After reading Living with Less by Joshua Becker, my perception of stuff changed. I will write more about that perception shift another time.....but, for now, I will share 5 of the many reasons why my life is better with less stuff. 1. My house is cleaner and more organized.
This is a biggie for me. I like organizing (when I get around to it) but I'm not good at keeping things organized...resulting in piles of stuff everywhere. Having less stuff means that I have a lot less to keep track of. It is easier to have a place for everything and everything in it's place. Cleaning the house is easier because I have less to dust and clean around. 2. Laundry is easier. Laundry has been one of my greatest enemies for most of my adult life. When I had tons of clothes, the laundry would pile up and then it would take forever to get it all done. Actually putting it away once it was clean was a joke. I always had laundry baskets of clothes all over the house. Getting the kids ready in the morning was awful and I had a constant case of "I have nothing to wear!" Now, if I don't do laundry on a regular basis, I really won't have anything to wear. Smaller, more frequent loads are also much less intimidating to put away. Isn't it nice that I am finally learning basic life skills now that I'm 32?! 3. Contentment Because I don't want extra stuff to clean or store, I am more content with what I have. Searching for whatever it was that would be the magic token to life bliss and happy home took up a lot of my time. I've found it very freeing to be content with what I have & not desire the latest shoe organizer, wall hanging, kitchen gadget, etc. The less stuff the better. Content. 4. Budget-Friendly This goes along with number 3. The less stuff you accumulate, the less money you spend. That one is pretty simple, right? 5. More Life to Live Taking away stuff adds time to the day and focus to the mind. We don't need to go to the store to search for happiness.....happiness is already within us and within the people who we love! I will not be impressed when I come to your house and see your latest do-dad. But, I will be impressed with your engaging smile. I am still working at this new lifestyle. For instance, our dryer recently broke and it was over a week before we got a new one. Laundry became a problem....but I am determined to overcome the evils of laundry!!! :-) Also, with Christmas just 10 days away, materialism has been tempting me. I am trying to make wise decisions for my family and myself, but it is really difficult. I am thankful for Chris, who keeps me grounded. More on Christmas, later. That's all for now.... Love & Joy!! Rachel
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Advent begins today. In worship, some beautiful friends lit the 1st candle of the Advent wreath, representing hope. There was also a baptism and the lovely child's name was Hope. How perfect is that?
Our Core Group (best buddies, small group, besties...) began our Advent study today. Chris and I are extremely blessed to have this Core Group...everyone needs this. Anyways...we talked about Isaiah 9 and what hope would look like for the completely hopeless. I think it would be like being in a completely dark tunnel, finding your way around a corner, and with a hard squint seeing a tiny spot of light. Like, at first you think it's your imagination or that it's too good to be true and you don't want to believe it because you're sure you will be disappointed. So you would blink and blink and stare and stretch your head out and open your eyes really wide... hoping. The first glimpse of hope. That is where we are in Advent. We all have this huge need for Christ as a savior.....to save us from whatever it is that haunts us. Christ is our HOPE! Christ IS the light. The light is there and it is for US! It's so cool....it really is. I know that Christ is with me all the time...but this season is perfect for really reflecting on my life. There is darkness in me....There has been more darkness in me this year than usual. The darkest parts are over and every day I am finding more joy. I have turned the corner and the light is getting brighter. I am experiencing hope when I previously didn't know it was there. The thought of traveling through Advent with my family, church, and Core Group is really exciting. I know that we will light another candle next Sunday and another on the next Sunday...and on we will go until we are standing in the Sanctuary on Christmas Eve singing Silent Night and lifting our light high in the air. Aaaah!!!!!~~~Can't you just feel it?? Christmas is coming!!!!! HOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are in the new house. Our stuff is here. Most of our helpers have left, but their fingerprints are on our home & our hearts forever. Community like this can only be created by God. Giving thanks for each prayer, warm thought, bite of food, & serving hand.
I'm grateful for our choice to live with less and what it is meaning to our family. A year ago we had my least favorite move....I wanted to cry at the thought of continuing to drag things to the new house.....baggage, literally & figuratively. This has been my favorite move. I love this house and this fresh start. Our home is smaller, but our hearts are larger. We have less material things and more peace. So grateful. Thank you! ♡♡♡♡ It's moving day!!! I have my mom and coffee and kids and hubby and soon friends.....woot woot!!
Say a prayer, Send good thoughts, Cross your fingers, & Wish us luck! ♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡ I don't like staying up this late unless I'm at a fun party or something. It's like 11:00pm and this is not a party....This is PACKING WHICH SUCKS A LOT!!!
After getting rid of SO MUCH stuff in the past year....how do we STILL have SO much CRAP?!?! I declared it bedtime because my body and mind were done. The house isn't done, but I am. So, I'm getting this out while I'm cozy in David's twin bed-mattress on the floor. At bedtime he was sad because Grandma always sleeps with Lilly (full size bed). So, of course, I offered to sleep with him. ♡ Tomorrow will come early & I will be a crazy spun out balloon. I hope I don't crash too early...... .....so.....much.....left.....to......do................. I am in full blown rebellion mode.
Here are my current strategies for stickin it to the...move.
There are three days left of my life before my friends show up to move all of my families' crap a block south. So, in the interest of time management, I am blogging. Don't worry. It's 5am and I've already done some stuff like laundry and coffee....and editing a super awesome pic that you can see right above the words I'm typing. I got up at 4....which, weirdly enough, is not weird for me...but I still feel like I should be applauded when I am up before 6. When I was younger I had no idea the how much beauty the morning held....kids are sleeping....i can watch whatever I want on tv....make sure they have clean underwear....fun stuff like that. To get back to my point....
There are three days left of my life before my friends show up to move my crap. Because I have experienced it before, I know how part of it will go. I will, no doubt, wake up at a ridiculous hour and frantically do "stuff." To get a good picture of what it looks like for me to do "stuff", imagine a fully inflated, untied balloon being released into the air. The balloon will zoom and spin and dip and bump into things and do nothing except be ridiculous until it flops on the floor...which will be me by dinnertime....maybe lunchtime. My friends will be amazing as they patiently move my crap and clean surfaces while I change my mind about things and as I refuse to make little decisions, like what to do or when. I'm just incapable of rushed decisions. It's part of my personality type. I can't help it. I hate moving. Make it stop! So....things are actually going ok, so far. We have lots of boxes, thank you friends and Chris' work. I am going to save these boxes in case we move in 18 months, or in case someone else needs them. New house has great storage. Chris and I have made a schedule. We have duties for every day of this week. Also typical to my personality type, which I can't change-sorry, I enjoy making lists but do not enjoy being restricted by them. So, I have rebelled against myself by refusing to pack the toy room which has been on the list since before the list was created. We have, however, made great strides in other areas of the house. Lilly's room is done! David's room is done, besides his closet. Large toy items have been given away. Books-done. Living room toys-done. Curtains-done. Wall hangings-done. Dining room hutch-done. Basement-half done. Laundry.....in progress. The garbage truck will come by our house tomorrow morning. We will have lots of crap on the tree lawn (that is the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street, according to NE Ohio-Before I lived in NE Ohio I would have said "We will have lots of crap on the curb). The Lakewood Looters (not to be confused with the trash day bargain hunters-Meg & me) will surely be driving slowly by my house, holding up the school traffic for St. Ed's. They will be dissapointed by my loot and hopefully the St. Ed's boys won't be late for school. We are in a good place....I think. David shut his fingers in the sliding van door last night which, along with a dinner mishap & meeting at church created a night I'd like to forget....& no packing. BUT!!!! There are no meetings on tonight's agenda....no special events and I WILL not make any appointments or playdates or dinner dates. I WILL NOT!!!!! [unless I get a lot done and end up at the Clifton Wine Bar with Sarah Pierce, Meg, and whoever else.] Chris is getting ready to leave for Spin class.....it is 5:30am. Here is what he has been up to so far this morning. Love you all!!! <3 Q: What do you call 2 people who move more than 10 times in 10 years? A: Chris & Rachel Burns When we found out that the house we are renting was going up for sale...again...we knew that we wouldn't be able to buy it. We had several months to figure things out. Initially, I was devastated. I had thought we might buy this house and live here for a long time...but our time line and the home owner's time line did not match up. So, I got really mad. I wasn't mad at any person, I was mad at the situation. Despite what may be popular belief, I really, really, REALLY want to own a home.
I see a lot of my friends owning their 1st or 2nd home and I get extremely jealous. Of course, owning a home does not determine self worth, as all rational people know, but I am not a rational person! I'm 32, I have 2 kids, 2 dogs, I've been married for 10 years, and my husband and I both have full time jobs. HOLY MOLY!! I don't want to move anymore. It's awful. It takes so much time and energy and it causes so much stress. It isn't a good life choice to move over 10 times in 10 years. It's just not. I can't even boast that I am an excellent packer and mover. I'm the person you don't want to help move because I am messy, unorganized, and lazy. I don't know how I still have friends. If I was my friend, I would go on vacation during moving weekend...."Oops! Sorry! That's vaca week! Can't wait to see you all moved in!!" Thank God we have managed to stay in the same area for the past 3 1/2 years. Actually, the same street, which is very weird, I'm aware. Even weirder is that we are moving to another house on the same street. That is 3 houses on the same street within 4 years. When I was done being mad, I got excited for new adventure. I started seeing all of the things wrong with our current house and dreamed about what could be...I have had so many dreams in the past several months...you have no idea. When it came to decision time...a house came available on our street. [Sounds familiar-same thing happened 1 year ago] So, here we are...1 week til moving day. We are signing an extended lease so that--by God's grace-we will be ready to buy a home at the end of the lease. We can buy our new house if we fall in love with it...or we may choose something else. I'm happy that Lakewood is our home and that Chesterland Avenue has been such a fun and supportive place for our family. I am in constant awe of God's good work in our lives. Even when I have no idea what the future holds, God has a plan...which is revealed only in His perfect time. Our new address will be on Facebook, or you may e-mail me for it. For the time being, the post office will forward our mail. Thank you for being supportive of us and thank you, moving helpers, for not giving up our friendshsip. :o) We appreciate your prayers as we create a new home and work hard towards purchasing our very own house. Home truly is where the heart is. I didn't know that I would have common themes, but it seems that I do...at least for now! Self Image and Body Image are issues that really touch my heart. They are things I have struggled with personally and now they are a concern for me when it comes to my own children and the youth who I work with. I know that not everyone feels comforable being open about their feelings and what they struggle with, but for the most part it doesn't bother me. I just want to be real. Being fake gives false impressions and unrealistic expectations. Especially if it helps you, I am honored to share.
So, let's make a deal and quit pretending that we have it all together...for our own sake and everyone else's. I'm not asking you to confess anything, I'm just asking you to be real. More on this later. Thank you for being a part of my blogging journey! This has been really fun and getting over 2,000 views in less that a month is super encouraging! Thank you for sharing this adventure! Last night I watched 3 hours of t.v. The commercials made me want to spend a million dollars and then cry...or vice versa. Do you watch much t.v.? Do you pay attention to how it makes you feel about yourself and your life? Here are some things I "learned," but not really-because I'm learning to see past it all. -My hair is dull and lifeless because I don't color it. When I touch my hair I get sad and look like this: :-( I need to stop at the drug store tomorrow and buy the special hair dye that makes my hair healthy and makes me look like this: :-) Then, I will want to go to the park and frolic while all of the people admire me.-I am really fat and I don't have time to eat healthy or exercise. People are looking at me weird because I have put on so much weight. I need to call the phone number right away so they can send me the special powder. When the special powder comes in the mail, I will sprinkle it on any food I want and instantly start to lose weight. People will notice and I will be admired for my tiny waist and beautiful hair while I frolic in the park with lots of energy! Yay!-My skin is blotchy and I look old. I need to remember to spend some time in the make up aisle when I go to buy the hair dye. There is a foundation that is made to look just like my skin, except perfect!! It even lasts for 12 hours so I won't get ugly before dinner.......-But I better get the face wash and night/day cream & eye cream & toner & all of the things while I'm at the drug store or else more wrinkles will come and I will get uglier. Also, the foundation might make me break out, so the half hour morning and night facial routine will be totally worth it. -My single friends need to sign up for online dating so they can have a successful marriage someday. I will tell them tomorrow. -Crap- I need to order the new stompeeblankiestuffedtoy before my kids feel left out!!!! & I need one in the girl version and one in the boy version. Right now.It's too bad that my kids have no nice toys...that my single friends are so sad...that I have so many wrinkles and blotches...that I'm fat and lazy...that my hair is lifeless and ugly. I am so grateful that my husband and I have jobs so we can afford all of the things I need to make myself normal and not so :-(. I can't wait to frolic in the park and be admired!!!!!
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AuthorRachel E. Burns Archives
September 2017
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