And now about all this stuff...

Hi fellow Seven'ers!

That was a great meeting with great food and great conversation!  Thanks for sharing everyone.   I am actually excited as we move into phase two and start the dialog about stuff.  I think it was stuff and our accumulation of it that first drew me to this idea personally.  

For some reason I have always been particularly bothered about the parable of the rich man who was very clever.  By my standards,  he is clearly a prosperous and clever man doing well for himself but God seems to have a very different view.  I think I have for some time now lived in a state of wondering at what level is health - how much is enough,  how much is too much,  at what point am I ceasing to be in the world and am instead consuming my way into being of the world.  I think the poison of this is that it is not just in the stuff,  or the earnings, or even in the money itself - it is what all of those things do to the heart.  This passage never says the status of this rich man's salvation,  but I think we should consider it dire warning enough that Jesus (God Himself!) said, 'Foolish man'!   It is clear the message that the body and the circumstances may still be alive,  but the danger is that the heart could have died, and the spirit be condemned long before...

Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. People do not get life from the many things they own.” Then Jesus used this story: “There was a rich man who had some land. His land grew a very good crop of food. He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns! I will put all my wheat and good things together in my new barns. Then I can say to myself, I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’ “But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So what about the things you prepared for yourself? Who will get those things now?’ “This is how it will be for anyone who saves things only for himself. To God that person is not rich.” (Luke 12:15-21 ERV)

Hi

Ok I'm in. Looking forward to next weeks fast. We will let you all know soon what we are doing.

Food Fast - Day 4 - the Goodwin's

Brenna, Nic, Hi!  Thanks for the post...you are the first adventurer(s) to do so!  Yes,  Alanna and I agree that it is important to start paying attention to what you consume.   Food seems to be all around us, but real food, seems increasingly difficult to come by.  In Defense of Food is brilliant - after taking in Polan's ideas you can't help but be fired up about going back to real food rather than continue to soak in a sea of processed foods, GMO's, and high-fructose corn syrup!!!

Today I woke up feeling good.  Though the headaches persist, the excitement of living in this simpler way felt invigorating.   This was the first day where I sensed that it was no longer purely a mental battle over whether or not to continue and instead felt a tug to worship and ask for the Lord's movement in this tiny space created by my divestiture from luxury eating.  In context, this fast seems infuriatingly small - and I say infuriating because it is taking so much effort to open up such a small space,  I almost feel silly.

Everyone stay strong!  God is in this and even if it feels like it is going nowhere,  He will faithfully change us, lead us, and make something amazing out of our little leap of faith.  I just know it!

Blessings all,
A.G.