Since Cole and I arrived back in Little Rock on December 18th, I have been on a mission. Given the fact that for the past two years, I am only home 2 1/2 to 3 months out of the year, my window to accomplish tasks is limited. I knew before I even set foot on the Arkansas soil that I not only needed, but wanted to simplify.
Living in LA has taught me a lot but one thing that has been made very clear to me is that I can live happily in one bedroom and be happy with not a lot. I don't need "stuff" to be happy. I need my family and friends. I brought that feeling home with me and have subsequently tackled one room a day. For each item, I asked myself, "Have I used it in the last year? Do I love it? Would I be heartbroken if I woke up tomorrow and didn't have it?" If I answered no to all these questions, the item went into the "donate" pile. To date, I have eleven 40-gallon bags and countless boxes of items that will hopefully be of use to someone else instead of collecting dust at my house.
And then it occurred to me last night; I'm not just purging my house but purging my heart as well. That feeling of being free and out from under so much "stuff" is exhilarating. And spending so much quiet time with God is powerful. It has truly been an empowering month.
I have three rooms yet to be purged but instead of dreading the task, I am looking forward to accomplishing that feeling of contentment of a clean and orderly house and a thankful heart. That will last approximately one minute until the dogs run through the house chasing the cat and the sound of Nerf machine gun fire can be heard upstairs, along with the buzzer on the dryer. The house may not stay orderly but the contentment in my heart is priceless.
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"Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us."
~Isaiah 26:12
Living in LA has taught me a lot but one thing that has been made very clear to me is that I can live happily in one bedroom and be happy with not a lot. I don't need "stuff" to be happy. I need my family and friends. I brought that feeling home with me and have subsequently tackled one room a day. For each item, I asked myself, "Have I used it in the last year? Do I love it? Would I be heartbroken if I woke up tomorrow and didn't have it?" If I answered no to all these questions, the item went into the "donate" pile. To date, I have eleven 40-gallon bags and countless boxes of items that will hopefully be of use to someone else instead of collecting dust at my house.
And then it occurred to me last night; I'm not just purging my house but purging my heart as well. That feeling of being free and out from under so much "stuff" is exhilarating. And spending so much quiet time with God is powerful. It has truly been an empowering month.
I have three rooms yet to be purged but instead of dreading the task, I am looking forward to accomplishing that feeling of contentment of a clean and orderly house and a thankful heart. That will last approximately one minute until the dogs run through the house chasing the cat and the sound of Nerf machine gun fire can be heard upstairs, along with the buzzer on the dryer. The house may not stay orderly but the contentment in my heart is priceless.
"Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us."
~Isaiah 26:12
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