Sunday, January 8, 2012

Digging Out and Digging In

Woo hoo!
New Year + Fresh Start = 8 bags worth of stuff to donate to Goodwill

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I think my house lost about 20 pounds this week and it feels great! Slowly, but surely I have been digging my way out of the clutter that has taken over out house. No room, closet, or drawer has been left untouched. It makes me sick how much time I waste taking care of our stuff. Toys, clothes, paper clutter and dishes are the biggest culprits. When I'm reading Little House on the Praire to the girls, I envy Ma and the fact that each person in her house only had 1 spoon, 1 cup, and 1 plate that needed to be cleaned. Really, think about it? How much time do we waste each day taking care of things that have no eternal value?

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How many bottles of soap do the girls really need in their bathroom?
ONE.

And if I had less stuff, I would have more time to spend with my family, in the Word, and with others serving and loving on those who need it most.

So 2012 is going to be the year of
LESS = YES!
(cheesy, but catchy, no?)

LESS of doing real dishes so that I can say YES when the girls invite me to their tea parties.

LESS extra-curricular time commitments so that I can say YES when Will wants to invite friends over at the last minute.

LESS clothes & towels to wash and fold so that I can say YES to an extra bedtime story or an extra 10 minutes at bath time.

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I mean really, look at that face. ;)
Who could say no to "just a few more minutes mama?"

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I fear that being so busy and concerned with managing the stuff, I'm rushing through the mundane, missing these most precious moments I've been given with my family.
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I'm also resolving myself to digging in and being more transparent and open here on the blog. Most of my favorite blogs I read are because the ladies are open and honest about life. I don't know them personally, and probably never will, but their words stick with me and minister to me throughout the day. They allow a glimpse into their weaknesses and imperfections, and He is glorified through their writing because His power is made perfect in our weakness.

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About a month ago, I received the sweetest e-mail from a blog reader in Alaska. The Lord had already been tapping on my heart, asking me to open up and share things He has been teaching me this past year, but I have been stubborn because it is easier to write about the fun stuff like crafting. And let's be honest. It is also a lot less scary.
But since I read her e-mail, I've been thinking a lot about how much our thoughts, words, and testimonies can encourage and impact others, even those we do not know.

I'm sure there is more I'll have to say on this topic of transparency, and I hope I can successfully dig in and loose the fear of putting myself out there. But it is late and I need to spend LESS time here on the intranet so that I can say YES to something fun in the morning with the girls!
;)

5 comments:

  1. MC-I feel the same way about less=yes! I have been trying to clean out/declutter for the past year. However, it just doesn't ever seem like enough. I want to be simple! :) I love your blog and am often encouraged by it! :)

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  2. thanks Dawn! :) And I agree with you that no matter how much I de-clutter, it never seems like enough. I want to live simply too and it is so hard in our culture because we all suffer from the "stuff-itis disease!"

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  3. YES YES YES!!! Thank you for writing this! I'm excited to say that my car looks the same (just packed the back last night FULL of stuff to take to His House tomorrow morning) and I think i'm going to start saying, "Less=Yes" :) and smile when I think of you!
    I have thought all of these same things(stuff, time, transparency)...and agree with you too Dawn, it seems I'm ALWAYS cleaning and ALWAYS decluttering, but it never seems enough. I know one thing that helps is a buddy to help you go through stuff. Anne Newman has been at my house a number of times and when she says, "what is this?" or "why do you have this?" then it helps me to know that it's time to go! :)
    Thanks for writing MC! Look forward to what 2012 brings to our hearts and homes!

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  4. wahoo! Less = yes starts today in the Mason house. Good Will might not be ready for us! Thanks for the encouraging post!

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  5. Count me in! I'm on the Less=Yes bandwagon, now I just have to get it rolling. Gotta find time to get to those closets and clutters, because purging is tops on my 2012 list! Thanks for the bits of inspiration you share, and looking forward to hearing more from you this year :)

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