I spent a few hours last weekend rooting through all the stuff in my closet, and feel that I only came a little closer to getting it all clean. The picture below is after I removed one trash bag of junk and one of stuff for Goodwill. It's kinda depressing to see how much farther I need to go!


I'm sure in the long run this cleaning adventure will be for my benefit. I can't remember where I saw this, but I think it was A Gracious Home: that when purging stuff, one should consider every item, even sentimental ones, on whether it would be replaced if it was lost in a fire. Pondering over that remark really makes me reflect on most of the stuff I have in that closet; items I never use and only see every 6 months. I hold on to things because I remember how much money I blew on them when I thought they were important, or I can remember who gave me such and such and I don't want to hurt their feelings by throwing it away even though it's been in the closet for five years.

This weekend I planning on doing some more purging. Hopefully I can dump another trash bag full.

One of the things that doesn't tend to bother me is a little bit of clutter, but now that I'm getting older, the degree of clutter I can tolerate is growing smaller and smaller. I've found that opening my closet door is cause for alarm, and getting ready for work in the morning tends to be a nightmare. Here is my closet in its present state:

All of my sewing supplies, important papers, etc, are buried somewhere in that pile. I have to remove all the stuff on the floor just to get at it. One of my more superficial reasons for cleaning out the closet is so that this bookshelf--

--will be put in the closet. Our overly fat black cat (whom we affectionately call "Tubby" when she's not listening) likes to awaken us with the nails-on-a-chalkboard sound of books ripping, at 5 a.m. no less. I'd like to put the shelf in the closet to keep her away from it, instead of the lovely towel-jacket-pillow draping combination you see here.

I spent an hour and a half cleaning it tonight, with the end result being the removal of one trash bag of junk, and one of stuff for Goodwill. Yet, it still looks the same. I realize that my closet stores other stuff besides my clothes (luggage, sewing supplies, and so on), but I still have a long way to go.

Let me step on my soapbox for a minute.

The other day Stu and I headed out to the suburbs to return a shirt I had received for Christmas. (Apparently this was the only location for this store in Houston . . .) Anyway, this store was located in a regular old mall, and immediately upon walking in I felt uncomfortable.

I've avoided the mall lately since I tend to find myself wanting everything I see, which is not good when one is on a budget. (Plus it's the principle of the thing. I don't need more stuff!) This particular mall was an overstimulating zoo. My senses just simply felt attacked. Everything was from the floor to the ceiling decorations to the storefronts was brightly colored, loud music was blasting, and the smell of Cinnabon was drifting down the way. It was like being at the Discovery Zone, only with stores where you would be enticed to spend to your heart's content.

I don't remember malls being this assaulting. It gives me a headache just thinking about it! Growing up, the closest mall was a dreary shade of greens, mauves, and white. Is this a new trend? Are there other malls like this in Suburbia? Or am I just overreacting?

Okay, rant over.

Seriously, though, I want to pursue godly simplicity in my life, and it can be so difficult when surrounded by places that purposefully exist to drain my pocketbook.

For the past few weeks, I have been frequenting the Houston Farmers Market in order to pick up fresh local products. I currently buy milk, eggs, and honey, since most veggies are not producing now. Now that the heat is letting up, I'm hoping for more produce in the next few weeks. I would eventually love to buy all locally grown food, but in this climate and with my income, it just isn't feasible.

I love being able to meet the people who tend the earth and animals, rather than just buying something from the grocery. I love to see the passion on their faces when they talk about the health benefits of their products, or why they just simply taste better. I love that my money is going to support a family in the community, rather than just a big box store. It's much more personal, and that's something that I really appreciate.

Someday I hope to have a large enough garden of my own, where my family and I can put up enough produce to last all year. Maybe I will try my hand at chickens (for eggs, anyway). I've always loved to garden, and I hope to someday enjoy the fruits of that work physically and spiritually. But for now, I'm content to buy just a few local things, and the rest at the supermarket.

Lindsey over at Enjoy the Journey recently finished a series of posts about food culture which I found fascinating. Sneak over there and read the whole series; it's definitely worth it! I plan to read the book she recommended, which is called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver. I'll let you know what I think of the book in a later post, and hopefully my ideas of food culture and environmental responsibility as Christians will become more clear, and I'll be able to flesh out my thoughts.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

--Jim Elliot

Once I was winning
In fortune and fame
Everything that I dreamed for
To get a start in life's game
Then suddenly it happened
I lost every dime
But I'm richer by far
With a satisfied mind

--Johnny Cash, "A Satisfied Mind"

The other day was my church's annual women's Christmas dinner. While it was a wonderful time to get together and worship our Savior, something didn't sit with me right. I've noticed this before, but it struck me that night: Our church is extremely wealthy, and it shows. Many women I see are perfectly groomed, with designer suits, purses, and shoes. It unsettled me a bit.

Don't get me wrong, I love our church. It's doctrinely sound, welcoming, and many of the people I know are truly wonderful, humble Christians. But I wonder how many people examine how they live their lives and consider the message they convey with the wealth they have amassed.

This is a topic that I've been struggling with lately. American consumerism is slammed in my face so much that I feel confused about what is acceptable for Christians. Is it okay to spend money on designer clothes? Expensive furniture? Bally's fitness memberships? Hubby and I have been talking a lot lately about what it means to really be a Christian. How should we stand out from the world? What makes us different?

I see the wealth around me and cannot help but wonder if I'm just being uptight. Is it okay to be a Christian and be wealthy? Or is this just a modern American idea, where materialism has wrongly been infused into the Christian culture?

Right now in our Sunday school class, we are studying the great patriarch, Abraham. After God makes His covenant with Abram and promises him the land, a famine comes to Canaan and drives Abram and his family to Egypt. (We aren't told if God told Abram to flee there, or if Abram lost faith and fled there on his own.) Upon return, both Abram's clan and Lot's have developed huge amounts of wealth. And you know what happens? Familial strife. It is at this point when Abram and Lot separate, with Lot headed down the road to Sodom and Gomorrah. (See Genesis 13.) Other examples of wealth in the Bible include Solomon, who eventually turned away from the Lord. Of course, he also had other problems. Another is the rich young ruler (see Mark 10:17-31). After the rich young ruler rejects Jesus, Jesus proclaims, "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." (Mk. 10:24b-25)

Does this mean we should steer clear of wealth, since it leads to destruction? I don't think so. Job, in all his wealth, was a righteous man. After Job loses it all and God reveals Himself to Job, He restores all of Job's wealth in order to bless him. Wealth can be a blessing. Several verses in Proverbs say this. (See Proverbs 10:22 for an example). While wealth might be a blessing, Paul commands us not to desire it. He writes in 1 Timothy, "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wanderd away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (6:9-10) This desire for wealth is what gets us in trouble, not the actual wealth itself.

How can wealth be a blessing, if there is so much temptation attached to misuse it? The answer is to Give generously. God loves a cheerful giver (1 Cor. 9:7). We are to find joy in giving! There are many passages in Scripture that command giving. Later in 1 Timothy, Paul commands: "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, not to set their hopes on the uncertainity of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (6:17-19) Proverbs 11:24 describes one of the blessings of giving: "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." When God blesses us with wealth, it is our joy to give to furthering His kingdom! Not only that, but those who give receive further blessings in return. Just like in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), if we are faithful in a little, God will set us over much.

I think this is why I so desire to live simply, and I don't understand others who appear to be chasing the wind (although I really can't know their hearts). I don't want or need to be bogged down with excess money, with its worries and temptations, when it could be used so much more responsibly elsewhere. If God happens to bless Hubby and I with wealth later down the road, we don't need to see it as a hinderance to simplicity. What joy to give it away!

If you would like to read more about this subject, I highly recommend "The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn. It's a short and sweet little book that talks about the joy of giving.

"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce." Proverbs 3:9

I'm certainly not the person to write a post about simplicity! I must confess, in the past few years I have departed from my missionary kid upbringing to embrace the consumerism of Americans. I have always been an impulse buyer, but it's become even more dangerous now that I bring home a substantial paycheck (substantial meaning more than my baby-sitting wages of high school). I have fallen into the trap of wanting things.

Then I got married. My husband is one of the most non-materialistic people you could meet. As we start our journey together, he is constantly pulling me back to earth, reminding me to place my values into heavenly treasures that will last forever. He's very good for me in that respect. As we look at our life and where we will be aiming to be in the next few years, I realize that a simple lifestyle will be better for us all the way around. But the challenge of getting over that first hump! Of letting go my desire for things, and focusing completely on God's desires! Oh, easier said than done.

As I said, I am definitely not the person to write a post on simplicity. I am the person to write a post on American materialism, its negative impact on my life and.... that's where I am right now. In between. Heading the right direction, but certainly not there yet! Perhaps in a year I'll be able to reflect more on simplicity, but for now this is where I am.

These thoughts are not out of the blue, but prompted by an excellent post by my friend Joanna, entitled Simple?. She links to some good websites, and talks about different areas to pursue simplicity.

Other bloggers have touched on this subject as well. One of my favorite blogs, Amy's Humble Musings, wrote about it recently in a post from this summer called Reduction Production. An excerpt:

One detail I’ve learned along the way is that a penny saved is much more than a penny earned. But what’s even better is to reduce your need for pennies in the first place. While working to produce a supplemental income is wise (especially if the plan is entrepreneurial in nature), one shouldn’t overlook the value of reducing expenses as a wise contribution as well.

Amy also talks about how children fit into our desire for a simpler life (not applicable to us right now, I know, but definitely fitting into our plan for the future) in her post Good Things.

Another of my favorite blogs, A Gracious Home, has also addressed this topic numerous times. I can tell it is near and dear to Sallie's heart as she and her husband try to seek simplicity in their own lives. Here are a few of her posts that I liked:

• The Road to Simplicity (Does it have a destination?) - a list of ways Sallie and her husband have simplified their lives over the years
• Simplicity and Frugality - The books that impacted me the most - a review of 4 different books
• Simplifying Choices - questions to ask when making decisions
• Freedom from clutter - "I believe getting rid of the clutter in my home is a key part of living peacefully." Ah she must be a friend of FLYLady! :-)
  

I hope these links will help you in your own life as you strive toward simplicity. I plan on sitting down with Paul sometime and talking about this seriously... after the holidays, though. ;-)