for consideration

i like stuff.

there, i admitted it. i like all sorts of stuff: big stuff, little stuff, pretty stuff, weird stuff, important stuff and stupid stuff. the point is that i like it all.

that being said- recently i have felt as though the last thing in the world that i should be doing is simply "collecting" (for lack of a better word) stuff. my house is small. i like it that way. i think of it as "cozy". there is very little storage, and what that space should be used for is clothes that harry is too big for and westley has yet to conquer, a few things from stephen's and my childhood, a wedding dress and some luggage. instead, i had made it my personal goal to fill every nook and cranny with the most random and ridiculous thing in the world that we "might need some day". ug.

therefore, weeks and weeks of preparation went into this past weekend. my sister and i held an enormous yard sale. i wish i had taken a picture of just how much stuff was spread out all over my lawn. i did not. but imagine a ton of junk, and multiply it by 3. that was it.

we sold some of it. i was actually surprised how much was gone at noon. what was leftover made it's way to the thrift shop. hopefully it all will find homes with people who truly want and need it.

now, my goal is to make the things that i have left actually mean something. the few toys that we kept for the boys are going to be rotated. a few things will be left out for a month or two, then will be switched with others that are waiting in the attic for their chance to be played with. ( i might take toy story a little bit too much to heart.)

we got rid of at least half of my kid's clothes. they can wear out the ones that we do have, and if need be, we will replace a thing or two. (they don't look like they mind too much, right?)

i read proverbs 31 this morning and it meant so much more to me than before i reached this point.

V 27 : She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness

niv

there is so much that i do wrong or poorly. i just don't want to overlook those things when they are staring me in the face.

so, here is to simple living, gentle and quite spirits, passing up that thing i think i really need, "make do and mend", and learning contentment. it's going to be a long and tough season, but oh so worth it.