How do we fast from "Possessions"?

In the chapter on possessions, Jen's family pledged to give away 7 items a day for the entire month.  That would have equalled 210 items.  They actually gave away more than 1000 items.  WOW!  Can you imagine giving away 1000 items in one month?  What I really loved about that was that they tried to be specific, and find actual recipients for the items.  It's great to donate to an organization like Goodwill, but imagine the feeling of actually handing your stuff to someone who really needs it.

Passion for Community (part of NLCC) runs a program called Spring.  Spring serves under-resourced families in the Chantilly, Centreville, Reston, and Herndon areas, by providing household items, clothing, furniture, and baby items to families in need.  If you have never had the opportunity to deliver items with the Spring delivery team, it is something you could sign up to do this month.  I volunteered for Spring for 4 years when it first started, and it completely changed my life.  The first delivery I every did was to a single mom in Reston.  She had basically nothing for her baby and wasn't getting much support from her family.  I brought her a carload of donated items that Spring had collected, and she was blown away.  She knelt down on the floor and put her head in her hands and cried.   And I cried.  I felt like God used me to love that women that day, and I knew that I wanted other people to experience that.  Spring delivers to many families each month and can use your help.

Other options suggested by Jen for this chapter are:

• each family member purge 7 items a day for a week
• give away 7 items from each room in the house
• choose 7 categories to purge (toys, clothing, kitchen good, linens, home accessories, furniture, etc)
• for big ticket items, sell them online and donate the proceeds
• this is a great month to involve your family in fasting if you haven't yet
• dont buy anything new (unless related to survival) for the next week (month?)

I'll end today's post with Matthew 6:19-21 from the Amplified Bible (you can find tons of different bible translations at www.biblegateway.com).  Think this week about how these verses apply to your life.  

Matthew 6:19-21

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁹ Do not ^[a]gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.

²⁰ But ^[b]gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal;

²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.