Simplify - In Danger of Cute Box Overload

Recently I bought a recipe binder for the recipes we print off of the internet. It came is a beautiful box decorated with strawberries. Strawberries are one of my favorite motifs, so I wanted to keep the box to cut it up for some purpose. However, it suddenly occurred to me that it is probably the right shape and size to package up a plate that I have been needing to send overseas for some time. The plate needs to be double boxed, but I was having trouble getting a box for the inner one that would be close to the same size as the plate and help stabilize it in the bigger box when surrounded by packing materials. I resigned myself to the probability that I will use it for that and, after all, it's a good use of it!

Do you have a problem with wanting to save cute or useful boxes that come in the mail or with products inside of them? I don't know if anyone else here does, but I do. I am always thinking that a box "could be useful" or is too pretty or sturdy or generally "useful" to just put it in the trash. Thankfully, Dana K. White at A Slob Comes Clean has the same issue. She also has a useful solution that can really help in dealing with these things.

Enjoy! :-)

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Fewer Gifts Could Actually Be Good - A Different Perspective on the Threatened "Gift Shortages"

Well, the talking heads have been threatening Americans with less availability of gifts this year for the holiday season. I'm not sure if this is a legitimate thing or just another way to fan the flames of fear, capitalism, and compulsive buying. I guess some areas are being affected more than others.

Those who have been reading my blog for awhile may remember that a few years back I did a "Holiday Challenge" to Christians that observe Christmas encouraging them to make the holiday more about the birth of Jesus Christ and glorifying Him since that is the claimed reason for it. In short, to act upon the claims and celebrate in a way that makes Him the center and object entirely instead of bowing to the idol of consumption and worldly pleasure.

Colossians 3:5-7 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

This seemed like a good opportunity to repost a couple of the challenges specifically and the series in general.

The 6 part series can be found here: Running In Vain? A Holiday Challenge

The two parts that I want to especially emphasize, though are these:

Spend Less, Don't Buy Stuff, Plan Ahead 

This one is to help you think about simplifying your gift giving - ideas for homemade gifts, ways to cut back, etc. Spending and giving less in order to take the focus off of getting and stuff. This would be a great year to begin this if you haven't already. 

Simplify Your Holiday Activities

This could help reduce spending and also, as you reduce the spending and giving, this could give you the time to focus on some more intentional together times and ministry.

As I was writing this I also thought about all the people who have lost loved ones in 2020 and 2021 and it seemed like I should encourage you to think about them as well, so here is the challenge that deals with that. 

Seeing With Compassion

Quote: "Making your celebration quieter and less intense, less cluttered with the myriad of holiday junk that China has put at our disposal, will give more opportunity to notice people and to focus on their real needs. If this is done with the mind of Christ it will result in compassion and conscious acts of kindness and love. In short, Christ-like behavior will follow."

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

How about if you stop hoping the ships get unloaded and that the stuff gets delivered in time and think about ways that you can do more with less - more that will glorify the Lord Jesus and show people what His love looks like with shoes on. :-)

Pretty Edible - Cauliflower with Cheese

 

This is so easy to make. Simply cook your cauliflower whole. Make sure it will sit flat by checking it on the counter/bench. Trim the stem if necessary. Place in a pan big enough to hold it without crowding it in tightly. Add enough water to come up about half way. Add salt to taste.

After it is cooked, carefully remove it to a bowl where it will look pretty and immediately sprinkle generously with grated cheese. You may also sprinkle it with paprika or black pepper if desired. Serve hot. 

This is obviously a great side dish for a meal, but it could also be a meal for a few by itself with maybe some crackers or chips to accompany it.

Benefits of Fewer Toys for Children

1 Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

We don't have kids, but as I've looked sometimes at the possessions of other people's children, I've felt that there was a serious problem with how many toys they own. This video makes a lot of sense to me. I had quite a bit as a kid, from my perspective, but compared to some kids now my family didn't have a lot and we were told "no" on a regular basis. We were also encouraged to think long term as we got older. We were told to think about saving for something more expensive rather than spending our little money on cheap junk. We were encouraged to ask for gifts that would last us into our teens and possibly beyond rather than age-limited play toys.  That might be something you could add to your thoughts, if you haven't already. 

And kudos for the point about parents dealing with their own clutter first. The best way to lead is by example. Child hearts need a leader, not someone who just wants to throw out their stuff because they're in charge. My grandmother was pretty much scarred for life by parents who threw away all her stuff except one doll every time they moved - and they moved often.

Planning NOT to Buy Too Much

1 Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

This is an interesting video that explains what is called "the Diderot Effect." This is the odd tendency that people have that leads to chain purchase. By that I mean, you buy something and then need something else to go with it, and something else to go with that, and so forth till you've made a whole string of purchases based on that first purchase. The first purchase may actually be needed, but often the following purchases are not. At the end, Becker suggests that instead of trying to impress people with things, you should try to impress them with how you live. I understand why he says that, but in the biblical worldview that isn't what Christians should be trying to do either. We should be living to glorify God. Keeping the excessive and unnecessary consumption and purchase of things under control is one way that we can glorify God. Learning to be content with what God has given us is one way to achieve that.

It seemed especially appropriate to post this now as so many people are focusing on buying at this time of year. Please consider your purchases prayerfully. Truthfully, folks, using Jesus' birth as an excuse to fill your homes (or "stockings") with junk is at the very least tacky. At worst it is dishonoring to the name that you claim to honor. Don't let yourself be caught up in the covetousness and hyper-consumerism of the season.  [For further reading: Spend Less, Don't Buy Stuff, Plan Ahead]

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Don't Store Junk

Working with my mom on packing when we moved to Texas in 2008.
We brought so much stuff we didn't need!

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

In 2010 things that were put into storage units stayed there on average for 15 months. If the owner was paying $200 a month on that storage, that's $3,000 dollars. [Source] I looked up recent costs for storage units (2019) and saw prices ranging from $40 to $300 per month, depending on the size and whether or not there is climate control. I suspect that in some areas the costs might be higher depending upon supply and demand.

This makes sense for people who are moving and have to leave one house before they move into the next one. It also might make sense for some high value items such as art, collectibles with known value (not guessed value), and furniture that would cost appreciably more to replace than the cost of storage. A person running a home business or who is self-employed and doesn't have room at their residence to store their merchandise or tools and materials may also find this type of storage cost-effective.

But...

The idea of paying to store our extra junk because we're too precious to part with it is, frankly, ridiculous...

Continue Reading.

Monthly Challenge - April 2016

Well, it's April already!  One quarter of the year is gone.  But, Spring has come or is coming is many places on the Northern Hemisphere, and in the Southern they are feeling autumn - at least where they have such a thing.

This month's challenge will be about nature and routines.

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Slow down and take the time to really look at nature.  Enjoy whatever is available where you live.

And/Or

Simplify your routine or schedule in some way.

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This challenge may be just a little harder than it sounds.

I was walking outside this last week, and by not going quite so fast I noticed that I could look around me more and enjoy the beauties of God's creation.  In most places these days there is something that can be enjoyed from nature, even if it's just the fruit and vegetable section of the local supermarket or a patch of sky. :-)  Genesis 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good...

Simplifying our routines may prove somewhat challenging, but the point here is to remove the pointless. :-)  We all fall into habits that are not terribly useful, productive or restful which we could just stop if we're honest with ourselves.  I already deleted two game apps on my cell phone.  One I played quite a bit and the other almost never.  The one was taking up too much time and I thought I could re-appropriate those bits of time to something more beneficial in the long run - such as reading or even writing.  I have a theory that mindless games don't really help the brain in a positive way, even when problem solving is involved.  For my own part I have found myself being frustrated by the game and how does that make a positive contribution to my life?  It doesn't.  So.

(I did keep two games, which I play sometimes, because they are not of the addictive or demanding type and I get bored with them fairly quickly.  I consider these types to be "safer" for long term use. :-)  )

What  could you get rid of from your schedule?  There is a lot of scope for the imagination in this.  It could be something significant that you haven't wanted to acknowledge - the time hog of sports (adult or children's), the too-involved hair and makeup routine, the daily texting or chatting with "friends" who don't really care all that much, the "looking" at the grocery store that isn't actually part of the needed shopping, the piano lessons for the child that is totally not into it, etc.  Or it could be something fairly simple that you just realize is non-essential and dispensable - meticulously folding laundry that could be stored more simply, making complicated recipes, trying to keep alive a house plant that really doesn't want to live, etc.  The idea is to try to use that time for something of more value - realizing that more value may be a nap, pleasure reading, playing with the kids, or some other simple thing you "don't have time for" now. :-)  Maybe it would be a walk outside to enjoy nature.  Of course, if it's simply absorbed into your other usual things, that's fine too.  You've still simplified your life a little.

1 Corinthians 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Enjoy!