tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722739895867138252024-03-18T20:24:59.830-07:00Daughter of the KingKatelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272273989586713825.post-48964203120061850182013-09-12T21:50:00.002-07:002013-09-12T21:52:54.253-07:00Month 2: Possessions <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> So it’s actually
Day 12 of Month 2, Possessions Month, but it’s been crazy hectic at school the
past couple of weeks and I haven’t had time to post! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgRIzMjzrNEY9gf-f1qRePtMre1DIERnlBMqUduQK6h_ajvCT4MTuYUh4SFIaaGKLsouGZZoeDT_VFcW1_sL8QiZomBz0GJ7wcLuqZvia8rKJN90ArLHX4phDs0xtnbXgbb49ECxvIU1M/s1600/IMG_2067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgRIzMjzrNEY9gf-f1qRePtMre1DIERnlBMqUduQK6h_ajvCT4MTuYUh4SFIaaGKLsouGZZoeDT_VFcW1_sL8QiZomBz0GJ7wcLuqZvia8rKJN90ArLHX4phDs0xtnbXgbb49ECxvIU1M/s320/IMG_2067.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">So this is a thing that happened in the past two weeks. <br />I was blessed to join the most amazing sisterhood on campus!<br /> I am so thankful for my sisters in Zeta Tau Alpha! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBb1z0bikePCexidJ15k2w7cTnoFfdHze7cM3RnQn-sZhkE_wlTQ5OXUtMjL5kt_3IM7YZNZGd3JZIkyRDBFn-Fz_HjJJoRcWdv06qSvFBtqDpNWYDjg4165MYTFRHJdRqhLrtjzPNL9t/s1600/IMG_2052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBb1z0bikePCexidJ15k2w7cTnoFfdHze7cM3RnQn-sZhkE_wlTQ5OXUtMjL5kt_3IM7YZNZGd3JZIkyRDBFn-Fz_HjJJoRcWdv06qSvFBtqDpNWYDjg4165MYTFRHJdRqhLrtjzPNL9t/s320/IMG_2052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">However, I digress. Okay I’ll admit it. I pre-hoarded items to give away during Possessions Month before
I even officially started 7. But I do have a pretty good case: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Possessions
Month falls in September, right when I get back to college, and I only take to
college what I absolutely cannot live without. There’s barely room for a bed in
that dorm room, much less a college-aged girl and all of her clothes. (You
really should see those closets. They give “microscopic” a whole new meaning.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
wouldn’t be very feasible to have to come back home and clean out 210 items
from my room to give away while I am working toward my (very expensive) college
degree. (And while I’m supposed to be studying, of course.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 84.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -48.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is currently summer and I have nothing else to do. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 84.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -48.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Therefore,
I decided to go on a major cleaning spree in July to prepare for Possessions
Month. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">If
this goes against the rules of 7, then indict me. I’m guilty. I’ve failed. But the
way I see it, as long as someone who needs the things that I rarely use gets
them, then the point of this experiment is still perfectly intact. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> So far, I have cleaned out my (very
large) clothes closet, from which I extricated 94 articles of clothing, and my
dresser, from which I took 68 articles. I’ve only been cleaning for two days,
and I already have 162 items to give away. Needless to say, this is a lot
easier than I thought it was going to be. When I thought about giving away 7
possessions every day for a month, I imagined that at the end of the month I
would be laying on my bare bedroom floor with nothing but the clothes on my
back to call my own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> The funny thing is, I have A LOT
more stuff than I thought that I did. And when I say stuff, that’s all that it
is! STUFF! Meaningless things that lay around, cluttering up my room and
closets, never to be used. I’d never really thought about that “stuff” before I
read 7. And if I had, my thoughts would have ran something along the lines of: So
what if I have two closets full of things that I rarely wear or use? Who
doesn’t?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> Who doesn’t?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> And there is the real question that
I—and I dare say ALL American Christians—should be asking. Who doesn’t have the
things that they need to live from day to day? Who doesn’t have a spare pair of
jeans to wear? Or a pair of jeans at all? What little girl goes to school
wishing she had a pretty outfit like the other little girls? What woman wishes
she had a bag to carry the few things that she owns in? When most of the
American church has TEN spare pairs of jeans. TEN pretty outfits they can’t
wear anymore. TEN designer handbags that sit in the back of their closets. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> What is wrong with this picture? I’d
like to think, in my naivety, that it’s simply because the American church does
not know the people who need these things. Shane Claiborne, author of “The
Irresistible Revolution,” puts it this way:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">"I had come to see that the great tragedy within the church
is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians
do not know the poor... I long for the Calcutta slums to meet the Chicago
suburbs, for lepers to meet landowners and for each to see God's image in the
other... I truly believe that when the poor meet the rich, riches will have no
meaning. And when the rich meet the poor, we will see poverty come to an
end." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Sounds
ideal, right? If we <i>knew</i> the people
who were poor, I’d like to believe that we’d be more than willing to help them,
to share our excess with them. So why aren’t we doing just that? The problem is
that we surround ourselves with people like us. We sit on our rung of the
ladder of success and look up: Look at that new house they bought—we could
never afford that. Did you hear about the vacation they took this year? That
must be nice. Did you know that he bought himself a new car? I wish we were
fortunate enough to be able to do that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> And there we are, sitting on the top
1% of that ladder with all of the other people who are “so much more fortunate
than us” and we want more! We have everything we could ever need, and yet we
crave more! We are so fixated on the top rung of that ladder (which can never
be reached, by the way) that we never stop and look <i>down</i>. And why should we? The people at the bottom can in no way help
us reach our American Dream.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> But isn’t that what Jesus was so
focused on in His earthly ministry? “The last shall be first.” “The poor shall
inherit the kingdom of heaven.” “Whatever you do unto the least of these you do
unto me.” Sound familiar? It was only the driving force behind all that Jesus
said and did. And as the American Church at large, I believe that we’re missing
the boat. The problem isn’t that we’re not willing (or at least I would like to
think so). The problem is that we’re being <i>lazy</i>
(how hard is it to pick up the phone and call a local school guidance counselor
and ask if there are any children who need clothes?). We’re being content where
we are—why not form relationships with homeless men and women and get to know
what their needs are? We’re not being the hands and the feet of Christ… and if
we’re not doing that, dare I ask it, <i>are </i>we
even part of the Body of Christ at all?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> I recently saw a tweet from Louie
Giglio that said, “It’s tough to make the case that Jesus is in your heart if
the poor are not on your mind.” Man is that convicting. Because before I read
this book, I can honestly say that the poor weren’t on my mind a whole lot. And
when they were, I never felt like there was anything I could do about the fact
that they had exponentially less than I did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> And so, that is what I set out to do
this month. My mission is to <i>think</i>
about the poor and make myself and my possessions I rarely use accessible to
them. Who knows? Maybe someone will recognize their spiritual need as their
physical needs are being met. And then maybe I’ll have the opportunity to share
“the reason for the hope that I have” in Christ (1 Pet. 3:15)! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">To
Him be the glory.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272273989586713825.post-78566716776046141022013-08-30T21:51:00.000-07:002013-08-30T21:51:16.677-07:00Day 30: Media/Technology Conclusion
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Well,
the fast from media and technology is drawing to a close! Having decided that
the last day of each month will be a neutral day to relax and regroup before
starting the next fast for the next month, today was my last day! I thought it
might be good for me to summarize a few things that this month has taught me.
First, I found that since I didn’t have TV or social media, I was more aware of
everyone around me and therefore more aware of how I could serve them. In me,
TV and social media fostered laziness both physically and mentally. In my spare
time I never thought of anyone but myself, and therefore never did anything for
anyone but myself (Ouch. This was hard to admit. But it’s true!). Being so
saturated in media causes both laziness and apathy, both of which are forms of
what I like to call spiritual poverty. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">However,
being free from media and technology this month has enlightened me to that
laziness (and self-centeredness) and begun a change that hopefully will carry
over into my day to day life. For example, before school started back and all I
did all day was sit around and watch TV, I found that I WILLINGLY cleaned the
house for my Mom and didn’t feel bitter about it while I was doing it! Usually,
I know that Mom expects me to have the house clean when she gets home, and I’m almost
always bitter about it because it cuts into “my time” to watch TV or surf the
internet (sorry, Mom). But this month not having TV or social media has made me
realize that no time is “my” time, and ALL the time that I have should be time
spent loving my “neighbor” as myself and seeking out ways that I can serve
those who are around me. Social media is so self-centered that most of the time
it blinds us from seeing the needs of those around us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> This month I also struggled with
whether or not to delete my social media accounts altogether. However, in “The
Seven Experiment” study guide, Jen Hatmaker explains a little bit about the
relationship between social media and being “in the world but not of it.” She
points out that as Christians, we have to be proactively intelligent about what
we allow into our minds (especially when it comes to provocative advertisements
and such). We must always be seeking out the truth. Jen says, “Truth turns us
into wise teachers, not simply avoiders.” You know what’s better than avoiding
social media? Being smart, speaking and seeking out truth, and engaging the
culture where it’s at in order to leverage it for the good of the kingdom. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> Will I be setting boundaries for the
amount of time I spend using social media/technology after this month? You bet
I will. But will I be more aware about leveraging my social media for Christ
from now on? You bet I will. When it comes to TV and media, instead of
“checking my brain at the door,” as Jen puts it, I will be intentional about
seeking out what is true, noble, and righteous. I pray that God continues to
convict me and teach me about how to use well the time that He grants me each
and every day. I pray that for you, as well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Lord,
teach us to seek first Your Kingdom in all that we do, so that Your name might
be magnified in all the earth!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272273989586713825.post-59869988261636314152013-08-14T12:11:00.002-07:002013-08-14T12:11:59.279-07:00Dear Jesus, I missed a retweet from Katy Perry... all for You.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Sooo…
for those of you who don’t know, Katy Perry has a new album coming out this
October. For publicity for Katy Perry’s new albums, she has a gold 18-Wheeler
truck drive through all 50 states in America. If you happen to spot it, get a
picture of it, and tweet it at Katy Perry, then she has promised to retweet you
on Twitter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Is
it not just my OUTSTANDING luck that I would see this truck WHILE I’M FASTING
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. What is this?! A cruel joke of some sort? A test to see just
how committed I am to this whole “7 Experiment” thing? Well, God, I hope I
passed. Because I missed a retweet from Katy Perry… all for You.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">On a lighter
note, I still got pictures of (and with) the 18-Wheeler. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUECgipdfr8D4twG11XLtDlAUNABvg3uS8zmP5UytT3ic_kNPjhDfP7jXgfGtbaLlTdaOllI6wsCytrFmGo-vFlluWSC0QCqQk9v9sCVosE9HfB2HsHg_9ERWwljdEdwQ-dK-t8vgj59Ra/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUECgipdfr8D4twG11XLtDlAUNABvg3uS8zmP5UytT3ic_kNPjhDfP7jXgfGtbaLlTdaOllI6wsCytrFmGo-vFlluWSC0QCqQk9v9sCVosE9HfB2HsHg_9ERWwljdEdwQ-dK-t8vgj59Ra/s320/Image.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrL-JGQA8vYvoQb1lOoFyTKuelv2yjdpZLJWzQkGfAgAw0eu6lZQ7lxwxPJFepPszWilEeiMEqLRZ38UCHHJV0lhURZVes6JeHgu07Xc9zPd1vb1Q8nFKSwdveCCFvclXfVukX9SO7OeG/s1600/Image+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrL-JGQA8vYvoQb1lOoFyTKuelv2yjdpZLJWzQkGfAgAw0eu6lZQ7lxwxPJFepPszWilEeiMEqLRZ38UCHHJV0lhURZVes6JeHgu07Xc9zPd1vb1Q8nFKSwdveCCFvclXfVukX9SO7OeG/s320/Image+3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">These are two random strangers whose dad asked if they could get a picture with us,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">after he asked which one of us was Katy Perry.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Summer and I both raised our hands. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">P.S.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> I may or may not have
tagged Katy Perry in the tweet that I shared the link to this blog in. </span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272273989586713825.post-70820047860135095212013-08-08T07:21:00.000-07:002013-08-08T07:21:35.250-07:00The Seven Months of "7"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejOQFgdtFBOY1cyXhqNkmuWvaAott4BqBCypQAtLTtk0Aw0EHN_uSE9AQzQhe4uxRn5Aic2tiKxcAcvO21hwc8ajZFrBQ-_OgIkLbg6UbN4WIQVsCxaSmudeFE-Vc7DuWCskp7UOGrwrt/s1600/IMG_1664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejOQFgdtFBOY1cyXhqNkmuWvaAott4BqBCypQAtLTtk0Aw0EHN_uSE9AQzQhe4uxRn5Aic2tiKxcAcvO21hwc8ajZFrBQ-_OgIkLbg6UbN4WIQVsCxaSmudeFE-Vc7DuWCskp7UOGrwrt/s320/IMG_1664.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Jen Hatmaker's Bible Study Guide,<br />
"The 7 Experiment"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I’ve had a
couple of friends ask me what the other things are that I’ll be fasting from for the other six months. I haven’t decided yet what order I’ll be doing them in, but here’s
the list of the seven areas of excess I’m setting out to simplify:</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Food<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Clothes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Possessions<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Media<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Waste<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Spending<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Stress</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">There's also been a bit of confusion about the books:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"> There are two books, "7" by Jen Hatmaker, and "The 7 Experiment" by Jen Hatmaker. "7" is just the book, and I read it first. You CAN read it without actually doing the fast, and I highly suggest that you do so, even if you're skeptical. It does not "guilt you" into anything. It does, however, open your eyes to many things that we've become blind to as Americans and especially as American Christians. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"> "The 7 Experiment" is the actual Bible Study that leads you through a 7 WEEK journey of decreasing excess. I am using the book to keep my head in the game as to WHY I'm doing this fast (because it'd be all to easy for me just to do it and not really think about the deeper reasons as to why I'm doing it), but I'm actually doing the full 7 months instead of the 7 week program it leads you through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"> Either way, LifeWay has both and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to sell you a copy. $15 well spent!</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272273989586713825.post-77275691724274742462013-08-07T21:19:00.000-07:002013-08-07T22:27:49.142-07:00Day 7: Media/Technology<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="font-size: large;"> So, it’s day 7
now of the media/technology fast, and I have to say: I’m kind of enjoying it,
actually. I really kind of wish that I could COMPLETELY unplug for the month
(well, I might make it a couple of days. A month is a LONG time). You know, where I turn off my cell phone and toss it in the bottom of my closet, don't touch a computer, and don't even look at a TV. Unfortunately, though, I have to stay connected to civilization digitally because I have things like school that I have to prepare for this month. I actually
feel like I’m cheating because I had to order textbooks online. YUCK. (Oh, who
am I kidding. I actually love getting my textbooks because I’m a nerd. And, no,
I’m actually not being sarcastic about this.) And after I wrote this paragraph
I realized that I said “actually” four times. I could have changed it, but I *<b>actually*</b>
decided to let you laugh at me instead. Go ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XsVKNf71v9OSCZ5MZYBbEx-RP_FXDUeZ6uOheQeedPRTToNkA_RcM-XkDOuVooB4VOeIyiBEEhkdtuRBlzklb7ZW9pBrkf3OO_U7UYtghkabuKkOD71vYd6yLwbVoKEhxkpTSN8D1l8V/s1600/IMG_1278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XsVKNf71v9OSCZ5MZYBbEx-RP_FXDUeZ6uOheQeedPRTToNkA_RcM-XkDOuVooB4VOeIyiBEEhkdtuRBlzklb7ZW9pBrkf3OO_U7UYtghkabuKkOD71vYd6yLwbVoKEhxkpTSN8D1l8V/s320/IMG_1278.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A couple of my textbooks that've already come in!!! <br />I cannot WAIT for school to start back! <br />So what if I am a nerd.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> But I digress. Back to how I’m
guilty of cheating with the media/tech fast. I’ve caught myself sitting down in
my living room watching the Today Show, suddenly realizing what I’m doing, and
then jumping up, sprinting around my living room to find the remote, and
turning that sneaky little thing off. It was all its fault. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> I also have to admit that I now
check my email about 25 times every day because it’s the only app on my iPhone
that’s legal for me to check. I’m trying, okay? I’m now revising that rule to
checking my email ONCE a day. (And let me tell you. This is going to be a
struggle.) Why is checking my phone for some new little tidbit of information
such an addiction? It’s so hard to shake.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> Enough with my failure, though. It
really has been nice not having Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat,
radio, television, and other things to distract me throughout the day. Just in
this week alone I’ve finished two books and have started a third. I have come
to realize that I have so much down time that I usually use social media to fill, while
I really could be doing something worthwhile. It’s safe to say that I’ve
definitely kept things cleaner this week (like my room--well, sort of...), and I’ve also been craftier because
I’ve had more time on my hands. Well, really, I’ve had the same amount of time
on my hands, but I’ve been using that time to do things that are a whole heck
of a lot more enjoyable and beneficial than sitting around scrolling through
social media sites. Social media just really isn’t that interesting, people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> I keep thinking back to the first
day that I started this fast. I shut my computer, turned off the TV, and then
proceeded to delete all of the unnecessary apps on my iPhone. If you don’t have
an iPhone/aren’t familiar with how they work, then you won’t get this. But, if
you are, then you’ll understand:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> I began to delete my apps, and almost
started laughing out loud—because there all my cute little apps were, shaking
before me, almost begging me not to delete them. They looked so sad, shivering
like they do. But as I hit the little “x” in the top-left corner of almost half
of my applications, I felt almost free. It was a relief to not have them there,
demanding me to check them every five minutes. And it was nice to know that
this month I wouldn’t have to worry about what they had to say to me or what I
had to post in order to make myself look the absolute best that I can. Because,
if we’re honest, that’s 90% of what social media is—an outlet for us to put our
best foot forward. A place that’s easy for us to make people “like us” (no pun intended) because we only post what we
want people to see. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> And I hate saying that because I
know that THIS will be going on my Facebook and I don’t necessarily want people
to know that I struggle with pleasing others and with wanting them to think
well of me. But it’s time for me to start breaking out of that mold. As
Christians we’re called to confess our sins if we want to be healed. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">James 5:16, ESV</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> Transparency
brings healing, and it also takes the focus (and the pressure) off of trying to
be perfect all the time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> NEWSFLASH:
I am not perfect. You are not perfect. And this life isn’t about us, and it’s
not about us trying to BE perfect, either. This life is about loving Christ and
serving others, and when we try and appear perfect, never confessing our
struggles with each other, it’s very easy for the world to point fingers at us
and call us hypocrites when it becomes obvious that we’re NOT all that we
appear that we are. And it WILL become obvious. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: large;"> But what would happen if we started letting brothers and
sisters in Christ (or, better, nonbelievers) in on our dirt? What if we were a little bit vulnerable and
shared the struggles that we were going through, no matter how “bad” they might
make us look? Chances are, they’re struggling or have struggled in the past
with the same issues. God purposefully put us here together, to hold each other
up and push us on toward glorifying Him each and every day. And instead of coming across as trying to be "holier than thou" (which is the rep that most Christians get these days), maybe a nonbeliever might see that though you don't have it all together, God still loves, forgives, upholds, and is in the process of sanctifying you.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: large;"> I can tell you that
every time I’ve been vulnerable, I haven’t been disappointed—and I’ve actually
seen God work in my life (and heal me!) because of it. There’s just something
about letting go of your pride and being broken before a brother, and
ultimately the Lord. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: large;"> Somehow I think that’s what He wants from us, anyway. </span></span><!--EndFragment-->Katelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272273989586713825.post-54852645411398410792013-08-01T20:44:00.002-07:002013-08-01T20:48:03.020-07:00Month One: Media/Technology<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-lIslBaKL2R-1WS4AKQ_FiEzT5XLRjXCK5u1fZxkA4qxyMvq8x8Q9AEc-6jXe1AiIkS20T7I8_5Y4KBN-aNtRbpiq4xz5QZl6QiaQtP293b6_DUTaUftmMnQLzg5Zz7OIBjNiSJ8kzqo/s1600/DSC_0210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-lIslBaKL2R-1WS4AKQ_FiEzT5XLRjXCK5u1fZxkA4qxyMvq8x8Q9AEc-6jXe1AiIkS20T7I8_5Y4KBN-aNtRbpiq4xz5QZl6QiaQtP293b6_DUTaUftmMnQLzg5Zz7OIBjNiSJ8kzqo/s320/DSC_0210.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kolton at my graduation. Isn't he such a cutie?!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We can never get him to smile for pictures.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Typical boy.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">My youngest little
brother (who is 13 years old), Kolton: “So, Katie?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Me: “Yeah,
Kolty?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Kolton: “This
whole 7 thing that you’re doing. You’re doing it to serve others?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Me (thinking):
Yes! What an awesome opportunity to explain to my younger brother what this is
all about!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Me (out loud):
“Yeah, Kolty, it is! You know—”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Kolton, cutting
me off: “So does that mean when I’m laying on the couch watching TV and I get
hungry, you’ll go make me a sandwich?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> Um, let me think about that one real
quick… NO. 7 has officially begun, and it does NOT involve me making you or
anyone else a SANDWICH while you’re watching television. Get up off your lazy
butt and make your own sandwich while employing that handy little “pause”
function located on the remote control! Goodness gracious. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> Okay so maybe God’s trying to teach
me a lesson already—maybe something along the lines of “BE NICE TO YOUR
BROTHERS” or something crazy like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m working on it,
okay?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">That
being said, month one is a fast from one of the things that we live most
excessively in (without really realizing it): media and technology. And yes,
Kolton, that means NO TELEVISION. This month will be a fast from excess that
includes:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
social media—no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Pinterest,
Wanelo, Etsy (oh my gosh this really is an addiction, isn’t it?!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
television or movies—however, I may watch a couple of movies with my family
because that is the primary way that we spend family time together. I’m getting
ready to go back to college, okay? I have to spend quality time with my family.
Don’t judge me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
internet—except to post on my blog (I’ll share it to Facebook and Twitter via
my blog as well) and except for school purposes (I’m imagining that telling my
teachers I can’t do my research paper because I’m fasting from the internet
won’t go over very well. And I just couldn’t do research in that thing called
“the library.” Who does that?)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
apps on my iPhone—only what’s essential (like my alarm clock, or else I
wouldn’t go to class at all).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Very
limited texting—only if it would be quicker than calling. No texting just to
talk, though.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
radio.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7.
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
having my phone on me at all times. When I’m out my phone will stay in my purse
and when I’m at home it will stay in one place at all times. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">In
all reality, I didn’t think that this month was going to be very hard for me at
all. I gave up social media for Lent, and I found that the less I got on
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, the less I WANTED to get on
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">And during
school, I watch TV next to NEVER. No texting? No big deal. I don’t even like
texting anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> However… I forgot that for half of
the month of August I would still be at home instead of in school. And what do
I normally do all day every day during the summer (when I’m not babysitting)?
Watch TV, get on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram (all at the same time, all on
different devices), text, and surf the internet (namely Pinterest) for cute
clothes, books, my future home, and ideas for my wedding. I’m a girl, okay?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> So maybe this WILL be harder than I
thought it was going to be, at least until the 18<sup>th</sup> when I move back
into my dorm at Union (I cannot WAIT!!!). But, I read something today in “The 7
Experiment” Bible Study Guide that really puts this whole fasting thing into
perspective—especially because a lot of times we overlook fasting as if it’s
unnecessary. Jen Hatmaker writes, “Fasting is an intentional reduction, a
deliberate abstinence to summon God’s movement in our lives. A fast creates
margin for God to move… A fast is not necessarily something we offer God, but
it assists us in offering ourselves.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> I definitely see my need to reduce
media and technology in my life, especially because it consumes SO MUCH of my
time. And I pray that as I take a breather from these things that in all
honesty suffocate me sometimes, God will have space to move in my life and in
others’ lives in ways that I never dreamed possible. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">“Is not this the fast that I choose:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">to loose the bonds of wickedness,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">to undo the straps of the yoke,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">to let the oppressed go free,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">and to break every yoke?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Is it not to share your bread with the
hungry<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">and bring the homeless poor into your
house;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">when you see the naked, to cover him,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">and not to hide yourself from your own
flesh?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Isaiah 58:6-7</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272273989586713825.post-16020003039649545312013-07-29T13:15:00.004-07:002013-07-29T13:16:41.634-07:00The American Church and Me<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="font-size: large;"> Before I dive into 7 on Thursday, I thought it might be good to give a little bit of background on me and my faith journey thus far. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> Like many who
were born into the Bible Belt of America, I began going to church before my
momma even knew she was pregnant with me. My daddy was a deacon, both my
parents led Sunday School, and going to church Sunday mornings, Sunday
evenings, and Wednesday nights was not an option for me. Needless to say, I
became a Christian when I was eight years old and haven’t questioned that
decision since. However, even as a little girl and brand new Christian, I struggled
with what my faith as an American Christian should look like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> I always felt like there should be
more. More than going to church on Sunday mornings. More than doing Girls in
Action on Wednesday nights. More than children’s choir and the youth group and
college Bible study. And over the years, God’s taught me a thing or two about
what that “more” may look like—and it comes in the form of a day to day
relationship with Him instead of cheap religiosity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> I remember when I was about ten
years old struggling with the idea that I have brothers and sisters in Christ
who are persecuted for being Christians. Brothers and sisters who risk their
lives to meet and have Bible study, who die for professing their faith. And all
the while, I have the freedom to decide whether or not I feel like going to
church this Sunday morning. 1 Timothy 3:12 says, “Indeed, all who desire to
live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” So I wondered then and
have often wondered since, “What am I doing wrong? Why am I not persecuted for
my relationship with Jesus when He tells me that if I am living a godly life in
Him I will be? Why are my brothers and sisters across the world dying for the
same faith that I profess—while I shy away from talking to a stranger about
what the Lord has done for me?” There has to be more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> After talking to my parents about
this when I was younger, my dad wisely told me that God had placed me here in
America for a reason. I was blessed with a family, a nice home, a wonderful
school, and godly friends for a reason—and it was my duty to use those
blessings to glorify Him. He told me that living out my faith and the persecution that that brings about may look
different than my brothers and sisters on the mission field overseas, but that
it was the same faith, nonetheless. For that advice I am thankful. But I am
also thankful that the Lord is now teaching me ways that I can actually USE
those blessings to bless Him and others, and I pray that He continues to do so
all the days of my life. "7" is one of those tools that God is using to teach me how to put my faith into action, loving the "least of these."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> This past year I started my first
year of college at Union University, and that’s when my faith became the most
real that it’s ever been. I’ve had a relationship with Christ since I was eight
years old, and yet it wasn’t until I was eighteen that my relationship with Him
started growing exponentially. All these years, God has been molding and
preparing my heart for all that He is teaching me now… and it’s so crazy to
think that all He is teaching me now will someday be the foundation for what He
will continue to teach me in the future! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> I always heard that when teenagers
go to college, they become independent. They make their own choices without
their parents’ influence; they live their own lives. But you can’t really
understand that until you actually do it. And I have to say that that was
probably the best thing that has ever happened for my relationship with Christ
to date. Don’t get me wrong—my family played an integral role in fostering an
environment that helped mold my relationship with Christ. But your faith does
not become real until you make it your own—until you have to decide whether or
not you will continue to grow this relationship that Christ has initiated, or
if you’ll choose your own path. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> Being at Union, I’ve been
“surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.” The people I spend the most time
with are always pulling me aside and asking me, “Hey, what’s God been teaching
you this week?” My roommates and I this past year would sit in our living room
and talk about how God was moving, what we were learning, the struggles we were
going through. We went to church together, prayed together, did ministry in our
youth groups together. When you are surrounded by people like that, people who
are constantly pushing you on toward a closer relationship with Christ, there’s
no way NOT to grow in your faith. I am beyond thankful for those people that
the Lord has placed in my life at school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXD3WxbGzaJPWM0A_E8FeCnb9zgs2fC05mo2JhuDIPX_8azF85Y7pbt_KKRQWyM33wgllgGH3_9B86Er8C3CM0DE1ixyYcvTb-6EUz0wtvwlNP6ZsFHTWITTASmssL2Xag7GTldASqlxg/s1600/148894_3213140106064_1609069926_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXD3WxbGzaJPWM0A_E8FeCnb9zgs2fC05mo2JhuDIPX_8azF85Y7pbt_KKRQWyM33wgllgGH3_9B86Er8C3CM0DE1ixyYcvTb-6EUz0wtvwlNP6ZsFHTWITTASmssL2Xag7GTldASqlxg/s320/148894_3213140106064_1609069926_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Me and my wonderful roommates this past year at Union--</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Rachel, me, Hanna, and Summer!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> And then, it was one of those
wonderful friends that told me about a book she was reading (thank you,
MiKalla!). </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">7 </i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">by Jen Hatmaker. The
book that would begin this “7 Experiment” that I am about to embark on (for 7
WHOLE MONTHS). My world was about to be tipped on its axis. Just a little bit.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">P.S. Just in case you didn't listen to my advice in the last post, you should SO pick up a copy of "7" by Jen Hatmaker and read it. It'll open your eyes if you let it. In the meantime, feel free to follow my journey through "The 7 Experiment" here!</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272273989586713825.post-89030970463212052262013-07-23T15:19:00.003-07:002013-07-23T20:03:35.062-07:00"The 7 Experiment"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtnXaU8NBTVZstwRy7jmH_vZGmrKrKG1zcIpGRE_thTUSbh0hy7Y0iuZFEefVzZV4IqGhuD_ZKXyL5uGbR7kcWE_bbeLV32I2d9OnQNNry9YBLuZL5eO4FZ6g3uuKpmAHlGvrxM4rs1xz/s1600/IMG_1661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtnXaU8NBTVZstwRy7jmH_vZGmrKrKG1zcIpGRE_thTUSbh0hy7Y0iuZFEefVzZV4IqGhuD_ZKXyL5uGbR7kcWE_bbeLV32I2d9OnQNNry9YBLuZL5eO4FZ6g3uuKpmAHlGvrxM4rs1xz/s320/IMG_1661.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-size: large;"> Starting
on August 1</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">st</sup><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">, I will be beginning a journey called “The 7
Experiment” (or 7 for short). 7 is a seven month journey that is focused on
staging a mutiny against excess—and as Americans we know about excess all too
well (hundreds of articles of clothing in multiple closets, refrigerators cram
packed with food that spoils before we can eat it, laptops and cellphones and
PlayStations and iPods and Kindles galore. Yeah. I’d say we’ve got it bad.).
But the thing is, I’d never really thought much about all those things before I
read </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">7</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">. I would’ve classified myself
as a middle-class American working on my college degree so that one day I could
pursue my own American Dream with my strong, handsome husband, 3 kids and a
lapdog. That’s God’s </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">WILL</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> for my
life, okay? Oh and in the little spare time that I probably won’t have, I’d
like to play a part in advancing the Kingdom of God as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> Okay so maybe I wasn’t <i>THAT</i> bad. But as American Christians, I
think that line of thinking is all too common. It’s not that we necessarily <i>MEAN</i> to. We’re just indoctrinated into
this machine of consumerism and excess. It’s, well, <i>AMERICAN</i> to look forward to the next big promotion, the next pay
raise, the bigger house, the better car. But recently I’ve found this little
voice in the back of my head whispering, “Isn’t there something more than this?
<i>IS </i>more always better? What if I’m
missing something?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> For
New Testament class this past semester, we had to reread the entire New
Testament (shocker). But with a grace that only God can give, He allowed me to
read it with fresh eyes—like I’d never read it before. And I was struck by the
person of Jesus Christ all over again. Who was this man? He completely went
against the grain. Want to be first? You must be last. Want to gain your life?
Lose it. Want to follow Me? Give up everything. Phrases like, “Seek first the
Kingdom of Heaven” and “the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” kept
floating around in my brain—and wouldn’t go away. I started wondering anew, “What
should my life look like as an American Christian in the 21<sup>st</sup>
century?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> Insert "<i>7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess" </i>by Jen Hatmaker. This is
the book that really got me thinking. Jen felt trapped in the machine of excess
and was determined to do something about it. She records her journey doing a
seven month fast, downsizing her life in order to reach “the least of these”
that Jesus called us to serve. When I first heard about the book, I can’t lie—I
thought it sounded pretty radical. I didn’t know if I’d be into that kind of
thing or not. But, I picked it up at Books A Million, regardless (I can’t
resist a good book. Ever.). Little did I know what I was getting myself into. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> Jen Hatmaker felt convicted about
the way that she and her husband, a wealthy pastor of a mega-church at the time,
were living as American Christians. Convinced that they were only “serving the
saved” and “blessing the blessed,” she set out on a social experiment to reduce
the areas in her life that she lived in excess in order to serve the needy. She
asks, “So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the
discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and
generosity that transcends a social experiment to become a radically better existence.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> Although I’d like to insert the
entire book here for you to read, I can’t because that’d be plagiarism (who
came up with that law, anyway?). So, I <i>HIGHLY</i>
suggest that you go to LifeWay or Books A Million or Barnes and Noble or Davis
Kidd or your local neighborhood bookstore and pick it up. I cannot stress how
absolutely awesome it is (and <i>FUNNY</i>,
too—Jen Hatmaker was blessed with the spiritual gift of hilariousness. Love,
joy, peace, patientce, kindness, hilariousness… whatever. I’m sure it’s in there
somewhere.). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> In the meantime, I’ll be staging my
own mutiny against excess with a few other ladies that God has so graciously
placed in my life, and I’ll be blogging about it here! </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I’m hoping and
praying that God will teach me how to live for and serve Him here in America,
right where I’m planted. And that maybe He will speak to others through the
lessons that He is teaching me as well!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> “Simplified
life. Amplified God.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"> Stay
tuned. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Katelyn Wallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00740880327103488802noreply@blogger.com2