Believe Manifesto

See those girls there? Yeah, we were shopping and trying on hats. From a very young age, I cannot remember when for any special occasion there being anything I wanted to do besides…go shopping. Birthday: shopping, Summer: shopping, Thanksgiving: shopping, New Boyfriend: shopping. When I was thinking about what I was going to share with you all today, it really made my heart race. Mostly because “clothes” is probably my biggest area in my life that needs work. That is also why I am doing CLOTHES as Month 1. (Jen Hatmaker did food as her first month and that is her biggest vice.) It is safe to say that I LOVE clothes, shoes, bags…you name it…I love it!

Since reading “7” I have a love/hate relationship with clothes and shopping. I felt like I should give everything besides two pairs of pants and two shirts away to the homeless and just WORK IT OUT! But I also want to go check out websites and stores all the time. I have been able to make a lot of progress in the last year though. I prayed about it and I didn’t feel that God was asking me to give most of my things away. What I think he wanted me to do with my slight obsession was to own it, and then turn away from it just like repentance should be. So here I am telling you: I have a shopping problem when it comes to CLOTHING.

Month 1 will be a true crusade for me to continue to reduce and let go of this beast. But just the thought of it…again…is so hard! But the difference now is that I actually want to conquer this. I don’t want this to own me and control my life. My biggest goal though is to prove to my God, my family and loved ones that I love them more than clothes.

Here is some scripture that helped me get to this first step:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share you food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter–when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Isa. 58:6-7)

“She is clothed with strength and dignity…” (Prov. 31:25)

“Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire.” (1 Tim 2:9)

Basically to sum it up I decided I should stop over spending on things God doesn’t want me to overspend on. Especially not when there are brothers and sisters out there without basic essential clothing.

Starting next Monday April 6th I will be wearing 7 outfits for four weeks. (Jen Hatmaker did 7 items of clothing…lets just say I want my family to survive this.)

Here are the outfits:

1) Simple blue and white sleeveless dress, jean jacket.

2) White tunic top, dark wash jeans.

3) Basic “I heart africa” t-shirt and black jeans.

4) Maxi dress.

6) Long navy cardigan, white tee, capri jeans.

7) Old t-shirt, shorts and leggings layered to sleep in and jog.

This is 14 items of clothes…that I will be wearing for 4 weeks. Undergarments and shoes will not count although I will be wearing for shoes: brown wedges, brown sandals, toms and tennis shoes. I will also obviously mix and match these items and wear these outfits interchangeably, but this is it! I will not be wearing any accessories or jewelry besides my wedding bands, and one basic cross-body bag and one black business mom bag that I carry wipes, snacks and my laptop in. Pray for me friends! I will share with you next week about how month one is starting off!