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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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February 5, 2012

Simply Sunday…Sharing Hope through Showing Love



We, like you LOVE all of the beautiful, sweet and fun Valentine’s Day projects that are popping up everywhere!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our projects…and we have several more in store for you! But, we’ve been introduced to a Valentine’s Day project that is far lovelier than any of these.

“Com amor”
“Você é uma menina linda!” 
“Saiba que você é amada.” 


You might not know what these words mean, but they are words every young lady deserves to hear on  Valentine’s Day!

The lovely Susan, from My Place to Yours, shared with us an extra special Valentine’s Day Project that touched our hearts and spoke to our souls! If you have met Susan, you know that she has a passion for an amazing ministry Hope Unlimited for Children, a ministry that brings Hope to children in Brazil, specifically young women who are living on the streets, many trying to survive by turning to prostitution.

Let me share some of  her words with you: 

As I worked this week, I thought about Valentines Day and my own growing up years.  I suppose my earliest memory is of giving Valentines to my friends at school.  The list of friends’ names that the teacher sent home … and addressing a card for everyone in the class.  Decorating a shoe box with a slit in it to serve as a “mail box” for collecting the Valentines.  You, too, perhaps?  


Hearts and Cupid became favorite “early” Valentine themes …And the conversation hearts were always fun!   n my (now called) “tween” and early teen years, the “day of love” coincided with diary entries and puppy love crushes.  

Eventually, pretty chocolates …

and pretty flowers … and dating entered the picture.


Dating … that human courtship ritual filled with social activities and relational assessment.  That critical time in young life when choices affect the future.  When conscientious, caring parents pray their children have listened.


But what happens when there were no conscientious, caring parents?  When a young girl is abused … or prostituted … by her parents?  When she’s taught that her only value is as a sexual object?  How can she possibly understand what true love is?

via Hope Unlimited 

That is the reality for most of the girls at Hope Unlimited for Children. The concept of dating and marriage, love and family, evoke feelings of confusion and guilt and fear.  But their story doesn’t have to end there …


In Brazil, the Day of Love is in early Summer.  

On that day, surrounded by godly women who love them, the girls at Hope Unlimited are taught about true love and purity and what it means to be of value as one of God’s highest creations … and loved by their Creator. 


Valentines that come from people who took time to make a few extra Valentines for someone they don’t know.  People like you and me.  It’s a very small act that has a huge impact on the way young girls think of themselves … and how they face the future.

Vanessa and I were so moved by Susan’s post! We are going to be spending the next couple of weeks encouraging our friends and family to join us in providing a special “Day of Love” for these young women!  We will be sharing our progress in the next few weeks.  Would you please consider joining us? Here’s how you can help this ministry!

via Hope Unlimited 

If you’d like to join us in making Valentines for the girls of Hope, you can be certain you’ll bring happy smiles and growing confidence into a young girl’s life.  It can be as simple as making a couple of extras when you write Valentines to your loved ones … or you can make an “event” out of it and involve your Sunday School class, ladies Bible study group, mission group, civic organization, Girl Scout troop, sports team … parents of daughters.

Send your Valentines marked “Valentine Project” to
Hope Unlimited for Children
P.O. Box 2707
Los Alamitos, CA 90720

All Valentines received between now and the end of April will be translated and shared at the 2012 Day of Love celebration.

Here are some answers to questions you might have:
*  Most of the girls are in the 10-17 age range.
*  All of the girls speak Brazilian Portuguese.  (A few speak some English, and many of them are working hard on their English!)  If someone wants to include a note, that’s great; it will be translated.  It’s also okay to include a picture of yourself or your family, letting the girl know they’re being thought of/prayed for by a friend.  (They are very familiar with Americans who love them and very proud to display their Valentines!)
Here are a few phrases that might be useful:
Sua amiga (Your friend)
Com amor (With love)
Deus te abençoe. (God bless you.)
Você é uma menina linda!  (You are a beautiful young lady!)
Saiba que você é amada.  (Know that you are loved.)

To read more about the Valentine Project,  you can visit Susan at My Place to Yours  (where she will be happy to answer any questions you  have) or at Hope Unlimited.

Won’t you consider joining us and blessing these young ladies! Let’s show them Christ’s love…the best LOVE of all through our hands…Thank you for joining us on this Simply Sunday…


Updated to add: We thought it would be fun to share which readers of At The Picket Fence participated in this wonderful project! If you decide to make Valentine’s cards for these young ladies whether on your own, as a family, or  you coordinate a group, would you please send us photographs and a little blurb of what you did and we will included it in a follow up post? Let’s show blogland what a great community we bloggers have with each other!


Also a BIG thank you to Vicki at Curly Willow Collections for creating this lovely button to help us promote this project!



You can get the code for your own button from our sidebar! Help us promote this worthwhile project!

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9 Comments Filed Under: Community, Devotionals, Good Thoughts, Simply Sundays

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Comments

  1. NanaDiana says

    February 5, 2012 at 4:58 PM

    What a blessing this is for me. Do you know that my girls were all lamenting the fact that we were going to be gone for the 14 days surrounding Valentine’s Day and so we wouldn’t have time to make our cards/tags this year. Well, NOW we can come home and make them AFTER Valentine’s Day and send them off for this project. These little girls are going to be so excited. I can’t wait to do this and we will share pictures when we are done. God bless you for this post! xo Diana

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 5, 2012 at 10:35 PM

      How wonderful Diana! Thank you for helping to bless these lovely young ladies…We can show them Christ’s love by being HIS hands! Make sure to take pictures and send them to us, we’ll put them in a post.

      Heather

      Reply
  2. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    February 5, 2012 at 5:05 PM

    Obrigado, ladies! (Thank you!) I can’t wait to see what it looks like when all that Picket Fence reader love stretches from here to Brazil and wraps itself around some fabulous young ladies. I love your hearts, and I’m so very grateful that you’re joining with My Place to Yours and Hope Unlimited for Children to bless young girls with Valentines and, more importantly, with a loving touch from someone who wants them to understand that dating and marriage, love and family, are still beautifully attainable in their lives. Their pasts do not define them!

    Want proof? A fantastic story of a young girl transformed will be posted on Hope’s blog TOMORROW. I hope you’ll check it out. I promise it will be worth the wait! http://www.hopeunlimitedforchildren.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 5, 2012 at 10:37 PM

      It is a blessing for us to be able to help in some small way spread the word about this ministry and this special project. What a small, simple way to have such a big impact on these young ladies. Looking forward to reading tomorrow’s story. Love you and your precious heart Susan!

      Heather

      Reply
  3. Cameron Meerdink says

    February 5, 2012 at 7:07 PM

    What a wonderful idea! My design assistant (aka my preschooler) and I will get right on this – we’ve been making Valentine’s for days and are running out of people we know to create them for – so this is just perfect! Thank you!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      February 5, 2012 at 10:33 PM

      Thank you Cameron! I know each Valentine will be treasured by these young ladies. That’s for being a blessing. Be sure to send us a picture of you all making your Valentines we will share it in a post. 🙂

      Heather

      Reply
  4. Red Rose Alley says

    February 5, 2012 at 10:54 PM

    What a wonderful organization to be involved in. I also love all your pink and red Valentine’s on this post. Ahhhh, it is such a special day of love.
    ~Sheri at Red Rose Alley

    Reply
  5. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    February 6, 2012 at 12:08 AM

    Thanks for adding the Bloggers for Hope button, ladies! Vicki did an awesome job, didn’t she? I’ve just added a linky to the post I just did: https://myplacetoyours.blogspot.com/2012/02/1.html. I hope everyone who posts about the Valentine Project will link up so we can all read it! (I just linked yours for you.) Thanks again!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Christmas Garland turned Valentine’s Wreath says:
    January 29, 2013 at 3:32 PM

    […] can only imagine their joy as they open their cards and feel the love coming through! Please go HERE to read more about how you can be involved in this project. Thank you so much for joining me today […]

    Reply

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The first weekend in December seems like a good ti The first weekend in December seems like a good time for my annual gentle reminder about this month. I don’t know about you but, for me, December is a month of mixed emotions, ranging from joy-filled moments to ones that have me wanting to pull my hair out.

There are so many expectations and we put so much pressure on ourselves to create magical memories. And for years I have felt the added weight of wanting to make sure my family had opportunities throughout the month to grow in their relationship with Christ.

We celebrate advent and read all of the appropriate Baby Jesus books and encourage a spirit of generosity and heavily emphasize the real reason for the season.

But sweet friends, I want to remind you today that one month out of the year does not a strong relationship with the Lord make. December doesn’t define our faith in Christ.

For our families or for us.

There are 11 other months in the year. 11 other months to live out our faith in front of our children. 11 other months to pray with them. 11 other months to help them wrestle through their questions and add depth to their walk with the Lord. 11 other months to encourage them to have generous spirits.

Let’s stop putting so much pressure on this one month out of the year. Let’s be surprised at the ways we might be able to celebrate the baby in the manger without a dozen countdown calendars. Let’s give our kids some grace when they are focused more on gifts because…well…they’re kids after all.

And while we’re at it, let’s give ourselves some grace too.

Grace when we think we should feel all the warm fuzzy feelings about Christmas but we really just want to take a nap. Or have a good cry. 

Grace that reminds us that this month will soon be over and we will have a brand new year ahead of us.

A new year filled with big moments and little moments and everything in between.

A new year to draw even closer to our Savior.

My hope for you is that, as you head into this season, you will be given fresh perspective and that you will give yourself (and your family) permission to just ‘be’. ✨
✨ The first Sunday of Advent is upon us and this ✨ The first Sunday of Advent is upon us and this year I created a super simple centerpiece for my dining room that incorporates the candles we will use each of the four weeks leading up to Christmas. While we will only light one candle each week, I used more than four so that the centerpiece would look a bit more filled in. In keeping with my goal to embrace a softer approach to my decorating, this arrangement works perfectly and helps to keep our focus on the beauty and the meaning  of the Advent season. For more ideas like this, check out my previous Advent post! ✨

#advent #adventcandles #simplechristmas #wearethehomemakers
In this season of motherhood, my soul is feeling a In this season of motherhood, my soul is feeling a bit more tender. When Christmas rolls around and I no longer have wish lists that include Lego sets or dollhouses, I find that I want my home to reflect this craving for all things gentle.

So our hot cocoa station this year is much more simple and done in a neutral color palette that just subtly blends in with the rest of the decor. It still feels festive and is definitely still “user friendly” but it’s just a bit less…well…less.

And, that’s ok. It’s not that this area won’t ever again have bright colors (maybe even pops of red!) but, right now I’m happy to have things this way.

With all that is going on in the world right outside our door, my desire is for our home to truly feel like a respite. I want it to be where we come and let our guard down, our heart rates slow and to be flooded with a sense of peace in knowing that here is where we can just simply be. I want it to be a place of rest. Rest from the constant onslaught of news and information. Rest from the seemingly small struggles of school and jobs that can so often feel like big struggles.

And, most importantly, we rest in the comfort of knowing the One who is Sovereign over all and is the reason this month is so very special and sacred.

Many blessings to you dear friends as we kick off this wonderful season! ✨
Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary to popular belief, the celebration of Advent is VERY different from just simply doing a ‘countdown to Christmas’. It’s not about having little drawers filled with candy or doors to open with prizes inside. Those things are so much fun and definitely help to build anticipation as you head closer and closer to the big day.

But Advent, from the latin word ‘adventus’ meaning ‘arrival’ or ‘appearance’ keeps the focus completely on celebrating the arrival of the King who came in the form of an infant.

This is one of our favorite family traditions and over the years I’ve figured out how to incorporate the Advent candles into my decor without using the traditional wreath. I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration as we head into this sacred season. 🌲

#advent #adventdecoration #wearethehomemakers
Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Bec Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Because it’s the Saturday after and my house is almost completely ready to start the season! So I’m sitting with my coffee and just soaking it all up knowing that now I can focus on shopping, hosting and preparing our hearts for the start of Advent. The only thing left to do is get our fresh tree for the front room and then the decorating is done. 

Starting early is a gift I give to myself and I’m always grateful for it! 🌲

#simplechristmas #traditionalchristmas
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest fo “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours dear friends! 🍂
Christmas has arrived in the family room where I k Christmas has arrived in the family room where I keep things simple but festive! We’ll get a fresh tree after Thanksgiving which will go in our front room bay window but this slim faux tree with its colorful ornaments tides us over for now. Which room in your home gets the Christmas treatment first? Or do you just start doing a little at a time in each room? 🎄

*pillow covers are from @jshhomeessentials
I share this recipe every year because it’s JUST I share this recipe every year because it’s JUST.THAT.GOOD! 

And I have a confession ...I’d rather have cranberry sauce smothering the turkey on my plate than gravy any day!! And this, this right here? Well it’s the best (and easiest!) cranberry sauce ever!! I eat on crackers and sandwiches and sometimes just by the spoonful. It’s so yummy! And I’m just so very thankful for all of you that I’m going to leave the recipe right here instead of making you go to the blog to get it. I promise you won’t regret having this on your Thanksgiving menu but be warned...you may find yourself up in the middle of the night sneaking some helpings of this deliciousness. Or maybe that’s just me!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh or frozen cranberries
2 oranges
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup white wine.

Instructions:
Wash and pick over berries, removing any that are soft. Peel and dice oranges removing any seeds. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking until cranberries pop open and mixture is thickening.
For best flavor, prepare and let stand for several days before using.

Gobble, gobble!! 🦃
How do I want people to feel when they walk throug How do I want people to feel when they walk through my front door? That’s always at the top of my mind when I’m decorating my entry for each season, particularly at Christmastime. 

✨I want them to feel like my home is greeting them with a smile.

✨I want them to feel like this is a place where care has been given to details (but not to the point of being too stuffy or too busy or too overwhelming). 

✨I want them to feel like there is peace here.

✨I want them to feel like they are welcome…because they are. 

My home is a reflection of my heart and my heart is a reflection of the ONE for whom I live and try to honor and praise all of my days, but especially at Christmas.

How do you want people to feel when they come into your home? 

#christmasentry #simplechristmas #simplicity #wearethehomemakers
This is not a criticism of those who are sharing t This is not a criticism of those who are sharing their great new Christmas finds but rather an encouragement to those of you who are feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all and trying to resist the temptation to purchase more items than you really need.

Several years ago I felt a conviction in my heart about how much time and money I was spending on trying to create a new look every Christmas. I was not being a good steward of my resources and I was far too easily swayed by the peer pressure in this area. And a funny thing happened when I smashed this idol that had taken up residence in my heart. I suddenly found renewed joy in decorating for the season. By keeping things simple and maybe only buying something like a new spool of velvet ribbon, I actually realized that I could be far more creative reusing and repurposing what I already had.

In the coming weeks your news feeds will be filled with temptations for MORE. Maybe, this year, you too can find the joy in LESS. 🌲

#simplechristmas #simplicity #wearethehomemakers
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