I was so excited on Tuesday when I checked FedEx and it looked like my book would arrive a day early! 🙂 I laid Moriah down for a nap, sat down to catch up on emails as the dogs laid at my feet. I saw the FedEx guy pull up and rushed to grab the dogs and put them in their cage before they started barking and woke her up! That man must have run off that truck because he was running to the door and ringing the doorbell as I was running to the garage. He rang, they barked (right next to Moriah’s room), I ran to the bedroom to muffle their bark…she continued sleeping! Crisis averted!
I immediately took a picture of my book, sent a little tweet and FB status announcing my excitement and then sat down to dig in! I knew when I set out to do this book study that there would be lots of toes being stepped on…mine! Let’s just say that all started in the Introduction! Not Chapter One, the Introduction! So much so that I sent Mrs. Hatmaker a little tweet…
One of those convicting paragraphs was on the very first page, at the end of the very first paragraph. Jen writes about her husband, Brandon, being a pastor at “a big ol’ church” and their thoughts on the poor.
Fortunately, we didn’t have to worry with the poor because we were paid pros serving the saved. We spent so much time blessing blessed people, there was nothing left over. Besides, that wasn’t really “our thing”.
Ouch! I knew then that this was going to convict me in ways I needed convicting. I knew then that I didn’t care enough for the poor, or the amount of food we were wasting and consuming, how many clothes we owned, our possessions, the media, the waste, the spending, the stress….all.the.junk!
Excess has impaired perspective in America; we are the richest people on earth, praying to get richer. We’re tangled in unmanageable debt while feeding the machine, because we feel entitled to more. What does it communicate when half the global population lives on less than $2 a day, and we can’t manage a fulfilling life on twenty-five thousand times that amount? Fifty thousand times that amount?
Ok, Jen! I get it…
Jesus, may there be less of me and my junk and more of You and Your kingdom.
I then found myself in Chapter One – Month One: Food. Yes, we’re just starting the first chapter! How ya feelin’!? 🙂
Let’s just start with my fridge (forgive the iPhone photos!):
Many people would consider this “bare”…I do! But, wait! Here’s my pantry:
Don’t you feel sorry for me now!? Wait! There’s more! This is what I call my coffee bar:
Yes, that’s three different kinds of coffee (with three more in the pantry). I’m a snob. And, I’m officially convicted. Now what am I going to do about it? I don’t know, yet!
There have been so many times, almost daily, where we come home, look in the fridge and say, “There’s nothing to eat.” It drives me crazy, because I “know” that there’s plenty to eat. It’s called being lazy, ungrateful, and selfish. Yes, we are all three…all the time. It’s officially time for a change. Now what am I going to do about it? I don’t know, yet!
I have started cutting coupons and being more aware of what I’m buying at the store and the amount of money I’m paying for it. But, I also find myself going to the store sometimes just to get something because I have a coupon and there’s a “deal”.
I would like to try the “eat what you’ve already bought” challenge and see how that goes. I think Q and I would be at each other’s throats every night because there would be “nothing to eat”. We’ll pray about it and see where He leads us.
How was the first chapter for you? Did you feel any strong conviction? What are you doing to change things in your home?
And, if you don’t have a copy of the book and would like one (I know it’s enticing!), you can order them here!
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Christie is a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful little girls, a pastor's wife, and lover of Jesus. Her hope is that STC would be a source of encouragement for women all over the world!
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How cute is this! Great idea! Thanks to Shaped by Grace for sharing this awesome post– so happy I found ya!!
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I highlighted all the same stuff you did in the intro – so convicting, huh? Blessings on the journey! 🙂
I highlighted all the same stuff you did – so convicting, huh?
Blessings on the journey…
🙂
Hi! I’m a new follower from the blog hop! Come visit me whenever you get a chance! 🙂
xoxo ♥ Shar
http://sharmartinez.blogspot.com
I don’t have a coffee shelf; I have a tea shelf! It is double-stacked and contains probably over 20 types of tea. I have heard great things about this book from others, also. It may just need to be my next read. Also, what helped us to eat what we have bought was creating a menu each week, creating a grocery list from that, and then (trying to) stick to it. Good luck!
Kate, I have tried (or thought about trying!) to come up with a weekly menu and stick to it. Obviously, I’m horrible at sticking to anything!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Christie
I can completely relate to your coffee obsession!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday!! I am now a follower!!
`~ Sarah