Go Get This Book!!!

I have a book recommendation....whatever you're doing you need to stop and go buy "Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne. It's incredible.

I took the book with me to a recent school trip to St. Louis and couldn't put it down. I was kind of embarrassed because I had people saying comments like "wow, you're really a reader" (probably thinking what an introvert the guidance counselor is) but I literally couldn't put it down. I won't even try to do it justice by explaining what the book was about, but will say that along with the Bible, it has really rattled and convicted me. It's funny, but as I'm in the middle of this book about how wasteful America is and really focusing on poverty and the marginalized, our bus stops at Lambert's. I'm not sure how many of you readers (all 4 of you) have been to Lambert's, but it's literally the most wasteful restaurant I've ever encountered. We not only stopped once, we stopped twice!! Once on the way there and once on the way home. I really almost had tears streaming down my face when they brought my plate out and I saw the portion sizes. When we finished eating, I looked around at our table. I said "let's count how many meals are left here". In my portion alone, there were probably three meals.

It makes me sick to think how we can sit around, continue our normal, wasteful lifestyles, while there are people out there who are lucky to get one meal a day. I don't understand why there are poor people in this world with so many Christians. America has serious issues. The Christian population has some serious issues. Kevin and I are trying to figure out how we can apply the principals of this book (really, of the Bible, not so much "this" book, but "the" book) to our lives in the season we are currently in. We can easily throw money at the problem, easily. But does that really help them? Really? Yes, too many people are being stingy and not throwing money at the problem, but I want to get to know some poor people. I want to see how they live and help them. I'm open to suggestions. Kev and I thought about going downtown to a park where homeless people hang out and taking lunch every weekend....just eating meals with them. I think it will be a good experience. And as this book reminds us, Jesus was homeless. He chose to be that way. He wasn't interested in the latest fad or whether or not he could buy the next Vera Bradley item that came out. He was interested in justice for everyone.

Most of us were born into a middle class family. It wasn't our fault, we couldn't help it. It is our fault if we get comfortable living our lifestyle of waste. Do we really need all the food in our pantry and refrigerator? Did you need to throw that in the trash or could you find someone who truly needs it? Kev and I definitely have a ways to go, but I'm definitely convicted. I hope everyone will read it.