Possessions

 After seeing my problems with clothing I decided to tackle my closet for the week of possessions. As added commentary, I did just "clean out" my closet a few months ago. 

You all most know how much I care about you to show my before pictures of the closet... (Keeping it real) 

These are just my dress shoes -note the lovely super high heels aka "stripper shoes" by my friends-don't be hating just saying! 

The huffington post did a survey and apparently most women own 20 pairs of shoes yet only wear 5 (I have over 20 dress shoes alone-they are my cryptonite)  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/too-many-shoes_n_3779196.html 

My dresses and scarves. (Seriously, dresses are great because you can fluctuate weight and they still fit) 

My shorts and pants...also just went through these this summer. (and I have a good part of this in my laundry this very moment!)

My shirts, there is no excuse for this one. 

And I have a dresser filled with work out clothes, t shirts and pajamas. Excess much??? Now, to my credit, many of here items have been bought used from some lovely ladies in town who take much better care of their clothes then I and therefore I get to shop their closets. Also, I am the lovely recipient of my mothers seconds as well as an avid coupon-er! I am learning how clothes are made and learning how to be a fashionista without utilizing unethical standards. But, my closet is still loaded! 

My task this week-to rid about 80% or so. Check back and see how I do! 

  -Amanda 

Ps-I may need some Marco Negri and some prayer! 

Week two: Clothing

     My first official week of seven I jumped into the clothing section. Now if you have been following my blog (all two of you out there) you already know I am discovering the world of ethical trade and sustainable economic development. These are two really fancy words for -paying people what they deserve to make this in a place that is safe and treats them with the respect they deserve while giving them a job that is more than just a weekend. 

Check me out the Noonday Collection Pieces that provide sustainable income and hope to those in poverty. 

So I thought this clothing week would be really easy. I picked my basics and gave myself an opportunity to even highlight my Noonday Jewelry each day so I could add in the ethical trade components. Well, I learned several things about myself this week.....

1. I hate repetitive things. I had a really hard time wearing the same dang pair of shoes each day. I choose my favorite shoes, my Toms. They started off with a small whole but now have a nice cozy spot for my little pinky toe to poke out off. I love these shoes (as if it's not obvious by the wholes in them) and yet by day 5 I was done. Which leads me to the next lesson. 

                          

2. I like change, I do. The idea of something different or unique is intriguing to me. So, having to wear the same basic three outfits (which really ended up being two because I choose really wrong) was really hard for me. All I could think of on Saturday was how badly I wanted something new. 

3. I have to sit on thinks one a while. Why do I need "new" things all the time? And by new I don't mean brand spanking new because a lot of things I buy used and am perfectly fine with. I WANT something different. I didn't NEED anything. I was able to wash my clothes and they all fit, they worked okay for what I needed them for.  I was just bored.  So what does that say about me and my NEEDS? Am I looking to my clothes and appearance to spice up my life? (As if working full time and 4 kids isn't spice enough!)  This got me thinking.....and looking and guess what...

4. No one ever commented on my same outfits. No one noticed about my t-shirt -that actually got so stained I had to wear my sweater folded over by then end of the week-oh wait...I'm wearing it today with a scarf over the stain..oops! See, things like that make me say to myself I don't really care about what people think and  honestly people don't really care all that much about what I wear. So if that's true, then why did I get an extra 15 minutes each morning when my clothes were chosen for me? Why did I not worry about what my clothes said about me or if I was fashionable. Or (truth be told) skinny and pretty? That's what I'm really about, not how I think I look, but how YOU think I look. 

Jen does a great job at conviction using Gods words. "The plunder from the poor is in your houses" Ouch-my house, yes my house! Slowly I'm unpealing the layers to myself, seeing what really motivates and moves me and if that's okay with me. I think I have this thing in the bag, but the more I dive in the more I realize, this is just the beginning! 

So, this week I dive into possessions....seriously. I think I may hit my closet first!!!! 

                     

55 days of John

Truth-I am not a bible reader. I'm not. One of my goals each year is to read passages from my bible every day and yet every day... I don't.   I read my face book and I read my texts, I read my e-mails and I read my TV guide, but not my bible.

55 days ago, after an inspiring and moving weekend with some lovely ladies at my IF:Local event I choose to follow along with IF:Equip. This was my first time reading through the entire book of John and I learned so much about Jesus and about myself.

If I had to break it down, I would in two simple truths. {warning-I may use a lot of shouty caps-yes, shouty caps people, I was really feeling it!}



 Through out the book of John and the collection of author lead discussion I saw this beautiful tapestry of history woven through out this book. There is this fulfillment of prophecy that I found chapter after chapter. It was fortold that Jesus would come, that John would be there to baptize him. That he would be loved by men and scorn by men. The real penetrating truth is that BECAUSE Jesus is who he says he is, he KNEW. He knew what was to happen and what he was to go through.  He knew which disciple would give him over and who would deny him. Yet, he loved them, he forgave them and he died for them. If so then what does that say about how he loves me?

I think the whole idea of redemption really hit home with me.  I was able to see Jesus as a real person living a real life through the book of John. I read the words that he spoke and imagined the images that must have surrounded him. I was able to focus on key areas and really appreciate the depth of what was written. I am not a bible scholar and so the added commentary of the speakers from IF:Gathering was so key to me. I was able to get a deeper understanding of the verses and then read other womens comments on those same verses.

The second simple truth is this: Jesus says- FOLLOW ME



He does say -If you read your bible every day or if you have it all together. He doesn't make it a caveat to join him ONLY if you do this or that.   We are are mess. We are sinful and broken and pitiful....but he still chooses US!!! He wants us to FOLLOW HIM! This last part of John hit it on the head for me. Jesus is talking to the disciples and one of them asks him about someone else. He says, don't focus on what others are doing, FOCUS ON ME!

I often times get so stuck in the comparison trap the "I'm not good enough" trap. When I do that I'm actually killing grace.  I am taking away the fact that Jesus died for my sins because I'm saying, "I know you did that, but I'm still not good enough because....(fill in with any mantra you tell yourself)

 Well, its not about me! Its about what HE did. What HE did on that cross and what HE did for the world. News flash- I'm never going to be good enough. I can never compare because there is no comparison. I have to stop looking at others and instead seeing what HE says about me. And this can only be done by...you guest it...reading his word and FOLLOWING HIM.

I may just become a bit of a daily bible reader after all.
    So join me!
         Let's do this thing together.
                     Help me to not look to others and to not define myself by the World,
                          but by who he says I am.



Ready to do this thing?    Here it is Monday May 5th....   IF: Equip


    -Amanda