Less. 1.

That's my word. Four letters. So very much meaning and desire behind it.

Less.

We have so much. We are deliriously spoiled and yet want more. Every day. I need this and I need that and I want that and someday...I say everyday, all day.

Here I sit. 2600 square feet. Five bedrooms. More beds than people in this house. We have so much stuff. I stand in front of my overflowing cupboards, fridge and garage freezer on a regular basis and say, "We have nothing to eat." No, really, I do. I don't even flinch when I hear the total at Costco or Target anymore totalling all the things I think we need.

My children have so many clothes that when all of the laundry is done their drawers can't even shut all the way. I frequently trip over their shoes in the entry or garage. Yet I walk through Target and feel pulled to glance through the clearance racks because if it's only $3.24 what's the big deal right?

Wrong.

In our home we have three laptops, a desktop computer, two tvs, DVR, two DVD players, three Nintendo DSis, two Leapsters, three ipods and a Nintendo Wii. Oh my word, I wish I was making that up.

We are a family of instant. If the internet isn't working when the mouse refreshes the page, you better believe there is frustration. When the winds are blowing and the DVR or Dish goes out and it's the night of our favorite tv show, some of us pout. {That'd be me.}

Sometimes, or let's be honest, many times, I plan my day around getting my hands on a $4.56 warm beverage.

Just typing out the cost of the daily latte makes me sick to my core.

Because there are people all around me in need.

I'm not just referring to African orphans or Haiti earthquake survivors, I am referring to people in my neighborhood, my children's school, church. Everywhere.

Did you know that if your family salary is over $50,000 a year you are in the richest 1% of the world? I am so not even kidding.



Enter Jen Hatmaker's new book, 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. Oh my word.

A few months back I remember reading something about if I wanted to review a copy of the book. I didn't respond and then last Monday morning something on twitter caught my eye and I remembered I wanted to read the book. So I found it, bought it and downloaded it on my Nook at the gym. {Did I mention how spoiled we are yet?}

I'm not even finished with the book yet but oh my friends, it is stirring me. I have so much. Chances are, so do you.

In her book, she battles 7 areas of her life one month at a time. Food. Clothes. Posessions. Media. Waste. Spending. And Stress.

She had me at the introduction, really.

I have so much. And there are others who need it more.

My word this year is less. I'm joining the 7 revolution.

This year I am getting rid of excess. I started yesterday by packing up three gigantic bags of bedding and another gigantic bag of towels. Some almost new. When I started working on the linen closet in my laundry room I had no idea that I would find bedding for 30 beds in it. THIRTY FREAKING BEDS. WHAT?!?!

There's a crisis nursery for up to ages 12 and a woman's shelter that can use it because I certainly don't need it.

There's more. There's more stuff. There's more non-necessities we can kick out of here. There's some good, hard, long looking and thinking and praying we need to do.

What is it we want our lives to speak? That we were just like the Joneses? That we had all the stuff everyone is supposed to have? Or that we lived better within our means? That we gave more? That because we had enough we clothed and fed the poor with our excess? That we were different.

We claim Jesus as our Savior when it's convenient for us and it's just not ok.

My heart is being stirred because all this stuff, all these things I have to have and buy and do and be are getting in the way. I'm so very distracted by the worlds attempts at getting me to buy this and watch this and own this.

This year's word is less. I'm tackling it head on and I'm inviting you dear friends to join me. Will you get rid of the excess in your life this year too?

I plan on posting a weekly update and challenge on less each week this year. It's not easy. I like my "things". Especially nice things. But it's not about me, it's about less.

This week's challenge is easy and I've been working on it since last Wednesday and I'm still not done. Unsubsribe from all the emails you get from every store or business you've ever shopped at or done business with. It's time consuming yes, but is there anything more distracting than finding out there is Free Shipping at the Gap today ONLY!!

Seriously. Less.