The Year of 7
Happy August everyone! This has been a whirlwind summer with us ending up in a completely different place than we started... new church, new people in our lives... and the beginning of 7.
What is 7 you ask? Well nothing but a little 7 month fast my husband felt led for us to do.. small potatoes right??? HA!
Earlier this year we read the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess (You may have heard me reference it once or a million times since then). Basically the author, Jen Hatmaker, takes 7 months and each months fasts from a specific item or category... for instance the food month you only eat 7 foods for that month, the clothes month you only wear 7 items of clothing (excluding "under things" "/ ), etc, etc.
When we read the book we both thought it was great and so cool they had done that. We happily patted ourselves on the back for reading such a "challenging book". We happily set it back in the drawer and promptly went out to eat. Little did we know that as the months went on God would begin to stir our hearts and especially stir Steves. Little did we know that 7 months after reading the book we would begin ourselves.
A month ago Steve came to me and said he felt we needed to do this and lets begin thinking through how to practically make that happen. I sat there and listened and in my head said "ok, maybe he'll forget about this if I stay quiet." A few weeks went by and I found myself actually starting to accept and even crazily get a little excited about the idea... I think in two weeks I may kick myself as I eat my 10 thousandth blueberry but for now there is excitement.
So here's the practical, detail side of this:
Month 1- Food: We only eat 7 foods for the month. Those foods are: Chicken, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Greek Yogurt, Almonds and Eggs. We will only drink water.
I don't know what to expect from this other than I know this is a time in our life where we both really need the Lord to refine discipline and patience within us. I don't know if that will be the end result in all of this but we're gonna hold on tight and go for this with all that we have. We're not being super legalistic or crazy... we're aware there may be times that something happens or a wrench get's thrown into the "plan" but as best we can we are sticking to this crazy version of a fast for the full 7 months.
There is nothing super spiritual or even note worthy in us doing this. Aren't we called to do something when the Lord commands it? Isn't this what we as believers live by? So please don't think we're crazy and "super disciplined". We are the furthest thing from it but know this is something we are being told to do and so ... I will eat blueberries until they come out of my eyeballs, eggs until I want to scream and chicken until I never want to see another piece of flaky, white meat... the hope is that as I go on my heart will soften, my desire for what I want will lessen and a quiet will begin to grow in this noisy, racing heart so I can hear just a little bit better when He speaks!
I'm not going to update every stinkin' day about this fast BUT will try to make it a Wednesday thing where you can hear all about the Chicken I ate and the sweet potatoes I may eventually fling across the kitchen in a desperate attempt to find chocolate! :)
Happy August Friends!
What is 7 you ask? Well nothing but a little 7 month fast my husband felt led for us to do.. small potatoes right??? HA!
When we read the book we both thought it was great and so cool they had done that. We happily patted ourselves on the back for reading such a "challenging book". We happily set it back in the drawer and promptly went out to eat. Little did we know that as the months went on God would begin to stir our hearts and especially stir Steves. Little did we know that 7 months after reading the book we would begin ourselves.
A month ago Steve came to me and said he felt we needed to do this and lets begin thinking through how to practically make that happen. I sat there and listened and in my head said "ok, maybe he'll forget about this if I stay quiet." A few weeks went by and I found myself actually starting to accept and even crazily get a little excited about the idea... I think in two weeks I may kick myself as I eat my 10 thousandth blueberry but for now there is excitement.So here's the practical, detail side of this:
Month 1- Food: We only eat 7 foods for the month. Those foods are: Chicken, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Greek Yogurt, Almonds and Eggs. We will only drink water.
I don't know what to expect from this other than I know this is a time in our life where we both really need the Lord to refine discipline and patience within us. I don't know if that will be the end result in all of this but we're gonna hold on tight and go for this with all that we have. We're not being super legalistic or crazy... we're aware there may be times that something happens or a wrench get's thrown into the "plan" but as best we can we are sticking to this crazy version of a fast for the full 7 months. 
There is nothing super spiritual or even note worthy in us doing this. Aren't we called to do something when the Lord commands it? Isn't this what we as believers live by? So please don't think we're crazy and "super disciplined". We are the furthest thing from it but know this is something we are being told to do and so ... I will eat blueberries until they come out of my eyeballs, eggs until I want to scream and chicken until I never want to see another piece of flaky, white meat... the hope is that as I go on my heart will soften, my desire for what I want will lessen and a quiet will begin to grow in this noisy, racing heart so I can hear just a little bit better when He speaks!
I'm not going to update every stinkin' day about this fast BUT will try to make it a Wednesday thing where you can hear all about the Chicken I ate and the sweet potatoes I may eventually fling across the kitchen in a desperate attempt to find chocolate! :)
Happy August Friends!
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