Simplicity

I love this image of my daughter. Granted, you can't see her, but i certainly can hear her. She is talking to her princess dolls about an upcoming tea party. Some of the dolls are moms, others are babies. And I love to hear the conversations Addie creates with her imagination.

We recently underwent two events that have caused us to examine our lives and realize how cluttered they have become. Firstly, we fasted from tv for 21 days. In that time, I realized how little I actually enjoy tv and how much time I waste in front of the boob-tube.

Secondly, we scrutinized our finances and decided to make some drastic cuts in our expenses. One of the things we hope to minimize is our satellite package. We also have sold or gotten rid of objects that we don't need that were cluttering our lives. Gone are the big baby swings, and in their place are 3 compact swings. Gone, too, are clothes, toys and other objects we held on to for no good reason.

I am looking forward to these changes in our family. I feel as though we are dropping baggage each time we release something that consumed our time or money unnecessarily. We feel this is a time of learning and preparation for us as a family. we are learning to lean on God as our Provider, to enjoy true family time and to use our resources wisely. We also feel God is preparing us for a time when we may have to rely on Him daily for our provisions. For years we have felt God calling us to some kind of ministry, and perhaps this is His way of prying our fingers away from the things that prevented us from grasping His hands.