Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017!

Our second Christmas spent in San Diego, and our first in our new home, is a wrap! Having a four year old little boy during this season has got to be the most fun thing ever. Philip and I have been living in a state of constant nostalgia this month. All of the special holiday moments from decorating the Christmas tree, making sugar cookies, to watching his sweet brown eyes lighting up as he opened his gifts, and reading the Christmas story to him as he is all snuggled next to me in his new cozy pajamas (that we made him open as his Christmas Eve present...the worst tradition for kids ever. But he was actually really excited so I'm pretty sure he's not my kid after all....)

All of the happy holiday vibes aside...has this not been a crazy year? I feel like we've all felt some sort of pain in 2016! Individually and collectively. Yes, there was lots of good. Personally we've had some of our sweetest and precious moments happen this year. So many pivotal transitions, beautiful memories, fun trips, great friends. We've also experienced some of our most stressful and low times. It has definitely been a year to remember and it has really set the stage for this next one.

Collectively we've seen so much crazy stuff going on in the world this past year, thanks in part to the power of social media, we've seen so much good and a bit more bad. I think I'm safe to say on behalf of many of us that we're ready to jump into 2017 fully expectant of a year very different than the last. Full of personal and collective overcoming, of being part of a much bigger picture as we are all important pieces to a beautiful puzzle. A year of embodying and perpetuating grace and mercy which propels us to progress. 

Here's what I am praying for - that 2017 will be a year filled with peace that we have never known before. That breakthrough after breakthrough would happen in this new year. Not only in our family, but in your family. Because when one of us has breakthrough it has a trickle effect. One person effects so many others. When Philip and I succeed - so do so many others because our lives touch others. And vice versa.

I pray that this new year would bring the relief of suffering for so many across our world. That the brightest minds would rise up with creative solutions to our country and world's issues. That we would all focus on what we have in common with each other and not our differences. That "loving our neighbor" isn't just a sign we hang in our homes but a truth that becomes etched on our hearts as we go about every single day of this new year. That we would regain at least a sliver of our child like faith and wonder and love. That's my prayer for myself and our city, nation and world.

Here are a few of my favorite images from this past month.

Love to you all. God bless you in this new year!

-Esther 

You can trust us - the media & Socality Barbie

I don't believe it is as innocent as it appears. Call me a cynic, but whenever the media and top news sources start paying attention to something I'm compelled to ask why. Why this?

When “Socality Barbie" first came on the scene I took it as yes, immature, but still just a satirical account overall poking fun at some of the cliches of Instagram. I didn't really pay much attention other than checking out the account a couple times to see if I could figure out what the voice behind the doll was really getting at in her own masked way. At that time I thought I understood. (For the record even though I saw the humor in the parody I was never okay with her singling out Socality, borderline bullying or mocking Jesus).

It was when out of nowhere mainstream magazine after magazine and website after website featured the account so that within a week Barbie had officially blown up and her satirical jabbing became one of the most hyped trending phenomenons of social media pretty much overnight.

It only took a minute to realize it shouldn’t be a surprise that so many main stream media sources, ESPECIALLY the likes of Vogue, Nylon, People and Seventeen would jump on board promoting an account that makes fun of the photographer, millennial, Pacific North West, Instagram, Jesus loving sub-culture as a whole.

As I sit here sipping my direct trade, artisan coffee from a local shop I think of the irony of who is now behind this plastic doll - pushing her to the top of our news feeds and excitedly pointing their finger at a so-called “inauthentic” subculture.

What's so sad is that, using Barbie as their spokesperson, the mainstream media is planting the seed in their reader's minds that these Instagram trends are cliche and inauthentic. Do you hear me? THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS TELLING US WHAT IS AND WHAT ISN'T AUTHENTIC?! Do you see the irony? I'm not delusional, I understand that a majority of what I see online isn't always real or showing me the whole story. I've come to expect that. I don't expect anything more from any magazine or website. Now I could have expectations of these media moguls...the power they've shown they have. If they can get a barbie to a million followers imagine if they chose to raise up someone who was actually working on solutions to the issues of our day!

Honestly, if we're going to start pointing fingers, as a woman, and as a wife & mother, I've got a finger to point at them -

I'm way more over the photoshopped images than of seeing the same foggy places over and over.
I am more sick of the two pages of warnings after every pharmaceutical drug you advertise than the people standing in the middle of a photo taking in the fresh, mountain air. 
I'm more sick of the fake smiles than the Iceland Air shoutouts. 
I’m tired of the stereotypical woman you attempt to convince us is the ideal time and time again. 
I think it's cliche to claim we’re all beautiful to be followed up with how we can fix everything about ourselves. 
I’m sick of the underlying message that happiness can be achieved by living for ourselves. 
I’m sick of the expensive designer clothes. The perfectly styled hair. The best sex. The ritzy cars. The pointless life.

I don't want your superficial safety or security and that means I certainly don't want a 12 month subscription. If we're going to raise up the issue of who should be called out for being inauthentic I think Vogue Magazine and the like should be first to take the stand.

I am not defending the cliches and overdone Instagram images. In fact I really love when I see people changing it up and am huge supporter for not posting for the likes or followers. I love variety. I understand the need for less cliche and more heart. 

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. - Romans 2:1

At the same time I’m not going to allow the kings and queens of inauthenticity led by a person who hides behind a doll tell me what is and what isn’t authentic. There's a reason I don't read much from those sources and I certainly don't read anything from them expecting it to be authentic.

Obviously this is just a small collection of my thoughts on this and there is so much more that can be discussed. Basically what I'm getting at is if you're going to point out the speck in your brother's eye you'd better be prepared to address the plank in your own. This is why we need to be careful when we cast judgement on people who use social media differently than ourselves.

Oh, and to steal from The Princess Bride, 

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

xoxo,
Esther