My Life as an Experiment

Look at me blogging within a week of my last post...Here's hoping it lasts!

I've been picking up and finishing some books by one of my new favorite authors, A.J Jacobs. I first read his book "A Year of Living Biblically" two summers ago. If you are interested in some of his reads "the know it all" is another and a favorite is "The Guinea Pig Diaries".

This man is a modern day I don't know what, but he is good! He gets something in his head and then does it (I'd like to say in reason but not really). For example, he decides to live out all the rules in the Bible for a year, reads the encyclopedia a-z, does everything his wife wants for a full month, says only what comes to his mind for a full month and deals with the repercussions. To my delight, the list goes on! He is very smart and very funny. Something I only endeavour to be when I'm in a good mood.

Anyway, all of his experiments have got me thinking I too want to do something weird and wonderful with my life. And then live to write or tell about it. In fact, every time something happens to me that is noteworthy (a funny incident, a run in, an accident, an unbelievable event, a totally ordinary event, a genius though, a stupid thought etc..) I sort of play it all in my head again and again as if I'm telling it as a story. It's very odd but very comforting and sort of rehearsed.

My Experiment:

I truly am considering trying to live as the Amish do. Not forever but for a while. So please understand, I'm not converting. It's going to be difficult to do even in terms of possibly finding a community that would take me (hah!). I actually e-mailed A.J Jacobs to tell him and ask for advice. Response is still pending. Just know, this isn't a passing idea, I'm kind of passionate about it. Just ask me about it and watch for the glimmer in my eyes.

This isn't a new idea.

It's a year into it's brainstorming (which, what a dumb name for just plain thinking) and I'm not sure where the thought was first conceived but I do know it's purposes:

The Amish are amazing in respect to their way of life and community. I want my generation or even world to benefit from it. I love community (see previous post on collecting friends)and I wonder how much of a better person I would be if I indulged in living simply. And in Hard, purposeful, fruitful work. I want to explore it, not because its not available to me now, I just want to do it in a big dress and head covering...I'm not really joking...

I think you know you that this is about more than attire.

If, however, I don't engage in any intentional "experiments" whose to say my life isn't an experiment? Isn't all of ours? I'm in a place of trying, seeing, examining, figuring, not figuring and everything in between. I'm really glad there's grace for that. Also, I'm pretty sure 'experiment' is just some sort of mid year New Years Resolution.

New Years Resolutions/experiments I have tried in the past and their success:

No pop for a year: SUCCESS!

No bread for lent: SUCCESS...WITH A LOT OF CHEATING

Live in my room for ever and ever as told to my mom: 45 MINUTES OF SUCCESS

Move my bed to my closet: ONE NIGHT

No fluids but water for a year: HAHAHA

Live in the north for a year: SUCCESS!

...it goes on...


On a side not and completely related, maybe just not obviously, I'm learning that my relationship with God is more than just coordinates on a map. More than place and time. Something is being healed deep inside me in respect to this. There are times where I feel like I have clear direction and somethings that I just walk.

In this season I'm forced to go back to the one thing that matters. I know Him and He knows me. Often it feels like that's the bottom of understanding and that the rest falls in place when you work your way up. Maybe it's just the core.