Technology is fine...

As I continue to think about the WHY of not doing technology, I become less and less convinced that technology itself is the issue. It is the choices I make with technology. So, instead of getting rid of it all together- my focus this week will be to look at all the ways technology is life-giving... not just life-draining.

Those are terms I use a lot... and I don't know that I totally get them. :) So, why do I use them? I think they help to define what is "good for the soul" and what is "draining." For instance, when I go on facebook, and I see a photo of a friend's baby or a heart-warming video or a message from an old friend who is striving for marriage equality, I know that facebook is where I need to be! I need to be connected to my friends- who now live all over the US. I need to know that there are great things happening across the world, and someone has captured it on video. And I need to be aware and have the opportunity to support human rights. This is why facebook is a good thing!

Another thing, there are online devotionals, blogs, workingpreacher.org, etc. that keep me in a mindset of learning about God and the church. Yes, I also have a shelf full of books- SO, this tells me that I need balance! One does not trump the other-- but they can work together.

In the morning, the first thing I do is check my email on my phone, and I have a message with the subject line "GM" from my mother. It is how we connect. It is simple. It is short. But it is a wonderful way to start my day.

So, I don't buy it. I don't think the internet is scary. I don't think that if I went to a forum on internet safety that I "would never post on facebook again." I long to be connected with others--and face to face is great! And I get a lot of that-- but, when that isn't going to work... I have the internet. And I am not giving that up.

It does matter-

So, I am going to kind of waver this week between posts about possessions and posts about media. This one goes back to possessions--

So, I was at a high school choir concert last week. There was a choir of 10 young men. Their "apparel" was white shirts, black pants, and ties. I couldn't help but notice that one of the boys didn't have a tie... and a couple other boys had very old ties that were more for a 7-year old than a 10th grader. I got to thinking: This group needs ties. Now, my first thought was to buy new ties... then I thought maybe send a gift card so they could pick out their own ties. Then my Bible Study friends came into the picture---

I mentioned this on Monday about wanting to send ties to these young men. Right away, each person said, I would have some ties you could send! And yesterday-- 20 ties were in my office! I am expecting to get more today! I am so excited! I will send them to the school. The choir can take what they need-- but I am sure there are more young men that can use the ties. For interviews, family occasions, etc. They aren't used a lot, so for a family who is counting every penny, a tie might be a difficult thing to spend money on... so I hope that ALL these ties will find great homes (necks-ha!) and make these boys feel like the young men that they are!

Then today, coming in, someone at church asked me about the ties. I told her what I was doing, and she responded with-- "They probably don't care what they look like." Ugh. This statement hit me like a ton of bricks. 1. Because I found it borderline offensive... and 2. Because I am sure that I have said something like that before--

It made me think about two things.
First, when we give, are we giving the BEST we have? Or are we giving "discards?"
Second, it does matter! People do care what they look like-- all people care. So, as I give to others, I pray that I will be caring and conscious-- sending only things that will make someone else feel special and beautiful (or in the case of the ties- handsome).

Because it does matter.

SO, what about media?!?

So, this is media week- starting today.

But I am already writing this blog, which means that I am connected to the internet!

AND I am continuing the possessions part of the experience into this week, so I am kind of going double-duty here.

I love media. Are there things that I do that distract me from what I should be doing? Sure.

Here are a few:

1. Apps- Words with Friends, Scrambled, and especially Bejeweled Blitz take up too much time. I am quitting. For a week.

2. Pinterest- whoa... this site can suck time away like nothing else. Do I really need to be spending time looking at things that I will probably never make/create/do? (Yes, I do- because it is inspiring.) But I can live without it for one week. (only one.) :)

3. Facebook- Now, this is a great tool that I use to keep in touch with folks. But what I don't need to be doing? Looking at wedding photos of a friend of a friend who I have never met; judging people based on their status updates; and being a stalker (in the words of Mr. Schultz- he knows me all too well.) So, I will use facebook, one hour a day. But, hopefully in a better way- and no more stalking. (see next blog for the "plan.")

4. TV- yes, this also has a caveat. I saw a birthday card once that went something like this-- "In honor of your birthday... we could do a waltz; make a quilt; create a gourmet dinner; plant a tree... and then on the inside it said: "But because we are us, we will dedicate tonight's TV watching to you." HA! Okay- so this totally sums up Steve and me. We work such different schedules that when we do have a night at home together it means: cooking dinner together and catching up on all our favorite shows on DVR. I am not cutting this out. You may be thinking: "But you could do something so MUCH BETTER with your time together..." and you are probably right. But, for us-- for now-- this suits us well. And we don't just zone out not communicating: we visit, laugh together, and have a great time. This stays.

BUT-- I will cut out watching TV by myself. Aimlessly surfing the channels of crappy programming and settling for HGTV or re-runs of Big Bang Theory. This is out. And hopefully for longer than a week. Because yes, there are MUCH BETTER things that I could do with that time.

So, no iPhone apps, no video games, no lonely TV, no pinterest, no facebook stalking...

There will be internet-- but hopefully used in a "better" way- more about that in the next blog!

And now, since I can't hop over to pinterest or check out vacation pictures of a long lost "friend" from high school, I am going to go for a walk.

With love, (From the internet)

Amanda.

A month would be nice.

I would not have said this during the food week... (ha!) but I really wish I had a month for the possessions section of this experience. For several reasons:
1. I would like to give away 210 things...
2. I would just like more TIME!

Time to-
go through my stuff
give it to someone through relationship.

Jen Hatmaker writes, "Donating everything through a third party removes the relationsl magic when one human connects with another." She shared a quote about the church-- that we rich Christians do not know the poor. And it went on to say that when we truly see poverty... when we truly know the poor...Our riches will have no meaning, and poverty will come to an end (by Shane Claiborne. Which also wrote this piece in Esquire that is awesome.)

But I am not sure how to do this! My one idea was to set up a shop at Trinity at the same time as "Meals of Hope." Meals of Hope is an awesome outreach program that serves meals on Sunday nights to anyone who comes. My obstacles:
1. I have not been to Meals of Hope (yes, this is one of my shames from my 6 months at Trinity)
Therefore--I have no relationship--with the people or the volunteers. Okay- so this is a definite priority.

2. I don't have the "power" to make this happen. I can't just set up a shop and market it and invite people in... there are "steps" I need to go through... and I am a little apprehensive in starting that conversation.

So-- here is the plan. All of this to say this next week is going to be double duty-- and a little more heavy on the possessions... and a little lighter on the media. More about that later.

Right now- I need to figure out a way to account for, get rid of, and change my mindset about STUFF.

Week Three: Possessions

Well, week three began yesterday... it is a time to look at all my possessions (and unfortunately, there are a lot of them.)

So, here is what I need to do:
1. Re-read this chapter of the book
2. Count my stuff- it will be helpful to have a true account of all the things I have
3. Get rid of at least 49 items (7 items / 7 days)
4. Not buy any possessions
5. Reflect on stuff... by this I mean, really think about what I need; what I have and how one side is WAY bigger than the other. What does this mean for me? Am I too focused on my stuff? I have always been a shopper... and an impulse buyer. It's a habit. I need to change it.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also..." Matt. 6:21

This was it...

Here is what I wore last week.

Jeans-1
Black pants- 1
Black Turtleneck- 1
Gray sweater- 1
Black sweater- 1
Vest- 1
Black shoes- 1 pair

Also, I added in one black scarf on a few cold days...

Week Two thoughts...

So, I didn't do the greatest job on blogging during week two. It wasn't because I wasn't following the "7" plan. I think it was because I wasn't having any issues with the plan!

It was wear 7 articles of clothing. Okay, I will admit, I have 50 times more clothes than I need. I could survive with 7 articles of clothing... and easily survive with 14. So, why so many clothes?

What I was most looking forward to for this week was counting my clothes. And, unfortunately, I didn't do that yet-- but I will. It still seems fitting moving into this week, Week 3- possessions.

I have a closet full of clothes in Owatonna. But, what is worse that that? I have a closet full of clothes (maybe two) in Adams, ND! AND I gave away at least 6 large bags of clothes to the Salvation Army before we moved. Too much. Way too much.

I have at least 6 long sleeve black t-shirts. All exactly the same. REALLY?!? And where did I find myself in Target last week? Checking out the long sleeve t-shirts!! When I wear them, people don't even see them-- I wear them under stuff. So, I could have one. ONE.

So, this weekend is busy- my mom is coming, we are going to a funeral, I am preaching, etc. So, I am planning to take true account of my "possessions," including my clothes, on Monday.

In the meantime... week three begins.