Should we as SDAs downsize?

[Woody]

And I ain't talkin' just about the organization. What about we ourselves and our homes. Check this out: http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-jay-shafer-20910192

[phkrause]

And I ain't talkin' just about the organization. What about we ourselves and our homes. Check this out: http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-jay-shafer-20910192

Well that's interesting, that's for sure. I know that this is what God wants for me and my family. When I was laid off 2 1/2 years ago I think that's what he was telling us. But of course we've been fighting him every step of the way. So as the months went by I'd tell him that if this is the case that he needs to get a little louder and give us a real sign. Well 3 months ago he allowed my wife to hurt her back, they are telling her that she will never be able to work as a nurse again. At least the care that she's used to giving the patients. So I think he is inclined to get us to downsize for sure. :)

[phkrause]

PKRAUSE

SORRY to hear about your wife with her bad back

dgrimm60

Thanks dgrimm, the great part is God has been taking care of us despite ourselves. :)

[SivartM]

Thanks for posting this video, Woody. I love his house! I've actually thought about living in a tiny house when I am of the house-owning age. It would be really cool.

[Outta Here]

I'm surprised the man uses a full-size laptop and not a netbook; also, his hair is taking up a lot of space.

Interestingly enough, I don't think Jesus even had 89 square feet of *house*.

[GreatLakesGramma]

I couldn't watch it. I hate streaming video. It constantly starts and stops for me.

[Liz]

The video wouldn't work for me.

[Gerr]

Yeah, I'd like to downsize too, but where will I put my stereo? (For optimal sound it has to have minimum room dimensions.) The washer & dryer? Piano? My books? These alone would fill up his 89 sq ft home. Oh, and the hot tub! Yeah, the hot tub! And where will I put that kitchen island the wife wants? And Subzero fridge!

[Liz]

I finally got it by going through a different browser. Anyways, I love the tiny houses; unfortunately I can't really see raising kids in them, but it would be great as a single or a married couple.

[Gerr]

PS

If I showed you a picture of me, I don't think you'll see much to downsize!

And downsize the church? And who do you want to get rid off? The pro-WO? The pro-anything-goes? All those with brown eyes?

[aldona]

PS

If I showed you a picture of me, I don't think you'll see much to downsize!

And downsize the church? And who do you want to get rid off? The pro-WO? The pro-anything-goes? All those with brown eyes?

based on what I have read on another thread here, pretty soon those of us who do not toe the party line on each and every point will be "shaken out", whether we like it or not.

AJ

[GreatLakesGramma]

A house that size would be fine for a single person who doesn't cook or have any hobbies that require some kind of equipment. It would never work for a family, or even for a single person whose aim is self-sufficiency. No room in there either to prepare or to store your own home-grown produce, or for a sewing machine, ironing board, and all the tools for sewing.

And forget about doing strength training. There wouldn't be enough floor space to spread your workout mat and do your crunches and push-ups without bumping your elbows and feet into things, nor anyplace to keep your dumbbells.

Forget about inviting anybody over after church either. No room to be hospitable to visitors to your church in that house! Or to house the grandchildren for an overnight visit. In fact, forget about having the grandchildren over at all, unless it's good weather so you can spend the entire day outside. They'd be climbing the walls in that house, and so would Grandma!

If it works for him, fine, but it isn't practical for anybody that has any kind of home life.

[SivartM]

It looked like there was enough room for most of those things; food, a workout mat, and there were several chairs for visitors. Were you able to see the video? Also, the bed was probably big enough for five people.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I don't think 5 people could fit into that bed unless they were packed like sardines. And what about A/C ...I bet the upstairs would be sweltering in the summer, depending on where you live. Reminds me of an old Dial soap commercial, "I use Dial...don't you wish everybody would?"

I agree with GLG,

Quote:

If it works for him, fine, but it isn't practical for anybody that has any kind of home life.

[SivartM]

Each to their own, I guess.

I still like small houses.

[GreatLakesGramma]

No, I couldn't watch the video. But I tried again just now and it worked this time. My son must not be doing anything online right now.

I see that the bed is built as a loft, so if you counted that as a second story, his square footage would be greater. But there is no room in that kitchen for canning equipment or a year's supply of canned and frozen produce, or even a full size refrigerator. And no room for making bread or other baked goods, and maybe not enough space in the oven to bake either, from the looks of it. The seating would never accommodate all of my children and grandchildren at the same time. Nor does it look like there's room to arrange a sewing area for maximum efficiency.

[GreatLakesGramma]

I should add that that house is too dark and confined for me to live in it and keep my sanity. And I mean that literally. I need light and space, and openness. I could survive in a house that size only so long as the weather would allow me to spend most of my time outside. But that just plain doesn't happen where I live.

[Outta Here]

Been thinking about this. This is 89 square feet per person--doubled because he uses a loft. That's 178 square feet of usable space per person. We have a family of four. To live as comfortably as this single man, we'd need a house with 712 square feet of usable space. If we took out the computer room in our house that's almost exactly what we have.

I think he could do with some more downsizing, personally. That's almost too much space for one person alone.

He should try one of these:

[olger]

5221 ft² and we use it for the Lord. Next thing you know people will be beating themselves ala Luther.

og

[Gerr]

But downsizing is better than being told that if you want to live Christ's life, you've got to not downsize but sell everything you have?

[GreatLakesGramma]

That depends on who is doing the telling. If it's God, whatever He calls you to do is always going to be the very best thing for you to do. But if someone else is telling you that you should do it, they are treading where they have no business to go. I know that for me personally, in order to fulfill God's calling on my life, I need to stay right where I am now. When the time comes that He calls me elsewhere, I will gladly go and not look back.

I would love to downsize in a big way, though not to the extent that young man has. But so long as I continue to be married to a pack rat, it's out of my hands. I can not live in a shoebox house with my husband and all the stuff he won't part with.

[Woody]

Well GLG ... I'm sorry you live with a rat. But the more I hear about this husband of your's ... the more I like him.

Regarding living the life of Christ .... I agree it depends upon whom is telling you to sell and give to the poor. {looking this way and that way for Rob}

[GreatLakesGramma]

Woody, my husband is worth putting up with all his shortcomings, and best of all, he tolerates mine and loves me anyway. I think you and he would be friends if you met.

[Woody]

Woody, my husband is worth putting up with all his shortcomings, and best of all, he tolerates mine and loves me anyway. I think you and he would be friends if you met.

TU Woody likes very much.

[GreatLakesGramma]

Before this thread fades into oblivion, I want to say one more thing. What that young man said about his reason for choosing the way he likes is the same way I feel. I long for a simpler, uncluttered life, free from the need for so much money just to keep going. But the way it would work for me is different than what works for him.

For me, it would be manifested in self-sufficiency: growing most of my own food, installing renewable energy & getting off the grid, making my own clothing, spending time enjoying nature, and teaching my grandchildren to love it too. I would need room for processing and storing my own produce, for my sewing and knitting equipment, my gardening tools, etc. There are also a few non-essentials I wouldn't part with, like the heirlooms that will pass to me, as the oldest daughter of an oldest daughter, for however many generations they have been passed down. My mother doesn't know, and neither did her mother. That is my heritage, to pass down to my own daughter and her oldest daughter after her.

So I would need more room that that young man has, but the ultimate effect in my life would be the same as his choices yield in his life.