The Summer of 7 - Week 1

Back in January, I read, reviewed, raved about and gave away (would have been cooler if I could have thought of a "r" word to use there...raffled, released, guess I better stick with gave away) Jen Hatmaker's awesome book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. I swore it was life changing. I told everyone I know that they MUST read this book. Then I put the book on my nightstand and haven't touched it since. Real life changing, Les :( It wasn't because I didn't want to make these changes, I really did/do. I got busy, and lazy, and out of sight, out of mind.

Then I came across some bloggers that are doing The Summer of 7. They are taking each of Jen's 7 areas she write about and going to focus on one a week. In the book, Jen did them each for a month. A week sounds much more doable (for me) and I think I can even get the family on board.  I can do this! Another friend was asking me about the book and I coerced asked her to join me and she said yes! YAY. So starting today, we are embarking on our own Summer of 7 with our families. We have talked to the kids and I think everyone understands why we are doing this but I'm sure we will ALL learn a lot along the way.

Yesterday, another sweet friend helped us grind our wheat and make the best bread you have ever had, that just might have to sustain us for the next 7 days. I'm kidding. Sort of. We are starting with the Food chapter, just like Jen did. But there was no way I could get the fam in on eating only 7 foods. There just aren't 7 things we all agree on (that aren't Snickers, Snickers, and more Snickers) so we are changing it up a little and eating only things with 7 or fewer ingredients in them. (hence the reason we made bread...store bought bread has like a gazillion ingredients *sigh*)

The first "speed bump" came this morning when the kids were ready for church and I started making fried eggs. C said he would just wait and eat donuts at church, like we do every Sunday. Hmmm....I told him he could do that, but we were starting 7 and donuts don't fall into the <7 category, but it was his choice (mom guilt normally works and he makes the "right" choice - lol). I wasn't sure how that would go but he sucked it up and ate here and we all survived the morning of watching everyone eat donuts and praising the Lord that we had any food to eat at all.

Once we get past the initial shock to our systems when we aren't clogging them up with chemicals and artificial junk, I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to teach us as we make more room for Him in our lives....starting in the kitchen.