Autumn Joys

Becoming a Minimalist

I am becoming a minimalist. I'm simplifying my life.

A few years ago I read a book that made an impact on me: Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James. Ms. St. James does not claim to be a believer or follower of Jesus, as far as I know, but she has much good to say about "keeping it simple."

It's impossible to implement everything at once, and it's not even logical to try to apply everything on her list into our lives. These are ideas that worked for her and her husband, or people she knows. We are all different. What works for them may or may not work for us. Yet her list will make you evaluate what you do or what you have and also why you do it or have it.

I took notes; here are some things that may help you get started...

Household Simplifying
Reduce clutter
Speed clean
Cut grocery shopping time in half
Buy in bulk
Plant a garden
Run all errands in one place
Cut laundering chore in half (mix and match; basics)
Stop buying dry-clean-only clothes
Leave shoes at the door
Go for patterned carpets
Use food trays
Keep outdoor plants only
Get rid of your lawn
Simplify pets

Lifestyle Simplifying
Move to a smaller house
Drive a simple car
Sell the boat (or other "toy" you rarely or never use)
Build a simple wardrobe (lots of basics that mix and match)
Reduce go-go (going out) entertainment
Rethink your meals with friends (how often do you "hang out" just to "hang out"?)
Turn off the TV
Stop junk mail
Cancel magazines
Stop the newspaper
Drop call waiting
Don't answer the phone all the time
Don't answer the door either!
Get rid of the cell phone
Bow out on some holiday gatherings
Stop sending Christmas cards
Simplify gift giving
Simplify travel (pack only items you will use; don't try to do/see everything!)
Take a vacation at home

Financial Simplifying
Get out of debt
Live on half of what you earn; save the other half
Rethink your buying habits
Change the way you shop
Reduce needs for goods and services
Get rid of all but one or two credit cards
Consolidate chequing accounts
Consolidate investments
Pay off your mortgage
Buy secondhand cars

Job Simplifying
Stop being a slave to your planner
Work where you live, or live where you work
Do what you really want to do (make financial adjustments if you enjoy a lesser paying job)
Turn your hobby into your job
Work less and enjoy it more
Stop the busy work
Include family in your work life

Health Simplifying
Simplify eating habits
Always split a restaurant meal
Fruit/juice fast one day per week
Make water your drink of choice
Eat a muffin
Pack your own lunch
Take a walk
Get up one hour earlier
Be in bed by 9:00 one night per week
Throw out everything but asprin or a multi-vitamin
Create your own rituals (i.e., cup of tea)
Learn to laugh
Slow down to the speed limit

Personal life Simplifying
Clean up your relationships: learn to communicate
Just be yourself as God made you
Trust your intuition (better: trust the Holy Spirit living in you)
If it's not easy, don't do it (Be careful here; not everything God asks us to do is easy!)
Stop trying to change (let God change you)
Spend one day per month in solitude
Teach your kids the joy of solitude
Do a retreat once a year
Keep a journal
Do one thing at a time
Do nothing
Take time to watch the sunset (or sunrise)
Just say no
Learn to reinterpret the past (let it go!)
Change your expectations
Review your life regularly to keep it simple

Special Issues on Simplifying
Ten minutes to drop-dead gorgeous (simplify your primp time!)
Take off plastic nails and throw out nail polish
Reduce size of purse
Minimize accessories

Hard Core Simplifying
Rent instead of own
Get rid of cars
Get rid of phone
Stop making the bed (Wow! I'm not sure if I can do this, but there are days I skip it, in order to simplify.)
Get rid of all extras
Build a very simple wardrobe (everything mixes and matches)

An area in which I personally am simplifying is choosing to display fewer knick-knacks and "things" that I have to clean or dust. Less is more. You'd be surprised how big your sigh of relief is when you just clear off your coffee table completely! Just let it be bare for a few days! Dusting becomes a breeze! Same thing in the bathroom: hair dryer, curling iron, bottles, hairsprays, etc. all hide in drawers or cupboards. Nothing is out on the countertop except the soap dispenser. Nothing is on the back of the toilet except a basket of washcloths and a can of Febreze. It's an amazing feeling to look into such a simple washroom!

The most important way I'm simplifying is by a continual choosing to turn things over to God's control. Someone did not do something I wanted them to do? Can I trust God has a reason for this happening in my life? Or do I get myself all mad and stressed out?

More and more I am seeking to remind myself that it's better to live one day at a time. Does this mean that I make no future plans? Absolutely not; but my future plans are to be made in the framework of yieldedness to His plans.

I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day;
I don't borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray;
I don't worry o'er the future, for I know what Jesus said;
And with His loving hand to guide me, I won't fear what lies ahead.
Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand,
But I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand!

A word of caution concerning the "simplifying"
lists:
When you decide to simplify, there is a strong tendency to flipflop to the other ditch and completely live for yourself. One can become very self-absorbed. Be sure to pray about each change you implement, and be sure it is something that God will be pleased with, that will help you live for Him, and that your spouse is happy with as well. Don't adopt the philosophy: If it feels good, do it; if it doesn't feel good, don't. This slogan is only another of the enemy's lies.


Note: to watch the video, you'll first need to scroll down to the blue playlist at the bottom of the blog and pause that music. Then scroll back up and press play on this video.
If you have trouble loading it, you can view the song here.

My Gratefulness List

This is not--and can never be--an exhaustive list! In fact, I plan to add to it as time goes on.

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving here in Canada, so I was reminded once again to cultivate a heart of gratefulness, and to express it!

So here goes. I am grateful for...

1. My Jesus who saved me and called me with a holy calling, and loves to walk with me "in the garden."

2. My wonderful husband who loves me unconditionally and is always honest with me.

3. That God setteth the solitary in families... that He has given me a family to love.

4. Music that encourages, inspires, and refreshes me spiritually and emotionally

5. Beauty all around me in God's world, and simple little joys such as a warm, soft blanket

Grateful to Be Back!

I'm back in the blogging world! I apologize for the gap between my blog entries. There were issues that, as it turned out, related to my use of Firefox. Now that I have attempted an entry in Internet Explorer, I'm seeing success!

I will post soon... Today though... Thanksgiving dinner with our kids and grandbaby!

With a Grateful Heart,
Dayna

Here's the song that played as I came down the boardwalk at our beach wedding...

♫
We are so blessed, with the gifts from Your hand,
I just can't understand why You love us so much!
We are so blessed, we just can't find a way--
Or the words that can say, Thank You, Lord, for Your touch!

When we're empty, You fill us till we overflow!
When we're hungry, You feed us, and cause us to know,

We are so blessed, take what we have to bring,
Take it all, everything, Lord, we love You so much!

Ice Cream Date

Kyla's ice cream date at McDonald's with Nana (me). Simple joys.

1950s Housewife?

You have probably seen the list of housewife's traits that supposedly appeared in a 1955 home economics book. Though the source and truth is actually undetermined (according to Snopes), when you read about that era (and prior), it doesn't seem too far fetched. In truth, many of the 1950s housewives' ways were more biblical than the habits of the majority of modern-day women. We would do well to "eat the meat and throw out the bones" and not "throw the baby out with the bath water."

One admonition that comes through numerous points on this list is the importance of attitude. So many women today have a complaining spirit that is entirely self-centered. We want to tell Husband all our woes of the day the minute he walks through the door, and we continue complaining about everything that needs to be fixed or male jobs he needs to do around the house all the way until bedtime.

Think about it. Put yourself in his shoes. Would you want to come home to that negativity every night after a long, hard workday? Imagine Little Miss Office Chic, who never has a hair out of place, always has her make-up and hair done, and flirtatiously admires him every day. Now think of your appearance and the tone of your home. If you were your husband, would you look forward to coming home at night?

Does this imply that I should always just "put on" an act of happiness and never approach my husband with anything negative? Of course not. This is dishonesty, which never pleases God. There are correct ways we should approach our husbands with issues. This keeps our relationships healthy.

However, we need to think about the tone we set in our homes. You know the phrase, "When Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" Think about your own home. It's true! We mamas affect the mood of the entire household. We may not like it, but no matter how much we dislike it, it's still true.

I remember my mom getting us kids together and ready to shout, "My Daddy's the GREATEST!" when he came through the door. It was one of the greatest feelings I had as a kid, knowing that my parents loved each other and supported each other.

Scripture teaches that "All the days of the afflicted are evil..." (Proverbs 15:15). When you look on the bad side of things, that's all you will see and it's all you will talk about. Ever met a miserable woman? Every word out of her mouth is a complaint and all you can think about is how to get away from her and how to avoid her in the future? Yeah. Well, the rest of the verse says "...he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast." When your heart has made the choice to see the merry things of life, you have a continual flow of joy!

I have a friend from college who lives this so plainly. She has seven happy, contented children (ages 15 years down to eight months), she doesn't hide her adoration for her husband, and she herself radiates happiness! In her words, she "can't help but smile." And... her husband has been out of work for three months. She has made 50 pies already this week and will make 62 additional pies before the week is over, in order to help her husband from home! She is also working nights, full-time, as a front desk clerk at a hotel! And she's still oozing gratefulness!



Now, just picture her husband's response IF he came home to this...

She is on the couch watching TV or she's on the Internet... in her bathrobe... he steps over clutter... the entire house wreaks and it's a wreck... there is no dinner ready... kids are screaming and fighting...

Versus...

He walks in the door... she is dressed and has fixed her hair and make-up... the children are clean and dressed... there is soft music playing... the smell of dinner is in the air... the house is neat and clean (at the least, clutter is cleared)... the children are playing contentedly... she rushes to greet him at the door, overjoyed to see him, taking his coat, asking him about his day...

I ask you: Which scene would make her husband look forward to coming home?



Check out Courtney's post on her grandmother, a real 1950s housewife, at Women Living Well: Comparing Myself to a Real 1950s Wife.

How to Be the Woman of Your Husband's Dreams