seven

Oh my goodness. I have a blog. My very first blog. I am ecstatic for some reason I don't know because I'm not sure of anyone who will actually read this. But I love reading others blogs so I thought, why don't I have one of my own? I love journaling. It's one of my favorite parts of the day. To sit in my bed, grab a pen, grab my bible, and just write what God is doing in my life or what He did in my day. So here it is. He is good and He receives all the glory!

I started reading 7: an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker a few days ago. I. Love. It. Hatmaker feels 'trapped in the machine of excess' and made a choice to fight against the diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence. For seven months, she takes seven areas and reduces it to seven choices. Food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress. I am taking on the challenge. I took a mission trip to Port Au Prince, Haiti less than a month ago. That changed my life forever. I came back overwhelmed of how much Americans have and they continue to have more. It broke my heart, not for the Haitians that I became friends with, but for Americans because we have so many distractions keeping our attention away from our Lord. Seven was the answer to my overwhelmed heart. Yesterday I started month one: food. 

• Chicken
• Rice
• Beans
• Pineapple
• Whole wheat bread
• Peanut butter
• Bananas

I cut out sodas and coffee for the month too. I believe coffee will be my biggest issue. This summer, I've been babysitting a 10 year old and today I experienced the no coffee issue. It was almost like I couldn't function without yawning every minute. But other than that, I've been fine. No cravings for a cookie or hamburger. Actually, now that I think of that, I want it. Uh oh. 

I love the parable of Jesus being tempted in Matthew 4. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He was led into trouble. This was a testing of His faith. Jesus was hungry! He had not eaten in forty days for crying out loud! We are complaining if we forgot to eat lunch. But because Jesus is so awesome and perfect, He didn't fall into the trap. "But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4). Did the devil stop there? No. He continued to tempt Him. But Jesus kept on telling him what Scriptures say. I pray that I can do that. When things come my way, I can say, "This is what my God says". 

"For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." (James 1:3)