My escape from not drinking a beer at a bar has always been redbull. (more expensive I might add)  Now, I don’t have that shield.  I have a sprite.  Not as awesome.  

It’s helped me remember to pray.  Sound silly?  Well, it’s not to me.  It reminds me, every morning, yes, every morning, to die to myself.  It’s a great reminder.  I can’t imagine how these kids must feel.  Hungry, tired, weak, all because we can’t cough up 1 dollar a week, or a day, or a month, to help them out. 

Lord, please help me remember there are people out there hurting.  Your people.  Help me not loose compassion.  Help me remember that there are things I don’t need, no matter how much my brain might try to convince me.  God.  Help me live like you!

-Amen!

This is the comment I read on Twitter that inspired me to write today.  I don’t think about it but, *maybe* once a day.  And then, I just think about it.  It makes me sad, sure, but I’m not overcome with deep sadness. I don’t act on it often.

It got me to thinking.  Knowing and practicing are two different things.  Knowing and doing something is different.  Shane Claiborne said it best when he said, “For even if the whole world believed in resurrection, little would change until we began to practice it. We can believe in CPR, but people will remain dead until someone breathes new life into them. And we can tell the world that there is life after death, but the world really seems to be wondering if there is life before death.”

it’s the same thing.  The whole world can know about world hunger, (And probably kinda d0) but little will change until people start to act on it, until people start to do something.  I guess that sums up why I felt called to join “One Year Without”.

Now, I don’t know what you believe if you read this blog.  But I do know that we have a very real problem in this world.  A problem that is over-shadowing (and enabling) world hunger.  That is greed.  I struggled with giving up energy drinks for two reasons. One reason was because I love them, like a fat kid loves cake.  The second reason is because I thought, “I earn this money, why should I give up what I like. What I do isn’t going to change the situation of the World.”

Honesty makes me sound like a real jerk.

That’s what went through my brain.  Then I remember, Jesus Christ calls me to a whole new standard of living.  He calls me to be extraordinary.  He calls me to be “Not of this World.”  He calls me to die to myself daily.  This OYWO is a challenge to both.  To help combat world hunger and for me to remember HOW to die to myself daily.  How to let the Spirit win over flesh in me.

It’s not easy, but I tried to google it, and “This will be simple.” is no where in the Bible.

So far I have three pledgers.  Brian Childers, My Wife and Toby.  Look over to my blog roll and you’ll see them.

Here’s the plan.  July 7th will start my One Year Without energy drinks. (and still cigarettes)  Meaning July 6th will be my last day able to drink energy.  I will keep you updated via my blog, mainly an egotistical way to get you all to cheer me on.  Remember, you have something riding on this too.   If you are a pledger, I will send you an updated E-mail every 4 weeks (or thereabouts) letting you know how long it’s been, how I’m doing yadda yadda.

If I at any point feel like I’m not challenged in what I’m giving up, I will drop something else, until I feel challenged.

While I’m going without, I’ll be focusing my prayer on the children all around the world who would probably laugh at me for saying I’m gonna struggle going a year without energy drinks.. they go DAYS without clean water!  I’ll be in prayer for myself, as I hope this will be a healthy move for me, and I hope it will help me really grasp somethings about myself.

Final thing, if you haven’t pledged, it’s not too late!  Comment below, or shoot me a DM on twitter, a message on facebook, or.. there’s this thing called E-mail that some people do.  I’m not hard to get in touch with.  Let me know what you’re pledging, and I’ll add you to my list.  I really appreciate all of the support you guys are offering, but I promise, not as much as these kids will!

God Bless you all!

The idea is that global hunger is happening around the world daily.  So, people are vowing to give something up, in efforts to support a child through Compassion International. This movement has taken off so much that Dr. Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International has also joined the challenge in giving up cacao.

So, me, my wife (maybe) along with a few other people are going to be doing this.  What I need from you?  A pledge.  A pledge to donate money to compassion.  It can be a vow to donate 10 cents if I give up my vice for a year, or it can be a vow to donate 10,000 dollars.  Either way, it will help. Comment or Email me I can help point you in the direction you need to go.

Starting sometime in July, (Date is still tentative) I will be giving up energy drinks for a year, and since I have already given up smoking, I’ll throw that in there too. (Smoking is permanant)  I pledge to give this stuff up… What I need is some pledges.  1 dollar a week, a penny a day, whatever!  As an added little bonus, I will also add you to my blog roll.  (YEE HAW…. ok, not really but still)

So.. Let’s go.  One Year Without.  Who knows, maybe you even want to join in on the fun!?