This morning I got to talk to my sister-in-law about a book she is done reading and I am working on. We both love the book and are excited about the prospects of it and discussing, what do you do with the information now? If you don't know my sister-in-law Hannah, I will introduce you, because she is the cat's pajamas. Seriously, one of the most godly people I know. So, I will be waiting and praying to see how this looks in her and her families' life. So, are you dying to know what the book is about??? I know you are.
The book is 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker. In this book, she takes 7 months, identifies 7 areas of excess, and chooses each month to work against greed, materialism and overindulgence. The areas were food, clothing, spending, media, possessions, waste and stress. You should check it out.
I get really excited after reading things and a couple of different possibilities usually play out:
1. I get so excited that I am overwhelmed with the information and don't know where to start.
2. I dive into trying this in my own life, without enough prayer and guidance and purge things for purging's sake, missing the forest for the trees.
3. Or I sit around, think it's great, talk a lot about it, but there is never any change in my life (which is unfortunately what I can do a lot with scripture).
So I am praying about it. These basic principles of living more simply, making more space and having less stuff in my life are concepts I have been thinking a lot about for the last year or so. I'm not just talking about getting rid of things for the sake of getting rid of them and being self righteous, judging those who have much and are wasteful. If I become that person, please just give me back my stuff, cause I have missed the point entirely. But instead, less of me and my junk, and more of Jesus and His Kingdom.
I have talked to Danny about this too. I expected him to give me a look like "Cherry, not again. I pretty much gave up meat for you, I don't know what else you could torture me with now." But he didn't, because that's how awesome he is. He puts up with a lot from me, and he loves Jesus too.
I am convicted now more than ever to live more _______(you fill in the blank here with what ever hipster word people are calling it now, simply, sustainable, missionally, all of the above) because of Levi and our future kids. My life is no longer about me (not that it ever was), but now I am not responsible just for my own life if I screw this up, but for other young, impressionable minds. I don't want my kids growing up thinking life is all about them and what they can attain. I don't want them thinking money or possessions, or even people, will make them happy. I want them to bless others with the abundance that we/they have been given, and I want them to love Jesus. Like a lot. And the best way kids learn is what their parents model for them. I am extremely aware that I will not be the perfect parent. I already fall short daily. But in spite of my imperfections, I want to decrease so that He may increase.
So you should check out the book for yourself, certainly don't just take my word for it. Pray that we won't screw Levi up, or our future children. Pray that we would be effective here in our community, and in doing so would be teaching others and our children to be effective. Pray for the future kiddos we get, and that we would help them too.
And on a small tangent, pray for our new neighbors. Our previous ghetto, loud, drunk neighbors moved out and we were excited at the possibility of meeting these new people and hoping they are a bit more pleasant. Then enter last night, when a lady was standing in the lawn yelling loud and numerous obscenities at the man inside. Now, I am not judging her for this (who hasn't wanted to stand in the yard and yell obscenities at their significant other from time to time), I am just thinking it might be a rough crowd...
Love and miss you guys. Thanks for reading, praying with us and supporting us.
