Decluttering: You Have to Start SOMEWHERE!

First, I have to apologize for not writing since JULY! I've had some things going on that distracted me from my blog, and, well, there's just no real excuse. I'm sorry I abandoned you for nearly 3 months! In that time, the Lord has really been dealing with me on some things (which I will share with you in the coming weeks!), and I am seeing the importance of connecting with you every week.

Today, I want to begin a series on clutter. Stop right now and look around your present area. Are there papers everywhere, dishes in the sink, clothes lying around waiting to be folded and put away (or WASHED!), are there toys piled up, is your bed unmade, or is that catch-all table somewhere under all that STUFF? It is in my house! What about this? Do you have dozens, hundreds, or THOUSANDS of unread emails? Does your car have empty fast food cups filling the floors?
If any of these sound like an area in your life, I have good news for you! You can start to declutter TODAY! We'll talk about just how to do that this week, but I wanted you to begin to think about the clutter that we have all just become comfortable with. We don't realize that it is taking over various areas of our lives...until someone drops in for a surprise visit, asks if you read that email, or a child needs that one shirt for a choir performance!

The first step in decluttering any area of our lives is to realize that we DO have clutter! Take inventory of the areas that need to be gone through. Start with the area you spend the most time in. Make a list of the things that need to be done in that area. If it's the kitchen, for example, your list might include: load dishwasher, empty dishwasher, clean microwave inside and out, throw out old fast food cup, put towels in drawer, throw old mail/junk mail out, wipe down coffee maker, wipe off counters, organize plastics cupboard (how many of us have DOZENS of Tupperware type containers with NO matching lids?!), etc. Don't do anything in that area yet. Then go through other areas of your house and take note of what needs to be done. Perhaps there are things that can be kept. Maybe a toy is broken and should be thrown out. Maybe you don't use that trendy copper pan and you can donate it. What if your unused items could be sold and bring you a little extra money?!

These are all starting points in the journey f decluttering your life. You may be trying to figure out why getting organized at home is so important. Well, Terri Savelle Foy says, "The way you do anything is the way you do EVERYTHING!" In other words, if there are areas of your life that are cluttered, there are likely areas of your spiritual life that are cluttered, too. Matthew 7:16 says, "By their fruits you will know them." In other words, what your home looks like, your car looks like (inside, not the type or value!), is what YOU look like! That's powerful, isn't it?

So this week, let's prepare to get started on decluttering our lives. Start by making that list, but don't start on it just yet. We'll get to that, don't worry! Before you know it, your home, life, and fruit will reflect your organization!

Have a blessed week!


Lyn~