simplify.

2015. 

SIMPLIFY. 

Last year was a difficult year for us. This year B & I will celebrate 10 years of being together and 7 years of marriage. Each day I learn more and more about marriage, communication and selflessness. On top of loosing my grandmother, my husband and I both dealt with a lot of stress, depression, and anxiety.

This will be year two in our new home here in Louisiana and already it has been a good year. The difference? Simplifying, de-stressing, planning (yes, planning) and quit feeling sorry for myself. My house is still cluttered with Christmas decor but I'm taking it room by room. As a creative person, I tend to be messy. Ok, let's be honest, I'm usually always messy. I don't understand it. I don't know how it happens, but it always happens. But the weird thing is that I don't thrive in messiness. I like for things to be in order. So you see how this could be a problem. Also, being married to a naturally creative and messy person, we have to work hard to keep a semi-liveable home. We decided long ago that hiring a cleaning lady to come weekly was almost a requirement in a home with seven in-home animals. The $75/week is the best money we spend all week and having clean floors is priceless. 

But being 'clean' goes beyond vacuuming to me. This year it is my desire to live with less. 

To truly live simply. 

When I traveled to Nicaragua this past month, I packed everything that I needed in one backpack including my camera, three lenses and a week's worth of clothes and my Bible. That thought really resonated with me. Simplify.  Then as I served children their only meal of the day while they were clinching their only bowl and only spoon, I thought again how much I have that I do not need. 

Simplify. 

To live a truly simple life. I don't even think I understand don't those even as I write them. With so many gifts and gadgets that fill my drawers and gadgets.... it's almost enough to make me want to go live in a grass hut somewhere. Although I don't feel like God is calling me to do that at this time, I do feel like God is calling me to simplify our lives. To give away things we do not use. To repurpose things that can be repurposed. To simply live without.

I'm looking forward to a great year! What are your goals this year?