Here I am seven months after finishing my 7 project. For those of you who didn't follow along back then, I was motivated to stage my own little mutiny against excess after reading Jen Hatmaker's book 7: an experimental mutiny against excess. I spent one week focusing on each of the seven areas mentioned in her book. I learned a lot during those weeks and was constantly stretched and challenged. I was made aware of areas of my life that needing changing that I hadn't given a second thought to before. So, it's all fine and good for your life to change for a week, but what significance does that really hold for the rest of your life. I decided to look at my life 7 months post-project and see what long-lasting changes were brought about in my life as a result of my little experiment.
food:
original posts here and here
I haven't noticed a ton of change in my life here. Of course I am back to eating a wide variety of foods and have not eaten the same 7 food items for the past few months. I feel like I am more aware of what I do have and am more thankful for the access to food that I have.
clothes:
original posts here and here
So this is probably the biggest area of long-lasting change for me of all the areas. My clothing purchases in the past 7 months look dramatically different. In fact, they are nonexistent. I'm still going strong with my committment to buy no new articles of clothing in 2013. I'm trying to buy only second-hand and make more of my own clothes. I've committed to only buying fair-trade accessories. I signed on officially (after 9 months of debating I finally took the plunge in September) with Noonday Collection, becoming an ambassador and launching my own small business. I have learned more than I ever thought possible about where my clothes come from, the people who make them, raw material sourcing, fair labor practices, textile production and textile waste, etc. etc. etc. Most of all my heart is changing in this area. I still very much love style and clothing design. I'm seeing how these things can be used as a vehicle to empower others and bring out their God-given talents and not as a vehicle to bring oppression to others who slave away to make my cute, cheap clothes. I have had the opportunity to share my heart and this vision with many through one-on-one conversations and while speaking to larger groups of women at Noonday trunk shows.
possessions:
original posts here and here
So I'm still trying to limit the items coming into my home and trying to give away more. Once again this is a heart issue. I don't want to cling tightly to material possessions. The things that mean the most in this life are not things that can be bought in a store and they are not things we can take with us when we die. And, as I type this the TV is filled with images of the horror and destruction of the aftermath of the tornado in Oklahoma. I'm reminded that all of these things can literally be gone in a moment. I wanted my 49 possessions I gathered up over the "possession week" to be given to individuals and not just organizations. My heart behind that was that I wanted to actually connect with the people I was giving to...to engage with them...to learn their names...to hear their story...to share a meal with them...and not just drive up to a donation spot and dump my stuff off at the curb. The reality is that some of those items went to individuals who I got to know and others I just ended up driving up and dumping it off because I got tired of it sitting in my house. I am thankful for those individual relationships that did happen though. I was able to get involved with a ministry here that reaches out to provide housing and support for homeless women and children. I'm telling you, your perspective on "the poor" and "homeless" begins to change when you have names and faces and personal stories instead of statistics and preconceived notions.
waste:
original posts here and here
Well, I've now gone 7 months paper towel and napkin free in my kitchen. It was a pretty easy switch. Just took a little getting used to it. Now I don't even think twice about it (except when guests come over and ask for a paper towel. I get funny looks when I have to explain that I don't use them, but whatever). I still haven't started buying from Augusta Locally Grown, but I still have plans to. And...I'm back to hoarding glass, because I found somewhere in Augusta that actually recycles it! And, I'm still making more of an effort to use non-disposable cups and plates and utensils at work whenever possible.
spending:
original posts here and here
This one is always a challenge, and I know I can always improve in this area. I'm obviously spending less on clothes this year so that's a plus. I'm also trying to increase giving to individuals and organizations who are passionately pursuing visions and missions close to my heart.
media:
original post here
Failing. Miserably. In. This. Area. For someone who has a flip phone, a camera circa 2001, and a non-flat-screen TV I am a huge media-addict. That's just all there is to it. This is an area I need to do better. That is all.
rest:
original post here
Also still a struggle. Resting is constantly a challenge for me. Now don't get me wrong. Laziness is not a problem for me. I'm very good at that. The struggle is for me to rest without being idle. I'm still learning and failing and learning again, and I'm sure this will be a life-long struggle. I'm learning day by day to say along with the psalmist:
Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you
Psalm 116:7
And as a fun, little aside. I got to take part in a conference call with Jen Hatmaker back at the end of February. She is just as hilarious and encouraging and profound in person as she comes across in her writing. It was such a great opportunity that I never imagined I would get when I was reading through her book and doing my own little version of "7" last year!
I haven't noticed a ton of change in my life here. Of course I am back to eating a wide variety of foods and have not eaten the same 7 food items for the past few months. I feel like I am more aware of what I do have and am more thankful for the access to food that I have.
clothes:
original posts here and here
So this is probably the biggest area of long-lasting change for me of all the areas. My clothing purchases in the past 7 months look dramatically different. In fact, they are nonexistent. I'm still going strong with my committment to buy no new articles of clothing in 2013. I'm trying to buy only second-hand and make more of my own clothes. I've committed to only buying fair-trade accessories. I signed on officially (after 9 months of debating I finally took the plunge in September) with Noonday Collection, becoming an ambassador and launching my own small business. I have learned more than I ever thought possible about where my clothes come from, the people who make them, raw material sourcing, fair labor practices, textile production and textile waste, etc. etc. etc. Most of all my heart is changing in this area. I still very much love style and clothing design. I'm seeing how these things can be used as a vehicle to empower others and bring out their God-given talents and not as a vehicle to bring oppression to others who slave away to make my cute, cheap clothes. I have had the opportunity to share my heart and this vision with many through one-on-one conversations and while speaking to larger groups of women at Noonday trunk shows.
possessions:
original posts here and here
So I'm still trying to limit the items coming into my home and trying to give away more. Once again this is a heart issue. I don't want to cling tightly to material possessions. The things that mean the most in this life are not things that can be bought in a store and they are not things we can take with us when we die. And, as I type this the TV is filled with images of the horror and destruction of the aftermath of the tornado in Oklahoma. I'm reminded that all of these things can literally be gone in a moment. I wanted my 49 possessions I gathered up over the "possession week" to be given to individuals and not just organizations. My heart behind that was that I wanted to actually connect with the people I was giving to...to engage with them...to learn their names...to hear their story...to share a meal with them...and not just drive up to a donation spot and dump my stuff off at the curb. The reality is that some of those items went to individuals who I got to know and others I just ended up driving up and dumping it off because I got tired of it sitting in my house. I am thankful for those individual relationships that did happen though. I was able to get involved with a ministry here that reaches out to provide housing and support for homeless women and children. I'm telling you, your perspective on "the poor" and "homeless" begins to change when you have names and faces and personal stories instead of statistics and preconceived notions.
waste:
original posts here and here
Well, I've now gone 7 months paper towel and napkin free in my kitchen. It was a pretty easy switch. Just took a little getting used to it. Now I don't even think twice about it (except when guests come over and ask for a paper towel. I get funny looks when I have to explain that I don't use them, but whatever). I still haven't started buying from Augusta Locally Grown, but I still have plans to. And...I'm back to hoarding glass, because I found somewhere in Augusta that actually recycles it! And, I'm still making more of an effort to use non-disposable cups and plates and utensils at work whenever possible.
spending:
original posts here and here
This one is always a challenge, and I know I can always improve in this area. I'm obviously spending less on clothes this year so that's a plus. I'm also trying to increase giving to individuals and organizations who are passionately pursuing visions and missions close to my heart.
media:
original post here
Failing. Miserably. In. This. Area. For someone who has a flip phone, a camera circa 2001, and a non-flat-screen TV I am a huge media-addict. That's just all there is to it. This is an area I need to do better. That is all.
rest:
original post here
Also still a struggle. Resting is constantly a challenge for me. Now don't get me wrong. Laziness is not a problem for me. I'm very good at that. The struggle is for me to rest without being idle. I'm still learning and failing and learning again, and I'm sure this will be a life-long struggle. I'm learning day by day to say along with the psalmist:
Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you
Psalm 116:7
And as a fun, little aside. I got to take part in a conference call with Jen Hatmaker back at the end of February. She is just as hilarious and encouraging and profound in person as she comes across in her writing. It was such a great opportunity that I never imagined I would get when I was reading through her book and doing my own little version of "7" last year!
This is a great post!
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