Dressember Week Three

I have been happily shocked by some new donations this week! Woo-hoo!  When I explained this whole thing to John, he said, "There's no way you are going to get $300 just for wearing a dress every day.  December is a slim month, and nobody gives."  His discouraging outlook has made me even more thankful every time someone gives.  It just makes me so thankful for every donation!

Our family also fought off a mean stomach bug between the end of Week 2/beginning of Week 3. We lost that battle, and all 4 of us caught it.

Dec. 15: It was a stay at home, finish decorating the tree, and do all the laundry that was puked on kind of day. I confess I did not wear a dress yesterday because I was too busy taking care of sick kids to change clothes. Official rules say it doesn't matter as long as you don't leave the house, but I had been trying to wear them all the time. Oh well, that's why there's grace, eh? I'm very close to reaching half way on my donation goal for #Dressember ! Would you consider contributing to the cause of freedom? "Person, not possession. Child, not commodity." Anon. #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement
#endtrafficking #christmastree

Dec. 16: The Honea girls got hit with the stomach virus last night, so today we are both exhausted and recovering. Thankfully, yesterday I washed this comfy dress so I can still participate in #Dressember from the couch. I'm feeling puny, but I know when I feel better I will have no limits to my freedoms. Did you know that an estimated 30,000 victims of trafficking die each year from abuse, neglect, torture, and disease? Eighty percent of those in sex trafficking are under 24 years old, and some as young as six. Let's join together and rescue a few of them. Please. Link in profile. #IJM #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement
#endtrafficking

Dec 17: First time to leave the house since Saturday! Woohoo! The kids and I ventured across the street for our regular Wednesday night activities at church and we all had a blast! Today's #Dressember picture comes with a complimentary #photobomb from Jonah. 
Being sick, I had forgotten to check email and the fundraising page and I was blown away by a few new donations when I got online today! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to ALL the people who have given so far!!! You are not only making me feel like wearing dresses and posting more on social media than ever before is truly worthwhile for this cause, but you are also giving to God when you give to those who cannot help themselves. {And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40} #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement
#endtrafficking #give #generous #IJM

#Dressember with my jumping bean. Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world. Would you like to help some good guys catch some bad guys? Check out what #internationaljusticemission #IJM stands for! #itsbiggerthanadress #youcandoanythinginadress#endslavery #enditmovement 
#endtrafficking

Dec. 19: Do you know how many slaves work for you? Thinking none? Try again. 
I have 72. 
I imagine many of them are helpless children. Go to slaveryfootprint.org and take the survey to find out how many you have. #Dressember exists to share this exact kind of information and bring freedom for some. It starts with a few of us standing up and saying "I care." Do you care? 
#fridayintroductions #IJM #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement 
#endtrafficking

Dec. 20: Winterizing a 'Summer' dress today for Dressember. A dear friend told me about a local ministry that seeks to help those trapped in prostitution. Memphis friends, have you heard of the 'A Way Out Program'? Looking for ways we can help closer to home is one way to put a face with the ministry. When you see this problem as a person instead of a statistic, it becomes far more personal and meaningful. Check out this resource or look for more in your area! http://www.ccvmemphis.org/#Dressember #IJM #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement 
#endtrafficking #memphis

Karis and I are both in dresses today! I had not missed one Sunday of church since we moved here in May, then I missed the last two Sundays because of sickness with Jonah. So today it was just wonderful to see everybody again!!! I am so thankful for the freedom to celebrate Christ. Those who are captives aren't free to do much, let alone go and worship.  #Dressember#DressemberBabies #IJM #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement 
#endtrafficking  #church #christmastree

Of course, if you are feeling led to give PLEASE visit my campaign page here: Honea Travels in Dresses.
Or if is after December, then just visit the IJM website and donate that way! 

Dressember Week Two

This was a fun week! I spent a lot of time in preparation for a Women's Ministry Progressive Christmas Brunch that was held on Saturday.

Dec. 8: I love how she leans in for kisses.  #dressember#itsbiggerthanadress #youcandoanythinginadress#endslavery #enditmovement 
#endtrafficking

Dec. 9: I typically do our grocery shopping while #babywearingbut I've never done it in a dress! I got all 80s today with my leg warmers and tights. I'm so thankful I have the freedom to chose how I dress and the freedom to go grocery shopping for my family. Women who are victims in human trafficking do not have those freedoms or many others. #dressember is all about shedding light on injustice and providing freedom. Please join us by donating via the link in my profile. #itsbiggerthanadress #IJM #youcandoanythinginadress#endslavery #enditmovement 
#endtrafficking  #C2CmeetsDressember

Dec. 10: I'd say I've gotten my mileage out of this dress. Someone tonight said, "Hey, you wore that dress a few days ago." Yes, yes I did. That's what happens when you commit to wearing dresses for a month before you consider how many functional dresses you own. Also, I am having Jean Withdrawals, so if you are a lady and you catch me staring at your rear end, I promise I'm admiring your pants, not really thinking beyond that. I'm missing my jeans, while millions of women around the world are desperately missing their freedom, missing their lives, missing their families. What or who are you missing tonight? Can you imagine if you were missing it ALL? Consider donating to #dressember to fight this global epidemic. If you're sick of these posts, donate more, because the faster I reach my goal, the faster I'll stop posting pictures of me in a dress, that I already wore this week. #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement
#endtrafficking #IJM

Dec 11: On the right, the movie 'Taken' shows a lot of realistic violence and human trafficking. So much that the first time I saw it, I felt sad and sick the rest of the day, and I felt haunted for weeks by the images of girls given drugs and forced into prostitution. That really exists. That really happens. In this country as well! Some estimates say that up to 80% of human trafficking is for sexual exploitation. The movie 'Taken' has one amazing father who conveniently has ex-military special spy training skills enough to track down and save his daughter. What about the other 20 Million girls? Who will save them? International Justice Mission does just that. Would you consider being Liam Neeson for a girl in need by donating a few dollars? {Obligatory dress picture on the left: I didn't go anywhere today, so I didn't feel the need to swap out for a new dress. I wear leggings or yoga pants and a long sleeve t shirt under this anyway, so it only really gets dirty when the kids wipe their noses/hands/faces on it.} #dressember #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement
#endtrafficking #IJM #sureyoucanbeliamneeson

Dec. 12: Still wearing dresses to help bring awareness to the evil of human trafficking.
Did you know that the majority of trafficking victims are between 18-24 years old?
Do you have family or friends in that age range? Do you remember when you were 18-24?
Think about the things that happened in your life in that time period.
I went to college, got married, and began my career in teaching. I can't imagine where I'd be if I had been kidnapped/sold instead. Link in profile. #dressember#itsbiggerthanadress #youcandoanythinginadress#endslavery #enditmovement
#endtrafficking #IJM

Dec. 13: Thanking God for a wonderful morning with lots of sweet ladies!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Christmas Brunch today!
Left side pic shows the proof of wearing a dress for #Dressember and the right shows one of my other new favorite ministry pieces, this gorgeous necklace from @projecthazina !
Did you know that International Justice Mission accounts for all the money you give?
Check out the webpage for how they bring freedom for the helpless and persecute those who capture the innocent. Project Hazina provides a woman with a job and an orphan with a blanket or pillow. #give #orphans#itsbiggerthanadress #youcandoanythinginadress#endslavery #enditmovement
#endtrafficking #dressedforafight #shopwithpurpose


I was very excited about these new leggings and the new necklace.  I did have a lot of fun at the women's ministry event! It felt short lived though, because late that night Jonah came down with the stomach virus and was up from 1 am to 8 am throwing up every half hour.  It was pitiful! It was so bad the next day recovering with him, that I did not put on the dress I had laid out to wear to church, since I was staying home.
I got busy with him and washing loads of laundry that he had thrown up on, and I just kind of forgot to go find another dress. So on December 14, I did not wear a dress.  I felt very guilty when I realized it several hours later, but was still too tired and busy to stop and figure out which one to put on.

If you feel led to give, please check out the campaign page here! 

Dressember Week One

John and I had the pleasure of participating with "Church of the Valley" in Huntsville, Alabama while we were there waiting on what was next and I was pregnant/Karis was a newborn.  They introduced us to several really cool ministry opportunities.  One of which was the unforgettable "Forget the Frock" movement.  This makes so much sense it's a little mind blowing.  A LOT of Christian people buy brand new fancy clothes to wear to church on Easter.  This is total tradition, not Biblical in the least.  "Forget the Frock" is a movement to encourage people to ask themselves, "How much money would I have spent on a brand new Easter outfit?" then to take that money and DONATE IT TO ORPHANS by buying an orphan-care ministry shirt to wear that Easter Sunday instead of fancy schmancy clothes that do nothing to glorify Jesus. It is meant to be done on a church-wide basis, so you don't feel awkward and alone at your church.  It's kind of an initiative that has to come from the pastor.  My heart melted and I became a huge proponent of this type of money-spending-that-honors-Jesus-not-just-my-closet thinking.

Sooooo, fast forward to December 1, 2014, and this little social media tool called "Instagram." I follow a lot of other Christian ladies on there who I've never met in real life, but have many similar life interests, and they post super encouraging/convicting things.  I saw a few people post their "Day 1 Dressember" pictures with interesting captions.  I read all about it.  I felt that it was like "Forget the Frock" meets a 5K fundraiser using clothes I already own.  I was all in.  Let me tell you what it is.

"Dressember" is a campaign where women choose to wear a dress (no skirts, has to be a dress), every day of December, in order to raise awareness and money to fight human trafficking, specifically for women.  It is designed to be a "creative challenge" in which women celebrate femininity by wearing dresses to help shed light on the plight on those forced to into the human slave trade.  I didn't even know how bad it was.  For example, did you know that close to 30 MILLION people are currently kept as slaves, and close to 70% of those are women? That is astoundingly sad and heartbreaking.  "Dressember" funds go to support the International Justice Mission who focus on ending violence and oppression for those who cannot protect themselves, primarily those enslaved.  On December 1, between 11pm-midnight, I decided to join this campaign and set up a page and wear dresses all month long, and post a picture proof/reminder/campaign update daily.  Here's my individual campaign page: Honea Travels in Dresses.

The very next morning, when I actually looked in my closet at my dress options, I regretted my decision.  I have 12 dresses.  Half are "comfortable" and easy to nurse in, and the other half are more like nice dresses that I wouldn't normally wear.  Also, *ahem* it's getting rather chilly outside.  So in 100% complete honesty, before even getting dressed on December 2nd, less than 9 hours after creating a "donations" page, I logged on and tried to figure out if I could just delete my page.  It's embarrassing. I couldn't find that as an option (well played Dressember founders, well played).  Therefore I took a deep breath and decided to follow through with this thing.  I found the most comfortable dress I own and put on leggings and a long sleeve t-shirt with the dress on top. I haven't looked back since!

This is how it's gone since then:
Week 1:

Did you participate in Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Why not participate in Giving Tuesday?! You can donate through the link in my profile to the Dressember Foundation as a ton of people join together to end human trafficking. #itsbiggerthanadress#worthwhilestyle #dressember #endslavery#enditmovement
#fairtuesday #givingtuesday #unselfie

I don't think I've ever done dishes in a dress before. I felt very June Cleaver-ish. John suggested I only wear a dress when I leave the house, but I feel like that's cheating. I wore a dress to workout last night and I'll be wearing dresses all day for the rest of the month, because there are an estimated 20 to 30 MILLION people enslaved today and 70% are women. Would you consider donating to the cause of freedom? Link in profile. #itsbiggerthanadress #worthwhilestyle#dressember #endslavery #enditmovement

I'm the girl who wears nice clothes in public then immediately comes home and changes into yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Not this month! Dresses all day, every day to celebrate femininity and shed light and awareness on women in slavery. Please check out International Justice Mission #IJM ijm.org to learn more about the organization behind #dressember Also please know that NO amount is too small to donate! It's fast, secure and you can chose anonymity if you prefer.
Mark 12:41- 44:
And he (Jesus) sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”  #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement


If you go to this link you can see the VIDEO I posted in lieu of a picture for Friday. This was the caption:
This is what my kids think the dresses are for: to hang on to for walking practice and as a Kleenex. Please excuse my initial reaction to that! I can't imagine what it must be like for mothers and their children who are the victims of human trafficking. Their dresses become a place to hide, to cry, and to chew on when there's nothing else to eat, if they are allowed to stay with their mothers at all. Over 5 MILLION Children are forced into slavery around the world right now. Will you help rescue one? Any amount is better than none! See link in profile. ‪#‎dressember‬ ‪#‎IJM‬ ‪#‎youcandoanythinginadress‬‪#‎endslavery‬ ‪#‎enditmovement‬ 
‪#‎endtrafficking‬ ‪#‎orphans‬

I worked out in a dress again. The average cost of a human slave in the world today is $90. Let the price of blood, skin and freedom sink in. The average cost to run an IJM rescue operation is $4,500, but usually saves several lives at once and holds the perpetrators accountable. We all spend money on things we need and want. Imagine you and your family today were kidnapped, separated and sold into slavery. Wouldn't you want someone to care? To maybe skip a few expensive coffees and give a little to the group who could bring you freedom? I know I would pray for it all the time. Since I've begun the #dressember challenge, I do remember to pray for them more. Be an answer to prayer for someone today. #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement
#endtrafficking #IJM

Love requires sacrifice. I know a ton of churches watched David Platt from the #IMB speak today on giving via the Lottie Moon offering. Yes, we will be participating in that. Giving to one organization does not exempt you from giving in other ways if you led. It's like telling your kids, "I fed you breakfast today. The rest of the meals are yours to figure out." When Jesus told Peter "Feed my sheep," he didn't specify which ones. If you feel God calling you to contribute to St. Jude or Lottie Moon or International Justice Mission, then just obey and give. He will bless you in return in ways you may not even realize until you get to Heaven. What small sacrifice can you make for the freedom of others? Donation link in profile! #itsbiggerthanadress#youcandoanythinginadress #endslavery#enditmovement
#endtrafficking #dressember #IJM#internationaljusticemission #vrsly #lottiemoon #give

Week 2: Dressember

Week 3: Dressember

Week 4: Dressember