Life goes by so swiftly. The days turn into a month, the months into years, and the years into decades. Life gets full. We fill our times with tv, shuttling the kids to and fro, the Internet, and so much more. At the end of a day, many of us have had many hours where we could have accomplished so much more. This is a real challenge with desiring a simper life from what is common.
Family is our core. God is our cornerstone on which our lives need to be built, and for which we desire. Second to that is our marriage and then our children.We have to make a point to have family time. SO much can get filled into our time slots. Good things, but maybe not beneficial things. Simply by lessening our physical belongings we have freed up time as we no longer have to care for them. By moving to a smaller home, the same thing...more time.
For me, living more simply has afforded us the opportunity to be with each other. The very best benefit. Our expenses have also lessened. We cut our home payment by $500 a month, not to mention the power bill is dramatically less. We moved to the city, lessening our gas bill by what I would guess is perhaps $400 a month. That is a benefit.
Working together is also a great benefit of our family being our top priority. We get to care take our home together, rake leaves, all those good things that our kids need to learn and we need to do. We had to cut out some, and all for a while, of the activities our kids were in. I was worn out & they were going, going, going. I still feel guilt over that at times. But busyness cannot be substituted for time, quality time that is. I know my kids. I know them very well. They have time to be kids...to be "bored" and therefore create and use their imaginations. My marriage is strong, because of God's grace, and the time we spend together. Time I cannot take if I am caught up in too many things.
The last benefit I will mention is that of crafting for others with your time and talents. To bless others. I can buy someone a gift (and I am a big gift giver! I think it is so fun and I so enjoy shopping!) but if I craft a card of encouragement for someone, lend a listening ear, bake for them, clean our home, invite someone over for fellowship, or any manner of things, I give something of myself, something that is sometimes deeper than just a gift off a shelf. That is a blessing to almost everyone, when you give of your time and talents for them, with no strings attached.
Another fabulous post my friend. ;) One of the scrapbookers that I follow does a year long project called "Word". Each year she chooses what her word for the year will be and makes it a point to try and live her life around it. I've tried it a few times before and have decided to do it again this year and guess what my word is? Simplify. Pretty perfect right?? I need to get rid of some of the STUFF I am holding on to in my life and actually have more time to LIVE it, so I totally agree with living a simpler life!
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