The Summer of 7

You heard about The Summer of 7, huh?

Girl (Guy?), you so crazy! That’s all I have to say.  If you clicked over here, I know it is because you are flat crazy. 🙂

So welcome crazy folk. You’re in good company.  Here’s the story.

7 is written by Jen Hatmaker, who, was trying simplicity for the sake of . . . others. (You may know this is my favorite thing and kind of the whole reason for this blog.)

Simplicity for the sake of others. Not for herself.

Not to pay off debt. Or pad the college fund. Or win the “Most Manic Couponer of the Year Award.”

She conducts “an experimental mutiny against excess” to draw her eye towards others.

I bet you know . . .she had me at “Hello.”

She took seven months and challenged herself to simplify and remove excess in seven areas: Food, Clothes, Possessions, Media, Waste, Spending, and Stress. She explains that she took on this challenge for two reasons:

1. To draw herself to repentance for “greed, ungratefulness, ruined opportunities, and irresponsibility.”

2. To prepare herself and her family for a new mindset regarding “Jesus’ version of rich, blessed, and generous.”

That is what I want. Those exact words are why I have been blogging for two years. Her concepts are the ones that I feel I have clung to, yet failed to articulate. This book has just MESSED ME UP ENTIRELY.  I have nodded, cracked up, and shouted outloud, “I KNOW” numerous times. She is funny, honest, and painfully convicting.

And because I’m sick in the head, I thought that I should find some other crazy bloggers who I could mess up, and then together, we can mess you up. We should all try 7 together, shouldn’t we?

Won’t that be fun? Won’t it? Won’t IT? (My kids say NO. My husband says, “Why? Why? Why would you do this?)

Several other bloggers and I are each going to each take Jen’s challenges and try them for ONLY ONE WEEK. (Doing it for a month is for people with book deals. ;)) Then we’re going to blog about it and invite you to link up with us with your stories.

Can we eat ONLY seven foods for one whole week?

Can we wear ONLY seven pieces of clothing for one week?

Can we eliminate SEVEN forms of media from our lives for one week?

Can we WALK everywhere for a week?

Can we eat locally for a week?

Can we spend ZERO money for a week?

Can we give more than we consume?

Can we love others more than we love ourselves?

Can we break up with all the JUNK in our lives and begin to see beyond the end of our crap-piled Target cart?

MOSTLY, can we figure out how to turn a fast from a legalistic exercise into a truly constructive way to realign our hearts?

Over the summer, the following lovely ladies and I will be sharing our stories at our blogs as we each take on our own different versions of the challenges. You’ll hear from:

Kay from Kay’s Counseling Blog

Steph from Only Here, Only Now

Melissa from MelissaJenna.com

Amy from Permission to Peruse

Alene from Positively Alene

Jamie from Six Brick High

Rachel from Occassional Boredom

ME from The Poorganic Life

Amy from Amy in Wanderland  (At the end of the summer, Amy’s going to tackle giving up “Selfishness” so we can finish off by turning our hearts towards service.)

AND YOU!!!  Where do you come in?  First, read 7.  Then consider whether this kind of fast might be for you.   Each category page has a blog hop link- up where you can share your story from The Summer of 7.  The link-ups on each page (Stress, Possessions, Clothing, Food, Spending, Media, Waste, and Self) will be active all summer, so you can try the challenges in ANY order you like.  We (and you–wink, wink) can join with us as your summer, and children, and cook-out schedule permit. At the end, the most convicted person WINS!!

Just kidding.

I’m hoping that by the end of the summer, in at least some small way, I will have scraped some of the glut of cultural greed off of my life, so that we can give out of the abundance that we so often fail to see because we are drowning in it. I’m praying my “poorganic” life will be one that is about simplicity for the sake of others, growing deeply into my heart and life, rooted and grounded in love.

Will you join us? Share your schedule with us by filling in you info into the blog hop Linky Tool below. Or you can just leave a comment letting us know you plan to participate in The Summer of 7!! (And grab a button for your blog!)

Here’s a little ad for Jen’s book if you need MORE enticement. 🙂

 

 

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