"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?