Ricci’s blog The Revolution Starts at Home was featured this week in BlogHer.

Finding Simplicity | BlogHer

By Rachelle Mee Chapman
In a western commercialized society, is there any part of the spiritual path that is more difficult to practice than simplicity? The noisy-ness of our world can make it incredibly difficult to find a place where you can live with less, quite your monkey mind, and leave a smaller footprint on our good, earthy Mother.

That’s why I’m so thankful for my sister bloggers out there who keep on keeping on with the quest for simplicity, and offer their experience as assistance for the journey.

Ironically, the concept of simplicity can actually get quite complicated. That’s why I’m thrilled to introduce new blogger Ricci Kilmer, who has summed up her idea of simplicity here:

Simplicity is a means of identifying ourselves with our sisters and brothers around the world. (A story told to me by a college student returning from a short-term mission to Africa probably explains it best. In talking with the people where they were serving and building homes the Americans were telling about what their own homes were like. When it came to explain the purpose of the garage the Africans were incredulous, “You have a house for your car??? Many in our area have no houses at all!”)

• Simplicity it a way to live lightly on the earth.
• Simplicity is usually a slower-paced way of living day-to-day.
• Simplicity can usually allow you to live with less expense and therefore opens up many choices you might not otherwise have (such as living on a single income.)
• Simplicity allows you to have more to share with others, either of time or money.

Ricci is practicing what she preaches at the Mustard Seed House in Seattle, Washington. Mustard Seed residents are committed to learning to live simply in an urban environment. The community has been at it for years now, so it’s easy to trust the ideas Ricci is summing up and dishing out about everything from simple food to sustainable laundry. I’m looking forward to learning more from her succinct, insightful posts.

Read more…

Living Simply with Kids

In certain Christian circles, simplicity is deemed a high virtue of a faithful life. I did an interview with a group of ultra-cool college students who live so simply, they get their food from dumpsters. That’s all very well for single college students. What happens when kids come along?

I don’t have kids of my own. But several of my friends do, and I get to regularly observe the intentionality it takes to live into values that are different from the values of the surrounding culture. And all I can say is: this lifestyle is not for the faint of heart.

This issue of the Seed Sampler is a celebration of living simply with kids. It serves to recognize intentional parents and provide resources to help you and your family live more simply, too. Included here are lessons learned from a Montana vacation and a year in Denmark, and analysis of children growing up in a consumeristic world, and an interview with a simple-living kid named Catie. Also, at the bottom is a list of resources, including a new blog from MSA team member Ricci Kilmer called The Revolution Starts At Home.

Enjoy,

Judy Naegeli

Seed Sampler coordinator

• Seed Story| Living Simply with Kids by Ricci Kilmer

• Liturgy| A Blessing for Children

• Reflection| Teenage Affluenza

• Seed Share| Interview with Catie Rosario-Kilmer by Eliacín Rosario-Cruz

• Seed Share| A Montana Vacation by Pat Loughery

• Seed Share| What Living In Europe Has Taught Me About Living Simply by Rachelle Mee Chapman

• Seed Share| Children and Consumer Faith by Cindy Spencer

• Resources: Living Simply with Kids

The Revolution Starts at Home: Living Simply with Kids

This will the the first in a series of workshops and conversations related to homegrown revolution, alternative living, sustainability, cultural awareness, social justice and other holy mischievous act of resistance and creativity.

For those of us trying to live an intentional Christian life kids can be both and inspiration and a frustration. We want to live out an alternate script from what society has written for us but it often seems like when it comes to our kids we’re on our own and have to start from scratch (which of course we don’t have time for, we’re parents!)

In this conversation we will be exploring together simplicity, sustainibility, whole-life faith, justice, life-long learning, and healthy parenting. And discovering how these issues affect the way we live with our kids and in the greater community.

Facilitated by Ricci Kilmer & Eliacín Rosario-Cruz

Hosted by Mustard Seed Associates and Mustard Seed House

• When? October 11th, 2008 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• $10 Donation | Register online
• Soup and bread lunch provided.
• Please come and bring a snack to share and your own drinks.

Where? The Mustard Seed House  

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