Imprinting

My church and small group have been talking about ways that we’ve been “imprinted” by society—meaning that society has taught us to believe something or behave a certain way that isn’t necessarily true. And it’s so deeply entrenched in our beings that we don’t even think to question it. If you want to listen to the sermon talking about it, go here.

Imprinting isn’t a bad thing. But it can be. So I’ve been thinking about it a lot and really trying to figure about where my beliefs about the world come from. A lot of them come from what society says instead of what the Truth says. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which and whether it’s true or not. But for now I’ve just been trying to become aware of how I’ve been imprinted.

Ways I’ve been imprinted/Ideas I have been taught are true:

I need cable TV and internet in my home.
I need a decent car.
I need to purchase new clothes regularly.
I need to spend money on entertainment to be happy.
I need to make sure that my basic desires are covered before I give to other people.
I need to make it look like I’ve got it all together.
I need to look like I don’t struggle to be a Christian.
I need to be saving for retirement before I give to other people.
I need to have a new cell phone every two years (that is comparable to others around me).
I need to have a concrete plan for my life.
When Jesus said to the rich man, “Sell all you have and give it to the poor,” he wasn’t talking about me.

You’ll notice a lot of them have to do with monetary things. Since I stopped working, our income has been less, and we’ve had to cut out certain things from our lifestyle. It’s caused me to question if I ever really needed or wanted them in the first place. I’m not saying any of these things are necessarily bad. But the idea that they are necessary is ridiculous and only a result of society’s effect on me. Americans (and me specifically) have a big problem distinguishing want from need. People throw around the word need, but rarely use it the way it was meant to be used.
“I need a bigger house.”
“I need new shoes.”
“I need to see that new movie.”
I hear it from almost everyone around me, and I say it myself. But none of it is true. Sure, I’d like new shoes. But do I need new shoes? I doubt it. I think we are subtly deceiving ourselves by the language we use.

And Jesus telling the rich man (and we’re all rich…if you’re reading this in America) that he should give up his wealth and follow Him is a huge issue for me right now. What does it mean? Should I do what he suggests? I’ve been hearing it for a lifetime—Christian Americans will find any and every reason to brush aside what Jesus said—“If you are giving 10%, then you’re okay.” “Jesus wants us to enjoy his blessings; we don’t need to give away our money.” “I worked hard for my money, and I deserve to enjoy the fruits of my labor.” Really?

I’m not trying to be judgmental here. I am really, truly struggling with this myself. But I think it’s made harder by the fact that the people around me seem to brush this aside, like it doesn’t apply to us. But the fact is that we are people “of great wealth.” No one has ever been wealthier since the beginning of time than Americans are today. So I just don’t see how this doesn’t apply to us.

I am incredibly uncomfortable with the idea that God might be asking me to give away my wealth. I am uncomfortable with the idea that God might be asking me to give up my monthly Starbucks drink, let alone the security of my bank account. I’m still thinking and praying and wondering and planning. We’ll see where these thoughts take me I guess.

Home Life

Ivy is pretty sensitive as far as babies go. Taking her out of the house for any length of time can be difficult because she has a hard time taking naps in unfamiliar places and often won’t take a bottle out either (I’m not sure why solid food is different, but she’ll do that). Many times it’s not worth the trouble it causes her for the sanity it gives me to get out of the house. All this to say, I’ve been spending a lot of time at home these past few months. There were a couple times that I thought I would just die if I had to spend another moment at home. But life doesn’t always give you the options that you want. Instead I decided to embrace the time of being somewhat stuck at home and try to do the things at home that I’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t for one reason or another. Instead of looking at this season of life as a terrible one where I feel chained to my house, I decided to (try to) look at it as an opportunity. So I’ve been reading a lot; I’ve organized closets; I’ve finished my art project for Ivy’s nursery; I’ve baked some new things. It’s way better to look at this in a positive light than a negative one. I’m still not happy about being home when I’d rather be out. Going on weekend day trips is something I really love that I’ve had to put on hold for a long time. But there will be a time when Ivy can handle leaving home all day, and I have to focus on that.

Anyway, here are some book recommendations for anyone who is interested:

Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I’m reading it with my small group. It’s about the crazy love that God has for you and me. I’ve haven’t regretted a minute I’ve spent with this book.





Half-Broke Horses: A true life novel by Jeannette Walls. This is by the author of The Glass Castle. It’s about her grandmother and her life on a cattle ranch out west during the early 1900’s. Walls filled in the details of what she didn’t know about her grandmother, thus the book is called a “true life novel”. I’m a huge fan of memoirs and this one is fascinating.



A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. This one has inspired me in many ways. It’s about making life count and making your life story be an interesting one.






I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. This is by the author of The Book Thief—one of my favorites. It’s another reason why I love young adult literature.






But don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself at your local library. Dah-do-do! ;)