Spaving

Spaving is a new term I learned.  I got it from a post by The Everyday Minimalist.  Spaving is a term she coined to describe what a lot of us do:  we "spend to save."  You know, we set out to purchase something we need.  We notice that there is a larger size of it for a few pennies or dollars more and think, "Wow, that's a great deal!  We'll be saving money!"  So we purchase the larger size, that costs more money, and feel good about it because we've actually saved money.  Wrong!  What we've actually done is spent more money, and probably ended up getting something that will ultimately go to waste since we didn't need the extra in the first place.  


Next time you're out shopping, keep in mind what you need and remember that spending extra to buy what you don't need is not saving.

Wellness Wednesday

Scientists are now examining the role of chemicals in our struggles with weight.  According to Paula Baillie-Hamilton, an expert on metabolism and environmental toxins, "the earth's environment has changed significantly during the last few decades because of the exponential production and usage of synthetic organic and inorganic chemicals."  As a result, Baillie-Hamilton believes our natural weight-control mechanisms have been damaged.  She believes that some of the culprits are the endocrine-disruptors found in a variety of plastics, pesticides, and other chemical compounds.  These endocrine-disruptors mimic hormones and affect our metabolism.


Avoiding these chemicals requires rethinking our food and personal care products.  Try to eat as many organic and close-to-nature foods as possible.  Avoid prepackaged foods that contain ingredients we don't recognize as food.  Also, swap out chemical-laden toiletries in favor of those composed of natural ingredients.  Don't forget that chemicals are also linked to a variety of diseases so it's still a good idea to eliminate them even if you are not struggling with weight problems.


Although there is a link between chemicals and our metabolism, weight control also depends upon consuming fewer calories and getting regular exercise.



(Source:  http://www.onearth.org/article/is-your-shampoo-making-you-fat)

Wild Goose Return

Wow!  Wild Goose, what can I say?  It was what I expected and so much more.  It was a gathering of about 1700 like-minded people of all ages and backgrounds.  It was a safe place to talk and to share.  It was a place to refuel.  


The Wild Goose Festival was an event that was 10 years in the making and brought together progressive people from around the world.  Although it was predominantly Christian, all faiths were welcome.  Rabbi Or Rose and Imam Abdullah Antepli were participants.  I actually got to speak briefly with Abdullah who smiled and told me that "Cherie" means "heavenly" in Persian.  


And that was one of the beautiful things about this event; there was no barrier between the presenters and the participants.  Both performers and attendees camped and ate together.  Often I would be strolling along and walk past someone whose work I admired.  And they were all approachable.  In my previous post telling about the event, I mentioned how discovering Sojourner's magazine and the writings of Jim Wallis had helped save my faith.  Well, I got to meet him.  After my telling him in my tongue-tied way how important his writing has been to me, he asked if he could give me a hug:

I got to literally sit at the feet of Brian McLaren as he facilitated a discussion on global versus local economies and their impact on the environment, poverty, peace, and religion.  I sat next to Lynne Hybels as she discussed the need for justice for the Palestinians, as well as for the Israelis.  I heard Tony Campolo, Phyllis Tickle,  Jay Bakker, Tony Jones, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Shane Claiborne, Frank Schaeffer, John Dear, and many, many others.  Some were familiar authors and speakers, others were new to me.  In addition to the speakers, there was music and art.  


This four day event was jam-packed, beginning at 9 a.m. every day and lasting to well past midnight.  In addition to listening to the speakers, we attended four concerts.  On Saturday, my hubby and I realized that we had something going on every hour from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.  We had to cut out a couple of events so that we could eat lunch and dinner!  And we had to choose from among several events every hour.


Wild Goose was such an affirming experience for me.  For many years I had felt alone in my attempt to wrap together my Christian faith with my beliefs in creation care, non-violence, simple living, and social justice.  And there I was surrounded by hundreds of like-minded individuals who were eager to explore the questions together, never pretending to know all the answers.  What is more encouraging is that the gathering included a large number of students and pastors, people whose influence can change the next generation.  They will be the public face of Christianity, a face that is not judgmental and selfish, but is loving and accepting.  Right now I'm feeling good about that face.


This festival was a virtual anti-trust lawsuit against the monopoly that is called the Christian Right.  They can no longer claim to own absolute truth, define what it means to be a Christian, and then call those who question their beliefs "heretics."  They cannot tell me that being a Christian isn't about something you can do but about what you believe, and then proceed to tell me what I must do in order to be a part of the club. 


This event was so amazing and overwhelming.  There were lots of new voices that I'm looking forward to exploring.  As a result of this event, I've probably added about 20 books to my wish list, books written mainly by authors that are new to me.  I'm sure this is not the last you will hear about this event, about it's impact on my life, and about the amazing people I've met.

Quote for the Day

"Time is a created thing.  To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.'"

~Lao-Tzu

Wild Goose Chase

This weekend should be a very good one for me.  You see, my hubby and I are going to this event.  Wild Goose is a four-day event that is publicized as "a festival of justice, spirituality, music and the arts. The festival is rooted in the Christian tradition and therefore open to all regardless of belief, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, denomination or religious affiliation."  (I love the all-inclusiveness of it.)


What is also exciting to me about this event is that I will be surrounded by people who are like-minded.    Long-time readers of my blog know about my spiritual struggle when I moved from Florida to Virginia.  Although Florida is in the Bible belt, it is not considered a "red" state, so the strange mixture of religion and politics was quite a shock to me.  Everyone in my community was friendly enough, but everyone I met assumed I was a Christian, with one of the first questions being, "Do you have a church home?"  This was no problem for me as 1) I knew they were being polite; 2) I am a Christian; and 3) I had already identified a church to attend.  However, the assumption was also that I held certain political beliefs.  What was worse, the general consensus seemed to be that it was actually un-Christian to have different beliefs.


Those were dark days for me.  I began to question whether or not I could call myself a Christian as it seemed I didn't fit the mold of what that means.  (Also, having studied medieval history, I was reluctant to give voice to my doubts and questions as I had read too much about what happened to heretics.)  During my search for "truth," I stumbled upon a web site and print magazine called Sojourners, run by a pastor named Jim Wallis.  I immediately subscribed to the magazine and pored over everything on the web site.  Hallelujah!  There were people like me out there who were Christians.  I found much comfort in this knowledge and also began to read books and blogs by the authors featured in the magazine.  


Now Wild Goose is almost upon us and I'm going to finally get to see in person some of those authors and activists whose words were like life-rafts to me.  People who know it's okay to have questions and not answers, who care about real people and not just about Bible verses, and who know that Jesus teaches that love trumps everything.


Here's a little video preview for the event:

Wellness Wednesday

A pet peeve of mine is the idea that fast food is cheaper and quicker than home cooking.  Well, this article on Huffington Post dispels this rumor.  The author did some math and realized when you add up the cost of feeding a family of four at a fast food restaurant or with frozen dinners, it's not really a bargain.  Here's what the author said after visiting a McDonald's outlet:

After going to McDonald's recently and putting together a typical meal for four (mom, dad and two kids), I came up with a total of about $14.00 (I didn't actually buy anything, though). For that money, you get almost nothing of nutritive value, but bland white bread, greasy burgers and fries with a sugary soda.

That same $14.00 will purchase two pounds of lean ground beef, a pack of eight whole wheat buns, lettuce, tomato and enough potatoes to make oven-baked french fries and salad ingredients with money left over for some fresh fruit. The best part is that this is twice as much food as at McDonald's, so there's plenty for leftovers later. Better food at half the price: that's pretty simple. I'll allow that there's no soda included in the home cooked meal, but no one should drink soda anyway and a full pitcher of iced tea costs pennies to make.

Not only are you not getting more food for your money at fast food restaurants, you are getting a lot of empty calories.  Taking the same money to the grocery store results in healthy, wholesome food.  In addition, prep time for making healthy meals is no more than the time one would spend in line at the fast food restaurant.

(Photo source:  http://www.sxc.hu)

Summer Challenge

Happy Summer!  


My summer is taking a turn that I hadn't anticipated a couple of months ago.  In an earlier post, I commented on how I was thinking about taking a clothes shopping hiatus.  In response to this post, my friend Shona at LALA dex press asked me about this hiatus and challenged me to do it for an entire season.  Well, I've agreed to the time period and we're beginning the challenge today - no shopping for the entire summer!  Shona, like me, is on a quest to live a simpler, more meaningful life and mindless, unnecessary shopping is the antithesis of this type of life.  


I mentioned to Shona that I was a bit concerned about the timing of the challenge as I do have one event to attend and I'm not sure I have an appropriate outfit.  However, after reading this article on CNN about Amy Seiffert and then visiting her blog, I've decided I can manage.  You see, Amy decided to take a six-month challenge to wear the same dress every day in order to raise awareness and money for this cause - victims of sex trafficking.  During her six months, Amy had to attend formal events and found out she was pregnant.  Yet neither stopped her from pushing forward with her project and daily she found creative ways to wear the grey knit dress that she chose for the challenge.  If Amy could do that, I can shop my closet for three months.  


Shona and I aren't focusing on any particular cause.  We're just trying to simplify our lives and the world.  Not shopping means having less to worry about and care for.  Plus, it frees our resources so we can contribute to things that really matter to us.  This challenge also speaks to several issues that are important to me:  environmentalism; social justice; anti-consumerism; and simplicity.


Anyone else up for the challenge?