The Book: 7 My New Life Challenge

I mean, you're probably thinking, does this girl every just chill out and not do something requires a "challenge"??! Yes, I just finished my Whole30 challenge and that did cleanse my physical body, but now I am attempting to challenge my spiritual self. A bunch of ladies here on the Shore are doing this new book study written by Jen Hatmaker. She is quite and amazing author and is very real about what she writes. Her connection with the Lord is awesome and reading about her 7 month journey from excess is quite revolutionary.

Brief overview of this book is that this society we live in is layered with excess. In this studies case, its excess: Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. We are taking 30 days to rid out all the excess "things" in our life and widdling it down to 7 items. Lucky number 7. Its basically like a "decluttering" of your life as we know it.

Our group started this February 18th. The first 30 days are subjected around food. At first, I was VERY hesitant on starting something, yet again, that restricts my food intake. I was like, NO! Just did something like this, will modify it to make it fit ME! Then, like a hammer right to the temple of my head, I saw what I was really saying...ME ME ME...MEEEEEEEEEEEE! I will not do this cause I just did it. So, I changed my mind. I did make it a little more than 7 foods. I am eliminating these for 30 days....again:

1. Sugars of all kinds. Honey, stevia, natural whatever. ALL kinds. I do blame my blonde friend for getting me hooked on raw honey.
2. Processed junk
3. Anything that has names of "ingredients" I cannot pronounce.
4. COFFEE...I did just say that.
5. Chocolate. Oh.Man.

I do eat very healthy already. Doing the Whole30 (if you want to see what that was about, refer to my previous blogs) really gave me a reality check on what I was eating. I have kept those philosophies since finishing with a less rigid lifestyle. I don't eat grains. I eat healthy fats. But after reading the first chapter, I realized that I have over 200 things in my pantry. Holy excess, right? I am really trying to take that "need I have for those above foods" and turn it into a "need I have for the big guy upstairs".

I will not be doing this alone. My best friend here on the shore is my go-to person when I want coffee or something that I don't want. She is also blogging about her experience and a wonderful writer, so check her out here.

SO...here I go, again...Praying that this helps me open my eyes to all that is around me. Rely on Him to make it through the struggles. I already knew how blessed I was, but this challenge is really helping me open my eyes to all that I have. To be so lucky to have options for dinner and fresh fruits and veggies in my fridge. Clean water coming out of the taps and the vast options I have to eat at my house. Just some food for thought....