Did You Know?

Love Compels You To Do What?!

"So what's the deal with you and porn? Why do you go into porn shows?"

This is a very common question these days and I love it because it means I get to talk about something I am passionate about. I always do my best to answer but I don't always think I am getting my point across and after a friend of mine posted this picture of protestors at the Miami Convention this weekend I thought, "Wow, this picture really is worth a thousand words." I'd love to tell you the reason I feel so compelled to go into porn shows is so I don't get confused with this guy and although that's true, my reasoning goes so much deeper. 

God is all about relationship. He came into our messy, dirty world so we could know Him. He came to talk, to hug, to listen, to encourage, to offer Hope. He didn't stand outside people's homes and jobs telling them how horrible they were as they came and went. He climbed into their boats and went fishing with them. He entered their homes and reclined on their couches. He sat at their tables, ate with them and spent the night. 

I go IN TO porn shows, volunteer at the XXXCHURCH booth, walk around and hang out at other booths because it gives me the opportunity to build relationships with and get to know these girls. It gives me the chance to look them in the eye, learn their names (sometimes even their real names), put myself on their level and show them I don't think they're dirty. I get to become their friend and show them I really care by remembering them (and their name and the things they shared) the next time I see them.  And in the process, I earn the right to be heard without ever having to push my agenda because the only thing on my agenda is to hug, to listen, to encourage and to offer Hope and Love. As I listen, they share their stories and their hardships. They tell me what's it's really like working in this "glamorous" industry.  They share their dreams, their fears and their doubts. They tell me what they hear as they pass the picketers outside and how it makes them feel.  They ask me questions about my faith and what Jesus really thinks about them and I get to tell them because I was willing to cross the street and enter those dark doors.

I guess you could say, "I go into porn shows because Extravagant LOVE compels me to LOVE Extravagantly."


Want to help support this type of LOVE? I'm always fundraising and you can donate here. 
Have questions? Please ask! I LOVE talking about this!

Everybody's Got 'Em

My last post was in July. But now that I'm back from Australia I'm working on putting together an update for you all and mulling over ideas for remembering to say more on here. Stay tuned!

And while you're waiting, check out XXXCHURCH.com so you can get resourced and learn a little more about what we were doing in Australia.

What's in store? A life of porn....

I am excited to announce I have been invited to join the XXXChurch team for two incredible outreaches in the next year. First, I will be returning to EXXXotica NJ in November 2012, and in the spring of 2013, I will be joining the XXXChurch International team in Australia.

This type of outreach can be very expensive because "showing up" the XXXChurch way involves actually showing up in the lives of those we are trying to reach, and this means renting a booth at the show. There is also the cost of travel, lodging and the unique "Jesus loves Porn Stars" bibles, stickers and other items we give away to the more than 28,000 people we meet at each event.
The idea of giving to this type of outreach might freak you out. It isn’t the typical and usually comfortable missions work most are used to. This isn’t Operation Christmas Child; we aren’t collecting school supplies, we aren’t giving our doggy bag to the homeless person we pass on the street. Those are all kind acts, but outreach to the sex industry falls in an entirely different category. It takes understanding, investment and time. It involves building relationships with; seeing the beauty in; and truly loving individuals who most deem unlovable, dirty and offensive. But it is needed, desperately needed. The men and women working in this industry (and consuming their products) need to know they are valuable. They need to know they are not failures. They need to know they matter and are loved.

The majority of these individuals were sexually abused as children, they were stripped of their worth and made to feel dirty. Many of them were trafficking victims and have only ever known survival through a world of sex. Most want to leave the industry but feel they have no other means for survival. That’s where XXXChurch comes in. We won’t tell anyone to leave the industry, we won’t tell them to become Christians (honestly, that isn’t our goal), but we will tell them they are loved. And when they ask us what we do, we will tell them: “XXXChurch.com is a nonprofit Christian website with resources for individuals who are in over their heads with pornography and support for individuals working in the industry who are interested in a career change.”

I know what you are thinking, “But your goal really is to get them to quit, right?” No. That is not my goal and that is not XXXChurch’s goal. I want these men and women to know they are valuable. That is my goal. And yes, ultimately as a result of knowing how valuable they are, they will walk away, but if an individual walks away from the industry without knowing their worth, then I have still failed.

So whether you are or are not a Christian and whether you are or are not a fan of porn, if you feel like this is something you can believe in, please consider helping me raise $5000. You can give one time or you can give a small amount each month. Either way, I greatly appreciate it and promise that it will make a lasting impact on someone’s life.

You can give by following this link:
https://www.myxxxchurch.com/campaigns/view/catherinesmith.html


This photo is from EXXXotica NJ 2011. He was the recipient of the final bible we had with us.

Porn, Strippers, XXX... and Jesus?!

      

If you pay any attention to my Facebook posts or News Feed I am sure you have some questions about what it is I was doing in Pasadena last weekend. Actually you probably just have a lot of questions in general about the things I post.

I've been spending the last few months (since November when the above video was made) trying to figure out a way to explain it to all of you. I'm still not sure I know how but I'm going to try.

I believe we, men and women, were created by God to do huge things. We were not created to do life alone. We were created to experience life not only through relationship with others but also through relationship with the one who created us. I believe the best way for us to succeed in life, the best way to do life well, is by partnering with the one who designed us.

I also believe, from my own personal experiences, that many people are believing the lie that they are on their own to navigate life. We (people) are broken and searching for meaning and looking to the wrong things for that sense of worth and purpose. Unfortunately as we search for a means of escape and fulfillment we find ourselves feeling even more alone, let down and unfulfilled.

This longing for love, purpose, validation and value is why men and women work in the sex industry. This longing and brokenness is why the sex industry grosses more annually than the MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL combined. These men and women (consumers and producers/entertainers)are here because they are believing the voice that tells them this is as good as it gets. They are believing the lie that this will bring fulfillment, approval and love. They are also believing the lie that they have to keep coming back to keep that feeling of security, belonging and acceptance from fleeing.

Maybe I haven't worked in the sex industry but it isn't because I didn't believe that lie and I'm willing to bet you have believed it too. The truth is, even if we aren't struggling with bondage connected to the sex industry we do still have an underlying issue that is the same.

And that is why my heart breaks. That is why I am so passionate about this. That is why I must invest my life in these women (and men). Because I can't know the truth and not share it.

I know how I felt as I searched for answers, security, love and belonging. I know how lost I was and I not only see that when I look into the eyes of the men and women I meet at the porn shows and strip clubs but also when I look into the eyes of so many of you, my family and friends. I can't go through life ignoring that brokenness. I can't pretend it isn't there. I can't pretend I don't see it. I can't pretend I don't know.

Oh! And to answer your question about all those crazy posts

and what I was doing in Pasadena....

I'm partnering with XXXChurch.com and StripChurch to provide resources, support, truth and encouragement to men and women affected by involvement in the sex industry either as consumers or entertainers/producers.

XXXChurch.com is a non profit website that provides support through various resources for individuals who struggle with pornography addictions. They also provide resources for family members of men and women struggling with addictions and resources and support for individuals working in the industry.

StripChurch is a partner organization to XXX Church. They reach out to women working in strip clubs by loving them beyond measure and encouraging them through prayer, testimony and God's truths, in order to help them realize how valuable they are.