earth day, arbor day, and green day.

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Jen Hatmaker, how did you follow through with 7 for 7 months? Following your experiments for just weeks at a time, I have to say I’m already tired of this mutiny. Tired. Tired. Tired. This post should have been done Friday. Urgh!

If I didn’t want to let you all down (like you are even caring), I would quit and call this whole thing off. This would be the perfect week too! I’m at WASTE and to tell you the truth, I could careless. Waste, Schmaste! Who cares?

I’ve never been into Arbor Day or Earth Day. Articles that start like this turn me off, “It’s the Earth’s Day today, but it’s our moment to look around, breathe our air in a little deeper and hug our trees a little tighter.” (huffington post)  I don’t want to hug trees. I would much rather hug humans. Anybody with me?

I could careless if our light-bulbs save energy, because they cost $$$ more to buy.

I could careless if things are recycled, as per the conversation with my hubby this week. 

Hubs: Did you throw something in the recycling container?

Me: Hmm, yes I did! (smiling ‘cuz I knew he’d be so proud that I’d probably get a hug)

Hubs: Babe, clothes don’t go in the recycling trash can?

Me: They don’t??? They can be recycled.

Then preparing for this week I read in 7 a quote by Wendell Berry:

God made the world because He wanted it made. He thinks the world is good, and He loves it. It is His world; He has never relinquished title to it. And He has never revoked the conditions, bearing on His gift to us the use of it, that obliges us to take excellent care of it. If God loves the world, then how might any person of faith be excused for not loving it or justified in destroying it?”

Darn! TRUTH! God did create something magnificent that you and I should treasure. Recently, while breathing in fresh air and hugging trees, I spotted the marvelous creation called “squirrel” up a tree. It was all beautiful!

Reluctantly, this week I’ll begin respecting more of the earth and all the preciousness it has to offer. Seriously, I don’t want to take God’s creations for granted. Especially those human ones – that’s where my heart is. If you agree, click HERE to tweet that. Therefore while I set my heart on reaching humans and try to step out of a world of waste, these tweaks will seem very minimal to most of you. Don’t judge! These are big steps from a girl who really just wants to have the time of her life.

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why
It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time (by Green Day)

Here’s my habits to begin a less wasteful life:

-take care of the things I have (house, plants, belongings)

-conserve energy and water (turn off all lights, take shorter showers)

-recycle (I will carry things to the recyle container and learn what is recyclable)

-plan out my days so there is less wasted time (using Michael Hyatt’s system as an example)

-revert back to 7 foods where there was less waste

Suddenly I’m feeling like I’m doing the ackward part of the Cha-Cha — reverse, reverse!

 

Won’t you prepare to love on Mother Earth this week with me!

I agree this is not normal, so be sure to check out the FREE copy of my NEW eBook Giving Up Normal, please click this link. 

 

Check out these other crazy tree-hugging, people-loving blogs!

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summer of 7. possessions week. epic fail.

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I cheat. I confess. Darn this Summer of 7 experiment! While Amy in Wanderland is out wandering around California and Katrina of The Poorganic Life is enjoying the beach, I’m left here being jealous and kicking myself!

Possessions week rolled in when I had just returned from youth camp. I was tired and convinced myself that I had dealt with this within the last year as we remodeled.

I left my guidelines fairly simple for the week — “I will focus on rounding up possessions for others. I need possessions to take to the streets, because so many are without.” That should have been a slam dunk. I could have easily rounded up some items here, made a few phone calls, or even begged you (my friend) to have pitty on me and help me gather possessions to take to the streets.

But I didn’t!

I really just wanted a week to breath as media week on top of clothes week had wrecked my poor wretched soul. I was not diligent with my plan and then when my plan came full circle I failed miserable! Epic. Fail.

The phone rang. It was early morning and I was deep in a project in the office. I glance at the phone and see it’s a friend who recently got off the streets. My thought, “I know she’s going to want something, I’ll call her back.”

Embarrassing. Please don’t judge. I’m assuming you’ve been there.

I go back to work and I can’t quit thinking about her. My thoughts were haunting me. I can’t stand it any longer and pick up the phone to call her back.

She answers with such excitement. In our conversation, I find out she had no food.

FOOD! She wasn’t worried about STUFF or POSSESSIONS. I’m sure those things weren’t even in the back of her mind, as she was just trying to ration what little food she has left. She wasn’t worried about gadgets or gizmo’s — y’all she was worried about food.

Why are we consumed with our stuff? And if having some STUFF isn’t enough, we want bigger stuff and more stuff and pretty stuff and the list of stuff goes on and on.

Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

While I am not proud of my possessions week, my eyes have been opened to the excessiveness around me that truly is meaningless!

Hoarding bigger and better and more possessions = eternal epic fail. 

 

If you would like a FREE copy of my NEW eBook Giving Up Normal, please click this link. Giving Up Normal might just be what you’re looking for.

Check out these other Summer of 7 participants!

 

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made to crave – God, not media.

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What are you craving and missing at the moment? If you’re joining in Summer of 7, it could easily be food, clothing, or media.

Thanks to my friend Katrina for letting me cheat during my media mutiny week. She allowed me to handwrite a note and she posted it. You can check it out HERE or it is posted below.

To set up the note, I was asked to go to Student Camp at the last minute and was fortunate enough to my juggle schedule and go. Media mutiny week was scheduled and I was thankful as I thought this would be an easy way to get around the shock of NO MEDIA.

Well heavens, it wasn’t easy! God made sure I got HIS message loud and clear while I craved social media.

As I had media withdrawals, the continued messages at camp were LAY DOWN YOUR FALSE GODS. Seriously, this is youth camp aren’t we going to talk about youthy things. I’m sure the youth had youthy things stirring in their hearts and minds, but all Alene had wrecking her heart was MEDIA.

Day One – I’m failed miserably! I was still carrying my phone is my back pocket. After all, it was my time-keeper. There were too many notifications and text that came in. I soon realize that while I’m trying to slay this HUGE giant called media, it is the way this youthy generation communicates. A battle is raging within me! I used the phone, text, and email. I went to Instagram at least 109 times and remembered I can’t use my apps. I was struggling and wondering if I’d survive 6 more days. I missed my blog, facebook, and twitter the most. I missed YOU!

Day Two - I woke-up wondering if I should leave my phone in the cabin. Deciding NO and taking my phone with all it’s connections to the world with me to our morning session, the Pastor jolts me up-right when He asks “what are you missing more than God?” OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!  Needless to say, I’ll be putting some boundaries in place this next week.

I penned a note, CRAVE GOD, as not to forget this lesson.

 

What are you craving?

God wants you and I to crave Him with the tenacity that we crave our social media. He wants us to be His friend and follower.

 

If you would like a FREE copy of my NEW eBook Giving Up Normal, please click this link. Giving Up Normal might just be what you’re looking for.

 

Read from others mutinizing media!

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dear self, i am proud of you.

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I love the show Biggest Loser! Seeing people transform over the course of 7-8 months is inspiring. You know their success doesn’t come easily. It took hours and days of sacrificing and staying true to the goals they had regardless of how they woke up feeling. Focus is of the utmost importance. That’s life, peeps!

One of the coolest things Biggest Loser does is have the contestants video a message to themselves. They video as they come on the ranch a message to themselves as the person they will be at the end of the show. And so as I embark on this mutiny against media this week, I’m going to leave myself a message to the me I’ll be a week from now. Remember, I have been out of town this whole week and these posts were written a head of time. I’m just betting this week has been harder than I thought, but I’m counting on God to show up in incredible ways as I turn my focus to youth camp.

As my heart begins to reflect on what I want to say, my eyes are leaking. Oh good heavens! Am I emotional because I know my life will change this week or maybe it’s the stirring of what I really want to say to myself in hopes of a change in 7 days? Or maybe it’s because I’m not sure how you will respond or why you need to read this? Or maybe it is because you need to read this and be challenged to write your own self a message?

At any rate — here’s a note to self:

Alene,

I know you fretted about beginning media week, just as you have the last two mutiny’s on food and clothes (thanks Summer of 7), but I can’t wait to hear the other side of the story where you share what God reveals. I’m sure this challenge was difficult because you’re passionate about using the gifts God has given you — writing, teaching, sharing, and connecting with people. You thrive on connections! But I’m thankful you dug in and stripped away the noise of the outside world for a week so God could whisper to you.

I am so proud of you! You’ve met challenges head on recently and set new goals to stretch yourself further. You’ve stepped outside your comfort zone while deciding to follow God looking for His signposts for you life’s journey. I know this week has not been easy for you; however, I am encouraged by your heart and spirit.

As you’ve snuck away to youth camp, I know you’ve seen God all over the place. You’ve seen Him in bright smiles and hurting eyes. You’ve seen Him early in the morning and late at night. You’ve met Him in new ways as you’ve poured in to others. Don’t forget those sweet morsels of truth He poured in to you either. Those morsels you’ll need for the rest of your journey.

This unplugged week with no excessive phone use or computer, has allowed for a renewed focus and more time to see others needs. Remember this for the days to come. Don’t go back to the chaotic days of trying to juggle it all, instead remember the beauty in the simplicity of this week. Excessiveness has to go.

You go girl — you did it!

 

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this feels all wrong – friends, numbers, and stats.

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Here I am in the middle of my week on the media mutiny. Well, actually if you read my first post you know that I’m writing these ahead of time and scheduling them to post. I have no idea if that’s against the rules, but I’m feeling pretty creepy either way!

It feels as if Positively Alene is gorging herself before she has to enter a fast. Yep, that’s exactly what she’s doing. Gorging and stuffing herself full of media before she has to go without for a week. Somehow, I think she (I) have missed the point.

Why do I care if there’s a post up today?

Who cares?

Do you?

Obviously, I DO! Setting goals in the world of writing (or any adventure you love) is important. Following through daily steps to achieve those goals is even more important.

In this day and age everyone screams, if you want to succeed as a writer you need to be consistent and build your reader base, facebook friends, twitter numbers, reader stats, pageload numbers, unique visits and the list goes on and on and on. I get all of that, really I do! But just like food and clothing, we can become so obsessed with those numbers and stats that we miss  . . . living  . . . or even worse God!

This dilemma is one I’ve battled for awhile now. There’s bound to be a balance, which I’m working on finding. I know I need to care — I just don’t want to become obsessed.

Recently, I was reading from 2 Samuel 24. King David is in the midst of a battle and he senses he needs to go out and take a count of all his fighting men and population. He wanted to know his numbers! (the Lord snatched my attention at that thought!) One of David’s men didn’t see the importance of counting when God was the one who did all the multiplying. He knew David had better things to do and could be more effective than sitting around and wasting time counting. (I hate it when the Word steps on your toes!)

The story goes on and we find David taking a count of all the population and his men. And the story ends by saying, “when it was all done, David was overwhelmed with guilt because he had counted the people, replacing trust with statistics!”

Oh my, can you see yourself in this picture? What difference did the counting make? It didn’t make any, because God was the one who would multiply the people. God didn’t need him to gather statistics, but yet to fulfill his responsibilities.

Statistics replaced trust in God! When you and I are so fixed on our numbers that we lose sight of the real reason we write — because God has asked — we have taken our trust in God and put it in ourselves to build those numbers. Ouch!! When your daily mood is influenced by your stat counts, chances are you are wasting time counting. Counting doesn’t influence the outcome — trust and hard work do.

If God has called you to write, then He expects you to trust Him to carry those words where they need to go. While you trust, you must still be responsible and do the work it requires to become excellent.

Do you need to dismiss the wise words from mentors teaching you how to build readership? NO! Check out Goins Writer for great teachings on this by Jeff Goins.

So what do we do? We listen. We implement. We use our time wisely. We live life out-loud. We write. We TRUST!

Being so convicted of such a message I relinquish my plan to write tomorrow and TRUST. I’m trusting a God who can do far greater things than I can even ask or imagine. And I am asking for the wisdom to find the balance between the two! (I am on an experimental mutiny against media after all!)

 

Before I sign off, I just want to give a shout out and some bloggy love to my hubby. I know you’re reading and thanks for being my number one cheerleader! I’ll see you soon.

 

If you would like a FREE copy of my NEW eBook Giving Up Normal, please click this link. Giving Up Normal might just be what you’re looking for.

 

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on your mark, get set, go – a mutiny against media, seriously.

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I’ve been dreading this week as it will be like cutting off my right arm! It’s media week at Summer of 7 and I’m going conquer some of the excess media avenues in my life.

THIS WILL BE HARD. IT MIGHT BE WORSE THAN CLOTHES WEEK and at the end of that week you found me curled up in my closet with my computer sending you a message about my excessive pride.

While I lay out some plans here for this mutiny, I need to let you know I will be gone for the week. I was asked last minute to attend Summer Youth Camp with our group at church. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to go. Actually, I can’t wait! I’m not sure if being away is going to make this easier or harder. My gut says harder, as even while I am away I have a few things I need to coordinate via — you guessed it MEDIA. Urgh!

Before I read this blasted book 7, if you were to ask me if I were a hoarder of media, I would have easily said NO! But really taking a good look at my life, I think the answer is YES and oh. my. this. hurts.

HELLO – my name is Alene and I’m addicted to social media.

I’ll just name you what I use within a days time: (this doesn’t count every room in the house, just what I put my grubby hands on)

-iphone with 64 apps

-texting

-three email addresses

-two TV’s

-one MacBookPro

-one desktop computer

-internet

-ipod

-facebook

-twitter

-tweetdeck

-pinterest

-blog

-website

-car radio and phone system

-and I’m sure I’m forgetting something

So here is my plan for this week:

This is what I will deny from my daily media diet –

1. no use of apps, TV’s, computers, facebook, twitter, tweetdeck, pinterest, blog, or website (tears because I know you are going to miss me!)

2. no use of radio’s, or ipods (how can I get my groove on if I don’t have good tunes)

This is how I will cope (I mean, enthusiastically engage in this mutiny)

1. whatever I need to get published or out will be scheduled via programs before my week begins (I think that means I’ll be gorging on media before this week kicks-off, just sayin’)

2. use of phone, camera, and texting are permitted (no excessiveness)

3. checking email only twice a day and responding to ONLY those that are business related (tears are flowing)

4. all blogs written this week have been written and scheduled a head of time (I’ll do a recap at the end of this blasted experiment)

This is already making my heart skip a beat. In this day we live in I’m thinking I’m about to find out just how much I use technology and media throughout the day. While the conveniences of these inventions are awesome — I’m sure I’m WASTING A LOT OF TIME!

So, on your mark, get set, GO – this mutiny is ON!

 

Since I can’t facebook and tweet, y’all make sure you share my messages for me. :)

Hey, what are friends for?

Want to join in the fun?

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a wardrobe full of pride and missed opportunities.

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What if I were to write from the floor of my closet? It’s fairly clean. Somewhat organized as I’ve carried clothes to my trunk to give to others. However, I still see mounds of shoes, and probably what many would consider excessive amounts of shirts and britches.

Are you wondering why I need to write from here? I figure if this wardrobe of mine has a hold on me then maybe I should come sit among it and reflect why.

This experimental mutiny against excess, Summer of 7, is no fun. I thought summers were for laughing, friends, and vacations! Can I get a yep, yep, yep, and an amen? I can’t think of a summer where I’ve been this serious. I can honestly say, I’m continually wondering why I said yes to revealing the dark places of my heart through this experiment.

Sitting here in my closet floor, I can plainly see my bickering spirits attitude I’ve had this whole week. I am now on Day 6 of my mutiny on clothes. (know what I’m thinking — hallelujah tomorrow this 7 days is over!) This week has not been pretty — inside or out, but mainly on the inside.

I’ve rescheduled appointments as not to see anyone.

I’ve come to this place, my closet, and mourned for the clothes I could not wear.

I’ve felt ugly and inadequate because of my dress.

I’ve realized my heart is clothed with a wardrobe of pride.

I’ve scheduled a full day at the beach tomorrow because  I can’t stand these baggy stretched-out, dirty jeans and t-shirts any longer. I need to breathe fresh air. I long for a new outfit with the fresh rain scent of laundry detergent. I long to feel styled and sassy.

I walked in to a meeting yesterday, it was not mine to reschedule or I would have, and inside I felt dirty. Would others notice how unkept I felt? Would they see the stains on my jeans? Would they sniff and wonder what my new smell was? I walked in with my head a little lower and quickly sat down not wanting anyone to see. I didn’t initiate conversations as I surely didn’t want to explain this whole mutiny happening in my heart.

I soon sensed a friend by my side and a whisper,”Alene, you look so pretty today.”

I squeaked out “thank you” as I felt my throat tighten. Was I going to cry? The truth was I didnt’ feel pretty. I was stumped, because the only thing that had changed was my wardrobe. How could my outward appearance make me feel so ugly? I quickly wanted to explain, these clothes are dirty, stained and a little stinky. I’m having a bad hair day, not to mention a bad attitude. But I didn’t. I simply nodded and kept my crazy thinkin’ to my self.

Coming to God this morning knowing He had a sweet morsel of truth waiting for me, I was left with my heart exposed as He spoke from Colossians 3:12-14,

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. . .regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

Oh. Mercy. Could I have been so focused on my wardrobe or lack thereof this week that I missed opportunities to love? Seeing these words written makes my eyes leak. What if I hid away and walked with my head held low and missed sweet moments to show love to others?

What if pride got in the way of love?

What if no one cared what I was wearing or how I smelt and just needed a hug?

What if I could get my self-seeking eyes off myself and see others?

What if a wardrobe full of pride meant missed opportunities to reach others?

Regardless of what I have or have not to wear,

what if I get my rear-end up and out of this closet and clothe myself with love? 
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