Archive for the 'Self-Discipline' Category

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

 

I talk a lot on this blog about how we are called to be good stewards of the earth because, after all, it is God’s creation. There are limited resources. There is only ONE earth…and it was entrusted to us to take care of while we are residing here. In the same way, God has given us ONE body…gloriously and perfectly made…to take care of while we are here on earth. Did you know that your body is not your own? You were bought with a price. Jesus paid the price for us when He died on the cross…and we owe Him everything!

When you are taking care of something that is not your own…how do you treat it? You probably take very good care of it, so that when the owner comes back, they will find it in good condition. When you rent an apartment, you are probably very careful to keep it in good condition so that when the landlord returns, you will not be fined. We are to be good stewards of our body…in the same way that you would take care of anything that is not your own. In 1 Corinthians, Paul refers to our body as “a temple”. When I think about what that means…my mind brings up images of how my house would look if I was preparing it as a place of worship, a place where God would dwell.

With these thoughts in mind, think about the things you did to care for and prepare your temple this last week. What types of foods did you put into your body? What about artificial flavorings, chemicals, preservatives, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides went into your body? Did you exercise? Did you get outside? Did you run, jump, play, and dance? Oh, but Sara! I didn’t have TIME to make healthy meals or exercise!

Over the years, I have made so many excuses as to why I didn’t have time to work out and/or eat better. And being that I was an athlete throughout my school years, it should have been pretty easy for me. But after I had Bella, I just didn’t “feel” like doing anything. The less active I was, the worse I ate. The worse I ate, the less energy I had. I had weeks where I would try to start making changes, but then would quit in frustration after I had missed a few days and “failed”. It wasn’t until about 4 weeks ago that I started at it again…this time with renewed vigor and excitement. I truly believe the reason I have been able to stick with it this time is because it was a holistic change that encompasses all areas of my being. I started having really good time in the Word and meeting with Jesus in prayer daily. I started working out and being active daily. And I started eating much better. And it’s this last part that I really want to focus on…because I believe that eating and diet in general is such an intensely spiritual and emotional journey… one that it effects all other areas of our life. If your body is unhealthy (and you are tired, depressed, worn out)…everything else goes into a downward spiral as well. Your marriage, your relationship with others, your self-esteem…it’s all connected.

If you have been over to my food blog, Happy Foody, you know that I am very passionate about food! I believe that it has the power to heal, energize, and keep your body running well for a long time. But the foods that make up the typical American diet are not healing foods. They aren’t even close to healing foods. Nor are they even close to what God had in mind when He created fruits and vegetables for us to eat…perfect foods with perfect vitamin and mineral make up for our bodies. There are over 7500 varieties of apples alone! Just apples! Can you even fathom how much deliciousness grows on this planet that we don’t even know about? All created by the one who knows ours bodies perfectly. And yet…we choose foods that have a chemical make-up that would startle our great-grandparents. Just 40 years ago, all food was “organic”…our country has gone so far away from that ideal and it’s saddening to see the effects on our health. Even more saddening is that we are CHOOSING these things for ourselves. I know that there are certain situations of poverty where that person may not have a choice, but the majority of the people reading this have a choice as to what they put in their mouth.

When we consider that “we are not our own”…it becomes a little easier to make better choices. It’s not our body to trash… we will be held accountable for our actions here on earth. There is a disconnect between the food we eat and our faith. We compartmentalize everything…I know I am guilty of it as well. We break things out into comfortable categories that don’t intersect. My faith. My health. My family. My hobbies. My food. But I am realizing that my faith in Jesus is like a blanket that covers all of these things. My faith is not just one “part” of my life…something that happens on Sunday…it IS LIFE. Being a follower of Jesus is my philosophy of life.

What is the meaning of life? For me, it is to bring glory to God in all that I do and say. I am going to stop treating my body like it’s separate from my spirituality and bring it all under His control. He wants is ALL. He desires the best for me, which means that He WANTS to help me be healthy…He WANTS me to learn self-control.

But how can we claim to have self-control, and yet we can’t control what goes into our mouths? We are somehow “powerless” to say no to a Venti Breve White Chocolate Mocha, a Big Mac, a Coca-Cola…or “just one more” brownie. We remain slaves to our food when we can’t conquer our cravings.

“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

When you sense that little inner voice telling you over and over…”you need to start eating better”…”you should exercise more”…it’s not necessarily just your inner voice. It is most likely the Holy Spirit prompting you to take care of it’s dwelling place in a better way. Who knows what you need better than the Holy Spirit within you?!

 

I know this is a very difficult issue for many people. It’s a struggle that feels unbeatable. There are many of you who without a doubt have struggled with eating disorders. I am not saying that it’s easy, and I am not saying that you have to look like a super model. Everyone has different body types…HOWEVER…you know for yourself when you are unhealthy and need to make a change. The American Heart Association has put the out the standard for all adults…that you should be physically active (and this means actually sweating with your heart rate elevated – they define it as “vigorous”) for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. 30 minutes! That’s HALF of “Lost” or “American Idol”! You can do it! The activity can be split up into 10-15 minute increments, but it must be vigorous to get the benefits. This means that the leisurely stroll to through the parking lot doesn’t really count When you are sedentary (a.k.a. sitting around most of the day), your body begins to think it doesn’t need all of the muscles it has and you get flabby. Flabby is no fun!

Decide today that you won’t be satisfied with letting your Temple sit in disrepair! And then get busy dissecting any body image problems that you might have. Do not judge your body based on a false reality. Stop picking up “Fit” and “Shape” magazines and comparing yourself to the completely absurd, airbrushed photos. They are not real. Stop picking up “People” and staring at the perfectly little perfrect bodies from Hollywood. In order to LOVE the body that God gave you, you have to stop putting garbage in your mind about what this world says it should look like. You can be HEALTHY and not look like a model on the runway.

You also need to examine who you perceive yourself to be. When you can wrap your head around the power that you have within you through Christ, anything is possible. So…who am I in Christ?

I am God’s child (John 1:12)
I am assured all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)
I am confident that God will perfect the work He has begun in me (Philippians 1:6)
I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)
I have purpose (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11)
I have hope (Ephesians 1:12)
I have been chosen and God desires me to bear fruit (John 15:1,5)
I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5)
I am God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)
I have peace (Ephesians 2:14)
I am a holy temple (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19)
I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22)
God’s power works through me (Ephesians 3:7)
I can approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12)
I can bring glory to God (Ephesians 3:21)
I can be certain of God’s truths and the lifestyle which He has called me to (Ephesians 4:17)
I can have a new attitude and a new lifestyle (Ephesians 4:21-32)
I can give thanks for everything (Ephesians 5:20)
I can be strong (Ephesians 6:10)
I am growing (Colossians 2:7)
I am His disciple (John 13:15)
I am prayed for by Jesus Christ (John 17:20-23)
I am promised a full life (John 10:10)
I am victorious (I John 5:4)
I am set free (Romans 8:2; John 8:32)
I am a light in the world (Matthew 5:14)
I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
I am not helpless (Philippians 4:13)
I am overcoming (I John 4:4)
I am persevering (Philippians 3:14)
I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Now that’s some encouragement!

Where to begin? Be realistic with your goals and expectations. Set goals in increments…slow and steady. Make your goals attainable, so that you can easily achieve your goals and then move onto the next one. Start with 10 minutes a day. Start with a walk around the block. Start somewhere. Journal your progress…on paper or in a blog and find someone who is willing to be a partner…to help you stay the course.

One of the best partners you can have is Jesus…I feel so confident in knowing that He is with me on this journey. I have been using my exercise time to meditate on scripture and pray through my prayer list. After I’m done, I’m not only refreshed physically, but spiritually as well.

In order to help everyone jump start their healthy journey, I am going to host the “Happy Foody Green Smoothie Challenge”! It will will start on Monday, February 25 and run through March 25. For more details, check out this post on Happy Foody.

Get your temple in order…pray for the Holy Spirit to give you motivation and energy and excitement to begin this journey!

Photo credit: Flickr: j/f/photos

 

 

 

 

 

I came across this awesome post and I knew I needed to pass it on. She so eloquently says what I have been thinking for a long time…although I am no where near deciding to stop blogging! My favorite part of the post:

“It is almost like if I have a problem my first thought is Google not God.”

And the part at the end about looking into your child’s eyes…that was convicting! Read it today! A big thanks to Amy at Lavender Sparkles for posting it first.

It’s a NEW YEAR! A fresh slate. A blank canvas. I love the coming of a new year…there is so much hope and excitement. And as we all know, a perfect time for setting goals. This year, I would like to:

• Draw closer to Jesus by spending time in intimate conversation with him DAILY.
  • I want to depend on Him to be my lifeline throughout the day…which means I need to pray a lot! Nothing is too small or too trivial for Him to be involved. His throne room is open to me 24/7. My desire is to meet with Him in the early morning hours, and I’ve committed to not getting on my computer or reading anything else until I have done that.
• Read through the Bible in one year.
  • I really love The One Year Bible…and have succeeded in reading every day so far. I love that there is a reading for each day, and I truly feel that the passage I read that day is specifically for me on THAT DAY. The format of the OYB (Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs) is really nice. It’s also available online.
• Walk/run at least 30 minutes a day and to spend time outside daily.
  • There are so many benefits to working out every day, but it’s been at least 4 years since I did it regularly (before Bella). I’m 31 years old, and I’m starting to feel like it. I’m determined to get back in shape! I’m 3 days in…and I feel goooooood. Sore, but good.

If I am to succeed at these things, it will take a mindful effort and prayer. Not just “hoping” that I can follow through. I love how the Forerunner Commentary describes “self-mastery”:

Self-mastery is self-government, or self-control, the foundation of a strong godly life, growth, and producing fruit. If a person cannot govern himself, if he cannot master his passions, he will certainly not have a good relationship with his fellowman or God. His life will likely be marked by major excesses.

A person who has self-mastery is even-handed, and his passions are under control. He makes proper use of his drives and desires, and his manner of life is not one of extremes. A person reflecting this quality will be making steady progress in growing into the perfectly balanced character of Jesus Christ.

If I cannot “master” a certain area of my life, it will lead to excess in that area. Concerning my goals, if I do not spend time with God daily, my relationship with my family and friends suffer. My not-so-lovely traits slowly start to surface…and I am overcome with an “excess of self”. If I do not read and meditate on His word daily, my heart and mind become stagnant and indifferent. I start to display an excess of sarcasm, impatience, and worry. If I do not exercise, my BODY will be in excess of pounds and stress.

On the other hand, if I CAN master my “self” and follow through with these goals…it says I will have the “foundation for a strong godly life, growth, and produce fruit”. Yes!! Show me the FRUIT!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galations 5:22-23

I love how The Message has interpreted this verse:
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Galations 5:22-23 (The Message)

Who wouldn’t want those things!? It’s amazing to me that God wants to give those things to us…all we need to do is ASK and follow hard after Him. On a side note, if you’re looking for an amazing Bible study on the fruit of the spirit, check out Beth Moore’s “Living Beyond Yourself“. It’s available online…complete with videos.

When you are passionate about something, it doesn’t have to automatically be a bad thing. However, there is a stronger possibility that your passions could become a problem in your life. For example…the Internet is a wonderful resource and networking tool…however, it’s so easy to get sucked into hours and hours of endless clicking. All of this clicking creates discontentment with our current life and slowly lures us away from our families and responsibilities. At that point, it becomes a “major excess” that needs to be mastered.

Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

I love this passage in Timothy…because it reminds me that although I want to get my body healthy this year, my spiritual health is infinitely more important. Not that eating healthy and maintaining an exercise regimen isn’t a good thing…it’s just not of eternal importance. I want to spend twice as much time exercising my mind in my relationship with Christ than I spend exercising my body.

I think it’s also a good idea to PRACTICE denying yourself of indulgences…to become better at mastering the “self”. Yes, you COULD have dessert after your meal…but why not consciously decide not to, and focus on thoughts of self-discipline instead? Yes, you COULD spend your money on a new X, Y, or Z…but why not fast from spending if for nothing else but to make your mind sharper…becoming the master of your passions.

Our culture screams the opposite of this to us every day. Buy now! You deserve it! Bigger and better! More, more, more! EXCESS is our country’s middle name. Walk the opposite direction of the world and focus on what Jesus said about these things:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ” Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” Mark 10:21
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ” Matthew 5:29, 30

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

Off we go…a new year, renewed passions, and a self to be mastered. Weeeeee!

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons/monkeyc.net

It’s that time again! That’s right. Friday is Buy Nothing Day. Check it out.

As I look back through my past prayer journals…I see a definite trend in things that I struggle with. One of those things is my mouth. It seems over and over throughout my life that my mouth has gotten me into trouble. Starting when I was a teenager Boy, was I sassy. And on into my 20′s, my mouth kind of stayed with me. I don’t think I thought I was ever hurting anyone directly with my words, but even the TONE of voice I may have used toward someone, or a bit of sarcasm falling on sensitive ears…they all have negative effects. It carries over into my relationship with my family as we discuss topics that we may not all agree on and I really want to get my point across. It carries over into my marriage…when I let my mouth speak to Matt before my mind/heart has caught up to it. It carries over into my relationship with Bella…when I can all too often get frustrated and use an impatient tone with her when I’m in a hurry to get something done.

I could make excuses all day about why I am the way I am. I’m “passionate”. I’m “outgoing”. I have “strong opinions”. But the truth is, Jesus doesn’t care about the excuses. His standard for our speech is so much higher than an explanation of “why I did it”. I’ve read that the “mark of a spiritually mature woman” is that she has tamed her tongue. Oh…LORD!! How I long to be spiritually mature. I want all of my words to be only WISE & KIND! I want my words to be GENTLE!

Words are powerful. They have the ability to tear families apart. But they also have the ability to mend broken hearts and relationships. They can completely rip away at someone’s self-esteem. But they can also be used to encourage and support. Jesus had MUCH to say about the words that come from our mouths.

Proverbs 17: 27
He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

James 3:2-12
For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell.

For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord^, and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 21:23
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.

James 1:26
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Just a quick glance through these verses is enough to make me fall to my knees! Our words CONTROL our lives, set the tone for our day, and give credibility to our faith. The last sentence of the last passage is so convicting…if my mouth is speaking from the abundance or “overflow” of my heart, what is truly in my heart? Have I let Jesus come completely in and wash away all of the negativity, anger, envy, impatience…?

“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it?” How often have we been speaking harshly/”cursing” to someone in our immediate family and when a stranger or friend comes near, we start speaking “blessing”? When we switch back and forth like that, what does it say about our character? And about our relationship with God?

I know without a doubt that when I have neglected my spiritual life and my time in God’s word…my mouth starts to get sassy. I start to speak with negative words and with harsh tones. The inward “words” I allow myself to think are affected as well. When I am in God’s word consistently, HIS words fill my heart. HIS words come to mind in a hard situation. HIS words bring LIFE.

I want to start examining my speech with a fine-toothed comb…weeding out anything that is not pleasing to Him. I only want to say words that are wise and kind…and most of all, spoken with a gentle spirit. It’s not human nature to be those kind of things all the time…so it’s only by the power of the Holy Spirit that I will be able to accomplish it. Sometimes I physically have to “bite my tongue” to stop from saying the first thing that comes to my mouth. It’s definitely an exercise in self-control….that’s why it’s called TAMING the tongue. A rule we try to live by at our house…”don’t ever say the first thing that comes to mind. Or the second. The third thing is usually the best.” And of course, you could just not say anything at all…and that’s ok. It gives your heart time to catch up.

Speak truth today. Speak wisdom today. Speak kindness today. Speak gentleness today. You’ll be amazed at the change in your family life/relationships and ALL of the situations you encounter.

Self-discipline does not come naturally. We are born with the desire to do whatever feels the best, and it’s difficult to overcome. However, once it is mastered, it makes a huge difference in every area of life.

Self-discipline defined: the act of denying yourself; controlling your impulses.

Ah-ha! No wonder it’s so hard. When is the last time you heard a commerical on TV telling you to DENY yourself? It’s a dual struggle…against our flesh AND the culture we live in. The only way for me to gain control of my impulses, as the definition implies, is to pray continuously. Here are some of the areas that I struggle with:

• Sleep. I wrote about this yesterday…so no need to go into detail. I have a hard time denying myself of more internet time and my bedtime gets pushed later and later and later. Consequently, I am too tired to get up at 5:30 a.m…which is when I desire to meet with the Lord.
• Exercise. I used to work out daily at 5:30 a.m. 6 days a week. But that was back in year 2000 BB (before Bella). I have the desire now…but no discipline. For the time being I get my “workout” by chasing Bella, lifting her on my legs, climbing the stairs, etc. But it’s not enough to maintain a healthy heart. Maybe I will add that to my things to do when I get up at 5:30 a.m.
• Money. I have battled money issues throughout my adult life. It started in college…they told me I could have a free t-shirt if I signed up for their credit card. Sweeeeet! Next thing I know, I have $5,000 on that card and it’s only the end of my freshman year. Luckily, I snapped out of that, paid it off, and met Matt. We still had to learn a lot of money lessons the hard way when we were newlyweds, but it’s under control now. Especially with the Compact in full swing. We have no consumer debt and we only pay with cash, using an envelope budgeting system. However, even though we are following a budget, the struggle is with the DESIRE to buy things…not actually buying them. Wanting more, when I have more than enough. Even while on the Compact, I have choices to make regarding what we do spend. For example, I went grocery shopping today and I could have easily spent $100 if I would have allowed myself to buy everything I “wanted”… bread (instead of making my own), a sandwich for lunch (instead of going home to eat), apples (they are so expensive right now!), crackers for Bella (instead of making our own)…the list could go on and on. Instead, I stuck to my list and got an amazing amount of food for only $55.00. It was exhilierating to deny myself in this case, because it resulted in saved money.
• Food. I have always had a fast metabolism…and didn’t really have to watch what I ate. Now that I’m getting OLD…I need to be more mindful of what I put in my mouth. I have a horrible sweet tooth, and if I let myself start down a sugar path…it’s hard to come back. With that being said, I have incredible self-discipline when I want to…especially in the area of food. Eating only raw foods for an entire month? No problem. No meat for 2 years? No problem. It’s all the other little battles. Having another peanut butter cup doesn’t really seem like a spiritual battle…but it’s the attitude of that heart that matters. If I can practice self-discipline in the little matters…it will be easier during the bigger trials.
• Maintaining my home. When I discipline myself to clean the apt. throughout the day and put everything away after each use, I am a MUCH happier person. Disciplining myself to create a “place for everything” blesses my family. If I decide that I don’t “want” to do the laundry for 2 weeks…there are big problems. Isn’t it amazing how God can teach us lessons even through the mundane?
• My mouth. After high school and college, gossiping became a thing of the past for me. However, I still have to be very careful about my use of sarcasm…and my tone of voice in everyday conversation. It is especially important as a Godly wife to never speak badly about my husband to others. Every word out of my mouth is counted in heaven…I long to please Him with every breath. So challenging…

Basically it comes down to denying myself now for a greater reward/benefit in the future. Getting up early might not feel great now, but the long-term spiritual benefits are plenty. Deciding to exercise and eat healthy even when I don’t feel like it will bring health to me through the years of my life. Not buying everything I desire will allow us to save for more important things in the future. Having a discplined mouth brings honor in the present and no regrets in the future.

“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Cor 6:12

I want only to be “mastered” by the Lord…who knows my struggles and my heart. He knows how to best teach me in this area. He displayed the ultimate self-discipline as He willingly went to the cross to die for our sins. My prayer is that I will die to myself daily…for I am not my own.

Throughout my life, the most rewarding and wonderful times in prayer have been when I have gotten up EARLY in the morning to meet Him. When I give Him the very first part of my day, I am able to accomplish much more than I ever thought possible. When I can make breakfast, get the laundry done, put supper in the crock pot, and have prayer time in before 9:00 a.m…life is GOOD. Scripture speaks over and over about the benefits of rising early.

“She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.” Proverbs 31:15

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35

There are two women that I have been so encouraged by over the years. The first is author and speaker Becky Tirabassi. About 6 years ago, I read her book, Let Prayer Change Your Life. She is the one who initially got me into “the early hours” and also into journaling. Secondly, a woman named Laine who writes letters of encouragement to Christian women on the web. She has written so much about her early appointments with the Lord. She’s an amazing woman of God and I come away smiling after every letter I read.

E.M. Bounds is one of my favorite voices on the topic of prayer. Even though he was born in 1835, the wisdom he relates is clearly still applicable. Here are some of his thoughts on prayer, excerpted from the book “E.M. Bounds on Prayer”:

A desire for God that cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do little good for God. The desire for God that stays far behind the Devil and the world at the beginning of the day will never catch up. It is not simply getting up that has brought men to the front and has made them leaders in God’s hosts. It is the overwhelming desire that stirs and breaks all self-indulgent chains that does so. But getting up gives vent, increase, and strength to the desire. If they had lain in bed and indulged themselves, the desire would have been quenched. The desire aroused them and inspired them to reach out for God (p. 491).

More time and early hours devoted to prayer would revive and invigorate many a decayed spiritual life. More time and early house for prayer would manifest in holy living. A holy life would not be so rare or so difficult a thing if our devotions were not so short and hurried (p.518).

The first step to being able to get up early in the morning…is to stop staying up so late! So it’s off to bed I go. May you greet Him early…

The empty shopping cart. Symbolic of my first day of The Compact. I wrote about it last week, but never got around to starting it. So this is it…I’m really doing it this time. I’m actually really excited to explore and conquer my tendencies to want, want, want things all the time.

My first “compact moment” came today as I was heading home. We had a birthday party to go to tonight for one of Bella’s friends who was turning 2. I decided to stop and get a balloon for her. I also wanted to buy a couple plants to go in some cute little pots I have at the apt. And then I remembered…

“I started the Compact today…what am I thinking?!”

So instead of going into the store and spending money on a balloon, 2 plants, and inevitably more (because I was hungry and would have bought snacks and who knows what else too)…we continued on home. When we got there, Bella and I made an adorable homemade card together to bring to her friend, and I am going to see if I can find some plants on my local Freecycle. Whew! I passed my first test.

With that one little decision, Bella and I were able to spend time creating something together. She learned that it’s ok (and BETTER!) to make a homemade gift for someone. And I saved myself at least $25.00. Wow!

Now for the rules. I tend to get very strict with myself whenever I commit to something like this…to the point of making myself crazy. So I will try not to be so hardcore that it causes me unnecessary trauma…but committed enough to make a difference. So, here is what I will do:

1. I will not buy any NEW items for one year.
2. I will only buy items that I NEED.
3. I will not buy any convenience foods when grocery shopping with the exception of bread and chips. I will strive to eat in season, buying as local as possible. I will bring cloth grocery bags to the store, and I will create a weekly menu/grocery list EVERY week.
4. I will not go out to eat at a restaurant if I have the option of eating at home.

EXCEPTION: I will allow printing of photos. Photography is one of the things I love, and to take that away would greatly decrease my quality of life…which is not what the Compact is about.

My Goals:

1. To gain perspective and learn contentment.
2. To be a mindful consumer and live lighter on the earth.
3. To become more patient and learn to plan ahead as I borrow, barter, buy used, re-use, and recycle.
4. To payoff the remainder of our student loan debt.

Thanks to Chelee for getting me started on my rule list!

Here is the “Compact Pledge”:

In light of the destructive effects of personal greed, we pledge to curb our purchases, cease frivolous buying, and choose to simplify our lives. Excepting only those things needed for work and the health and safety of our families, we pledge not to buy new. Further more, we will actively seek to pass on possessions we no longer want to those who are in need. In doing so, we hope to educate both friends and family about the corrosive effects of being in a constant state of want, nurture in ourselves the uplifting state of giving, thus reducing the load on the environment and creating a more sensible path for our lives. For these reasons, we join the Compact.

- SF site (paraphrased)

Here’s to the journey! Who is with me?

Photo: Eva Marieville | Flickr