When we were living in Ripon, raising our four children, life was pretty crazy. We were always on the run; someone had to be somewhere at sometime! ALWAYS! Then, it hit me like a bolt of lightning. Maybe, just maybe, I could do things differently on my end, to simplify our lives. I've always been pretty organized (as long as I remember everything I need to do!), so that part was in control. But, it hit me that I could simplify the world around us, meaning our home.
While the 'thing' at the time was to decorate country, which meant find everything cutesy that you could and hang it on your wall, or build shelves to store all those cute little country things on, I abstained. Oh, at first I was caught up in it. Admittedly, I had a few things that were countrified - but they were usually homemade things from Homemaking! What I did instead was choose to be me. I like simple, I run on simple; it makes me happy, happy, happy!
Down came everything, up went very little. That continues to be a running theme for me. Less is better. Understated is just that. No need for frills! I can honestly say that it makes me happy. Clutter drives me crazy, while being organized brings me great joy. And really, isn't that what simplicity boils down to? It's life minus the fluff, and I am grateful for that.
"Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power." - Julie B. Beck
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Angie! I love that! :)
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