never say never. Noonday Ambassador

never say never.

the fat lady is singing. the pig is flying. 

I said i would never sell anything. when i made this claim, i really never ever envisioned there would be anything i would care enough about to sell. I'm eating my words. but with fork in one hand and heaping spoon in another and a big smile on my face BECAUSE i am doing much more than selling something. i get the chance to advocate at the same time. advocate for global change. advocate for the orphan desperately waiting to be taken to their forever home. advocate for the woman who can now provide for her family through fair wages rather than selling her body or working long hours for next to nothing. 

I AM NOW A NOONDAY AMBASSADOR, and I'm giddy with excitement. 

I'm not a salesman. I'm actually quite clumsy with words. but I'm an advocate by nature. I'm a doer. and I believe in the mission of Noonday. 

through the simple purchase of noonday jewelry economic opportunities are provided for impoverished groups around the world at fair wages and funds are given to adoptive families to help them bring their child home. 

what's not to love.

noonday artisan locations

                                                               noonday jewelry materials

                                                                        the artisans

one of the biggest lures for me was noonday's passion for adoption and orphan care. our family is knee deep in the adoption process domestically and in a few short weeks we will venture to Russia to facilitate summer camp at an orphanage where two precious orphan girls live. two precious girls we fell in love with last year but can't adopt or bring home because of the adoption ban. my heart aches for them and the reality they will face as they get older. the odds are stacked against them, that they will only survive to be age 30. that they will commit suicide or end up being homeless or trafficked. i refuse to give into these realities. 

for me, Noonday gives me hope for their future. hope that there will opportunities for them beyond mere survival. seeing women come together to make a difference at a global level and giving a voice to groups of people that are often voiceless encourages me. seeing women be mindful about their purchasing power and watching it change lives gives me the gusto to share noonday with as many women as possible.

so if you love their mission. then check out their amazing jewelry and see how you can involved. If you are interested in hosting a trunk show or adoptive fundraiser please contact me! 

here is my website: www.erinconner.noondaycollection.com

or 

you can email me at econner.noonday@gmail.com!

Here's me in my new fave piece, the Jalie Ombre Necklace!

Blessings, Erin Conner

Striving to be imperfect.

Perfectionism has haunted me most of my life. Mostly in relationships and in myself. I've always struggled with expectations of myself and others that were outlandishly idealistic and unrealistic.

The oddity of all this is that I find great joy in life most days. I like to think of myself as a glass half full kind of girl. I love my husband and kids. And I have been continually astounded by the way God has worked in my life....freeing me from so much muck and mire. Yet, the struggle to constantly be perfect has been woven throughout everyday, every relationship for a long time. Making its presence known in the most unfriendly and inconvenient ways. Leaving me angry, dissatisfied, and frustrated with life more often than I want to be.

I can honestly say I would have never considered myself a perfectionist if someone asked me. I guess thats how blind spots work though....you don't see them until they are flashing right in front of your face.

I've found myself noticing the flashing lately. Over and over again. In relationships. In parenting. In my relationship with God. In my expectations of myself. In my expectations of friends. The list really could go on and on. I feel as though I've been living in a thorn bush being poked and prodded by the nuisance of my own perfectionistic tendencies lately.

My husband asked me a few weeks back to name some things that I do well. I wrestled with this question. I was frustrated with myself that nothing came to mind. That question started a series of questions and self reflection which admittedly has lead to more perfectionistic tendencies in the past but instead, I decided to wrestle with God about it this time.

I'm still in the midst of wrestling.

While, I would love to have all these lovely answers and epiphanies in one fail swoop, God has been showing me that the true victories with this battle are in the moment by moment choices I make to live as an imperfect daughter of a most Gracious, Loving, and Perfect God.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the  year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty  instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.  4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 

God has brought me back to these verses in Isaiah 61 that have always ministered to me in a sweet way, and He revealed something new to me-I am imperfect but planted. Planted of the Lord.

Instead of focusing on being perfect, I can focus on being planted. Planted in a God who is patient, slow to anger, abounding in love, full of mercy. He is my perfect. As I look to Him and spend more time with Him, I can rest in knowing that He created me weaknesses and all. 

God showed me that I don't have to keep putting the yoke of perfectionism around my neck and trudge through my days wondering who I've disappointed or let down but that I can go to Him and He will plant me in Himself. After all, Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30

Dear Jesus,

Take this burden of perfectionism. Replace it with your grace and truth in my life. May I experience the freedom that comes from living out an imperfect but planted life. 

Amen.