"7" and some shout-outs.

If I could quote the entire book to you, I would. Once again, I am up way past my bed time (am I five?) and am reading Jen Hatmaker's book, "Seven." Honestly. I have underlined so much in this book - I want to implement every single thing she talks about. Purchasing fewer clothing items? Yes. Planting a garden and shopping local? Yes. Recycling more and reducing waste? Yes. Spending fewer hours in front of a computer (oh, the irony)? Yes. All of it. Yes. I want to LIVE SIMPLER. It would be rude not to give a huge shout-out to Megan Zwier here - because, as I mentioned a post or two ago, MZ introduced this book to me, and has allowed me to tell her all my convictions and grand ideas too (Saturday morning for a few hours when I stopped by...thanks, Megan!). On Saturday, MZ said to me, "Oh, when I buy a house, it WILL have a garden." I love her. (I may also have blogged about this really great sermon series by Andy Stanley - it was all about being single....I have to give MZ and her little sister Abby credit for that too....) I did this once before, but just a few quotes/ideas from Jen Hatmaker's book.... "In the quantity of ordinary obedience, the kingdom truly advances." "Can we unlearn our destructive habits and reimagine a way to live lighter on this earth? What if we changed our label from 'consumers' to 'stewards'? Would it change the way we shop? The way we think?" (one of my favorites...thus it's all in caps): "WHAT IF GOD'S CREATION IS MORE THAN JUST A COMMODITY?" (emphasis mine) (and this one really makes me think....being that I constantly think about exercise): "Why don't we care for the EARTH anywhere near to the degree we do our BODIES?" (emphasis mine) Jen brings it all back to God.....of course...that's the point. The purpose of each month/chapter of 7 is to bring us closer to God - closer to His design, His kingdom, His values, His way of thinking and being. "I'm done separating ecology from theology, pretending they don't originate from the same source." "Our calling simply depends on our identity as God's response-able human image-bearers." Good, good, good stuff. Makes me think OUTSIDE of my own little Allison world for a moment, which is always a good thing. Before I go, I have to give three more shout-outs in this post: 1) HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY, LINDSAY! 2)HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KELLY! 3) HAPPY WEDDING WEEK, NOELLE and RICK! (see you in Iowa in a few days........!)