Ordinary Radicals

Below is a promotional video for a movie called, "Ordinary Radicals." In it, you will see a few of my mentors--Shane Claiborne and Jim Wallis.


The Ordinary Radicals - Trailer from Jamie Moffett on Vimeo.

This holiday season, David and I have decided to try and live as ordinary radicals. It feels small and insignificant--but it is the only way we know how to start. For one, it means we are trying to be creative in our gift-giving and in what we ask for. We are trying not to ask for consumable goods--things that can be bought and thrown away. Instead, we are hoping to spend time with friends and family this holiday in a meaningful way. This seems especially appropriate since we live in Denver and are far from the people we love most.

Second, it means that the gifts we DO buy or ask for must support the values we uphold. Those of you who know me know I LOVE to shop at the GAP, but I have decided that this Christmas, I will not ask for GAP gift cards and will not spend money there. I have read about their sweatshops and human rights abuses, and have decided I cannot, in good conscience, wear items from their stores. As an alternative, I have found a company called Green Label clothing. Their tagline reads, "Respect Labor. Respect the Environment. Respect Yourself." The clothing items are more expensive and less fashionable (mostly t-shirts and hoodies) but I figure that will only encourage me to buy less, which is appropriate!

Third, our Christmas cards this year will come from Amnesty International. The boxed sets are more expensive than what we could buy at Target, but they are printed on recycled paper and a portion of the proceeds will go to Amnesty, an organization that supports human rights around the world.

I know it may sound crazy, like we are turning into hippies (although I'm pretty sure Jesus would have been a hippie!) but really we are just seeking alternative ways to celebrate Christmas that align with our values as Christians. Please leave a comment if you have other ideas! =)

Older pics

I'm uploading some pics that we took a couple of weeks ago but were too busy with school to put on the blog! We've had freakishly warm weather here in Denver, so David and I squeezed in a bike ride a few Saturdays back. These pictures are taken along the Cherry Creek trail, which is David's commute to work. =)






The other pictures are of the Young Adult group at Trinity, taken at our recent outing to Casa Bonita. I have been at Trinity almost 6 months and am really growing to love it there. The Young Adult group is really coming together and there is both vitality and an eagerness to learn expressed in the group. We average between 10-12 people each Sunday, but we normally have visitors each week and a lot of those visitors are choosing to come back! =) In addition to Sunday School, many of the young adults are in the Disciple Bible Study that I co-lead on Thursdays. While David and I still miss Grace, it is nice to develop friendships with people at church here in Denver. I should note that David was at Casa Bonita too, but graciously agreed to take our picture!

We need a dog nanny!

Last week was finals week for me so the dogs have been super ignored! Here are some of their desperate attempts to get our attention! =) The bottom picture is actually a video, so click the middle to view.

It's a New Day

Will.I.Am - New Music - More Music Videos

Thanks for the quote, Patty!

Rosa sat
so Martin could walk
so Obama could run
so our children could fly.