Friday, June 12, 2015

purposeful minimizing {my journey}



I never thought I was strong enough to become a minimalist. I've heard of this way of life, but never looked into it or thought much about it. I just thought I needed my stuff and was too lost without it. 

The world makes us think that. We live in a society where we think bigger, better, glitzy, big price tag is the best way of life. Shopping is therapy, I believed. My kids need this toy and that outfit. My house needs this and that so I can feel accepted and have people over to entertain. That was the old me. I've been doing some serious doing away with things in my house, my life, and my crazy perspective. I prayed so hard for God to take away the love of money from my heart. And show me what really matters. So here is my little slice of the journey. 

I changed my thoughts. After a weight on my heart for better financial living and a heart change, God gave me just that. It wasn't pretty. I had to dig deep and really see what I was spending on, bringing into our house, the use for those things and what I needed to change about myself, which is a hard raw process. 

I stopped spending blindly. Which was HARD HARD HARD. I realized the main reason I was spending was because my husband was working away and I was just sad. I realized my spending came from my feelings. 

My kids and I don't need a bunch of stuff. The latest toys, clothes, technology? We can't afford it, so I am learning not to covet it when I see it in stores or online. We cut down all their toys and I let them keep a small tub full, not a room full. It gave my kids freedom to explore their imaginations and come up with games, play all on their own. 

It gives freedom. I thought it I gave a lot of the things in my house away, I would feel empty. But I don't. I feel so incredibly better, happier and relieved. 

Somebody once told me- if your house is always cluttered even if you try to organize and clean- you've got too much stuff and it's true. I was always trying my hardest to clean clean clean, but I was running in circles over a massive elephant in the room- STUFF. 

Now, I give all the stuff I can away. I give to family and friends, and donate it away to help others. I just don't keep it if it doesn't have a purpose in our home. 

More to come soon on this topic.

Sweet friends, thank you for listening to me. Have anything to add? I'm all ears. 

Love,




7 comments:

  1. Good for you! I am starting to declutter the home. Soon, I will be revamping my blog with a minimalistic approach. I long for distraction free writing. Hugs to you my friend.

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  2. Love this! My husband and I have been working to live minimalistically for the past four years (since we got married). It is definitely a journey and something you grow in and I'm finding that being minimalistic when having babies is going to be a lot harder than just the two of us! I loved this post and can't wait to hear more about your journey!
    Alesha <3

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  3. This is meeee. My room is SUCH a mess right now. I don't have enough room for everything. Then again I did try to fit things from an entire apartment into one room! YIKES! Good for you for acknowledging your love of things and for making a change! :)

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  4. I was right there with you for awhile, only it was my son's old baby things. But God was so patient and so gentle, He showed me what an idol it had become. Those baby things represented what I wanted more than what He wanted. So I gave it all away and I felt so FREE! Continue on with the path you're walking, it will only get better. :)

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  5. I can relate to this. I'm trying to purge all the stuff and be ok with having less.

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  6. I'm working on going through things this month. There is a free feeling when you aren't buried in clutter! I need to keep at it, for I get overwhelmed and then go find something else to do...

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  7. I can relate to this so much. I've cut down on all the unnecessary things in our lives - My kids don't need every new toy that comes out and we don't need every new device that comes out. We've had a great year so far - after I realized that I just couldn't have it all and I really didn't need it all. Things are just things, I'm glad we spend our money more wisely now. We've gotten to do things more as a family instead of staying at home, buying those new toys used to be a waste when the kids got bored of them after a couple of days.. & now we get to make memories instead! :)

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