Love.

That's simply it, isn't it? That which helps me to know love and give love more freely and fully, I should be about. That which keeps me from knowing love and giving love more freely and fully, I should do less of or discard altogether.

God, free us so that we might be more available and loving to you and to people. That's my prayer as we leave this blog. That's the outcome of simplicity that I think we desire. Thank you for being a supportive community this month as we journey together. May we not see this as the end of a month but rather the beginning of a continued journey with God to work at reconciling the world through the love of Jesus.

Laura Hoy

A way of life ...

This morning, as on every weekday morning, my alarm went off at 5:15. I hit the snooze button one time for 9 more minutes of sleep ... and crawled out of bed at exactly 5:24. Our old house is cold in the morning. Some days it is well under 60 degrees in our bedroom. Quite a shock to the system!

Chuck crawled out of bed a few minutes later and said to me, "You would think that after doing this for as long as we've been doing this it would become easier!" I mumbled something unintelligible and we headed off to the Y for our regular 45 minute workout. Nothing to write home about, but we did it. When we got home, we felt good; ready to face the day!

I've been thinking about that all day.

We have this false idea about so many things we do. We think that hard things, countercultural things, things that demand discipline and focus and intentionality will get easier the longer we do them. For many of us, when hard things don't magically become easier, we end up quitting. So it is in our country with exercise, healthy eating, working on our marriages, financial responsibility, spiritual disciplines, etc.

So ... this was my major train of thought today as we come to the end of our 30-day experiment with "simplicity." What if this pursuit of simplicity never gets any easier? Am I still willing to make it a "way of life?"

Was it any easier for me today to shop at Fareway rather than at the more tempting Target? No. Was it any easier for me to buy generic rather than the cooler-looking name brand item? No. Was it any easier for me to check what I had stored in the scary dark corner of the freezer to see if I could use something there to create a simple meal? No. Will it be any easier tomorrow? Probably not!

But I did those things. I just did. Because I am realizing they must become a way of life if they are to have any real meaning at all. (I also failed at many things today, too. That, too, is a "way of life!")

And I believe, that just like exercising on a regular, disciplined basis, there will be rewards to this kind of simple life. Rewards like freedom, peace, and knowledge that in ways big and small we can participate with Jesus in the redemption of this world ... by sharing what we have, by reducing what we consume, by working hard to not fall into the dark abyss of consumption, by choosing to live as best I can in solidarity with the lost and the least and the economically marginalized.

So, here are my questions:

Has "simplicity" gotten any easier for you? And, if not ... is that okay with you?

What actions, habits, changes might you choose to carry into the rest of this year and turn into a "way of life?"

What do you hope some of the rewards might be in choosing to live a more simple life?

That's all. Nothing profound. But I hope that by stating the simple fact that we will always have to work hard at this ... it might actually make the whole deal a little easier. :)

Suggestions for Simple Living

As we're nearing the end of the month, please post comments of your learnings and of resources that you have found helpful to you. For example, a few friends have told me that www.flylady.com has helped them gain some control over their home. The site offers tips and coaching for de-cluttering, as well as many other helpful hints. Any other resources you'd recommend?

A year or so ago, Alice, who is a queen resourcer, passed on to me a list of suggestions for simple living that was written from two sources: Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, and Margin:Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson. I have kept it on our fridge and have done read-throughs of it several times, using it as a tool to review how my personal life and how our family is doing in regards to simplicity. I'm copying the list for you below.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SIMPLE LIVING

Simplicity is: voluntary, free, uncluttered, natural, creative, authentic, focused, disciplined, diligent, healthful.

Simplicity is not: easy, legalistic, proud, impoverished, ascetic, neurotic, ignorant, escapist.

RELATIONSHIP
Cultivate a close relationship with God. Practice regular hospitality. Help each other, emphasize service. Always speak the truth: develop a habit of plain, honest speech. If you consent to do a task, do it. Avoid flatteries and half-truths. Make honesty and integrity the distinguishing characteristics of your speech. Don't judge. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. Consciously seek to identify with the poor and forgotten. Start by visiting hospitals, prisons, nursing homes. Schedule "simple" dates with your spouse. Teach your children.

ACTIVITIES
Make your commitments simple. Don't overwork. Fast periodically from media, food, people. Elevate reading, go to the library. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. Cut down on the use of addictive, non-nutritional food and drinks such as alcohol, coffee, tea, soda, sugar, chocolate. Simplify Christmas and other holidays. Develop the habit of homemade celebrations.

PACE AND ATMOSPHERE
Slow down. Do not exhaust your emotional bank account. Lie fallow. Say no. Restrict/eliminate television watching. Turn off or mute advertisements. Learn to enjoy solitude.

POSSESSIONS AND FINANCE
Cultivate contentment, desire less. Resist covetousness and consumerism. Buy things for their usefulness, not their status. Learn to enjoy things without owning them. Benefit from places of "common ownership"- libraries, parks, rivers, beaches. De-accumulate. Develop the habit of giving things away. Offer others the use of your possessions.. Develop a network of exchange. Avoide impulse buying. Don't buy now, pay later. Avoid credit cards if they are a problem. De-emphasize respectability. Simplify your wardrobe-give away excess. Learn how to make do with a lower income instead of needing a higher one.

APPRECIATION
Be grateful for things large and small. Emphasize a joyful life. Appreciate creation. Send cards of encouragement and appreciation when others are not expecting it.

SPIRITUAL LIFE
Make the Word central. Meditate on and memorize Scripture. Pray. Encourage simple worship. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the Kingdom of God.

extremely demanding and utterly gracious

By all means, even though I am posting, please keep adding to the previous thread "community learning" ...ideas for living more simply and honest confessions of the not-so-simple.

I was at a retreat at Orchard this weekend, and through the sessions, there were some phrases and thoughts that caught my attention. At one point, we looked at Luke 22:24-34, and our facilitator talked about how Jesus's words to his disciples were "extremely demanding and utterly gracious," as he invited them into a lesson that they were not quite yet ready to receive.

I think he does that with us all of the time as we journey, even into simplicity. His words to us are extremely demanding and utterly gracious as He leads us on in following Him more fully. He knows that his children often prefer "creature comforts to Creator confrontations" and that we often try to "bypass around the inconvenience of repentance and sacrifice and putting ourselves at risk." Jesus doesn't hesitate to talk about what it takes to put aside the world and live in the kingdom, and at the same time, He floods us with grace in the process, knowing how messy it us for us and how easily deceived we are.

It reminds me of the analogy that C.S. Lewis uses..."we are like a little boy who prefers to play in a mud puddle when Jesus offers us a vacation at the sea."

The vacation benefits include greater freedom, joy, purpose, life, but I'm also aware that the vacation costs include greater surrender, discipline, sacrifice, dying. So, as we journey on with Jesus to the sea of more abundant living in the Kingdom, I am grateful that we have one another to encourage each other, and that we are able to be honest and full of grace with each other in the mud puddle.

A quote from my devotion this morning- "Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free."

Community learning!

Okay friends ... here's a fun idea (I hope!)

Let's all share a few "simple" ideas with each other! Nothing big, just an idea or two, a recipe or two, a habit or two ... anything you do that helps keep costs down, or helps simplify life so that you can love God and love others more fully. Let's focus in just a bit on some things we are already doing that perhaps others might benefit from knowing.

I'll go first:

1. I shop almost exclusively at second-hand stores for clothing. My world's favorite store is called Second Impressions on 3rd Street in Waterloo. Jan is the owner and we always have a nice chat when I stop in. The store is neat and tidy, well-organized and she only takes relatively nice clothes on consignment. There are shoes, purses, belts and coats, too. Pants and jeans are anywhere from $5 - $10 and shirts and blouses about the same price. You can purchase a very nice winter coat for $15 - $30. Also, when you are done with clothing, you can re-sell it there on consignment. The last time I was in, I had over $10 in my account and bought a blouse for free.

2. I have been returning pop cans at the Cedar Falls redemption center by the Cedar Falls Karate Club. When I drop them off, I ask the folks there to put the $$ in the account for Habitat for Humanity. It is a beautifuly simple way to recycle and support housing projects for our neighbors.

3. I make bean and cheese burritos almost once a week. Flour tortillas, fat-free refried beans in a can, shredded cheddar. Put some beans and cheese on the tortilla, roll it up, microwave it. Top it with salsa, sour cream, tomato chunks and avacado chunks and you've got an entire meal. Kids love it. It's cheap. Even cheaper if you could cook your own beans, which I used to do when I was home all day. Now, I like the fat-free kind in a can. Plus, meatless meals are good for our world neighbors.

Those are just a few ideas from the Shirey (not-so-simple-yet) life!

What are some of yours?!?!?!

Also, the day-old bread store near us went out of business. I used to buy all our bread products there. Anyone have another idea for that? I hate spending $3 for a loaf of bread!!!!

alice

the costs, the benefits

I'm learning that simple is not often the easy road. Cindy said it well in a comment last night..."simple is complex when you live in and among plenty and privilege." Trying to swim against culture, trying to constantly navigate the need vs. want tension, delaying gratification, etc.. It's also not always the most convenient, time-efficient way to live...as it takes time to plan well and be intentional about everything from budgeting to gift-giving to meal prep., etc... Not easy to do in the busy culture we find ourselves living in. There's a cost in pursuing simplicity.

On the other hand, though, simple can lead to easier. When I do the initial hard work of de-cluttering my closets and drawers, etc., I find it much easier to clean my house, to move about, to have peace about the homefront. I can look to other things that, after doing the hard work of discipline for awhile, have really created some space and simplicity, some sanity from the insanity. I see benefits in pursuing simplicity.

I don't think a lifestyle of simplicity will look the same for everyone, but I thought I'd throw out the question today...what are the costs, what are the benefits of journeying in simplicity?

facing reality

Last summer I was sitting around with a group of people who were all doing some home improvements and additions to their houses. One person turned and asked me, "What are you doing at your place?" My answer was...."uh, uh, laundry and dishes." I realized I was absolutely sick in my head (and heart) as I later reviewed my whole array of emotions in the midst of listening to conversations around me that evening...I experienced jealousy, discontentment, inadequacy, loneliness, and then I swung over to feelings of pride, judgment, and superiority. Sick.

I so quickly compare our lifestyle and budget against my affluent neighbors rather than my poorest neighbors (who represent just under half of the world's population). I often need doses of reality to help me in the areas of priorities, contentment, and action. So, here's a picture of reality from the book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: moving from affluence to generosity. It's a bit lengthy but it helps me gain some perspective.

"To help us imagine what poverty means, a prominent economist itemized the "luxuries" we would have to abandon if we were adopt the lifestyle of our 1.2 billion neighbors who live in desperate poverty (and the 1.6 who are right behind them living on $2 or less a day.)-

We begin by invading the house of our imaginary American family to strip it of its furniture. Everything goes: beds, chairs, tables, television set, lamps. We will leave the family with a few old blankets, a kitchen table, a wooden chair. Along with the bureaus go the clothes. Each member of the family may keep in his "wardrobe" his oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse. We will permit a pair of shoes for the head of the family, but none for the wife or children.

We move into the kitchen. The appliances have already been taken out, so we turn to the cupboards...the box of matches may stay, a small bag of flour, some sugar, and salt. A few moldy potatoes, already in the garbage can, must be hastily rescued, for they will provide much of tonight's meal. We will leave a handful of onions, and a dish of dried beans. All the rest we take away: the meat, fresh vegetables, the canned goods, the crackers, the candy.

Now we have stripped the house: the bathroom has been dismantled, the running water shut off, the electric wires taken out. Next, we take away the house. The family can move into the toolshed...

Communications must go next. No more newspapers, magazines, books- not that they are missed, since we must take away our family's literacy as well. Instead, in our shantytown we will allow one radio...

Now government services must go. No more postman, no more firemen. There is a school, but it is three miles away and consists of two classrooms...there are, of course, no hospitals or doctors nearby. The nearest clinic is ten miles away and is tended by a midwife. It can be reached by bicycle, provided that the family has a bicycle, which is unlikely...

Finally, money. We will allow our family a cash hoard of $5. This will prevent our breadwinner from experiencing the tragedy of an Iranian peasant who went blind because he could not raise the $3.94, which he mistakenly thought he needed to receive admission to a hospital where he could have been cured."

Prayers today to face reality and to partner with God for justice-

Laura Hoy

Simplicity and time

So ... here's what I've noticed lately. (Warning: This is not overly profound!)

Simplicity in the way we deal with money and stuff almost certainly demands some simplicity in scheduling issues. For, it is when we begin running too fast that all kinds of random spending seems more likely to occur.

Simplicity in the way we handle money and purchasing decisions takes time, thoughtfulness, constant attention and ceaseless intention. The cultural message to spend and buy and purchase is simply too strong. It must be fended off at all times. This takes the kind of intentionality that a speedy life sometimes steals from us.

Little example: Yesterday I wanted to swim with my mom in the morning. She's struggling with some arthritis issues and swimming helps her. It is fun when we swim together. So, swim we did. Then I wanted to go to Wendy B's dad's funeral. So go I did. Then I wanted to rush to church to get my teaching slides in to Jonny before it got too late. But I was hungry. It felt to me like my only choice was to grab a little snack at those Golden Arches, which were conveniently located between New Hampton and Orchard Hill Church! I could have run home, but I felt pressed for time. Had to get the slides in. Had to get groceries before the kids got out of school ...

Now, granted ... spending less then $3 at McD's was not a budget buster. Granted, most of the things I did with my time yesterday were good. But, the lesson still stuck. And it leaves me in a bit of a conundrum ...

What do I say "yes" to in life? What do I say "no" to? How important is it to me to leave enough margin in time and energy so that I can remain intentional about how I live? Not just with money and purchasing, but with everything?

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Do you think the pursuit of financial simplicity is intimately connected to simplicity in schedule?

If you had more margin in life do you think it would allow you to be more mindful of your spending habits?

How high do you think this particular issue would be on Jesus' priority list?

Please, if you have some thoughts on this ... post a comment. We're really curious.

Stick-to-it-ness

I've been thinking about Alice's post from a few days back. Little things + Time= Big Deal. I think I often get about the "little things," but it's more the "over time" factor that keeps me from seeing the big deal. It's the sustaining, persevering that's needed, but I often lose focus and fall into the default mode that is often careless.

I ran into Andy F. in the office the other day, and we were both agreeing that some of the changes this month have not been all that hard to make...that we just really needed the intention and the plan. So...it seems this should be easy to just live this new way, right? My history tells me otherwise. So, my thoughts and encouragements for today are in the area of the stick-to-it-ness that will lead us on from January into the days that follow.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight"

"He conquers who endures"

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other."

"If you want to live a complicated, complex, joyless life, spend your time trying to do something that can't be done without God."

p.s. Due to two extended family dinners this week, our family has only eaten rice/beans two nights so far. I have been amazed at the willingness of my family to eat this (it could be the snacks that are eaten on the opposite side of the meal that help). Anyway, last night, as Sara was eating the rice (she doesn't really like the beans and has requested green beans for tonight's meal) and Nathan was eating the beans (he doesn't really like the rice), they were asking questions like "how much would a small bag of rice and beans cost at the market in Haiti? How much would they get in their bowl to eat? Why can't all the people who can't afford to buy food come and live here? Rice/beans proved a good conversation starter for two seven year olds. I'll let you know if there's complete revolt by the end of our week. :)

One day at a time,

Laura Hoy

Little things + Time = Big Deal

I am reminded again that it is little things that end up being a big deal.

It's January, so a great time to reassess health issues, especially weight. As I live into my 40's it has become apparent to me that it will take more of an effort than it used to to remain at a healthy weight. In some of my research, I learned that simply overeating by 200 calories a day is enough to add 10 pounds to one's body over the course of a year. 200 calories could happen just by grazing on little bits of food between meals! I am learning it is the little, daily choices that add up ... and end up having much more of an effect than a few big choices that happen occasionally. Little things + Time = Big Deal!

I am also finding that little things make a big difference in my spiritual life. Choosing to pray while I drive rather than just listening to NPR, refusing to turn on my computer prior to greeting God for the day, going to bed on time so I'm not grumpy and sleep-deprived. Little things + time = BIG DEAL

Same is true when it comes to financial simplicity. I am finding that little choices, lived out over time, are what can truly make the difference, without making us feel constantly deprived.

A couple pictures of that:

1. I returned some Christmas items ... and made a conscious, little choice to not "troll" for after Christmas sales! What a sense of freedom! To walk into a store, return an item, get credit back on my credit card and just walk right past all the other signs that said, "80% off!!!" I felt powerful and free. That was good!

2. I am making a conscious, little choice to use up what we have in the fridge and pantry rather than picking out cool menus and buying more stuff. This "plan new menus and buy more stuff" plan would usually cause large amounts of food in the back of the fridge to go bad and cause me to throw it out. I never really thought of that as $$ going down the drain ... (duh), but it was! We've had good food every night this month and no one feels deprived. At the same time, my grocery bill for the month is still well under $150 thus far. A record, I think.

3. I am making a little choice to not see grocery shopping as one more opportunity to throw random things into my cart that strike my fancy.

4. I am turning the heat down, turning lights off, throwing fancy catalogs in the recycling bin before I even look through them and get tempted ... you get the picture.

Little things ... I think they matter more than we think. Over time, they can turn into a really big deal.

Tell us about some of your "little things ..." We're curious!

Your turn

What are you learning? What's been helpful? What's been challenging?

In the absence of things...

It is often in the absence of things that God grows my awareness and my gratitude. I had to sleep upright in a chair the other night because everytime I tried to get horizontal, I would have a non-stop coughing attack. So, as I sat there trying to fall asleep in a chair with a cold that had also taken my voice, I found myself being grateful for that which I normally take for granted...the bed I usually sleep in and the voice I usually have.

I believe God often opens our eyes further, teaches us, and grows our gratitude quotient when we practice disciplines of both abstinence and engagement. So, as my family moves into week 2 this month, there are a few things happening around here. One thing for me is that I have the NIV Bible on CD in my van. I got it when we moved 25 minutes out into the country and thought it would be a good use of travel time to listen to the Bible. I think one month I listened to the book of James over 30 times. And another time I memorized a couple of my favorite chapters of the Bible. It's such a good thing....however, my natural inclination is to put someone like singer Nicole Nordeman in my cd player. I just don't stay regular in listening to Scripture. So, for me, over the next week, I'm going to listen to a portion of Scripture repeatedly when I'm in my van by myself. The Hoy's are also going to have rice/beans this week for supper. Easy menu! (Though I imagine that my children might rebel and end up making pbj sandwiches behind closed doors.) And, we're going to cover one of our doors with bulletin board paper and just make it a "thankful " graffiti wall for the remaining days of this month.

Those are just a few additions to our plan we're making this week. Again, I am grateful for the conscious effort of this. Our family picked up a teenage friend of ours today. We usually go out for a meal and then go to a movie, rollerblading, etc. Today, we came back here, had mac n' cheese, played games, made beaded necklaces, and spent a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon together without spending money.

Please share what is happening with you! The more bloggers the better! :)

Laura Hoy

It's hard with kids ...

One of the very interesting things about this month is trying to talk with my teenage kids about what we are doing. In some ways, they are more into it than me. In others ... well, the friendly word "clueless" comes to mind! :)

For instance, one of my teenage daughters said to me two days ago, "Let's find out what a family of 5 would be given as far as food stamp allotment, and let's try to live on that amount when it comes to groceries this month." Great idea!!! I am proud of my daughter! So, she researches that. Turns out, a family of 5 would be given something like $610 in food stamps each month. She also looked up all the things we couldn't buy with that money and we decided to live within those same guidelines. It will be an interesting practice. After shopping yesterday, I had many thoughts about how difficult this would be over the long haul, but I'll save those for another post.

Back to the kid issue ... Not more than 30 minutes later, this same beautifual daughter was looking through a prom dress catalog that came in the mail (Hello! Can you say JANUARY!!!). I politely suggested she could consider wearing the same dress she wore last year. Wrong suggestion! The same girl who suggested we live on a food stamp budget for a month in order to better understand the plight of the poor, walked away from me in a huff. Sigh ... loser mom, again.

I do think one of the more difficult things as a Christian parent is trying to figure out how to deal with raising kids in this arena of life. How much to spend on them? How do you teach them about the value of a dollar? How do you explain to them that you are not going to purchase something for them they really want? How do you help them see how "rich" they are when they often feel like others have much more than them? How do you help them live into Jesus' hard teachings on money when no one else seems to even try?

I would love to hear what others have experienced with their children in this area.

alice

ps. So far I've spent about $60 on groceries ... but that is only because our cupboards and fridge were overflowing after the holidays ...

Are we rich?

So ... this little exercise of paying attention to how we deal with money and stuff can potentially cause us to feel a little "poor." Or, maybe just life in the good ol' U S of A makes most of us feel that way. We see all the ads for stuff we can't afford. Other folks seem to be able to spend money carelessly. People seem to have more than we do. Or so it seems.

As a good little exercise (and for a little bit of a spiritual wake-up call) I logged onto www.globalrichlist.com this morning and plugged in the Shirey family annual income. Wow.

Try it and let me know what you think!

alice

Tell us a story

A friend of mine from high school always used to say, "Tell me a story." So, that's the post for today. I know we're only 3 days in, but "tell us a story!"

Here's my story. Yesterday, I was driving around town going from one place to another at about 12:30 p.m., getting hungry. I would have normally probably just stopped and grabbed a sub or something, but yesterday, I thought about the fact that I was going to be home by 2 p.m. and I could wait to get something at home. A plan, a little conscious effort, and a community....good things.

Laura

Simplicity that is in Christ

I am back from our vacation, and a cold has stolen much of my voice through today (really difficult for us yakkers). So, I'm thinking I'll even stay on the simple side of the written word tonight. Fasting from words is an excellent discipline for me sometimes! :) For today's post:

"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV

I don't believe that "confused" or "complicated" are words that God would care to use for the life that is in Christ but they are words that can at times be found in this follower's vocabulary. When do I find things most clear? When my abiding... my devotion to Christ is most sincere and pure. He then begins to order the rest of me in ways that are simply good and right.

Prayers for all of us this month to spend time alone with Jesus. Love reading your comments and walking together with this group. Thanks and blessings,

Laura

New beginnings

"Whoever is on a journey towards God goes from one beginning to another beginning. Will you be among those who dare to tell themselves: 'Begin again! Leave discouragement behind! Let your soul live!'"

This is a quote I came across today from a guy named Brother Roger of Taize, which I think is a Christian community in France. I like it. I think it describes a bit of what we are doing with this experiment in simplicity. We are "beginning again," trying to "leave discouragement behind," and creating an environment in which "our souls can live."

For those of you just logging on, Laura Hoy and I (and now others!) are engaging in a 30-day experiment in simplicity. Both of us are kind of defining what that will look like for our own families. We are avoiding legalism or judgmentalism ... and any other "isms" that take away from the spirit of this experiment.

The spirit is love. The purpose is love. The end result (we hope) is love -- Love for God, love for neighbor. We hope to find simple ways to fight off the shackles of consumerism and over-consumption in order to free our hearts and lives for love ... for God, and for neighbor.

If you look back at the posts prior to this one, you'll see some of our initial ideas, thoughts, prayers, hopes for this experiment. We'll, of course, be learning as we go. We'll share our thoughts and ideas along the way. We'll share areas of success and failure. We'll share areas where we struggle and areas where we feel free. Others are sharing, too ... and hopefully, we can gain energy, enthusiasm and a sense of community from one another.

Right now, the Shirey family is in a purging stage. We've just had a huge 10-day celebration with family and food ... and we are full; full of food, full of gifts, full of family, full of joy. But, we also feel a bit "over full" and so this is a perfect time to clean out, clear out, pull out and give away! I'd imagine this stage will last for a few days ...

We are also hoping to take complete inventory of our fridge, freezer and pantry ... and will try to eat what we have, as opposed to going out to buy more just because we "feel" like eating something we don't have. Our hope is that we can save signficantly in the grocery arena ... and then use that money to further God's Kingdom in some way.

One of our favorite organizations is called International Justice Mission (www.IJM.org). We give to them on an annual basis. They are a Christian legal organization that operates around the world. Their main purpose is to rescue people from bonded slavery and forced prostitution and then to both prosecute the oppressors AND place the newly freed people into Christian aftercare, where they are introduced to Jesus and offered a new way of life. According to IJM, $500 can free one human being from bonded slavery or forced prostitution! What a thought ... a little intentionality with the way we eat, and we can save one person from a life of slavery, introduce them to Jesus and set them free to help bring about the Kingdom of Jesus. That is probably where our "extra" money will go this month.

Those are my plans for now.

What are others of you planning (hoping?) to do? I'm curious.

alice

From Alice

Don't know why but that last post said it was from Laura, but it's not ... It's from me!

So, I'm still working on navigating this whole blog thing. Sorry for any consistent confusion. Just reveals my age, I'm sorry to say!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year all! This is alice here. Just a quick note this morning to let you know I'm here! We are just now saying good-bye to many family members and moving into recovery mode after a whirlwind holiday week of eating, laughing, racing around and celebrating Christ and family. Laura and family are flying in today from Phoenix. She'll write more soon, too.

I will post a bit more this afternoon ... but wanted to say "Welcome!" to all who are planning to participate in any way with us.

One thought I had this morning was that the Old Testament models a beautiful picture of both "feasting" and "fasting" that could be really helpful to us. I think God loves it when His people celebrate ... and He advocates doing so with food and music and loud celebration! He is a good God and it is good to honor Him with excitement and celebration! Hopefully, that is what most of us have just done.

But He does not advocate a lifestyle of overconsumption, celebration and partying every day! He advocates concern for others, care of the poor and the lonely, moderation of consumption for the sake of others, etc. In the Old Testament I think we see a beautiful picture of a life of both fasting and feasting to honor God.

So, I see this next month as a beautiful opportunity to move from a time of God-honoring feasting to one of God-honoring fasting. May both of these phases of life bring a smile to the face of our God. And may this next phase bring a smile to our faces, as well. I don't know about you, but I am ready to move out of the feasting mode and into the fasting mode!

I'll write more this afternoon about what this next week might look like at our house. Until then, I'm off to offer a hearty farewell to my sister and her five kids and my brother and his two kids. It's been a great week to be together.

Welcome all. I look forward to the things God will teach us as we experiment together!

alice

ps. Will just came to me to ask me to put some special things on my next grocery list! How funny is that? He wants "celery, dark molasses, clams and canned chili." Says they are good for his new running career. Won't he and I have a good talk about what constitutes a "necessity" this afternoon? I'm smiling as I write this ...