Time to Toss Stuff...Again

I've been feeling a little bit anxious lately - like there is too much to do.  I looked at my schedule and it looks fine.  I wondered why I felt a little overwhelmed again.  Then I realized that the last time I went through my house and got rid of stuff was in March...  6 months ago.  It's time for a 6 month purge!  I really want to get rid of everything that I don't use this time.  I don't want to keep anything "just in case I might use it someday".  I got rid of so much 6 months ago that you'd think it would be pretty easy to go through again and find the few things I've acquired since last time, but it's not so.  For one thing, I didn't get rid of enough (one can only part with so much at a give time!),  and also, for some reason, more stuff has accumulated.  I'm not sure how that happens because I haven't been buying anything, but it does seem to creep up.

I think I might take some before and after pictures and post them on here - that ought to be motivational right?  It would also be embarrassing though.  After all of my talk about simplifying I don't know if really want anyone to see how much stuff I still have.  Maybe if I post the before and after pictures together, it won't be so bad.  I'm going to start with the worst room - this one that I am in.  We keep our computer stuff, all of our paperwork and documents, some books, baby clothes and items, a crib and several boxes of stuff we might use someday in here.  We have a computer shelf that can't fit on our computer since our ceiling is sloped so the kids like to play around it and some stuff has accumulated behind it.

I found myself getting a little jealous as my friend, Deanna, talked about how they are temporarily moving into a 760 sf house.  I thought, "That would be awfully tight, but how simple life would be!"  Then I thought, I don't have to move into a little house to make life simpler - I can pretend I'm moving into a 760 sf house and get rid of anything that is not essential...or almost essential.  We'll see how it goes.

I think for my scripture study, I'll look up some stuff about minimizing distractions.  That ought to motivate me as well.  I'll share some of my favorite findings below:

"Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home. Home is where women have the most power and influence... Growth happens best in a “house of order,” and women should pattern their homes after the Lord’s house (see D&C 109)...

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. "  Julie B. Beck - Mothers Who Know

Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.- Proverbs 15:16

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. - Matthew 19:21

"From his experiences at Walden Pond, Thoreau determined that there were only four things that a man really needed: food, clothing, shelter, and fuel." -L. Tom Perry Let Him Do It with Simplicity

"We cannot and we must not allow ourselves to get distracted from our sacred duty. We cannot and we must not lose focus on the things that matter most."  Elder Dieter F. Uchdorf We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down

I fear that some members of the Lord’s Church “live far beneath our privileges” with regard to the gift of the Holy Ghost. Some are distracted by the things of the world that block out the influence of the Holy Ghost, preventing them from recognizing spiritual promptings. This is a noisy and busy world that we live in. Remember that being busy is not necessarily being spiritual. If we are not careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the Spirit...We should lower the noise level in our homes so that the noise of the world will not overpower the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost" -Joseph B. Wirthlin The Unspeakable Gift

That ought to keep me going this morning. I think I'll work on one room per day. That way maybe I can make time to actually keep some of our learning goals going. Maybe I'll take a picture of the Savior with me as I go to remind me what our focus us and that all of the stuff can block Him from my view. Wish me luck!