 ~ My FINAL Posting for 1999! ~ Well, I do believe this will be the final update to my Simple Living Journal - I don’t believe I have much more to share with you about my journey to simplicity. I have managed to simplify my life in a couple of other ways in the past few weeks and will share this information with you and then close with some musings about my year’s experience in "getting back to the basics." One thing that I do manage to accomplish at least once a year, if not twice, is a closet & drawer clean-out! It’s amazing to me what I manage to find stashed away "just in case" in my closets and endtable/nightstand drawers. It only takes me a little bit of time on a daily basis for about a week to really go through everything I’ve saved. I toss stuff or donate it, but I get rid of a lot of stuff that I know that I will not need anytime in the near future. This also means going through clothes and my rule is if I haven’t worn it in a year, then I donate it or pass it on to a friend or family member. No sense in unworn clothes gathering dust in the closets and drawers! Cleaning out these areas many times helps me find those items that I’ve been "missing" for some time - it’s such a relief to finally find items that I was positive had disappeared off the face of the earth :-) During the past 10 months, my husband and I have managed to get a grip on our budget, enabling us to finally make some ground on getting rid of our debt. My home is more orderly and easier to take care of and the wallpapering has added a warm touch to this home finally making it "ours." I am not struggling as much with wanting all of the wonderful items I see available for purchase. I have learned to truly think about whether my family needs an item instead of just impulsively purchasing things just because I want them or they are a good deal. I still struggling with the mindset of buying something *just* because it’s on sale, but I’ve made great strides in the past year with this issue and know I’ll get better at "just walking away" from impulse buys. It is very therapeutic for me to know that, although I earn no income outside the home, I am still able to help within the household financially by keeping the bills down, watching for sales and so forth. During the past year, I have come to the realization that this contribution to my family is so important and my feelings of self-worth have increased. Many times, being a stay-at-home mom doesn’t seem too appealing, but when I look at our lower stress levels, increased family time together and our continuing ability to pay down our debt - all without my providing a second income - I truly feel blessed that God has seen fit to use me in this manner. I am still growing in my new faith and know that it is only through my Heavenly Father that we have come so far in 1999. He has revealed His plan for us in many ways and I’m truly excited to see what He has in store for us in the future. Whether it be good or bad, I am learning to trust in God to see me through all situations. I am so thankful for the handful of Christian women in my church who are fast becoming great sources of support for me in all aspects of my life and I know I have had an influence on a couple of them in helping them decrease their food bill - nothing major really, but it’s nice to know that while they are helping me grow in my faith, I’m helping their budgets (big smile!). With the approaching holiday season, I am resolved to stay focused on the good things - time with family, decorating the house, yummy-smelling candles lit during the cold winter months, watching my kids’ faces as they open presents at Christmastime, cooking lots of good comfort food (and freezing the leftovers, of course!) and truly focusing on the birth of Christ - the real "reason for the season." In the same vein, I’m going to avoid the shopping rush since most of my shopping is already taken care of or will be done in the next few weeks. By shopping during the year, catching as many bargains as I can, and also asking family members to purchase "needed" items (for the kids this year, this means sleeping bags and winter accessories) I know we will not get caught up in the stressful holiday rush that has swallowed us up in the past. I encourage you to get your shopping done early so that you can focus on your family and truly enjoy the holiday season, maybe in a way you’ve never done before. I truly hope that my Simple Living journal has inspired you to take a look at your lifestyle and that you’ve been able to simplify in some areas that you wanted to work on. I encourage you to stay on the "simple living" journey until you reach your goals. For us, this means getting rid of our debt, so I will continue to find ways to cut the budget and stretch the paycheck. I encourage you to find contentment with what you have and to realize that it doesn’t matter how many things you acquire in this lifetime - you surely can’t take it with you when you die! Of course, I have my days where I want "more," but I know that "more" won’t make me happy. I need to continually reach out to God for "more" and ask Him to guide me down the right path for me and my family. I know this will be a lifelong struggle, but like my favorite Bible verse says, "I can do all things through God, who strengthens me." (Phillipians 4:13) ~ May God’s blessings be upon you as you enter the new millenium! WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
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