7

So, I recently finished reading 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess  by Jen Hatmaker. 

This book is sooooo good, and I highly recommend it.  It chronicles her life over 7 months as she looks at 7 different areas in need of change in her life (one each month).  Her family and friends, sometimes more reluctantly than others, joined her for this journey.  In a sense it was a fast from excess and her way of taking a stand against greed and overindulgence.  When reading this book there were times when I laughed so hard, out loud, all by myself.  She is just so open and honest about her feelings--not trying to hide or pretend to be someone she's not.  Jen is just so random and hilarious with her stories and her thoughts.  I wish we could be friends in real life and that I could interact with her and her family on a regular basis.  There were times that brought tears or near-tears as she described church services and meals together with the homeless in her city, the longing and ache she felt as she waited through the long adoption process for their two children from Ethiopia, the plight of refugees in this country and the redemptive ways that her friends are coming alongside them.  There were times when I was convicted and felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach (or slapped me in the face--either way it was not a good feeling).  I learned a lot from reading this book.  Sometimes the info came in the form of facts and figures about our careless spending in this country, our consumption of clothes, media, and other material possessions.  I learned more about organic food, community gardens, composting, and buying local.  I learned about refugees, orphans, the homeless, and child and slave labor.  Many of the things I learned came in the form of Jen's spiritual insights as she was experiencing all of this-- the ways that God was transforming her heart, the truth that was coming alive for her in new ways.  I guess that is the best way to learn....to have things revealed to your own heart....firsthand....from God Himself.  So, I'm embarking on this journey myself--in a way.  One month for each area seems a little intense for me, so I'm starting with one week for each area.  I'm in the process of modifying and figuring out how this will all work, and I'm in the process of asking some friends to join me.  And, of course, I will blog about it once I start with the things that I am learning with the hope that it will encourage and challenge some of you as well.