"7".... Testing the waters

 

We ( I say this loosely) are reading this challenging and funny journal and are pondering, "What does this experiment look like for us personally?"  Darrell actually does find this concept interesting.  What categories will we examine and rid ourselves of in excessive living?  The list we see in the book is great and we will take on a couple of them and decide what needs to be dealt with in our personal little family of two... food, clothes, media, stress, entertainment, spending, debt. 

FOOD:  We don't eat a lot of different things and I am not a great cook who gets her greatest joy from reading cookbooks, but there is definitely room for improvement and thought, when it comes to what we put into our mouths and why.  We may pick 7 foods to NOT put in our mouths for a month instead of only partaking of 7.  We have decided to omit fast food, soda, sweets/desserts, a decrease in coffee (let's be honest, we probably won't completely do without our morning coffee).   Hmmmm... that's only four and five if I cheat a little.  The foods we will eat are green leafy veggies, berries, bananas, whole wheat bread, eggs, avocados, tomatoes and chicken.  OK, that's eight.  This permissible list is very similar to Jen Hatmaker's, but I figure since she's already done the research on a good combination to get all the nutrients needed for a healthy lifestyle, let's go with that.  No red meat or pork for a MONTH?!!!  We are steak and potato kids, so this will be a challenge, but in a good way.  We will overdose on water and continue our glass of wine in the evenings; so water, coffee and wine for our beverage intake.

CLOTHES:  Now, I doubt very seriously that Darrell will go along with this one and I'm really going to have to look at my closet with a lot of prayer and discussion with God about what to do without.  It's not that I have an elaborate wardrobe, but SEVEN articles of clothing?!!!  I'll let you know how this turns out.

MEDIA:  Touchy subject in this day and age, right?  We should probably fast where media is concerned all 7 months in order to truly get free from this addiction... yes!  ADDICTION!!!  When you get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and quietly slip into the living room to see if anyone has written on Facebook since the last 6-7 hours you spent on 'your page' the day before... you've got a problem and by 'you' I mean 'ME'!!  So this is what is rolling around in my head...  I will completely FAST Facebook for a month and thereafter, check it ONE TIME A DAY!  If you really need me, I have a phone number ad so do any friends who are really friends. (That is a whole 'nuther subject... who is and who really is not a true friend)  If you won't give me your phone number, if you won't call and be willing to talk about what really matters in my life and yours, we'll just continue to touch base on FB, but not nearly as often.  I love you, but I will no longer give my life to you unless I get to hear a live voice or see you in person.  YIKES!!!  This is becoming a scary development!  Instead of crashing in front of the TV at night, we will build our business, go for walks, watch more sunsets and trim a few more trees or something.  (I was going to say we will........ but my children, if they happen to read this, would give me a definite TMI signal)  We sometimes complain that no one will drive out to see us at our little country cottage, but we need to invite, plan for and be more hospitable.  GET OUT OF THE HOUSE and be with precious friends! Miniature Golf anyone?

SPENDING: At the time of this writing, we have already taken steps toward less spending and snowballing our debt, so mostly we will keep keeping on.  My suggestion is that when we feel the strong temptation to eat out or go see a movie, "Just say NO!" and when we are victoriously headed home, we take the same amount we would have spent on our fleshly desires and put that on our DD (Debt Disappearance) or give it into the ministries God has put on our hearts.  Holy Spirit will be sure to show us which direction to go on this.

STRESS: What is it that stresses me out and what is the solution?

1. Not hearing from my kids... let them hear from me.  Like buying my own flowers on my birthday so my feelings won't get hurt.

2. No money.... purposefully and faithfully put $ in our savings and build an emergency fund.  Then DO NOT TOUCH IT... unless there is an emergency of course!!

3. House repairs... save money and when there is enough, do the thing that needs maintenance the most.  Choose not to stress, but rather set goals with the hubster and rest in knowing, "If God be for us, who can be against us?"

4. Boredom....  refer back to activities when media is turned off.  MOVE MY BODY!  Don't just sit there; do something!!

POSSESIONS: De-clutter garage, closets.  Either have that yard sale we keep talking about or give stuff away.   I mean, do I really need to keep my mother-of-the-bride dresses just in case I happen to be invited to a ball someday?  Discard broken items we have thought we would repair for decades, but never have. 

WASTE:  Recycling is not convenient and my one shot at composting failed when the guy who was mowing didn't realize what it was and mowed over it.  Have a plan and work the plan.  Glass, plastic and paper.  All grass clippings, sticks and veggie waste... to the compost pile we will make a place for this weekend!  Hold me accountable on this.

 

OK, that is seven; almost exactly the same list as Jen Hatmaker's because I couldn't think of anything else that seemed more important.  I thought could, but I couldn't.  I guess we all struggle with similar obstacles to living an uncluttered, God-minded, others focused life, don't we? 

 





What Was I Made For; Which Door at 64?

A blank page...  I haven't been here in so long, but I feel I have something to say.  I'm not even sure I know where to start, which is not unusual for me, but start I must.   I have things I still wonder about, need to learn; places to run, experience and be in awe over.  Why am I here... now that is a recurring question that has gone on for decades.  Maybe you relate or maybe you know exactly what you were made for and are completely confident and comfortable with where you are in this season of life. I usually am not. There are days when I feel that kind of assurance and there are even more days when I can't seem to keep my balance, fall on my face, get up again with shaky legs and wonder why I can't seem to find my way.  I know Jesus loves me.  I know God has a plan for my life.  The question is, am I living in His purposes?  Is walking with Him always this hard or am I making it harder than it needs to be?  I hope so.  I hope as I write, I will somehow come to a peaceful conclusion; a way to bring the peace I long for; a way to get outside myself and be others focused.

Age 64 will happen, ready or not, in four weeks and I don’t have a to-do-list written down.  I love the phrase, “If you think it, ink it!”, but what does my list, bucket or daily mundane happenings look like?  I’m not sure, but I am certain if I will “Seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, all these other things will be added to me”.  I know He is the author and finisher of my faith and that I am supposed to rest in Him, but I don’t feel restful a lot of the time.  I’m a dreamer, a visionary; that is a good and a bad thing.  Good because being creative, setting goals and moving forward to see a dream realized is exciting and rewarding.  Bad because I spend a lot of time dreaming and not doing; I am uncertain of which steps to take.  If money were no object, if I had enough time, if I knew all the right people, if I were in shape physically and had the energy of an eighteen year old and the wisdom of an eighty year old, then life would take shape, multitudes would be helped, restored and I would have a vegetable garden and a guest cottage with flower boxes on every window.  “If a frog had wings, it wouldn’t bump its butt every time it jumped”.   

So here I am trying to get myself straightened out and I am about to embark upon a challenge like no other I’ve considered.  There is a book our staff ladies’ Bible study group… all four of us, three of whom are young enough to be my daughters… have decided to tackle together.  “7” by Jen Hatmaker.  I had heard of this experiment regarding the simplification of life from my girls, but now I’m going to get right in the middle of it.  This is scary and exciting at the same time.  Scary because I don’t want this to be one more thing I fail at, and exciting because I think if I will persevere, de-clutter my life for the next 7 months in areas of excess, I will see Jesus much more clearly; there will be more room for Him instead of all my ‘stuff’.  I told Darrell, my sweet husband who listens to my rambling without complaint, about this project and assured him it was the perfect time to tackle our spending habits since we don’t have money to spend anyway. He chuckled.  I would hope that if we had an abundance monetarily that I would still pare down, spend less and give more.  I keep chatting with God about this and assure Him that I can totally handle being rich for His glory. Perhaps He is wanting me to glorify Him regardless of what state I find myself in?  Uh, yeah!  I think what I am hearing is that this new blog entry, after being dormant for several years, is for the purpose of journaling my journey as I listen for Holy Spirit to "show me great and mighty things I have never known before". He does that you know.  So, here we go… Blog entry #1 regarding letting God take charge, slowing down, de-cluttering, enjoying this path and crying when necessary.  God bless you and come along with me if you want.