it will happen. Believing the lie that one person can’t make a difference prevents any change at all. So educate yourselves, find ways to help or get involved and make small choices that help promote freedom for everyone!

I’ll start wearing dresses December 1st so follow along on Instagram for those updates! You can also donate here.