7 Experience :: Intro & Food Week 1

We [huband & I] are so excited to finally be taking the plunge and straight up doing the 7 Experience!  We have talked about it, prayed about the implications, mulled it over, and decided to jump in with both feet :)  We are doing it a little different than those in the book in that we are focusing on each of the seven areas for two weeks instead of the full month -- this was decided by the group that I'm tagging along with and also due to our sanity and braveness-level.  We feel that it will shape our life and have an impact in two weeks because we are doing it together and also have Jen's account to reflect on.  So, here it goes!

When I asked huband [yes, the no "s" is on purpose] why he decided to do this Experience with me, he said that he was hoping to "get rid of the junk."  I couldn't agree anymore!  Clearing out the junk means more room to hear from the Lord on how we get out of our rut and refill after this is all done.  I guess the main thing I want to get out of this fast from food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress is to free myself and my mind from the grasp I have on these things and that they, in turn, have on me.  I don't want to be like the Jones' -- and running a hundred miles an hour and getting nowhere fast.  I don't want to waste my life and my time and resources on things that don't matter.  Or, worse yet, waste my time on things that only benefit me.  I want to make a difference with my life and in my life and I feel like it's time to clear the slate.  Pare back.  Start from scratch and see what happens.  See what I'll learn.  Redefine our lives and how we're going to live them.  I know that my results will be different than my husband's, different than the others in the group, and different from yours.  But they will be what I need and I hope that my learnings will challenge you.  Maybe you need to redefine your life as well.  Or maybe you already have and you just need some encouragement.  Or maybe you think this is all completely wacko and you're reading this for a good laugh.  Regardless, thanks again for joining me on this adventure as we define how to be a steward over being a consumer :)

Spinach, avocado, chicken, period.

For our first fast the topic was food.  We all knew it would be the hardest and, therefore, could get us in the right mindset off the bat.  We each chose seven foods that we would be limited to over the next two weeks, so huband and I chose chicken, spinach, avocado, bananas, bread, rice, and nuts.  We chose these due to their protein levels, how much they fill us up, smooth vs. crunchy components, and carbs.  Yep, we could never be vegetarians or no-carbs in our house!  [A few things others in the group did different than us was substitute one of these with eggs, grapefruit, apples, coffee [yep, addict :)], green beans, sweet potatoes, yogurt, or black beans.]  We felt like we were off to a great start with things posted such as "Who knew the simplicity of spinach, chicken, and avocado would make such a great salad?!" and "Spiritual discipline, personal discipline, priorities, and sacrifice are the best ways that we can honor God. It is also the best way to hear from Him.".  We were super excited and adding foder to the #the7experience listings!

That lasted for about two days until we started texting things like, "I need food, I definitely don't have enough here" and "They went to Chipotle without me!!!".  Man, I never realized how dependent we are on food for social events.  Or how I eat whatever's around when I'm hungry (we're definitely getting rid of filler items around the house!).  I love eating only fresh and one-ingredient foods, but not a fan of no variety.  And poor huband -- he loves cooking and making up new recipes and there are only so many variations with only seven foods.  However, it is doing what we wanted.  It's clearing out the junk and making room for changes to come.  In those first few days when I was getting so many food headaches and couldn't figure out how much of what to eat, all I could do is pray that the Lord would grant me peace.  Pray that my life wouldn't just be about food and that food wouldn't be all I thought about.  Pray that I would be thankful that I have food when so many don't.  Excited to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children next week and that I can actually do something about others not having food.

So, what foods would you choose?  What seven foods do you think you could live off of?  What week are you most anticipating hearing about?  Pray for us as we wrap up week two and start to think of our seven clothes . . . after just buying some new summer clothes . . . 

Blessings on your week,
Marlana