Week 1 - 30 Days of Nothing

Ham Sandwich courtesy of our kitchen.  ©Bushel&APeck

Well, it's uneventful to report daily, so I felt weekly would be more efficient.  

Guess what?  Whole lot a' shakin going on.  Actually, I'm lying.  There's nothing going on.  Because news flash?  30 days of nothing isn't something - it's the opposite.  It's nothing.  Nothing to see. Nothing to report.  There are no Friday night dinners with friends to weigh in on, or frozen margaritas and chips and guac on late summer night restaurant patios, or sushi date nights to wax poetic about.  No, none of that.

There's some home cooking (AB...and all that).  There's reheated leftovers.  There's bread baking (again, AB).  There's been weeping and gnashing of teeth (me and all that).  And there was also the time in the past six days where my son was craving burgers from a popular burger joint and declared "I wish this was 5 days of nothing!"  To which his little sister gave a hearty "yeah!"

So there's that.

Basically, we're weak.

I mean, we haven't caved.  But we're undisciplined goons when it comes to money.  Or at least when it comes to eating out.  

I would be lying to you if I said we were as strict with ourselves as we were in, say...2011.  When we wouldn't even buy groceries except for absolute necessity.  I'd also be lying if I told you I didn't hate that particular year's challenge.  Ugh.  Cleaning out the pantry darn near killed me.  

This time, we've been to the store.  We've allowed ourselves to buy some of our grocery favorites.  We've even had a quick dinner at our local grocery store (they have a small table area - we bought the food and ate there).  I know that's not technically "nothing", but we rationalized that we were, after all, in the grocery store.  (no stones)

Another day, a friend graciously provided lunch for me at a local fast food chain.  I accepted greedily.  Ugh.  I'm like a junkie.   

In the spirit of full disclosure, I can tell you that yet another day we met Keira's Kinder teacher from last year for an ice-cream social.  Technically, that was full-on cheating.  But we felt it was worth it and gave ourselves grace.  

Outside of that, and who am I kidding - you might think we're pretty pathetic at this point - we've eaten all other meals at home or as left-overs for work, etc.  The kids have not bought lunch at school.  We have stayed away from Starbucks and $1 drinks in the drive-thru and buy one get one whatevers from wherever.  We have otherwise abstained.  

I'm here to testify:  this is HARD.  It is completely counter-culture not to spend in small and big ways all the time.  I have had people email/text/message/even call me to say "I admire what you're doing, but we CANNOT do it."  Like they literally cringe just thinking about it.  They, like us, rely too heavily on the convenience of eating out or drive-thru or take-out or shopping.  

Listen, I get it.  We're trying to swim against the flow.  Sometimes it feels unremarkable.  Other times, it feels almost impossible.  Like Saturday when we did yard-work for over eight hours in the sweltering Texas heat and I thought I would drop on the ground and die a long theatrical death if AB wouldn't cave and take me to a Mexican restaurant and let me have a margarita and tacos.  Die, I tell you.

Instead he grilled steaks and corn and veggies and we had a wonderful meal in.  It was just buckling down and making ourselves recognize that it's one day, one meal at a time.  It's fighting the urge in the short-term so that we can afford other things in the long-term.  So we can teach ourselves how to keep to our budget better and think before we swipe and measure what we've been given with what we expend.  

It's hard.  It's not really that fun.

On the other hand...none of our paychecks this month will be going to local restaurants.  Not a dime.  Instead, we get to keep all that money.  And it adds up really fast with a family of four. 

That's kind of fun come October 1st.

30 Days in One Day

Tomorrow is the big day and I'm not lying to you good people - I'm dreading it.  Ha!  AB?  Totally into it.  Ready.  Willing.  Stoked.  All manner of "let's do this".  Me?  Well lets just say that over dinner last night, Quint said "but what about Chipotle, Mommy???"  Indeed, son.  Indeed. 

So...lots of interesting struggles ahead and a handful of people joining in this time around, so that's always fun for me to see.  It's a CHALLENGE.  No doubt.  It's very counter-culture to save instead of spend.  In and of itself, I should note that both AB and I fancy ourselves a good dining out experience.  We also really really like convenience.  So as much as he loves to cook, we have our fair share of prepared meals from some of our favorite eateries, say...on a regular basis.

However, he made this hot crunchy sourdough bread last week and I'm just here to say: Preach.

You guys.  I mean...you would think 30-days would be no big with this stuff in the background of my life. 

So I guess I'm ready.  Ish.  No...let's do it.  Discipline 101.  Right?  Gulp.

Tomorrow!

30 Days of Nothing is BACK

That's right.  If you've been following this blog for a while (read = years) you might recall that we enjoy a good challenge now and again.  And for a while, we did an annual "30 Days of Nothing".  Well, we decided it was time....

For the month of September, we're going to try our hardest to make it through 30 days without spending.  GULP!

Since there's no sense in recreating the wheel, you can read re-caps of rules and what we've done in the past HERE

You can also get additional rules and info HERE

That is of course assuming you're interested in knowing what it's about, what good it does, and what the stinkin' point is of the torture.

I can tell you this - it's hard.  It should be easier than it is, but you will be amazed at what a consumer driven society we live in when you all of a sudden try to stop spending.

Also?  Since we're not spending, we use this time to try another challenge called "Empty the Pantry".  We, like many, buy TONS of groceries that either eventually out-date the Olsen Twins or never get found/seen/heard from again.  OK, we throw them out.  Isn't that the worst feeling?  Throwing out food you bought but never ate?

So during this Challenge of not spending, we add in trying to cook/make/eat up all that food just sitting in there.  We get creative, we make new recipes, and we try to just make do.

The horror!  (wink wink)

So, Tuesday is the big day and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit dreading it.  Shows you how much I still love my Chipotle.  Ahem.

Wanna play along?  Leave a note in the comments.  I'd love to know!

I'll be blogging throughout with the "on scene" excitement of what 30 days of Nothing actually looks like for a family of four.

S.O.S.

Love

My news feed and Facebook wall today has probably looked a lot like yours. Opinions, articles, celebrations and lamentations.

To be honest, it all made me feel wonky inside.  Like Swiss cheese, but not as holy. Yes, that’s a pun.  It was kind of like being drowned in my own life lemonade, the one I’ve been trying so hard to make while I watch our world (and yes, even my own life) change, flux, and shift. 

It grieved me to see such a great divide amongst my family, friends, and even strangers. Those on both sides of the debate.  I read a wide range of articles and blogs on the subject, and found the comments were littered with hate, fear-mongering, threatening slander, name calling, and more – from both sides.  Sad.

I read rants admonishing others who didn’t share their viewpoint that they would be “un-friending” those whose ideas and opinions did not line up with their own.  From both sides.

One camp hurt, disappointed, discouraged, angry, saddened, indignant.  Another camp moved, happy, elated, relieved, triumphant, and yes, also angry and saddened at those who didn’t share in their joy.

You don’t need my opinion.  But I’m giving it anyway.  Maybe if I purge some of this urgency, I can stop feeling like Swiss and a little more like a strong sharp cheddar.  I don't know.  Whatever the heck.  Stay with me...

Here’s the deal: I’m a woman who loves Jesus and is trying to live according to His call.  Which, by the way, is not a loud shout-out to my own good deeds or perfectly clean living, but rather a humble admission to how broken and fallible I am, and how much His perfect grace has become my source of strength.  That’s the truth right there.  Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow…

But that’s not what I want to talk about anyhow. 

What I want to say is this: whether you or I agree with the decision made today really has no relevance.  That is to say, it doesn’t change the bottom line anyway.  It's been decided.  It is what is.  There you have it.

To see all kinds of vitriol plastered over the web or even to stand on the side of hate and disdain for one another - what does that do but foster more anger, frustration, hatred and mistrust?  Why does having a difference of opinion somehow equal drawing lines in the sand against each other.  How is one version of hatred better than the other?  We sometimes forget that our opinions and beliefs, though comfortable for us, are not the only ones out there.  (Looking at you…everybody) 

I was thinking about that line in the sand that Jesus drew.  (John 8:1-11)  Are we throwing stones?

The reality is, I believe there is a greater Truth – a universal Truth of right and wrong - and it doesn’t change just because any one of us will it to.  It was and is and is to come.  God is not on a lunch break.  Ok?  If you believe in biblical truth then you and I agree that this is actually a part of the greater story.  So why are we wasting our time fighting and blaming and hating others when we should be doing exactly the opposite?

I know some of you are heartbroken today.  Use that heartbreak for good.  Love each other.  Extend your love.  Shine your light.  Let others see Him.  Care for others, love on them, even when you’re hurting. 

We are called to love.  Love ALWAYS has and ALWAYS will reign, because from His very core and being – God is love.   It’s WHO He is, quite literally. It’s His concept.  His plan.  His entire motivation for sending Jesus.  Love already won. Long ago. 

Friends, we can believe differently and still love.  We can completely disagree about theology and yet, still love one another.  We can stand on opposite sides of many different fences – but we can choose love.

Jesus kept some pretty interesting company and it took many of them decades to understand what He came to do.  He loved them anyway.  I don’t think anyone missed His love.  How could they?  He lavished it on those he met, those he walked with, and even those who killed him.  And, by the way, He lavished it on you and me.  Just as we are, today, right now. 

Who are we to judge?  Stick to the story God is telling in your life.  Get to work on you.  Stop running around yelling that the sky is falling.  It’s been falling for…well, forever.  It’s actually old news.  Let’s you and I get to work on us.  Let’s remove that plank from our eye and try to restore some true sight.  I’m personally riddled with sin.  I’m not picking out any well-polished stones to hurl in any direction.

You cannot control others.  You can control yourself, your responses, your choices, and your direction.  And you can choose to love with respect.  No matter what.  That doesn’t mean you have to agree on whatever about whatever.  That doesn’t mean you don’t feel angry or spent or tired or depleted.  On either side.

To be clear, it also doesn’t mean you need to compromise your convictions in your own life or condone things which go against your faith.  You can have your opinion and love at the same time.  It simply means we choose love because He first loved us.  And not one of us deserved it.  Amen.

So when we find ourselves in dialogue about these and other sensitive issues in the coming weeks and months – do me a favor and lean heavily on love and the mountains of grace that have been so generously and graciously poured out for you.

There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear… 1 John 4:18

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love… 1 Corinthians 13:13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1

Grieving has a place here for some.  I wish both sides understood that with kindness, gentleness, and respect.  But we’re called to something much bigger and much better and so much more lasting…

Our job is to love, dear friends. 

Just as we are, today, right now.