DeCluttering

Ok, here we go again! Here’s my confession - I am organizationally challenged. I am a sentimental packrat. I’m thrifty and creative so I can think of a use for almost everything! I am not a great housekeeper. As long as I can remember, it’s been a chore for me to pick up after myself and my family – it’s HARD WORK! And I don’t enjoy it. But I am not going to give up (though I’ve considered it many times!)

This fall we are trying to go through as much of the house as we can and weed out, clean up and get rid of stuff. We’ve been in this house 9 years now – I’ve never lived in one place that long my entire life! And stuff does seem to accumulate.

Here’s my criteria -- It must reflect the standard presented in Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things.”

We are trying to ask questions like these: Is it useful? Does it meet a need? Does it add to our quality of living? Can someone else benefit from this more than our family? Is there another item that functions just as well?

So, we started this morning on the Family Room, which is actually just a ‘catch-all’ room since we finished off the basement. Here are my embarrassing pictures of our work in progress. L and a couple of the younger ones sorted out the shoe racks and coat rack. C helped me move the bookshelves around. Now we are sorting through ‘stuff’ as quickly as possible. It is hard, but necessary, I think. If you give me time to think about it, I’ll be able to justify keeping it!

I’ll post ‘after’ pictures this weekend. You might keep us all in your prayers while we wade our way through the piles!