Liz Schauer

I grew up in the Catholic tradition, a tradition in which ‘giving up’ things for Lent was normal. At school, my friends and I would brag about not eating chocolate or watching TV for the 40+ days after our foreheads were marked with a cross in ash. I can’t confidently say that I ever followed through, but I can confidently say that it wasn’t until recently that I saw the value in doing so. When I gave my life to the Lord at seventeen, I sought to separate myself from anything “Catholic” and deemed it inauthentic. As I learned the history of this beautiful thing we call The Church, I learned why people gave things up for Lent. It wasn’t about bragging to one another about not going on the computer or not eating any candy except fruity candy which was for some reason exempt, it was about a time of intentional focus, a time of preparation, a time of discipline, a time of declaring that Jesus is worth more than every worldly thing. Giving things up, whether they be food or material objects, is a form of fasting — foregoing the things we often take for granted to set our focus on Christ. This Lent, I want to seek Jesus with all that I am. I want to eliminate distraction, I want to pray, I want to reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross and, ultimately, the sacrifice he made so that I could be saved. Instead of giving one thing up for the entirety of Lent, I have been challenged by a dear friend to set aside seven weeks to focus on seven areas of my life that are the antithesis of simple. We are deeming it: Seven Weeks of Simplifying.

Seven Weeks of Simplifying is based on the book Seven by Jen Hatmaker. The book follows Jen’s journey to fight excess by spending seven months simplifying seven areas of her life. This Lent, we want to simplify our lives in efforts to draw closer to Jesus. We are going to spend seven weeks (not months) simplifying our lives because we believe that our identities are not found in the possessions we own, the posts on our Facebook, the clothes we wear, or the way we spend our money. We would love for you to join us on this Lenten journey. You can follow it exactly, modify it, or just join us for a few weeks. It is our hope and prayer that we can simply focus on Jesus as we prepare to celebrate all that he did for us on the cross.

Week One | Wednesday, February 13 – Tuesday, February 19: Food

We live in a world of options. Rarely do we eat the same meal twice in one week. This week, that will change! Only eat these seven foods (you may also use oil, salt, and pepper):

• Chicken
• Sweet potato
• Avocado
• Spinach
• Wheat bread
• Eggs
• Apples

You may substitute foods if you have allergies/severe dislikes for the foods listed above.

Week Two | Wednesday, February 20 – Tuesday, February 26: Clothes

Only wear seven articles of clothing. Try to limit yourself to one pair of shoes, one jacket, one pair of jeans, one sweatshirt, etc. Also, no makeup or hair products. Yes, people might look at you funny! (PS – underwear don’t count as an ‘item,’ please change those daily.)

Week Three | Wednesday, February 27 – Tuesday, March 5: Possessions

Many of us are plagued with possessions. We have more than we realize and more than we need. This week is going to simplify that. Each day, give seven things away. This could include clothes, books, Beanie Babies, etc. Pile them up and give them to people you know or donate them to Goodwill.

Week Four | Wednesday, March 6 – Tuesday March, 12: Media

We are all guilty – checking Facebook when we should be working or doing homework, laying in bed reading Tweets, refreshing our Instagram feed to see if someone liked our gram, staying up to midnight texting that special someone… This week, we are cutting it out. Change your Facebook password, delete Twitter from your phone, hide those headphones. Here are the rules:

• No Facebook
• No Twitter
• No social media (or other apps)
• No TV
• No internet (if you must check your email for school/work, then you must)
• No music
• No reciprocating texts. If someone texts you, you must call them back to respond

Week Five | Wednesday, March 13 – Tuesday, March 19: Waste

Have you ever realized how much waste you make? Each time you go out for coffee, you add another cup to a landfill. This week, we are seeking to limit our waste.

• Only use reusable cups (either mugs or water bottles)
• If you can recycle, you must
• No throwing away food
• No unnecessary use of electricity
• If you see trash on the ground, pick it up and throw it away
• Shop locally – No chains (Starbucks, McDonalds, Chipotle, etc.)

Week Six | Wednesday, March 20 – Tuesday, March 26: Money

The goal for the week: spend only $7 a day. It sounds easy…we will see! What counts?

• Going out for food/coffee
• Gas (I suggest filling up the tank on March 19^th)
• Spontaneous shopping trips
• No buying anything

Week Seven | Wednesday, March 27 – Tuesday, April 2 (end of day): Stress

Why not end Lent by cutting out stress? Most of us would not argue with that, but we don’t know how to actually cut out stress. Scripture says that Jesus alone is our peace, our strength, and our rest. This week, we will reduce stress by increasing prayer.

• Pray 7 times a day – Don’t just do breath prayers, journal them no matter how short they may be
• Challenge yourself to make six out of the 7 about others rather than yourself. You can pray for other people, places around the world, situations, etc.
• Write one note of encouragement to someone each day telling them that you’re praying for them

Blessings!