January's Goal - limit grocery shopping

Our cupboards are bursting open. Our upright freezer is full of delicious things. Whenever we go to the grocery store, we buy more. Not because I forgot that we didn't have ground beef already but instead I buy it because it's on sale for a good price (the same price it goes to once a month at least). That's not too bad of a motivation for buying something you already have. I feel like it's pretty good stewardship of my money. I hate paying full price for things. 

Worse is when we decide to buy more than we need because we get more loyalty points. "Hey honey we NEED to spend 150 dollars at the store and buy 4 boxes of cereal because POINTS!!!"  Maybe not quite good stewardship. But we can get free flights or other stuff. FREE!!  I love free. Still it is buying into the whole consumeristic foundation of our society. And our freezer has gotten full. 

So I approached my husband and suggested limiting our spending this month. Maybe even make a list of the few items we would allow ourselves to buy and commit to it: milk, stuff for the baby, bananas, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, yogurt, food we actually run out of.  Maybe even have a buy nothing other than groceries month.  Commit to living out of our abundance. Commit to this tiny sacrifice. Commit to escaping some of our rampant consumerism.   He said, "I'll try."  So we don't have a list. We are just going by our guts.

So a few days into the month, our hot water tank started leaking so instead of no purchases we started with a big purchase, paying a plumber etc.  Definitely ruined the buy nothing vibe and yet it did help me appreciate all of our blessings. Because not only did our hot water tank start leaking but all of the shut off valves to our house and the tank were corroded and could not be turned off. The town had to do a shut off at the street. So not only was I without hot water coming out of my taps for a few days, I was without water of any sort coming out of my taps for a few days. We are so blessed to have clean, running water to flush toilets, clean toddlers, wash hands, shower, clean cupboards, wash floors. The list goes on and on.  This big purchase helped me appreciate the abundance that I live in.

This goal has changed some of my cooking habits.  I have become more conscious about using what I have. Substituting recipes that looked yummy with unique ingredients for recipes that used ingredients already present in the house. This included making muffins to give away, pulled pork for a potluck, dessert for going to a friends house, granola to use and give. These would normally be situations where I would run to the store (okay, full disclosure, I did pick up some corn tortillas for the potluck), but I made a conscious decision to stand my ground - use what I have and to give from the abundance that I have already. 

To give from my abundance. I have so much.  And when I finally realize just how much I gave: how much love, how much time, how much wealth, how many ideas, how many thoughts, how much grace. When I finally recognize my abundant life then I can more freely give.  

Things purchased so far: *definitely for me - as far as I can remember

Hot water tank and all its fixings*

Cucumber*

Tomato x2*

Pepper*

Yogurt x3 some for me. Some for S*

Milk (x6 jugs already this month. Some us for me)

Canned soup

Crackers

Tortillas*

Sour cream*

Peas

iPad case (for my husband)

Juice*

McDonald's coffee (I'm weak what can I say)*

Tomato juice

Als carrots *. Hubbies bought. I approve. Expensive. Local. Only out at a certain time. Delicious. 

Bananas x2

School treats* x 3 so far. But hey I'm supporting our school canteen. Raising funds. 

School hair appointment* supporting school credits

An iPhone 6s *. Hoping you will miss that asterisk. We are trying to consolidate our bills and save money. There is reason to our madness so let's buy a new phone and get 10 bucks off our bill per month so In about a year we will finally break even.  But why change providers and NOT take advantage of getting a new phone. I will need one eventually anyways. Because a old computer, a new iPad and a slightly out of date phone just isn't enough.  I mean my battery only lasts a day and it's a little slower than it should be. And we are only paying just over a hundred dollars and it's not like there is any environmental impact or social justice issues surrounding apple products. Its a totally benign purchase. Right? Right?  O how we buy INTO and justify our consumerism 

Oh and then there was the food we bought in Edmonton but we have to eat. 

Oh and there was coffee that day too but one must stay awake. 

Oh and tickets to the banquet next week but again school. 

Oh and we bought take our one night. Wonton soup and rice but that was when we had no running water so did I really want to cook. So difficult (I mean most of the world does it)

Book #4 Boundaries - Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John TownsendHow

This book is a classic in Christian literature and in sociology as well. I feel like I have done some of the work requested in this book through other books and courses and life in general but I still have a long way to go in establishing boundaries. I am able to say no but sometimes I have trouble respecting other people's nos. I want to control.  I want to change people. I want "other-control".

I still have lots of questions though and I think that some of these questions show some of the work that I still need to do in establishing healthy boundaries.  So often reading this book I would see boundary work that others needed to do but had difficulty seeing my own lack of or impermeable boundaries.

• How can I allow others into my boundaries?  How can I build community?  Be vulnerable?  Show my mess but not expect others to clean it up for me?
• How can I change my motivation for boundaries?  Sometimes I use them to control and manipulate others rather than to establish my health and who I am?  As a result, my boundary setting appears petty, it appears like disciplining a child.
• How do I establish and maintain boundaries in my marriage?  I find this aspect so difficult to do without seeming like I am treating my spouse like a child.
• How do I establish and maintain boundaries with someone who has poor personal boundaries and little motivation for self improvement?
• How do I establish and maintain boundaries in the classroom?  Now that would be an interesting book - boundaries for teachers.

One thing I really appreciate about this book is that it is salt.  It applies the gospel, our relationship with Christ, the character of God and shows how it is relevant to every life.  It shows how the gospel transforms lives now.  It is a book for everyone.  So many people, authors have seemed to take these concepts and applied them in the secular world but the application seems empty.  It is missing something vital - the character of God, the redemption of our relationships, the body of believers, adoption into Gods family.  The list goes on.