Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Joy in Simplicity - #4


Have you ever seen the veggie tale movie - Madame Blueberry...it is about stuff and she goes to this place called Stuff Mart (can you think of a few stores that may fit this category, not mentioning any names) and she keeps buying stuff until her tree house gets so full that it is catapulted out of the tree - okay honestly it has been a long time since I have seen the movie so I am sure if this is just how I remember it or if it is fact - but the point is - we are stuffified! Yup I just made that word up - but don't it apply?

Stuff weighs us down, whether it is emotional stuff, physical stuff, maybe it is even spiritual stuff, but stuff none the less. The next couple of days in our series are going to be devoted to stuff reducing! Because -let's be honest I think we all have been stuffified and need to some cleaning out.

To me throwing things out is therapeutic, I think it is even biblical when you think about what Jesus asked the Rich Young Ruler to give up - his stuff! Is your stuff preventing you from being fully devoted to God, is it causing undo stress because you don't know where to put it, it is piling up and causing strife in your relationship - it has done all those things in my life and I am committing today to find Joy in Simplifying my stuff.

Today - Physical Tangible Stuff - We are going to focus on all those little things at your house - the knick knacks, the kitchen appliances that you never use, the clothes in your closet.

My mom has been doing a daily Ten - and loving it! She picks a place in the house, a room or a cabinet and she gets rid of ten things - right now her car is full of her tens that she will be donating to the Good Will.

I challenge you today to find a place that you can get rid of ten things at home and in your office. And to my youth ministry friends - I know what your offices can look like so don't be afraid to get rid of ten in several different piles on your floor!

A word of encouragement - I know sometimes it is hard to get rid of things that someone gave to you, but in all honesty you don't need (or want for that matter) I have found myself with several collections of dust collectors over the years. If you don't want it - don't keep it just because you feel badly that someone gave it to you - give it to some one who will appreciate it - Take a picture of it and put it in your scrapbook so you can remember the gesture.

Happy TEN day!!!! Get rid of those groups of ten!!!

No comments: