Detox

I think God is trying to mess with me.  He's shaking up some of my paradigms and comfort and letting crazy questions swim through my head that I'd rather not look at too closely.  Questions like,

What does being a follower of Jesus REALLY look at?
If true religion is taking care of widows and orphans what am I doing about that?
How much is enough?
Why do we have all this stuff?
Am I really living up to the standard that God set out for us?
How do I unplug my kids from the entitlement attitude that rages in them?
Am I strong enough to do what needs to be done?

I don't really like these questions, cause I think I know the answer a little and I don't think I like it cause when it comes right down to it, I'm kind of a jellyfish on this stuff...I ride the waves and send out a zinger every once in awhile.

Then our pastor started a series on Ephesians and it's getting under my skin.  There is a serious call to examine ourselves and live a holy life in there.  Paul hammers away at our relationships and wonders how serious we are about the gospel.  How serious am I?  What do I need to leave behind?

AND THEN...

I come across all these comments about the chick named Jen Hatmaker and this book that she wrote, "7 - an experimental mutiny against excess".  People were talking about the weird things they were doing and I felt compelled to buy the book.

It came yesterday.

I think I hate it.

Because it hurts to see the truth of my life exposed in such an inglorious way.

And I love it because it's helping me see that the questions I've been pondering aren't just for me.  God is beginning to wake up His people to get out of their comfortable lives and take Him seriously.  In the community we live in we are near the bottom of the food chain economically.  We're part-time pastors in a tiny town and we are farmers buried in debt.  And yet we are still in the top percentages of wage earners when compared to the rest of the hurting world.  We are a RICH, RICH society and we just want more.  We have bought into consumerism and materialism and excess in so many ways it's sickening.  And I want out...I'm not sure what that's going to look like in the big picture but I'm starting small...

For the next two weeks I am going to detox my body - I'm eating a very limited diet of foods that are gentle on my body.  Nothing has more than 4 ingredients in it.  Mostly less than that and they are recognizable.  I am avoiding:  caffeine, dairy, preservatives, soy, gluten,  processing and a bunch of other stuff.  Pretty much all that's left is rice, potatoes, chicken and a few fruits and vegetables (which is still alot compared to the peeps in drought-ridden countries who are existing on a cup of rice a day).

I am also detoxing my house...I'm determined to go through this entire house and get rid of stuff we don't love, don't use, no longer need, broken, etc.  We have enough stuff, we don't need all this and I'm sick of cleaning it, moving it, storing it and paying for it. We've already done the little boys' room minus one ugly drawer...My psycho, let's throw-out-everything daughter is helping me in this process which is good, because I tend to get a little sentimental!

Here's the hard part.  I'm so NOT consistent and I have NO backbone when it comes to this kind of thing.  I cave at the smallest inconvenience so please help me out here.  Pray for me, comment, or something, start a conversation with me about all this....It's probably going to take longer than two weeks, but I'm not sure my wussy nature can even make it that long!!!  So I'm going to post every day...I actually started this yesterday but who's counting...

and I decided to link up here: