Simplicity of Knowing

As I sit here at my kitchen table, typing on the laptop, drinking my morning tea, jotting down new recipes I've tried or want to try, and listening to the bread machine working on a new loaf of deliciousness, I can't help but think how thankful and joyful I feel for this simple life.  

In the past several months, I have come to the realization that I needed to slow down and enjoy time with God, my husband, family and friends. How did I come to this realization you ask? Well, let's say God nudged me a bit.

 I used to not take time to enjoy the simplicity of taking time off from the hustle of life. I think most of us don't take time to enjoy a more simplistic life. We as Americans or just humans in general, tend to rush to one thing only to leave and rush to something else.

I am no different from everyone else. I couldn't just sit still and enjoy all the the Lord gifted me. Actually I wouldn't sit still and enjoy Him or His gifts. 

 My time was consumed with my job, errand running, cleaning, traveling to and from my job, and other meaningless things. Everything else was pushed to the wayside. 

Not to say that working hard at my job wasn't important ("Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" Col 3:23) or keeping a clean and organized home isn't part of my duties as a Godly wife, but I allowed these things to consume me and push aside those people most important to me - and many times without me even taking notice that I was doing it. 

I allowed the world to tell me how I should function, where to spend my energy and my resources. These past month, since leaving my job in January, I have learned so much about what it means to "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him..." Psalm 37:7.

The Lord made it evidently clear that spending time in His word was vitally important ("The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8). He made it clear that it was important to spend time with my dying grandfather, it is important to sit and talk with my parents, it is important to spend genuine time with a friend can be to strengthen a bound of friendship, and it is important to put away the electronics to spend time with my husband can be.

I am thankful for the quiet moments around the house where I can get on my knees and thank the Lord for his abundant grace and love, and to remember to sit and enjoy the simplicity of life.

10 Ways to Declutter Your Home

I hear the word declutter and I automatically want to revamp my home. A simplified, uncluttered life sounds wonderful. Owning fewer "junk" means less to clean, less debt (for some), less to stress, less to organize, and more and energy to do use your resources elsewhere.

HELLO!

Where do I sign up?

At the same time, the thought of cleaning out overwhelms me. I don't know where to begin, and sometimes I make way more mess than to begin with and feel completely defeated.

I am extremely Type A and need simplicity in my life. I get overwhelmed when my house is a mess or dirty. It probably has to do somewhat with my upbringing but mainly just my personality. 

I have tried some of these methods and they really do help. Here is a list of 10 simple ways to get you started to simplify your home life and rid yourself of the extra house "pounds": Because sometimes, cleaning out for me is just as important as keeping my body help. :)

1. Give yourself 5 solid minutes. Leo at Zen Habits recommends 18 different 5-minute decluttering tips. Pick one today that sounds right for you and commit 5 minutes to completing it.

2. Give away one item each day.  Its easy to pick up one item a day and get rid of it. This is simple but highly effective. 

3. Fill one trash bag. Grab a large trash bag and see how quickly I could fill it. Doesn't matter if its for trash or Goodwill, but fill it up. :)

4. Try the Oprah Winfrey Closet Hanger Experiment.  To identify wardrobe pieces to clear out, hang all your clothes with the hangers in the reverse direction. After you wear an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. After six months, you’ll have a clear picture of which clothes you can easily discard. This experiment could also be applied to a number of clutter areas in your home (cleaners, toys, linens, tools, hobbies and craft items).

5. Make a list. Create a list of places in your home to declutter beginning with the easiest. When you’re done with one area, STOP. This list could be made as easy or difficult as you desire based upon what areas of your home make up the list (drawers/closets/rooms).

6. Take the 12-12-12 Challenge. A simple task of locating 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home can be a really fun and exciting way to quickly organize 36 things in your house.

7. Change your perspective. Going to invite someone over - friends, boss? This will help you see the clutter you might have missed. Take a picture, see what else passed by you when cleaning out.

8. Experiment with numbers.  Wear 33 items of clothing for 3 months - If 33 articles of clothing seems too little, adjust the rules as you need by picking a new number. The important thing is to challenge yourself to live with less and see what you learn from the experiment.

9. Use your imagination.  Ask yourself questions while going thru you clothing, “If I was just buying this now, how much would I pay?” Is it worth keeping?

10.The Four-Box Method. Bring four boxes: trash, give away, keep, or relocate. Each item in every room should be placed into one of the four categories. No item should be passed over.

Try these simple steps to having a clutter free home! Whatever your goal, there is a beautiful world of freedom and fresh breath hiding behind all your clutter.