Easier Said than Done

Do you think we have a habit of talking more than doing?

Complaining instead of changing.
Whining instead of worship?
Gossip instead of Grace?
Speaking instead of listening?
"Confiding" in friends instead of praying?
Venting instead of forgiving.

I was sharing with a friend how a particular area of my life has seen significant improvement.  She asked, "What do you think changed?"  I said, "I stopped talking and started praying!"
Now there's a concept. If the conversation isn't edifying to humans, start praying to the One who can actually do something about.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20

Notice how James connects speaking with anger.  
After I found this verse I looked at the above list and thought, yep, anger can certainly be tied to these habits.

Complaining...
Whining...
Venting...
Gossip...

Anger. Hmm.

I learned a very interesting thing about anger a couple of years ago. A wise gentleman from Kansas said to my son and I, "Anger is always the second emotion."

Give this some thought.  
My heart is hurt...then I get mad. 
I get scared...then I get mad.

I am disrespected...mad.

Unloved...mad.

And I may even want to get even. Oh my!

This is where the tongue can get me into trouble. It just comes spewing out with reckless abandon. It's like the claws on a caged cat. Nasty indeed!

Listen what James has to say several verses later.

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 1:26

Well now.

Words first are a thought.

I am blessed by the 21 days of brain detoxing I have completed. http://drleaf.com/about/toxic-thoughts/  (Scroll to the bottom and check it out.) Always growing and learning. Always more to work on.  The whole program is speaking to the thoughts going on and the paths of toxicity and negativity they have produced.  "Change in your thinking is essential to detox the brain. Consciously controlling your thought life means not letting thoughts rampage through your mind. It means learning to engage interactively with every single thought that you have, and to analyze it before you decide either to accept or reject it." Dr. Caroline Leaf

Take thoughts captive. (2 Cor 10:5) Recognize the negative thought and do something about it.  Easier said than done.  But with practice it does become easier.  It's quite something the thoughts that run wild in that noggin. A wild journey this has been, but so liberating. You may want to seriously consider joining me.

Anyway, The Lord always reveals things to me as I type:  Amy, perhaps this is a clue on how to control the tongue. Be in charge of your thoughts. Before speaking start praying. Hand over the negative reaction, the hurt heart and ask for healing immediately. (Handing over for me can sometimes mean physically opening up my hands and imagining placing the "gripe" on the altar for Jesus to handle. This can also be done visualizing in my head as well.)

So my prayer for me and for you is that soon the change and freedom that happens in the mind will also be shown abundantly in the heart. And then what is said with the tongue is goodness flowing. Because this is truth from the Word:  What you say flows from what is in your heart. Luke 6:45b and the tongue can bring death or life. Prov 18:21a NLT 

Lord, let our tongues bring life.  

Easier said than done. 

But as a willing servant Lord, help me to:

Change

Worship

Extend Grace

Listen

Pray 

Forgive

Let it be done and not just said

Blessings,

Amy

5 Ways to Get Unstuck

So let's all learn from Amy's challenges.  Even though it can be difficult to be so forthcoming with what I would categorize as failure or gluttony or flat out sin; I am here to tell you that it seems we all benefit when we just share the ugly truth.  Are you stuck in the closet clutter? The post Stuck talks about this. http://amysblessings4u.blogspot.com/

After publishing blog mentioned above, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and came across a fascinating photo of a simple, clean, and cute closet. Dallas moms blog advocates for maintaining a 37 piece wardrobe: 15 tops, 9 bottoms, 9 pairs of shoes, 2 dresses, and 2 jackets. / http://dallas.citymomsblog.com/why-i-got-rid-of-my-wardrobe-capsule-wardrobe/

I thought okay, let's ponder this idea.  So I went to my closet to count my jackets.  16 jackets. 16 jackets.  Are you kidding me?  And I am supposed to go down to 2?  Who's idea was this anyway? I was even trying to share and mix around quantities: Maybe I could do 11 tops and move 4 items to the jacket category.  Perhaps, fewer pairs of shoes=more jackets saved.  Oh my, stop the insanity!  I am stuck in the details of trying to make my life simpler. This is what I came up with...

5 Ways to Get Unstuck

1.  Quit comparing yourself to others.  Especially when they live in an entirely different area of the country.
     a.  Climate must be taken into consideration when purging your closet and deciding what to keep.
     b. Use others' suggestions as a guide, not a rule.

2.  Give yourself permission to purge items to another room, temporarily.
     a.  Be ruthless and just pull out items that you could do with out for the next 2 weeks and put in another    area.  As I did this, I found things I could definitely donate.  (I did this for my husband just to see if he noticed and/or missed anything...remember, I kept everything, just moved it out.)
     b.  Work with what is left and have fun creating looks.
     c.  Benefit: leaves room in your operating closet to see what you have.

3.  Move to another area of the house.
     a.  Great advice from a friend. Quit messing with that closet. "Close the door." ~ Barb Gens
     b.  Opportunity to deal with a dresser/buffet for the first time in 5 years!

4.  Go outside
     a.  Walk around. Work on anything other than de-cluttering.

5.  Read a book.  
     a.  Or don't do anything at all!  Give yourself a break and relax.

So, it's best to remember what is YOUR goal.
Is it to:
Find things easily?
Be able to make a sandwich without having to clear counter space?
Spend less time moving your stuff around or cleaning it or dusting it or organizing it?
Freedom to do things you enjoy? 

Spend some time on this.  Visualize what you want your space to look like.  What you want your mornings to look like?  Evenings?  Find some images online. Print them out and hang them up.  You can do this!

Awesome Action (call to action):

1.  Go to your bathroom and purge 3 cosmetics you haven't used in 6 months.

2.  Let me know how you are doing on your plight. Tell me about your struggles and victories.  We can learn from each other. Onward Ho!

Blessings,
Amy

P.S.  A great Bible verse.  Isaiah 49:9  Come out, and to those in darkness, Be free!  NIV
  Come out!  I am giving you your freedom! LIV version

Stuck

I'm stuck.

I am paralyzed in the closet.  Can I blame it on the multi-personality Minnesota weather?
The idea of having 1/2 winter and 1/2 spring clothes available for wear may sound a bit silly to my California girlfriends, but it's reality around here.  I swear the windchill must be 20 degrees today.  (just looked it up...actual temp is 37 feels like 28. I was close.) Last weekend it was 70+!

Here is the problem:

Turtlenecks and Tank tops
Boots and flip flops
Jackets for winter and summer
Heavy sweaters and light sweaters
Scarves and well, scarves

Every day clothes and good clothes
Garden clothes for 50 degrees
Garden clothes for 80 degrees

It's all more than I can bear.

So, one of the tidying books I have listened to gives this criteria:  "Keep only those items that spark joy."
Okay, so, my grubby garden clothes don't necessarily spark joy but they are necessary. So what is a girl to do?  This is where I am stuck.  Marie Kondo, author of the life changing magic of tidying up says to start with discarding clothing because it is the easiest area and a person has less attachment.  She even went as far as to say that you should keep all seasons of clothing out and available (like, don't pack away seasonal clothing). She obviously doesn't live in Minnesota.

Well, Marie, I have to disagree.  Less attachment?
I have done several purges over the past couple of years and still struggle with my self talk of "what if..."
or "I might need that for..." or "I bought that when I was with..."

It's time to deal with it.  How can I be an encourager or a De-Clutter Coach if I am not willing to face my own issues. This raw truth hits me between the eyes.

On a positive note, I have worked in other areas of the house. Even jewelry.
I have purged 1238 items.

How are you doing on this journey?  Share with me and others under my Facebook post. I am working on setting up an easier format for comments. Coming soon...

So, here is to getting un-stuck.  We can do this together. 
Share with me what your struggles are.  Let's learn together.

Cling to what is good,
Amy

Motivation in a good Challenge

"Purge 3 items from your kitchen utensil drawer..." was the challenge on the Clutter Free Facebook page.  I can do that in just a few minutes, I thought.
Several hours later, Stone and I had purged 144 items!  141extra.

We started in the kitchen. Then traveled to the basement kitchenette (used in the summer for lake guests). 
Oh boy!  We hit a jackpot.  The bar area was conveniently built for storage.  Storage has maybe become one of our enemies? Every last item was drug out from behind closed doors.

Storage: noun  A space for storing goods.

So the mentality that I have so easily adopted is that I can just stick it in here and deal with it later.
Other thoughts:
I like it and will use it again some day.  
I love the idea of luncheon sets...I will invite girlfriends over and use these for a special occasion.
I received this goblet set from my grandma for a wedding gift.
Seems like every time I get rid of something, someone's feelings get hurt.
These (paper) plates were on clearance.
This is such a cool gadget, it will make life easier.
I love the scene on this, it reminds me of vacation at the ocean.

There you have it folks.  A whole lot of excuses and then this happens:

Humbling really. 

This collection helped us reach the 144 mark I was speaking of.

Have any of you watched any of the videos on FB or shows on TV about Tiny Houses?  I have seen several episodes of Tiny House Nation.  I literally can hear myself doing some heavy breathing watching the guests on the show pair down their stuff.  And then try to be excited about this teeny tiny bathroom!  Yikes!
I like the concept very much. I know I couldn't do it.  Even so, this latest trend of minimalism has helped me to realize how little we actually do need. 

So, the long and short of it is that I hope I can be an encouragement to others.  It's hard to admit I have freezer burnt food and more mugs than I care to talk about. But the more people I talk to about this de-cluttering business, the more I know I am "normal"? 

We are in this together.  Keep up the good work. Let's go for a new normal!

Challenge:  Purge 3 items from your kitchen utensil drawer.  Go!

Blessed by you,
Amy

Matthew 6:20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
Heaven:  The best space (place) for storage of goods!

Live, really live!

I have embarked on yet another detox/de-clutter journey!

Dr. Caroline Leaf's 21daybraindetox.com
I am on day three and left my work until the end of the day.  I had all kind of excuses; I'm too tired, I have a cold, you deserve a break, I doubt this will work for me anyway...etc.

See why I need a brain detox!  Oh my goodness!
I am thankful as I went through my Day 3 assignment that she wrote, "You may start feeling demotivated."  Well, praise be!  It's actually got a scientific reason. The chemicals in the brain that were awakened during the first 2 days, have subsided and so I have lost the "high" so to speak.  I was thankful for the reassurance.  And then the fun began. 

Long story short, these are the two passages that I was led to:

Fit every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. MSG -- 2 Cor 10:4-5 (Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. NIV)
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

 Prov 4:20-23 MSG 
Dear friend, listen well to my words;
    tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
    Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
    body and soul, they’re bursting with health.

 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
    that’s where life starts.

I have an urge emphasize every word in these texts!  It's powerful stuff.   

Concentrate

Message in plain view

Learn it by heart!

Divine weapons to help

Keep vigilant and take (my active role)

Life starts.

Live, really live!  Life begins. Health is bursting. 

This happens when we listen to His word. Learn it. Memorize it. Redirect our thoughts and stick scripture in place of the negativity. Just flat out take control of that mind inside of that thick skull!  Ha!  (Speaking to myself there...) 

It takes work and concentration. A new pattern is being formed. 

Keep His word in plain view. Try to adhere note cards of verses up where you spend a lot of time. I have even been known to attach cards to my steering wheel. 

It takes an active role. It takes work. But it looks clear from above Scripture that it is worth it!

Clutter Free...in more ways than one! Brain clutter...who'd of thunk.

Speaking of clutter:  

I have signed up for an email from Kathi Lipp, Clutter Free. http://www.kathilipp.com/clutter-free I receive a motivational email every day.  Yesterday, I had about 20 minutes before I had to head out the door.  I sat down to frankly waste away the time and there it was staring at me.  The word...CHALLENGE.  You may not know this about me, but the thought of someone challenging me gets me motivated.  

Challenge.: Discard 30 items.

30 items in less than 20 minutes...I can do this.

I headed for my scarf drawers. Then to the plastic bag of stocking caps, gloves, and mittens I had put away over 2 years ago "in case I might need them someday". I even had 1 brown leather glove I had held onto just in case I found it's twin!  Oh boy!   

Challenge met and exceeded.  52 items!  

684 items to date

1316 to go for 2015

I have enjoyed keeping track of this as this was the challenge from the above mentioned book I read.  

I encourage you to do whatever you think you can handle but make it part of your routine.  

Pick up every item you have and ask yourself, "Does this spark joy?"  

Concentrate on what to keep instead of what to throw. 

What makes you happy when you touch it?

In the end, when our spaces become more tranquil (and perhaps our minds), I believe we will be able to 

Live, really live! 

Blessings,

Amy

P.S.  I distributed the large quantity of super balls and gave as Easter gifts!  Repurpose!

You are on!

"Whoever can find the oldest, dumbest, grossest stuff wins!"

Hilarious.  This quote was snap chatted to me from my friend.  
We've been sending snapchats of the de-cluttering items of the day. 

105 bouncy balls found tucked away in a bird feeder. (Oldest son's hiding place and he didn't take with him! Bird feeder hand made by aforesaid son.)
Frozen veggies from 2008 and 2009 as well as white freezer burnt hamburger.
19 partially used candles!

Wowza!


 Happy, happy day!
Candles delivered to SomePlace Safe.  What fun! 

I'm not sure what to do with the bouncy balls.

Love a good challenge and contest,
Amy

On Eagles' Wings

The best part of ice coming off the lake (besides the hope of spring) is when the bald eagles camp out near the open water.  The spotting scope is stationed on the kitchen table and we watch as they do what eagles do.  I don't have a camera as strong as the scope, but this picture is of an adolescent.  So cool!

Interesting that my devotional today takes me to Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in (wait upon) the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

In ancient Hebrew culture eagles were revered as strong warriors, birds of prey that also hold a tender side for their young. Eagles were known to carry their young to safety in times of threat from predators. Eagles were also thought to shed their feathers in a type of rebirth/regeneration to invigorate themselves to a form of their youth. Eagles were also known and revered for their strength and courage in high winds and stormy weather. They had the ability to fly about the prevailing weather patterns and soar over the storm to safety.

I have witnessed the tender side of a mother eagle for her young. She "brought home the bacon" and stood aside as her children enjoyed the meal first. (ie: diver duck met it's match).

The other scripture that spoke to me today was Lamentations 3:24-26 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.  NIV

These are the words that jumped out at me:
Wait
Hope
Seek
Wait

Interesting. The eagle:
Waits and hopes with anticipation of the prey.
Seeks the meal and apprehends.
Waits until her young are done eating before she does.

Bringing this to what I think He's trying to say to me today...

There's a whole lot of waiting going on. 
Waiting with expectation and hope of outcome.
Seeking while waiting.
Wait some more.

An important piece to this waiting equation comes in words before - Lamentations 3:22.
The Lord's....compassions never fail.

The Lord has a track record. Isaiah remembers.
As must I.  As must we all.
He is faithful.  As we prepare for Easter, how can we not help but be reminded of how He loves us!

Seek Him all the while.  Dig into His word always. Know His thoughts. Know His character. Know He is there during the waiting.

Lovin' me some "in your face" eagle moments.
On eagles wings...not sprouting your own and flying off, but soaring in His strength.

Blessings,
Amy

P.S.
Yes, the de-cluttering continues!
It's slowed now that I have started to sell items, but continue to dig out in the recesses of closets, buffets, and all the unforgotten closed doors.  It's humbling, invigorating, and time consuming.  But it will all be worth it.

482 items
1,518 to go!  Wahoo!

Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep. It was on Saturday mornings on TLC. I used to watch it religiously.

The team chose two rooms to "sweep".  Literally, every single item from the two rooms were hauled outside onto tarps.  The homeowners were given two days to sort their clutter and pitch what they didn't need. Items were place on separate tarps in piles labeled Keep, Sell and Toss. Meanwhile, two rooms in their home were redesigned by professionals. The items placed on the Sell tarp were then sold in a yard-sale on the second day, with anything not sold going to charity. The rooms were redesigned with the carpenter on-hand to design beautiful new furniture, or modify existing. When the rooms were done, the transformations were usually so amazing that they were hard to believe. 

The biggest change, of course, was the elimination of heaps of stuff.  And the professional organizer helped the couple work through several emotional attachments and other issues connected to their belongings.  

How freeing it was and what joy to see a clean, swept room!  Pun intended.

I like this philosophy.
Each item must be handled intentionally and dealt with.  

An audio book I have been listening to is The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.  This was recommended by 2 of my friends that have read my blog. I am about a 1/3 of the way through it.  (I like a lot of her ideas although there are several things she says about the "life" of objects I raise my eyebrows over.)
I have, however, picked up several good tips so far.

1.  Handle every item. Every single item.
2.  Ask yourself this question, "Does this spark joy?" 
3.  Get rid of it if it doesn't. 
4.  Gather ALL like items together in one area.  ie:  Clothing (all seasons--start with off season first), all books etc.

As you handle each item, carefully and mindfully listen to your inner dialogue.
For instance, I picked up a jacket that I own and thoughts that ran through my mind were:
This is so cute. I bought it on clearance. What a good deal I got! It was on my birthday. I was with my dear friend. Have I ever wore it? It makes me look pale. But I bought it and better wear it. Why did I buy it? I better hang it up and make myself wear it. Maybe if I put a cute scarf with it... And so on and so on.  
Did any of this dialogue bring me joy?  Uh, no. Except the memories of spending the day with my girlfriend. 

So, how about hang onto the good memories and get rid of the item. Wow! The baggage of emotions that are spurred by this ONE jacket...crazy. Baggage of remorse, guilt, putting myself down, and feelings of inadequacy.

I know, I know...this may seem a little over the top.  

But I challenge you to do it.  It takes a little practice.  Listen to you talk to you.

2000 item challenge. (Get 2000 items out of the house in 2015...maybe we should make it 2015 items!)
Here is an update:  448 items

Many more are sorted out but not bagged up.  
I think I better start selling some stuff.  :)  
I was on a roll in the spare bedroom until it came to the Legos...that will be another day's blog.

May God bless you during this time.  Forgive yourself, He does.  It's okay that you and I have made purchases that weren't so good. It's okay that the item has served it's purpose for you.  It's okay.  Let it go! Keep the broom going!

For fun I Googled "clean sweep in Bible" and found this...

1 Peter 2 ^1-3 So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.  MSG

Make a clean sweep and be sure to "fill up" again with God. (Luke 11:25-26)

Keep on Keepin' On,

Amy

Tip:  Recycle vases...check with your local florist and see if they will take them back!  I found 14!!!

Schedule time to de-clutter!

 

It's a no-brainer

"Lord, help!" 4 times in Psalm 107 this exclamation is stated. NLT  

"they cried out to the Lord in their trouble" NIV, ESV,

"Then you called out to God in your desperate condition" Message

And each of the 4 times the Lord :

"delivered them from their distress,
saved them from their distress,
brought them out of their distress,
rescued them from their distress"  NIV, NLT, KJ, ESV
"got you out in the nick of time" MSG

I thought this was interesting.  
He responded, every time.
A way out.
Freedom
Healing
Calm
Leading
Rescue


 
I have the privilege of reading aloud scripture with my teen son for school.  What a blessing!
Psalm 107 was part of the reading today.  I noted to him as the passage repeated itself..."each time they turned to God, He responded with help."
It's a no-brainer, was the look my son gave me back.

Why then is it that we keep thinking we can go about it alone? Or that we need to?
Why not just turn to Him immediately in our saddened, maddened, resentful, pity-party state?

This Psalm was written to celebrate the Jews' return from their exile in Babylon.
Descriptions of the people taken from this reading: They wandered, sat in darkness and gloom, rebelled, and were foolish.

Then they called out to God in their desperate condition.

A praise song that touched me this week by Michael W. Smith,
Breathe
I'm desperate for you, I'm lost without you.

Your holy presence living in me...
This is my daily bread, your very word, spoken to me.

What if we truly, truly made Him and His Word our daily bread.
What if we really made Him a part of our sustenance? 
As important as our morning cup of coffee (or tea, or pop)?
As important as our snacks, meal times, or desserts?
What if we made Him the air we breathe?

4 times they cried for help
4 times He responded and rescued

4 times they praised Him
Thanked Him with singing, exalted Him publicly, acknowledged that the goodness came from Him.

Drawing close to Him, calling out to Him, letting go of self...always turns to praise.
It's a no-brainer.

I needed this. Thank you to the Lord of Heaven's Armies,

Amy

Junk Drawer

The Junk Drawer.
Everyone has one...or so I hope.
From what I've seen, this drawer is usually located in the kitchen.

I haven't quite figured out why I had broken rubber bands and pencil erasers stashed in this drawer. I do however, understand the Rubik's Cube key chain. Could be one of those emotional attachment issues. 
Rubik's Cube = Tie to Youth
Yep, I kept this item. Took off the key chain though and moved to the game cupboard.

I threw many, many small items out of this drawer. I did not count them all because I thought that would be cheating so I put the number 10 on it. There should be some reward just for tackling that job.
Really, do I need 35 pens, 10 highlighters, and 5 expo markers in the junk drawer?  No. I didn't throw, I moved them to my office supply storage area.  (Dangerously close to only moving clutter to new area?)

Update: I just counted up the items for 2000 challenge.  Only 34 more added.
I have gotten rid of 147.
1853 to go.

This is more of a struggle than I thought. 

I better start listening to some of the advice in all of these organizing books I have.
1.  De-clutter for 15 minutes/day.
2.  Pick a room--any room.  The one that is causing the most stress and start there.
3.  Find 2 friends I am going to be accountable to and get on a texting/reminder schedule.

A note about possessions:

I attended a funeral of a dear friend this past week.  Yesterday in church our worship leader mentioned that at the end of his life he wasn't gathering his earthly possessions and surrounding himself with what he had accumulated, but rather his family gathered around him.  Relationships. Souls. That is eternal. 

Luke 12:15, NIV says, "Then He said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Let's do it!

Amy

Tip:  I heard a great tip this weekend. 
Get a tension rod or towel rack and hang scarves along them, rotate scarves from left to right as you wear them.

I should...

How many times have you caught yourself starting a sentence in this way?
I should...
go to that meeting.
clean out the refrigerator.
organize my photos.
exercise.
drink more water.
do devotions.
stop beating myself up.

I should.  I read about this in a book several years back.
I should means I could if I wanted to.
Interesting.  You can finish each sentence above with that ending, I could if I wanted to.

This week, see if you catch yourself starting a sentence or even a thought with "I should" and replace it with "I WILL".  And if you truly don't want to do that particular thing, then don't. But perhaps quit kidding yourself by saying you should.

If you have read my blog from the beginning you will know that I have been on a journey of change.  A lot has to do with changing the negative self talk. Habits that need to be constantly in check.
Change is hard.
Change is work.
Change is a challenge.

This gets me to the why of the 2000 items in 2015.  (Letting go of 2000 items out of house.)
Change.  It's time to change my/our thinking.
Let's spend some time figuring out the why behind our stuff. 

Discontent
For those that watch Downton Abbey you may have seen this week's episode.  One of my favorite parts is when a sweet young gal named Daisy who works as the cook's assistant gets a day away from the daily work. She went with other staff to look at paintings in London.  She felt joy at seeing all there is to see outside the daily grind and yet the next emotion was resentment and she said she felt "discontented". 

Luke 12:15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
1 Tim 6:6-7 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 

We live in a world bombarding us with images and advertising. All in the effort to fuel our desire for happiness and contentment.  If we look this way or decorate that way then we will be accepted. If we have this and have that then we will have joy. If we go here or go there we will finally be at peace!  Ha!  It's all a lie.  There is but One way to fill that void for contentment. Truth.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying we can't go on vacations, have our hair done, and have pretty things.  The Lord knows that I am the last one to suggest it.  What I am saying is do a heart check. Make sure it's not what you look to for happiness. I, for one, have found the attempt to fill a void among the bags of clutter.

Okay, back to the 2000...
If you are joining me in a de-clutter goal let me know.  Several have commented on Facebook about what they are working on.  It is so fun to encourage each other.  I also visited some websites that were suggested.  What fun to help each other out!

Make some rules around your 2000 items.
1. Find 2 friends to do this with you
2. Figure out what counts and what doesn't. (Ex: Consumables don't count unless of course it's something hanging out in your cupboard that should have been thrown out months or years ago!)

     The sight of these protein bars literally makes me gag. They count.

3. Make sure you aren't purging someone else' stuff without permission.

Good news is that this has forced me to find great recycling places, have some tough conversations, return books, deal with files of papers...etc.

I WILL go through the junk drawer...

God is good. He wants us to have freedom... Onward ho!

Willingly,
Amy

If someone would comment under the blog for me to see if it works, I would appreciate it. Thanks.
Blessings :)

Tip:  Get the Kindle book (less clutter, although, I have the paper copy) of Clutter Free by Kathi Lipp. It may make this journey a lot easier.

Meanwhile, at Larson's Lodge...

 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to plant and a time to uproot...
    a time to search and a time to give up...
    a time to keep and a time to throw away...
    a time to tear and a time to mend...
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 ,6-7

I have enjoyed reading Kathy Lipp's book Clutter Free. This gal talks in Amy terms.  She is funny, real, tells personal stories and those of others to get her point across.  
But what I like the most is how she sprinkles scripture throughout.  
Chapter 17 begins with the above list.

Plants.  I like them. I have house plants and I also bring summer posies in to rescue from the encroaching cold weather. I keep plants for snow birds (the intelligent population that heads south for the winter). Sometimes, though, even with the furnace, water, and winter sunlight there are those that need to be uprooted and thrown out into the snow drift.

Searching. How much time do we spend in our day searching for that lost paper? Lost screwdriver? Lost tooth?  What?? 

Yep, right central incisor of boy number 2.  Poor little guy got hit somehow on this tooth way back when and it eventually abscessed and had to be extracted.  (This dental assistant struggled with that reality!) Anyway...fast forward about 12 years. I dumped out the sock drawer to purge and organize and voila; tooth!  Lord, help me. I give up.


Keep. Keep what you love; throw, donate, or recycle the rest. Period. And yes, this is a tough one.

Mend. 3 items this week were mended. I dug out my sewing supplies from 1988 and sewed 4 buttons on various items; 1 shirt, 1 jacket, and 1 pillow.  Finally!  Some socks however, just need to be torn and tossed.

A season for every activity. 
A beginning and an end. 


Begin.  The 2000 Things Challenge.  This is taken from Chapter 20 of the above mentioned book.
2000 things leave the house by the end of 2015. This makes me squirm.
Yep, we are already nearly at the end of the 2nd month but I am going for it.
49 items Wednesday.
63 items Thursday.(4 items: Thank you Lion's Club for recycling old prescription glasses.)
1 item Friday. (Good news is that I finally delivered old Christmas lights to be recycled!!)
Total 113
1887 to go.
313 days left in 2015.
6.03 items per day.
42.27 items per week.
184.1 items per month.

Okay then.  Let's rock and roll. 

End. End the insanity.  Lord forgive me. Forgive me for my gluttony. Forgiving myself and moving forward. Thank you Lord for the beginnings and the endings.

Tip:  Dig through your jewelry stash. Hang out a few and vow to wear them. Design outfits around the pieces.  Fun!

Blessed freedom,
Amy

Ecclesiastes 3:2a  a time to be born and a time to die...
This is reality. We are all born and we all die.
Beginnings and endings.
It's still hard to say good bye to our dear loved ones.
Yesterday, heaven welcomed a good friend. 
He reminded me so much of my dad. 
I hope the Lord somehow puts those 2 on a mission together.
Smart talking, fishing maybe...
How glorious it will be. 
The best beginning of all! 






 

I'm alive!

This is the note I wrote on my bulletin while in church yesterday. "I'm alive!"

This message reminded me of the time when my hubby and I attended an event 2 summers ago where a locally famous band was performing. I mean the leader of the group was singing "back in the day" when I was in high school and not allowed to go to his dances!  (And admittedly, watching the teens as a 40-something, made me agree with my parents!...that's a topic for another day).
Anyway, they were playing all kinds of fabulous dance music. When a classic 80's started rocking the fair grounds, I went in search of some female to join me on the dance floor.  I made my way through the crowd, stopped at several tables of "observers" and likely made a bit of a fool of myself begging them to join me so I didn't look like an idiot going out alone.  Well, no takers.  So I decided to hit the floor on my own.
After all, I was alive!  I could dance. I wasn't in a wheel chair, I wasn't laying on the couch, I wasn't home in front of the tv because I was too tired.  I was alive and I COULD dance!
Thankfully, I fit right in!  And I went to the place of just not caring how ridiculous I looked and enjoyed being alive, moving and free!

True story. Played out in my small home town of 1800.
They are probably still talking about it, this crazy lady...must be on drugs or something.  Ha!

On the drive home Doug said, "Do you really like to dance that much?"  He felt bad I think, that he doesn't share the same joy in dancing and that I had to go it alone.  And I told him, it was okay. Because I was okay in my own skin. My own alive skin.  PTL!

So, what I'd like to have you glean from this is another message from our service yesterday.
Get out of the box.  Get out of your reservations.  Quit worrying what others think about you. Smile! Live!

There just seems to be so much unhappiness.  It's like the world has been sucked of it's joy.
Couples out on Valentine's Day that don't even look at each other much less talk...sad, sad truth.

This joy can't be mustered on our own and thankfully doesn't have to be.
Pastor on Sunday said, "Let's go on a joy walk!"
Walk through each day and start acting like we remember what the Savior has done for us.
How do we do this?  Start saturating our brains with truth.

The joy of the Lord is my strength. Neh 8:10

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16  Now that's joy!  

I feel like I'm all over the place with this one, but hopefully you get the jist of it!  

Today, my newest de-cluttering book arrived via Fed-EX.  Stone says to me, "You could have re-organized your house 8 times by now for all of the clutter free books you've read!"  Maybe true. 
Seems like I'm still working on the WHY part of the clutter because I always want to skip that part and move to the HOW (to fix it, get rid of it). 

The book is by Kathi Lipp http://www.amazon.com/Clutter-Free-Quick-Steps-Simplifying/dp/0736959130/ref=cm_sw_em_r_dpcod_TeN4ub17CFTWX_tt

Quote from today's reading..."Stop trusting stuff to meet my needs."

This is going to be fun.  Stay tuned as we work on this together.

This is the purging I have done since my last post:

1. Cleaned under Kitchen sink. Threw 3 soap dispensers that no longer work!  I was saving because...why?  
2. Cleaned 4 other drawers in Kitchen.
3. One drawer in buffet.

I threw miscellaneous items, found some to donate and others hit the recycling bin.  

Tell me about your project.  I love to be encouraged.

Blessings, 
Amy

Tip:  Shop in your own closet!
Once you have worn a jacket, blouse or sweater when you hang it back up after washing, turn the hanger the opposite direction.  I am making it a game.  By the end of winter wear as many items as possible so I don't have to get rid of them for lack of use!  smiley face

Never say Never

I remember when the boys were both quite small and I was visiting with a friend and I said, "I would never let my kids do...such and such..." (I can't remember the details.) And she looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Never say never."

I think of how small minded I was.  I had no clue what I was in for and perhaps that is God's protection in the matter of only giving me as much as I could handle a little at a time.  Grace!  Pure Grace! 

Okay, I will give you one example:
Quote:  "I will never take my kids out of church!"
Reality:  First child couldn't even sit through the announcements before the service began.
Truth:  Never say never

This photo is from Monday of this week.  Hubby and I are on the ski lift.  (Be gracious on the dorky hat!  It's warm!) 
5 years ago I never thought I would ever entertain the thought of participating in this type of physical activity again in my life time.  Way too sick and as Doug puts it "broken". 
I lived to get a chance.
I got to go skiing with my 17 year old son on his birthday and my brand new daughter in law!
I didn't break.
I didn't spill out (except off the lift...twice...humiliating).
I was able to walk the next day.
Never say never!
I am thankful. 

Gotta love Andes Towers Hills!

Now, onto the next things of the uphill battle in health and wellness. 
Exercising & Simplifying

I will need all the help I can get in the exercising category.  Volunteers for a bit of motivation are appreciated.

But let's talk about Simplifying.

I am ready to delve into the de-cluttering 2015 bag challenge.
Last year I promoted 40 bags in 40 days.
Shall we change it up a bit?  I kind of like the satisfaction of filling up a bag and sending it out the door.
I am still researching some new ideas for de-cluttering.  I purchased a $0.99 book for my Kindle the other day and it seemed a bit too complicated for my liking.  I am also waiting on a book from Amazon recommended by a friend knee deep in cleaning out her sewing room. 
But in the meantime, I have donated about 5 bags of things and
thrown some 30 year old memorabilia from my cedar chest.

It's time to get ruthless I've decided.  Let's do this thing and make 2015 a year of Less is More!

Together, a little at a time or a lot.  Make baby steps and start with a drawer in the bathroom of old makeup or one shelf in the refrigerator.  Or set a timer for 15 minutes and go for an area!

Valentine's Day 2015
Love on yourself and lighten your load of stuff!
Finish reading this and dig in...

Never say never,
Amy

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face.  You must do the thing which you think you cannot.~ Eleanor Roosevelt

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace... 1 Corinthians 14:33a

There IS something in the water

"...must be something in the water."


I remember this statement being said in a classroom at school years ago. 
At that time, I think it was because everyone was bouncing off the walls eager to get out of the confinement of concrete! 

I have also heard it used when many ladies are pregnant at the same time. ;-)

A yahoo search turned up these definitions.
1.  Indicates a common colloquial phrase, ripe for repurposing as a way to account for some effect with no visible cause. (Colloquial is similar to slang or conversational language.)
2. When a group of people that live or work together are affected by a common occurrence it's implied that perhaps there is 'something in the water'. 
3.  Explanation of illness (cholera outbreak) in an area.

Some effect with no visible cause.  This reminds me of the natural occurring arsenic in our water. And, the terrible illness I contracted while visiting out of the country...likely from the water.
The effects from the high levels of arsenic in my body came upon without any visible knowledge.
The effects of  cholera in the water may cause very high fever and major gut trouble but I didn't see it coming, no visible evidence.

Some effect with no visible cause.

So today, I have been singing this all day, "It must've been something in the water."
It's from the beautiful song by Carrie Underwood.  Gives me goosebumps.  Because of her amazing voice but likely mainly because of the words.  You must go to this link so you can hear and read all of the words as she sings.  https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A0LEVjT6iLlUnvQAyAwlnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTBsa3ZzMnBvBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkAw--?p=something+in+the+water+lyrics+carrie+underwood&tnr=21&vid=7C24A257FEED011D48E77C24A257FEED011D48E7&l=231&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DUN.608054059708256245%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwiL3JJPXxKw&sigr=11b854h85&tt=b&tit=Carrie+Underwood+-+Something+in+the+Water+%28lyrics%29&sigt=11iu9n9j9&back=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Dsomething%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwater%2Blyrics%2Bcarrie%2Bunderwood%26ei%3DUTF-8%26hsimp%3Dyhs-001%26hspart%3Dmozilla&sigb=13q06k9i9&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001

Well, that's a long link...anyway, treat yourself to listen and read.

Phrases that ring out loud and clear:

Out of hope, out of fight
I've been where you've been.
Opened my eyes and told me the truth.
So I fell on my knees
Trusted someone bigger than me
Washed in the water
Washed in the blood
Ever since the day I believed
I am changed
I am stronger
How sweet the sound
Saved a wretch like me

Some effect with no visible cause. Was blind, but now I see.

Living water. This is what Carrie is speaking of.  Not the water we drink. Not the well water the Samaritan woman went to retrieve.  Not the baptismal water of a river, font, lake or bath or pool.
Living water.  John 4:13-14
¹³ Jesus replied that people soon became thirsty again after drinking this water. ¹⁴ “But the water I give them,” he said, “becomes a perpetual spring within them, watering them forever with eternal life.”  TLB

From the words of the song, "felt love pouring down from above."  

There IS something in the Water. 
We can't visibly see this. Can't see it in the water. Can't see it with our eyes. But there is some effect.  There is a boat-load of effect.   We can feel it. 

Tap into this well. Be watered forever.
That's something.

Amazing Grace. How sweet.

Amy

Don't Blink

So, I have filled about 7+ bags worth since my previous post. 
(I will get more in depth with the filling of bags/purging in a future blog.)
1. Box of empty boxes (how about that one!)
2. Bag of miscellaneous home items
3. Purses
4. clothes
5. Decor
6. kitchen items
7. Decor from son's room

Decor from son's room?
Typing that hit a cord.

I am new to all of these changes happening.  It's always been my friends'/family's kids that graduated, moved out, or got married. What fun it has been to celebrate these events over the years! Just seemed like something so far down the road for me.

2 weeks from today we officially welcome a new family member.  Our oldest son is getting married.
We are thrilled for them.  It's so exciting.  We love them.

Weird how something so wonderful can also be scary. It can drum up some strange, different emotions.  Like unfamiliar waters. I am thankful for the wisdom of the women I have visited with that know exactly what I am talking about. It warms my heart to connect on this level. Each one of us; the bride, groom, brother, sister, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa are all affected. So cool we have each other.

Have you heard the song by Kenny Chesney, "Don't Blink"?  The video is quite something.
Life goes like a bullet.
Slow down, take it in.
Give love and respect.
Take every breath God gives you for what it's worth.

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=don%27t+blink+kenny+chesney&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001

In the days and weeks ahead, I pray for us all to slow down and take in life.
Enjoy each other, expect the unexpected, hug, talk, and pray together.

Don't blink. Life goes faster than you think.

God is good!
Amy


“We are always getting ready to live but never living.”
--Ralph Waldo Emerson