Well, I am currently involved in a bible study at our church here in Frisco, Preston Trail Community Church. We are a bible teaching church and most of our studies have really been biblical based.
At the beginning of the study, I heard people say, " I don't need another self help book." "I want to study the bible." They said.
We are going through Jen Hatmakers book 7.
Can I just tell you, so many were wrong. This book does teach you about biblical teachings and thinking. Have you thought about the food you put into your body or where it comes from? What about how much wasted food do you toss? And what does the bible say about those things?
Well, first our body is our temple and we should take care if it.
Right?
Well for me, my daily amounts of Coke are not helping me keep my body a temple for The Lord!
What about your clothes? One web site changed my thinking and opened my eyes on clothes.
Free 2 Work will rate your brands that you wear and let you know with a grade. Most importantly, rate workers rights. How can we buy items that treat the people whom are making them in such horrible ways. I know that the bible tells us to love thy neighbor.
I have had dreams about this, what if I was from a different place and these were MY kids working and making these clothes, for pennies and in the most horrible conditions.
What about all the excess in your house? What does the word say about that?
Where your treasure is then so is your heart. So what if you used your stuff for good? Passed it on and blessed another.
This is where I am right now in the book and have really found that it is EYE opening. We have 11 kids, so we have stuff!!
But do we need 25 Barbies? Most of them Grammy has bought and they have come from thrift stores but think about the child down the road that may be in a battered shelter that had to leave everything with their mom. That child might have NOTHING.
What about those pots n pans, or bed or table??? Makes your think.
I have been so blessed with friends that have given us clothes for our kids. From when we got our first foster placement till now. One of my sweetest friends had helped us with clothes for the boys since they were born, all because she has twin boys of her own. So she passes them to me, then I in turn pass them to another when we are done. Blessings that are small, but a huge blessings impact!
Spring cleaning...that is the question? Yes!! But instead of Spring Cleaning, think of it as year round purge of excess for blessings!!
This week, I have sold some things, then with that money, I plan to make more blessing bags for the homeless. I have taken some things to a resell shop, then to use that credit for items my kids NEED.
And then have given to others a ton of stuff.
It is not about how much we give, but about where your heart is when you do it. Which mine is full knowing that many will be blessed by our excess like we have been by our friends.
Some are nameless to me because I just donated to a place like CCA but others I have given to are friends that with the excess also comes prayers!
So here are a few pictures of the stuff we have gotten rid of in the last two weeks!
I challenge you to read this book and not as a self help, like I heard it was, but go through the 7 experiment and have your heart changed and your cup fill up. It is biblical realistic teachings for our lives!!
I am planning on asking a few people to join me in a Kids clothes pass down swap. Pretty much what we have been doing. One friends passes clothes for your kiddo for the current or next season, then you have a friend that you do the same to. And the cycle keeps going of blessings!
That is one way you can make a difference. Or shop and support companies that treat there workers fairly and just, down to the first person that item comes in contact with on the assembly line. Another way, don't let your food go to waste, if your pantry is full but yet, you keep saying"I have nothing to eat". Get on YouTube and research people that are hungry. Donate to a food bank, volunteer at one.
Please check out that web site I was talking about for the clothes, it also has other things like electronics. But, it really made me rethink the way I shop!
Many blessings!
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