March Book Review

Another month has come and gone. I can't believe it!

After "The Month Jen Hatmaker Invaded My Life", I needed something light to read as I processed through everything. I picked up the 5th book of the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. I must confess...I began this series when we were first married. This was 3....almost 4 years ago! I borrowed these books from one of our students, and still haven't finished them! THE SHOCK. THE HORROR. Shame on me. So, I decided it's time! Despite my actions that may appear otherwise, I love this series! It's chalked full of fantasy and beautiful imagery. I want to give Aslan a hug. So, of course I recommend reading these. I have 2 to go! The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was a great and short read!

Alright...I have been terrified to read this next book for a few years. Yet Jen trapped me again :) I keep struggling with what God wants me to do with the message in Interrupted, so my friend Shannon suggested reading 7...a book also by Jen Hatmaker. This book is "an experimental mutiny against excess." She takes 7 months and fasts from 7 different things each month. The purpose?

"7 will be an exercise in simplicity with one goal: to create space for God's kingdom to break through. It will be a tangible way to bow low and repent of greed, ungratefulness, ruined opportunities, and irresponsibility. It's time to admit I'm trapped in the machine, held by my own selfishness. It's time to face our spending and call it what it is: a travesty."

So Jen fasts from each of these 7 things in this order and writes about each day in journal-like format for us to read: 

Month 1: Food- She literally chose 7 foods to eat for the month and could eat those and those alone. No extra spices, sauces, nothing. JUST those 7 foods.

Month 2: Clothes- She chose 7 items of clothes to wear (besides undergarments) and wore ONLY those all month long.

Month 3: Possessions- She gave away 7 items each day of the month to someone who needed it. She didn't just take it to Goodwill...she stored these items up until she found someone who needed them.

Month 4: Media- Her whole family fasted from TV, Gaming, Facebook/Twitter, iPhone apps, Radio, Texting, and the Internet (The last two only when they were a waste of time. She needs them both for work).

Month 5: Waste- Her family recycled, planted a garden, drove only one car, shopped locally only, and bought clothing from second-hand thrift stores.

Month 6: Spending- Her family could only spend at 7 different places. No extra eating out or consumption. 

Month 7: Stress- She and her family observed the Sabbath from Saturday at 5 until Sunday at 5 and had communion in their home. She also followed Seven Sacred Pauses and prayed for specific things 7 different times of the day for a whole month.

Now people...you may think this sounds crazy, and it really does. THAT is exactly why I was terrified to read this book. Sometimes I like being caught in the machine of selfishness...but then again I don't. I have a war waging within me. I don't want it, but I don't know how to get out. So, this book was perfection. Jen is hilarious and raw, insightful and wise. Jesus really used this experiment in her life...she truly found the meaning of fasting. I don't have enough words for how convicting and incredible this book is. Shannon and I read it together, and we kept saying "We'll decide at the end of the book if we're going to do the actual experiment or not." So here we are at the end of the book and well...what's our next excuse? ha! We're leaning toward doing it and tweaking some things to fit our context. I need to learn the art of fasting, and I think this would be huge for our family. 

I can't even give you "this meant the most to me quotations" to you or explain how Jesus used this book in me. My book looks like a child got a hold of an underliner (or "pen" as normal people call it) and went to town! There's just so much GOODNESS.

All of that to say...read Interrupted. Then read 7. It's time to be the Church we're really supposed to be. I'm so tired of being stuck in the machine!