Friday, May 6, 2011

Give Every Day

Before I write my reviews for the week, I want to tell you about a really neat...project?...I can across today.  I'm not sure the Sheaffers would call it a project, though, and I hope as I tell you about it, I get it "right."

Let me begin by saying that excess is something I've been "stuggling" with lately.  Or maybe it's not just excess, but waste as well.  You seen, not only do we have a lot of "stuff" (much of which we rarely use), but we also have a lot of time and resources that we don't use well.  So, in the wake of a 2 week cleaning frenzy at my house, where I've discovered in full how much stuff we really have, I stumbled across a website called Give Every Day.

Give Every Day isn't a site about having too much or wasting too much or really any of that.  It's a site about a family who has given up much and gained (from my perspective, at least) so much more.


The Sheaffers are a young family.  Their two little cutie pie daughters are just 2 and 4 years old.  But this amazing mom and dad decided that they would spend a year--a full year--living as they'd like to live is this were their last year.  The decided to give up a lot of what most of us consider "necessity" in order to spend time focusing on their family and serving those around them.  By "around them," I mean pretty much anywhere they can drive with their 5th wheel trailer!


The Scheaffer family has put their house up for sale (it's not sold yet!), they've sold most of their toys, books, belongings in general.  They're putting their faith in their entrepreneurial wisdom, a small business they've created, and a God who is bigger than any trouble they'll encounter along the way, and travelling around the country "giving" to people.  They're making friends with "locals."  They're finding lost cats.  They're baking lemon bars.  They're serving in communities, in food banks, in their own home, living intentionally.


Living intentionally.  Something I want to do more of.  Something I am striving toward.  Thank you, Sheaffer family, for your mission and your purpose, and for sharing your lives so openly!  I hope that, in my own little way, I can Give Every Day!

(You can read more about the Sheaffers and their journeys on their site, www.giveeveryday.com, or on their facebook page, Give Every Day.)

4 comments:

Tim said...

Thanks for sharing about GiveEveryDay!

We have met lots of amazing people and organizations along the way. Today is day #91.

Unknown said...

That is amazing!!! Thank you for posting this...as I don't believe in conicidences anymore I know that I was supposed to see this. I struggle with the same thing. I see that we have so much "stuff". I mean, it feels like there's is something in every corner of our house...we can't possible need all of this. We already have a small house (3/1) and we've been looking for another one. I recently told my husband that I don't think we really need to get a bigger house just one that accomadates us. I don't mind our boys sharing a room. :)
So glad I saw this. Thank you. I am going to check them out.

Nicole said...

that is amazing!

Elizabeth said...

greenTXmom, you'll be glad you checked it out. It's a really neat site! And we're in the same boat. 3/1...5 people and a dog. Something in every corner. Ugh. It's overwhelming! I'm working on it, though!

I want to be sure to point out that this isn't just about getting rid of stuff, though. You'll see, when you check out the site, that there are lots of objectives on the journey. The stuff is just one of them!

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