Remembering Victims at Christmas

Remembering Victims at Christmas....

My husband, Ed, and I recently attended the Wellspring Living Gala. I have served on the Wellspring Living board for over ten years. Since 2001, Wellspring Living has partnered with other organizations to provide a safe place for hope and healing for victims of childhood sexual trauma, including sex trafficking.

Wellspring Teacher sharing stories. 

The purpose of this year's event was specifically to raise awareness and funds for the education portion of Wellspring Living's Victory Program for Girls. Education is a tool that builds self-confidence. Through a partnership with The Campus, the Wellspring Living Girls, earn credits that count toward graduation. Girls are motivated to learn by experiencing successes via a personalized curriculum which utilizes their strengths.  A good education ensures that the girls can become self supporting and have successful futures.

Table Centerpieces focus on education. 

Wellspring President, Mary Frances Bowley, far left,
in panel discussion with Wellspring Living Staff

Wellspring Living is also working to open a non-residential program, which will provide a safe learning environment for sex trafficking victims who do not require residential care. A day school will enable Wellspring Living to provide educational and therapeutic services, in a cost effective manner, for even more girls.  

Gala Guests were invited to "Take a Walk" through the story of how 12- year-old Angela, was lured into sex trafficking. Pimps are skilled at taking advantage of vulnerable children. The story was told via placards, representing the voices of Angela, a Narrator, and a Wellspring Living Teacher.

Introduction to the placards, color coded by speaker.
Angela is represented in each vignette by her purple backpack. 

Angela shares that her parents are uninvolved in her life,
and that she is being abused by her uncle.

Angela's room

Vulnerable, Angela is approached by a pimp while she is waiting for a bus.
The pimp flatters Angela, and seems to "understand her better than anyone ever has."
Angela falls for his charm and his promises. 

Angela discovers to her horror that the pimp's promises and gifts have strings attached.
Before long, Angela is being held captive, and raped for profit 8-10 times a day. 

Angela is rescued, and is thriving in the Wellspring Living Program. 

Wellspring Living's comprehensive program addresses the needs of body, soul, and spirit, to provide hope, healing, and a bright future for trafficking victims.
Individualized learning plans provide positive, successful educational experiences for the girls in Wellspring Living's Victory Program.

As you are enjoying the excitement of Christmas, please don't forget the less fortunate. Remember the one hundred plus children per day who are raped for profit in Georgia. Remember the hundreds of girls, and boys, already identified by law enforcement as victims, who are on the streets because there are no available beds in juvenile detention facilities, or safe places like Wellspring Living. During the Christmas Season, out of gratitude for your own family, will you consider a year end gift to Wellspring Living, to help victimized children? If we each give even a little bit, we can help a lot more kids! Thank you for your consideration.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Welcoming Christmas in Hawkinsville

Welcoming Christmas in Hawkinsville

One of the things I like best about speaking for groups and retreats is meeting new friends! Last week I had the opportunity to share about my Nativity Collection in Hawkinsville, Georgia, at the Hawkinsville Garden Club's Nativity Luncheon. This fund-raiser helps the Garden Club fund various projects for the city. This Hawkinsville Garden Club has accomplished an impressive list of projects, and they have a number of projects in the works.

My friend and mountain neighbor, Ann Platz, (who was responsible for arranging this speaking engagement), and I, went to Hawkinsville a day early, to bask in gracious Southern hospitality at Opal Wilcox's lovely home on the Ocmulgee River. Opal and her son took us to dinner, at the local steak house, and by the end of the night, after lots of stories, it was hard to believe Opal and I hadn't been friends for years!

The next morning, while eating the sumptuous breakfast Opal prepared, the power went off! Fortunately, our food was cooked we were already dressed for the day! I showed Ann and Opal how to pull the emergency cords to disengage the garage doors from the electric openers, to raise the doors manually. We got the cars out, and headed for the fundraiser!

The lovely Clubhouse at Southern Hills was beautifully appointed with Nativities, and Christmas greenery. Each table's hostess featured Nativities as centerpieces. It was fun seeing the variety of decorations. There were some very lovely Nativity Figures and Sets. Although I have over 200 Nativities in my collection (many of which are small), I did not have any like those on display.

Signing two books that feature my stories, to benefit Wellspring Living,
an organization that confronts sexual abuse, and the forced prostitution of children.

Clubhouse at Southern Hills Golf Club, Hawkinsville, GA.

My hostess, Opal Wilcox's table, with several of her Nativity Sets.
Other tables and nativities are visible in the background.

Jim Shore's "The Journey That Changed the World" decorated one of the tables.
I'd never seen this set, in which Mary is depicted as an expectant mother!

Some of my small nativities. The tiny Guatemalan set, center front, started the collection.

Display with photo illustrations of two of my published stories.

Maasai Nativity from Kenya, Africa.
Photo of mother and child, dressed similarly, whom we met on our visit to Kenya. 

My largest Nativity Set, and one of my favorites!

I signed books after the luncheon, then did another book signing at Kimberly's Fine Antiques and Gifts, downtown. Kimberly's, owned by Jill Niblett is full of "treasures!" The shop with its beautifully restored, built-in fixtures, looks like it would be right at home in New York City! Jill and her father undertook the restoration in memory of her mother. If you're on I-75 near Perry, it's well worth the extra 20 minute drive to visit Jill's shop in Hawkinsville!

I enjoyed meeting many of the Hawkinsville Garden Club ladies, and their guests, and look forward to visiting Hawkinsville again, SOON! Thanks for having me!

(NOTE: I will be doing book signings to benefit Wellspring Living in December 2011. Currently, I am scheduled for Thursday, December 15th, from 4-7 at the Wellspring Treasures Store's Kennesaw location. I will post other dates as I get them. Please let me know if you'd like to order either the hardcover Chicken Soup for the Soul Gift of Christmas--$20, or Chicken Soup for the Soul Answered Prayers--$15. I will be glad to personalize the books.The full amount goes to Wellspring Living, when purchased from me, or from the Wellspring Treasures stores. Thank you!)

Things—(and People)--We Overlook

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Things—(and People)--We Overlook

(Warning: this blog entry starts out lightly but ends on a somber note.) 

I had an “aha moment” last week as I was leaving my hair appointment.

Approaching my car, I observed a lovely budding/flowering tree that was shading my parking space.  As I was unlocking my car door, I wondered what kind of tree it was. Suddenly, a gust of wind brought me face to face with a cluster of leaves/buds that were hiding a bug! I realized if I had not been forced to look closely at the leaves, as the branch hit me in the head, I would have missed the bug! I took pictures to keep as a reminder.

I think this is a stink bug. Am I right?

The cluster that "slapped me in the face!" See the bug?

Any idea what kind of tree this is? I've gotten conflicting opinions!

I was literally “smacked in the face” by the realization that there must be an amazing number of things I miss, simply because I don’t always pay attention to details. It’s certainly easy to miss little things if you’re distracted. My "bug moment" was a reminder to stay focused, stay observant, and stay “in the moment.” 

That lesson was brought home to me again as my friend, Sally Belveal, and I were in Rabun County, hoping Sally would be able to see some bears. We patiently sat by the windows. We even flipped the floodlights on several times, to see if we could catch a glimpse of any bears. No bears the first night. We did see a fox, prowling around a tree! It was the first time I’ve seen a fox in the mountains. If we had not been intentionally looking, by occasionally turning on the lights, we would never have known it was there.

See the fox standing up on the left side of the tree. 

We arose the next morning before 6 a.m. to continue our bear vigil. We kept watch continuously for several hours. No bears. We watched on and off during the day, knowing if we didn’t keep watch, we would miss them. I saw a mama deer with her spotted fawn, but no bruins.

At 5 p.m., we began another dedicated vigil, not moving from the windows for 2 hours. I finally got up and fixed eggplant Parmesan with eggplants from O’Sage, and tomatoes and peppers from our friend, Bobby Suggs, while Sally continued our vigil. We had just helped our plates, and seated ourselves back by the windows to eat, when I caught a glimpse of something in my peripheral vision moving almost behind me.

I turned, and loudly whispered to Sally, “BEAR!” It took her a moment to realize what I meant and look in the right direction. As we watched, a mama bear with two cubs proceeded to explore the area and forage for food. We were able to watch them for twenty minutes! Yet again, if I had not looked down from the second story window, during the twenty minutes the bears were there, we would have missed them!

The next morning, we did another early two hour vigil with no bear sightings.  Afterward, we proceeded to clean and pack up for our return home. Periodically, as we passed through the living area, Sally and I would glance hopefully out the windows. At about a quarter till 8 a.m., I looked out and saw the bears! We were able to observe them for two minutes, until a noise startled the babies and they quickly ran up two trees! As you can see below, they climbed really HIGH, in less than three seconds. When they came down, they quickly disappeared into the National Forest. What a blessing to observe God's creatures in the wild--and we could so easily have missed that two minute opportunity! 

To share a heavier twist on my musings about overlooking "things," I thought of the people whom I've also been guilty of overlooking (the homeless, the mentally ill, prostitutes, etc.) I remembered how stunned I was when I first realized that the prostitutes who were eating supper at my table were "normal girls"--just like my daughter and nieces! I realized with conviction that if my own circumstances had been different, I could easily have been in the same situations as the girls whom I have befriended through Wellspring Living. (It is a myth that most prostitutes "choose" to stay in that lifestyle!) 

Recently, after hearing the statistic that '100 young girls are sold for sex each night in Atlanta,' a friend emphatically told me that she doesn't want to know any more details about child sex-trafficking in Atlanta. She said if she knows about it, she'll have to do something about it. 

I responded, "That's the idea." But, I didn't push it. I understand that it IS easier to ignore the things that make us uncomfortable. Child sex trafficking is ugly. Abused children, adult prostitutes, the homeless, the addicted, the mentally ill, the poor, and others in need are waiting--helplessly and hopelessly--for us to stop overlooking them. We need to help them. It's What Jesus Would Do....

(Contact Wellspring Living, on whose board I serve, for more information on Child Sex Trafficking. Or contact me: Jamie Wyatt) 

Wellspring Living--Helping Change One Life at a Time!

Wellspring Living--
Helping Change One Life at a Time!


Ed and I were blessed, today, to witness the graduation ceremony for a young sex trafficking victim, as she completed 7 months in the Wellspring Living Victory Program. A celebratory meal of spaghetti, with all the fixings, kicked off the festivities. 


The 9th grader, whom I'll call "G" for Graduate, will be going back home to live with her family. G plans to finish high school, go to college, and become a counselor. G wants to help girls, like herself, avoid the mistakes she made.


I don't know the details of G's personal story, but I know that there are commonalities among many of the girls in Wellspring Living's Victory Program. Some girls are encouraged into sex trafficking by other girls their age, while some are wooed by pimps offering money and gifts, while initially posing as "boyfriends." 


Some girls are beaten into submission by their pimps or by other girls in the "stable." Some girls are forced to have their pimp's name tattooed on their necks, or to be otherwise branded or marked. 


Girls, like G, in the Victory program were  most likely molested at a young age by someone who was not a stranger to them. While being trafficked, G may have been raped for profit 10-15 times a day, and forced to bring in $1,000 a day for her pimp.


Girls like G are "kept in line" through drugs, violence, torture, fear, and emotional blackmail. Girls aged 12-17, like those in Wellspring Living's Victory Program, are targeted by pimps and organized crime, because they are easier to control than older girls. 


The average life expectancy of a girl "on the street" in sex trafficking is only 7 years. AIDS and violence take a major toll on victims.


G could be your daughter, sister, niece, or granddaughter. One minute G looks and acts with the confidence of someone in her twenties, the next she is more like a vulnerable, young child. G appears to be a "normal" teenager, but she is not. G is a Survivor. She has lived through a lot of trauma, and become stronger from her experiences. 


G was portrayed by staff and volunteers as someone who is always respectful. She kept her room neat. She set goals and accomplished them. She was the first to be ready to work in class, and always remembered what was covered during prior sessions. G's peers--other girls in the Victory program--talked about how G encouraged them, made them study, and made them laugh!


G was honored, by staff and others, through Scripture readings, a poem, a song (sung by another Victory Program participant), and a slide show with special music. Staff and residents also personally selected attributes, and actions, for which G should be recognized, then presented G with certificates naming those characteristics.
G received flowers and other token gifts recognizing her accomplishments.


G's mother thanked Wellspring Living and our residential care partner. "Thank you for accepting my child. It has been a journey. Keep us in your prayers." 


G's words (paraphrased and condensed): 
"When I came into the Victory Program, I was determined to finish it....I realize I put my family through a lot of things that they did not deserve and could not really afford, and I am truly sorry for that....I decided to make some changes....I became more considerate of other people's feelings....I learned how to deal with things in different ways....I am happy I am changed. My life is on the right track, and I plan to keep it that way....To the Girls: I want to leave you with words of encouragement. Don't give up. Your day will come. Learn everything you can from the Victory Program."


To protect the identities of participants of the Victory Program, no photographs of the girls are shared. Instead, here are photos of two staff members honoring G today, as well as a video of another graduate's speech, read by a volunteer. 

Wellspring Living will continue to mentor and follow up with G and her family, to ensure her continued success. If you would like to help Wellspring Rescue, Restore, and Renew girls like

G, you may text "FREEHER" to 85944, to make a $10.00 donation via your cell phone bill, right now! Please share this story, and the LINK FOR 

"FREEHER" with others! 

Another Book Signing to Benefit Wellspring Living

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year...." Charles Dickens

The book signing Dec. 4 was a huge success! Thanks to all who participated! There is one more signing scheduled for the Northside of Atlanta. I will be signing copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul's deluxe hardback Christmas Book The Gift of Christmas, which features two of my stories. (This gift book, which has deluxe endpapers and a ribbon bookmark, is available only at Wal-Mart or from the authors.)

The signing scheduled for Saturday, December 18th, 1-3 at our new Cobb store had to be cancelled because of "red tape" associated with getting the store opened. If you were planning on being at the Cobb signing, I hope you'll be able to go to the signing on Tuesday, December 21, in Duluth instead. My friend, Ann Platz, noted Atlanta Interior Designer, speaker and author, will be joining me to sign her books:

Wellspring Treasures
2785 Buford Highway, Suite 103-B
Duluth, GA 30096
770-623-3166

ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE BOOK SALES GO TO WELLSPRING LIVING, AN ORGANIZATION THAT GIVES VICTIMS OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE A SAFE PLACE TO HEAL AND START OVER.

My story, '"Santa Hats," is about our family tradition of wearing Santa hats in unusual locations for our Christmas photos. Here are a few of the photos mentioned in the story!

Hot Tub Santas!

Dog Sledding in Alaska--1999

2008 Venice Italy

Skyping with my niece from Dubai

The other story, "My Nativities," is about my collection of Nativity Scenes, in all shapes and sizes, from around the world.

The tiny Nativity Church gift from the Hanes that started my collection

Inside the Nativity Church --One of my smallest Nativities.

Largest Nativity, with one of my other Nativities on the floor waiting to be placed!
Also, there is a Nativity mobile hanging on the window up higher, and a collection of smaller nativities across the middle of the windows.

 Some of the Nativities on display year round in my living room.
Cookie Jar and Hot Chocolate Set on the top.

Nativity Fire Screen

As I ended the "My Nativities" story, "Seeing my collection every day reminds me that we ought to celebrate our Savior's birth all year long, not just at Christmas."

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

I AM SOMEBODY NOW!

As my husband, Ed, told me yesterday, while quoting Steve Martin's character, Navin Johnson, in "The Jerk", when Navin first saw his name printed in the phonebook, "I am Somebody Now!" (Dialogue & video below.) I just received copies of the Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Gift of Christmas book, in which two of my stories are published!

I wrote one story about how our family has taken photos of us wearing Santa hats in fun and unusual locations, for the last ten years or so. The other story is about my Nativity collection. I got the idea from my friend, Ruth Maldonado, and a gift from friends, Steve and Nancy Hanes, actually started the collection.

I wasn't expecting the books until later in the month, so it was a pleasant surprise when Ed brought them in. I received 10 copies of the book for each of my two stories. In addition, I will be receiving a modest check! I'm not only published, I'm PAID!

Seeing my name in print, does confirm to the world that I am a published "somebody," but it's more important that I KNOW I am "somebody" who is important to God. Actually, we are ALL "Somebodies" who are precious in God's sight. What a blessing!

This special gift edition Chicken Soup book, with deluxe endpapers and red satin bookmark, is available exclusively at Wal-Mart, and retails for $19.95.

I will be having a couple of book signings next month to benefit www.wellspringliving.org. This organization, on whose board I serve, provides survivors of childhood sexual trauma, including sex trafficking victims, a safe place to heal and "start over." Wellspring will receive all the profits, $10.00, for each book sold at the book signings. I will let you know when the signing events are going to be held, so you can help spread the word!

From: "The Jerk:"

Navin R. Johnson: The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!
Harry Hartounian: Boy, I wish I could get that excited about nothing.
Navin R. Johnson: Nothing? Are you kidding? Page 73 - Johnson, Navin R.! I'm somebody now! Millions of people look at this book everyday! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity - your name in print - that makes people. I'm in print! Things are going to start happening to me now.

YouTube - 'The Jerk' (1979) - Phonebook/Sniper (Caution: Cursing in Video!)