More than one year ago I read "7 An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess" by Jen Hatmaker. Her words left me unsettled and challenged. I ended up working through the seven areas over a seven week period with my class at church, but that short adaptation of her journey made me long for more...to do what she and her friends had done over a seven month period. And here I am more than eight months later, finally ready to jump in with both feet and so thankful to have a few of you joining in. Very glad my husband is doing this too. Thanks Steve!
The plan is to start Monday, January 6, and spend four weeks on each of the seven areas. I will be reading the book again and sharing some of my experiences on this blog. Hope you will do the same. We will go through the seven areas in the same order as in the book: food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending and stress.
Thought I would share some words from Jen's introduction to get us on track.
"7 will be an exercise in simplicity with one goal: to create space for God's kingdom to break through. I approach this project in the spirit of a fast: an intentional reduction, a deliberate abstinence to summon God's movement in my life...I enter the next seven months...first and foremost, for repentance. 7 will be tangible way to bow low and repent of greed, ungratefulness, ruined opportunities and irresponsibility. I'm ready to adopt Jesus' version of rich, blessed and generous...Jesus, may there be less of me and my junk and more of You and Your kingdom."
Month One: Food
Choose seven foods to eat for 28 days. When Jen and her friends did this, they drank only water. That decision is yours alone to make. I will post my choices in a few days and look forward to seeing yours.
I am praying, as Jen did, that this fast will create margins for God to move...that temporarily changing our routines of comfort will jar us off center and assist us in offering ourselves to God.
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