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!