the little sign that usually sits above my kitchen sink
Many years ago the Lord began to speak to both Dw and I about “simplifying” our lives. We read an amazing book together about living simply. We liked it so much, we read it again. And then every few years we read it again. It is about living simply without all the fanfare of “stuff”.
We haven’t always practiced it, but with the move to this home, the absence of mortgage debt and the intention of adopting more children **YIPPEE JESUS**, we have determined that once and for all we will get this right – and live simply.
While Dw was in Africa I had great ambitions of all the things I would get done: from painting our new little barn/shed to cleaning and pitching out and even painting some interior walls. Mistletoe had her own agenda and that definitely foiled my entire plan!!
I learned some amazing things about myself while they were in Africa and it was able to help me understand what makes me “tick” the way I do….. One day I will blog about some of these things (you just have to be in the mood to express deep feelings and today’s just not one of those days)….but I thought I would mention some thing I did accomplish enabling us to better simplify our lives.
We had a HUGE antique dresser in our living room. It had been in the cottage that Dw’s parents owned for years and where we spent most of our summers until Dw closed his law practice in the Western New York area and we left with three kids in tow for seminary in Virginia. This dresser had been my in-laws and it is very pretty, but still rather big and definitely bulky.
But here we are in our sweet little log home, with 4 kids living here and one on the way and some more on the way after that so we must maximize the use of all that we do have – all the while determined to live simply.
Our entire great room/kitchen area is 21×21, which includes the kitchen work area, the eating area, the foyer and the family room – so there really isn’t room for a huge bulky dresser.
Since it didn’t involve alot of hopping, skipping and jumping I set out to empty the big dresser so that it could be moved to the shed for future use by us (someday) or it could go to one of our kids who have left the nest.
I found so many things that took up space in that dresser but that we really, really, really didn’t need. One of the things I found in the dresser was 8 tableclothes. We love having a houseful of people and so over the years I had collected these eight tableclothes: two antique lace ones, three white, one gold, one oliveish green and one blue snowflake one (my favorite). We usually have a boatload of friends for most holidays so the tableclothes have come in handy on quite a few occasions.
Well I looked at those tableclothes and although I could ‘justify’ keeping them all, I knew I really didn’t have room for them and it wouldn’t be living simply. I opted to put in the yard sale all three of the white ones, the green, and the gold. I will use the two lace ones that are left for all special occasions and just put a simple holiday centerpiece on each. The blue snowflake is my favorite and I couldn’t part with it – yet.
I am continually asking the Lord to show me what else I can get rid of to live more simply, and He has shown me lots!! The 5 tableclothes were just one more thing that I was able to put in the yard sale pile. Although we will have another mega-yard sale next month, Lord willing, to help bring our little Chinese Princess named Jubilee Promise home, we will also be working towards simplifying our lives and our little log home.
Our church just had a wonderful sermon on this very topic last week. I LOVED reading your post. I actually came home from Church, went to work in our son’s room and loaded up a garbage bag of clothes he is not using (and other stuff).. I took the loaded garbage bag to my special friend who lives down the road and who was seated in front of us at church. She has a little boy a few years younger. We rang the bell and handed her the bag announcing we were Simplifying” and ‘here ya go’! 🙂 lol.
I’m so happy you finally have an ‘official’ blog! I followed you to China and back. Don’t know if you recall, but you were kind enough to post a picture of Dang Da Jian (Joseph). Thank you. ~Susan.