My One Word: Simplify

19 January, 2013 by 5 Comments

 

I love how people pick one word as their word to live by for the year. Last year, my one word was simply “God.” I wanted to make God the center of everything in my life…to the extent that every decision I made each day was centered around my faith in him. Overall, I think the year went pretty well. Obviously, I didn’t consider God with every decision…like Chinese or Pizza for supper…but he was present and accounted for in every area of my life. Even when I screwed up (especially when I screwed up)!

What I have realized over the last year, though, is how the material things in my life interfere with God in my life.

  • When I have to manage my clutter (yes, it actually takes management skills), my focus is taken away from God.
  • When I have to manage a busy schedule, my focus is taken away from God. 
  • When I have to multitask (and we all know that’s counterproductive and bad for your brain), my focus is taken away from God. 

So this year, my one word is SIMPLIFY.

Every word you give me is a miracle word—how could I help but obey?Psalms 119: 129 

I’m confident that my DNA contains codes for hoarding, collecting, preserving, stockpiling,  and saving.

I’ve spent the first 40 years of my life (okay…43 years) accumulating stuff…Stuff that I must wash, fold, put away, organize, repair, or at the very least maintain. I figure it may take me the next 40 years to get rid of everything I spent the first 40 years obtaining. But I hope not. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life dealing with stuff. 

I want the next 40 years to be about Jesus, relationships, marriage, children, and grandchildren. I want to enjoy every little bit of my life, not constantly trying to unclutter my life. 

So this year is the beginning. The beginning to a simpler life. My goal is to post every Saturday (Simple Saturdays) on what I did that week to make life simpler. I may blog about:

  • a book I’m reading about a simpler life
  • a simple recipe
  • before and after pictures of a freshly decluttered closet
  • an old home video that I’m converting to digital (to get rid of the plethora of tapes I have around my house)
  • healthy alternatives to the metamorphasized, chemicalized, and syntheticized, products that we use in our home and on our body.

In the interest of the project, however, forgive me if I miss a week. Part of my goal in simplifying my life is dialing down my perfectionist tendencies.

Won’t you join me?

You will need big black trash bags, a close Goodwill or Salvation Army drop-off point, willpower, the word “no” in your vocabulary ready to be used, and your Bible to read daily to keep reminding you what life is really all about.

Ready, set, SIMPLIFY!

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Distractions

18 July, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Housework. Laundry. Dishes. “UUUGGGGHHHH” (as Charlie Brown would say). I go from one task to the next, room to room to room, putting up, washing, repairing, scrubbing, etc. When I have all of these tasks on my mind that I need to accomplish, I think by brain goes into “shutdown” mode. I will be in the kitchen doing dishes, when I suddenly remember my favorite jeans need to be washed for tomorrow. I go to my closet to get my jeans, but instead I remember that I need to take clothes to the consignment shop on Friday. So I begin to gather those items, but I have nothing to put them in. So I go to the laundry room to get a bag, and I see the empty cat food bag on the counter and must make a note to pick it up when I go to the store. When I go to get a piece of paper to write it on, I see the stack of bills that must be paid today or they will be late…I think you get the picture! I run around like a mouse in a maze, and never get anywhere! Distractions are one of the devil’s greatest tools.

I have always said that I wish I could write messages to myself on the back of my eyelids so I get a reminder every time I blink! Maybe I could stay focused. Maybe? 

How often do we say that we are going to spend more time praying? We have the best intentions, but as soon as we let our mind go elsewhere, Satan is armed and ready with distractions to keep our mind so busy we forget to pray.  I need to write “God” on the back of my eyelids. Our busy lives take away our time and attention from God, who deserves and desires it most of all. Since the beginning of this year, I have made a special effort to remind myself constantly that God deserves my attention. God loves my attention. God demands my attention. We should not be in the habit of only talking to Him before each meal and at bedtime. How would you feel in this were the only times you spoke to your children every day? Do you think that you would be very close to them? Would they know the unconditional love that you have for them? Probably not.

Well, I have worked long and hard to find a solution to this problem. Now I am quite sure I should patent this idea, but I suppose I could go ahead and share it…

Neon colored post it notes. 

I really wanted to be able to stay in an attitude of prayer throughout the day, so I simply wrote “God” on a bunch of hot pink post it notes, and scattered them throughout the house where I will see them on a regular basis. 

On my alarm clock.
Above my kitchen sink.
On my washer and dryer.
On the dashboard of my car.
On the bathroom mirror. 

It worked! Every time I saw my hot pink reminder, I prayed. Before long, I didn’t need the notes anymore. When my alarm clock goes off, I pray (although it may be after the first couple of times I hit the snooze button). I pray when I get in my car. I pray when I am getting dressed in the mornings. You get the picture. These daily tasks are “linked” in my mind to those post it notes, and therefore to my prayer time. Habits are formed after repeating them for around 2 weeks, so before long, my direct line to my heavenly father was connected all the time.

What do I pray for? Sometimes I have a specific need or praise, but I often just talk to him about whatever I am thinking. I will tell him all of the tasks I am trying to get accomplished. I ask him to help me remember all the tasks that must be done! Your brain is never still, it’s always running. No matter what is going on in there, God wants to hear it. When you don’t know what to say, just listen. He has plenty to tell to a willing ear.

Your prescription for today says, “You must love him with all your heart, soul, and might. And you must think constantly about these commandments I am giving you today. You must teach them to your children and talk about them when you are at home or out for a walk; at bedtime and first thing in the morning. Tie them on your finger, wear them on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house!”

I knew that God wants us to always be in an attitude of prayer, but I didn’t know the post-it notes and eye-lid writing were biblical! God does not want us to be “lukewarm”. God does not want our leftovers. He wants ALL of us!

I challenge you to try the same thing. Begin to make God a priority in your life, bringing him into your every day tasks. I promise he will reveal himself to you more and more, and your relationship with him will grow. So go ahead, go get those post-its!
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Filed Under: Simplify Your Life, The Power of Prayer, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , ,