Biblical Minimalism—Reading of Book Intro. & Chapter One

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:1,2

Today, I wanted to drop by and share with you about a new project I have been working on and also to introduce you to the person who helped make it possible! 

New Year's Minimizing Inspiration

Source

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

What a glorious gift we are given each January 1st! Whatever happened last year is in the past. It will never be re-lived. But 2025 is still ahead of us, waiting to be explored, lived, and walked through day by day, God willing. 

It has been a long time since I posted anything to this blog. I could give all kinds of reasons for my absence here, but instead, I just want to say hello to all of you and hopefully encourage your hearts in this time of new beginnings.

How is your minimizing going? If you are like me, clutter has a way of creeping back in, no matter how hard I try to keep it out. I really don't know how it happens, to be honest, because I am so careful about what comes in. Instead of kicking myself for allowing it, I have decided to pick myself up by the bootstraps and start anew, clearing out the unwanted, unused, and unnecessary, and start the new year out right.

I am implementing these tried and tested strategies that will benefit you, too! Want to join me?

1. Start small. My energy levels are pretty low right now, so I can't bite off a big portion at a time. But I can tackle one drawer, shelf, cupboard, or closet, making sure not to remove more than I can realistically get done in an hour or so. 

2. Correlate item numbers with days. In other words, today is the 11th day of January 2025, so I will get rid of 11 things today. It can be as small as a piece of paper or as large as a piece of furniture, but by the end of today, the goal is to be able to say 11 items have left our home. I will start again tomorrow, but the number of items I need to get rid of tomorrow, January 12th, will be 12. Do this each day, up to 31 items on January 31st, then start over again with one item on February 1st. Continue this through the year 2025, and you will be amazed how much lighter you and your home will feel on December 31st. It is easy, doable, and manageable and makes a big difference.

3. Buy a notebook and make dated, numbered lists. Do this ahead of time. It sounds like a simple thing to do, but believe me, it will hold you accountable and keep you motivated. There's just something about lists that hold our feet to the fire. Here's how I do it. At the top, list the month. Then, write down the days of the month on the lines beneath, leaving the number of blank lines that correlate with the day of the month. For example, write January at the top of the page. Then write a #11 for today's date since we are starting this on January 11th. Leave 11 open spaces beside/beneath the #11. On those lines, write down each of the 11 items you get rid of today. On the next line, write a #12 for tomorrow's date, January 12th. Leave 12 blank lines beside/beneath the #12, so you can record each of the 12 items you will get rid of tomorrow. Do this for each day of the month. If you start on the 1st of the month and the month has 31 days, you will have written down and removed 496 items from your home in one month!

4. Keep boxes or other giveaway containers steadily available. Make sure they are in an out-of-the-way space to prevent them from becoming a source of more clutter. As soon as a box is full, close the lid and take it to your vehicle. As soon as possible, drop it off wherever you donate. Get more boxes or other types of giveaway containers, and start filling them. Repeat continually. An easy way to get empty boxes is to ask for them at Walmart, Dollar General, and grocery stores. Even if they have already crushed the boxes, they are easily reassembled with packaging tape. Note: The one exception to immediately removing an item from your home is if you are feeling hesitant about letting it go. In all our years of minimizing, there have been very few times that I have regretted getting rid of something, but it has happened a few times. I have learned that if I am feeling unsure about an item, it is best to put it in a separate box and let it sit for a few months. If I still feel hesitant after some time has passed, I keep it. If I feel no emotional response upon seeing it again after a while, I can let it go.

5. Tackle every single holding space. Every drawer, shelf, cupboard, closet, basket, bin, clothes hanger, nook and cranny, anything that holds stuff. Don't leave any space untouched. Even if you know you minimized it in the past, each area deserves a fresh look. You'd be surprised how your wants and needs change over time and how differently you may view an item later. Nothing is off-limits or safe from scrutiny. Touch or look at every single item in your home. 

6. Finish one room before moving on. This will keep you focused and on track. Don't move to another room until every single item has been examined in your working room. Start in a small room, like your bathroom. Go through each cupboard, shelf, and drawer before you move to another room. Knowing one room is completely done is gratifying and brings a sense of completion and accomplishment. It doesn't matter how long it takes—hours, days, weeks. Just stick to that room until it is done, then move on to the next one. Repeat the process in that room, then move on to the next. 

7. Utilize permanent holding spaces. Make sure you are maximizing the use of drawers, closets, and cupboards that are already permanently taking up a certain amount of space in your home. Assess organizational bins, gadgets, and accessories. Do you really need them? Could you remove the items from them and move them to a permanent holding space? Is there room in a drawer, closet, or cupboard to hold what you are storing in an added organizational space? Sometimes, things purchased to simplify our lives and homes end up complicating and cluttering them instead. 

8. Apply Luke 3:11 to everything you own. "He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise." I'm not saying there aren't times you legitimately need two or more of one item. But think about it. How many pairs of shoes can you wear at one time? How many coats, boots, or pairs of gloves? How many blenders, casserole dishes, blankets, towels, and vehicles do you need? Remember, holding on to excess "just in case" could be cluttering your life and home and also preventing someone else's need from being supplied. I have never seen a time that God did not supply our needs—when they arose and as much as was required, even when we had let go of our "just in case" excess. The same God who has taken care of you in the past will continue to do that as long as you live, and He loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

9. Examine your heart. If you are holding on to an item you don't need, want, or even like, ask yourself why. Is it because you feel guilty for letting it go? Do you cling to it for security instead of trusting God to take care of you? Do you own it because having it in your possession makes you appear a certain way to others? Are you more concerned about impressing others than living the simple life God calls you to live? How much would it hurt if Jesus asked you to give it up? If it were destroyed or stolen from you, how would you react? Tough questions, I know, but it is important to remember that heart issues drive everything we do, and everything springs from the spiritual. "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

10. Be committed. The notebook will be your friend if you will allow it to be. Keep it out where you can see it every day. Do your best to stay on track, but if you miss a day, forgive yourself, give yourself grace, and just start on the next day's number of items. Keep going, and look forward to each new day's progress. If you need an encourager on your journey, feel free to email me anytime at homespundevotions@gmail.com. I'm here, doing the same thing, trying my best, just like you.

May God's richest blessings and peace fall upon your life, home, and soul this year. May you grow in your walk with Jesus more than ever before, and may He walk extra close to you every step of the way. Keep encouraged. He is coming soon!

Minimizing the Opinions of Others

 
Source

Before I get into today's blog, a couple of things~

#1. Welcome, new subscribers! 

#2. I apologize for my long absence. I never intended to take such a long sabbatical, and I deeply appreciate your kindness and understanding. I once heard someone say, "I don't have to say something, but I do have something to say." Today, I do have something to say.😄

If God spares time and my life until October 1, 2023, I will have blogged at Homespun Devotions for 12 years, and the Lord has helped me publish three books—Biblical Minimalism, Homespun Devotions: Volume One, and Homespun Devotions: Volume Two.

One of the many things I have observed as a longtime online writer is the ebb and flow of the opinions of others. Putting yourself out there, being real and transparent, and sharing from your heart opens the door for others to react and respond. The freedom of speech that enables you to say what you want/need to say works the same for those who want or feel the need to offer their opinion on what you said. Social media and online platforms provide ample opportunity for us all to give feedback and voice our opinions, both good and bad, and so often, things are said online that would never be said face-to-face.

I so admire the Apostle Paul's outlook in Philippians 4:12, and I was especially intrigued by the word "abase" in this verse. Here is what I found on Bible.cc about it.

"Abase = to make low, to humble, to level, reduce to a plain

With the believer, 5013 /tapeinóō ("show humility, true lowliness") happens by being fully dependent on the Lord – dismissing reliance upon self (self-government) and emptying carnal ego. This exalts the Lord as our all-in-all and prompts the gift of His fullness in us.

Metaphorically, to bring into it humble condition, to assign a lower rank or place to; to be ranked below others who are honored or rewarded; of one who stoops to the condition of s servant. Philippians 2:8.

To lower, depress one's soul, bring down one's pride; to have a modest opinion of oneself, to behave in an unassuming manner devoid of all haughtiness, to confess and deplore one's spiritual littleness and unworthiness." 

Paul had reached a place in God that enabled him to keep pressing forward regardless of whether he was being abased or abounding. No matter what others said or did, he continued to fight the good fight, unscathed and undeterred in the mission God had called him to fulfill. One minute he was being exalted by those who thought he was a god. (Acts 14:11,12) Soon after, he was stoned and dragged outside the city, and left for dead. (Acts 14:19) All because of the opinions of others.

Here are 12 lessons I've learned over the past nearly 12 years and some unsolicited free advice that is not only for online authors but can be applied to anyone who deals with the opinions of others. Don't we all?

1. People's opinions are as varied as people themselves.

They hold the potential to elevate you to pedestal status one day, then to trample your name (and work) in the mud the next. People's opinions are fickle and as unstable as water. They vary immensely from one person to the next. A thousand people can read your written words and come away from them with a thousand interpretations. Those interpretations can be so completely off-track with what you, as the author of the words, actually mean, or on the flip side, the reader can totally "get" what you are trying to say.

2. Stay true to God.

Remember who you are trying to please. 

"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10 

"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men." I Corinthians 7:23

If you are 100% certain that you are 100% clear with God in your actions, why does it matter what others think of you? At the end of life when you reach eternity, you won't be standing before others. It will be you and God. His opinion is the only one that will ever matter. 

3. Stay true to yourself.

Don't be swayed. Don't second-guess yourself. Stay true to who you are and what God has called you to do. My dear, sweet husband always tells me to do what brings me peace, and following his advice is extremely liberating. Continue to do what gives you peace and allows you to lie down at night with a clear, clean conscience. Don't conform to what others think you should do, say, or be.

4. Praise isn't always what it seems.

There are those who have mastered the art of being able to ruin a perfectly good compliment by adding a subtle insult to the mix. I think the term used for that these days is "passive-aggressive."

5. Jealousy is cruel.

Your success can and will bring out the worst in others. Song of Solomon 8:6 says, "Jealousy is as cruel as the grave." People who are driven by jealousy are much more likely to lash out online than insult you to your face. If someone is jealous of you and/or your work, remember it is their problem, not yours. Press on unfazed by the issue(s) of those who criticize you.

6. Stay grounded.

As I prayed one day, the still small voice of the precious Holy Spirit whispered, "There will be highs. There will be lows. The important thing is that you are affected by neither." Whether someone left a one-star rating or a five-star review changes absolutely nothing. I wrote what I wrote because I felt certain God wanted me to. He is pleased. I am okay. Whether I am being "abased" by a scathing rebuke or "abounding" as a result of kind words and accolades, all is well. "The Master's approval is the servant's best wages." Author unknown

7. Toughen up.

Grow a thick skin. The reason I have such hard, layered callouses on the ends of the fingers of my left hand is because of the countless hours I have spent playing my guitar. When I was in Bible college, I used to drive home to spend every weekend I possibly could with my parents, and during that time, my Daddy was in the process of teaching me to play the guitar. He would teach me something new on the weekends, then I would go back to school and practice during the week. My fingers would be so bruised and sore that I could hardly stand it, but I persevered and pressed on. Why? Because I wanted, with all my heart, to play the guitar. Now, I can play for extended periods of time with little to no pain because my fingertips are tough and calloused. 

Get used to dents in your armor. That is why you wear it. Every dent shows that it has done its job and protected you. 

8. You're in great company.

Jesus dealt with the continual instability of people's opinions of Him. One week they were casting palm branches in His path, crying out "Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." John 12:13  The next week, they were crying out, "Crucify Him!" John 19:15 People turned on Jesus on a dime countless times throughout His earthly ministry. Why would we expect to be treated any differently?

As I mentioned above, one minute, people were calling Barnabus "Zeus" and the Apostle Paul "Hermes," thinking they were gods, and were ready to offer an oxen sacrifice to them. The next thing you know, they were stoning Paul and dragging him out of the city, supposing he was dead!

Some will love you. Some will hate you. Jesus said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you." John 15:18 What an honor to follow in His footsteps!

9. Stay the course.

Don't lose sight of your original intent. Don't waver from what you meant when you said what you said. Don't be swayed one iota just because someone or even a million someones disagree(s) with you. Imagine the innumerable times Jesus' words and the rest of the Bible have been misunderstood, misconstrued, mocked, and rejected. When I think about the way the eternal Word of God has been reacted to, I realize that criticism of anything I ever write is completely insignificant.

10. Papaw was right.

He pastored the same church for right around 40 years. He dealt with accolades from those who called him "The Walking King James," and he endured abuse from those who didn't agree with and/or like him. He had a remarkable way of remaining completely unscathed and unfazed by what other people thought of him and used to say that other people's criticism or talk didn't "amount to any more than an old dog barking." Another thing he often said was to just "let it roll off like water off a duck's back."  Whether someone else's opinion of you/your work compelled them to grace you with a heart, a thumbs down, or an angry emoji, let it affect you as much as you would if you heard an old dog barking, shake it off like water off a duck's back, and keep pressing on!

11. Don't waste time or energy on what and who doesn't matter to you.

One of the most valuable life lessons I ever learned was to stop and ask myself this question—is this person anyone important in my life? When dealing with criticism and a plethora of other negatives, I have asked myself that countless times. Each time the answer is "no," it is very easy for me to follow Papaw's advice. Though I know a lot of people, I keep my circle small, and I am extremely selective as to who I allow in it. To be honest, God's opinion and the opinions of those few, carefully selected, special people are the only opinions I care anything at all about. Jesus had many disciples, but He only allowed 12 into His circle. Of that circle, He only allowed three into His inner circle. We need to pay attention to that. 

Keep perspective and stay focused. People's opinions are just that—their opinions. They don't change who you are. Ask yourself, "Who is important in my life?" Make a list. Then, when you are dealing with unfavorable opinions, ask yourself, is the person who is saying this on my list? If they aren't, why do you care what they think of you or anything you've done? Who are they anyway? Refocus on what and more importantly, who matters to you. Stop caring about the rest. 

"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them." Mark 6:11 

12. Ignorance is bliss.

Sometimes it is just best to stop reading comments, chasing down reviews, and trying to find every single thing anyone in the world is saying about you. You have done your best. You have put your best work out there. You have minded God and made the best attempt you could. It is not necessary to know what others think about it.

Let it go, move on with your life, and always follow Jesus with all your heart.

Biblical Minimalism Interview with Blake Barbera

  "Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people."

1 Chronicles 16:8

I was recently so blessed to be interviewed by Blake Barbera of the "That You May Know Him" podcast. Blake read my book, "Biblical Minimalism" and reached out to talk to me about it. Sitting down and chatting with Blake was an honor and joy. I hope our interview will be a blessing to you.

Minimizing Career Stress

Source

There is an enormous sense of comfort that washes over me when I realize that even before I was born, God had a plan for my life. What a consolation it is to know that every one of my days was ordained for me, and He developed a uniquely personalized Plan A for the duration of time I will spend living on earth! One of the main ways God reveals His plan to us, individually, is by placing in each of us particular gifts and natural tendencies that are like signs on signposts, pointing us in the direction He intends our life path to lead.

Ephesians 1:11-12 says, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ." (Emphasis mine)

And in Ephesians 2:10, we read, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Emphasis mine)

Isn't that a wonderful thought? None of what we do in this life is happenstance, and God prepared beforehand the good works that we should walk in while sojourning on earth. Sometimes we can veer off the path He has preordained for us, and one of the most surefire ways to realize that has happened is through the presence of high levels of stress in our lives.

During my career in banking, my employer required each employee to take a Predictive Index test. The test consisted of a singular piece of paper with an identical list of 100 adjectives on each side. On one side, we were to put a checkmark beside each adjective that described who we truly were as a person—the words that defined what came naturally and effortlessly to our real self and personality. On the flip side, we were to put a checkmark beside each adjective that described who our employer expected us to be. The answers were plugged into a computer program that generated a report, and the goal was to measure just how far we were having to stretch ourselves to fit into the role required to efficiently and adequately do our job.

It was amazing how revealing and accurate the results proved to be, and how they explained why some employees were struggling. For example, if an employee was in a position of branch manager, yet they possessed no natural ability to lead and were unable to enforce rules or administer discipline, it was concluded that the chasm between what was being expected of the employee and what they were naturally able to muster was too wide. It wasn’t that the individual was inferior to anyone else or that they did not possess the natural ability and propensity to contribute something meaningful. They were simply being asked to stretch too far outside their comfort zone and would be best suited to a different position within the bank. Reassigning such a person was not an insult. It was a good decision—not only for the bank but more importantly for the well-being of the employee.

The only outcome to the pursuit of trying to wriggle your true self into someone else’s conflicting expectations is complete frustration. All of us possess God-given, natural gifts, talents, and abilities that were innately endowed to us by Him, and we best thrive when we identify them and pour our energy into doing things that allow them to flow effortlessly and without hindrance. In only a few steps, we can not only assess the wisdom of our career choice, but we can make necessary adjustments to minimize the stress of continuing in the wrong one.

Prayerfully Self-Reflect

Set an appointment to get alone with God. Guard it with as much care and consideration as you would a doctor’s appointment or a meeting with another person. Go to a quiet, uninterrupted space and pray, asking God to open your mind and heart to anything He wants to say, even if it conflicts with what you prefer or think is best. Then give honest answers to these questions. How do I feel on my commute home from work? Am I happy? Do I feel fulfilled? Does what I am doing feel as if it matters? Am I making a positive difference? Am I in a rut? Do I feel frustrated? Is my creativity being fully tapped into? Take time to listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit whispering to those deep recesses of your heart.

Accept the Truth

If your answers to the above questions leave you feeling a sense of satisfaction and peace, stay the course. You are obviously where God wants you to be. If you find that you aren’t content with your answers, open your mind to the possibility that it may be time for a change. If you identify that what is being expected of you at work is more than you are able to give without a great deal of stress, try to imagine how much better your life could be if the weight of that burden were removed.

Give Yourself Grace

There is no shame in acknowledging and owning that you have chosen the wrong path. The shame would come in continuing on it once you realize it isn’t for you. Just because you spent years, money, and energy in attaining a degree in a particular field does not mean you are trapped in a career you loathe. The truth is, sometimes we don’t know what we are best at until we are in the trenches actually doing what we have trained for.

As a teenager, I used to read Cherry Ames books and fantasize about becoming a nurse. That is until a patient passed away during my shift working as a nurse’s aide, and I realized I wasn’t capable of the emotional detachment required of medical professionals. In my case, I was blessed to have discovered that I was not the fictional character Cherry Ames before misdirecting years and money in pursuit of becoming a nurse. Sadly, this isn’t always the case, and guilt holds us prisoner as we think the only choice we have is to stay in a life of misery to justify sunk cost and time invested. The only thing you can do about spilled milk is to start cleaning it up. It does no good to cry over it or rue that it happened. If you could go back and do things over, you would. Since you can’t, forgive yourself for past mistakes, start with a clean slate, and make changes based on what you wish you had done in the past. Start now and move forward without a backward glance.

Identify the Real You and the Right Fit

If you have concluded that you need to change direction, ask yourself these questions. What are you good at? What comes naturally to you? What, after doing, leaves you with the deepest sense of fulfillment? What type of career path would allow and enable you to do those things?

Be Proactive

Begin searching and researching with a mind that is open and willing to think out of the box, praying all along the way for God to lead you, close all the wrong doors, and leave only the right door open. To avoid making another wrong turn, if finances allow, consider taking an entry-level position in a field of interest to give yourself a tryout before pursuing educational requirements and options.

What a blessing it is to know that our awesome, loving God allows U-turns! A boss once told me that the only thing consistent in life is change. Thankfully, in the case of discovering you are on the wrong career path, this can be a good thing.

You can read a condensed version of this article at No Sidebar by clicking here.

Seven Reasons I Minimized Mainstream Media, What I Replaced it With, & A Book Sale!

Source

In these dark, chaotic, unsettling times, I am trying to keep my eyes laser-focused on JESUS, the Author and Finisher of my faith.
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2
These are dark days, and if I take my eyes off Him, even for a little bit, I will start sinking. Just like Peter. When Jesus bade Peter come to Him on the water, Peter actually walked on water - like Jesus was doing. But, Peter took his eyes off Jesus, saw the waves crashing around him, started to panic, and began to go down in defeat. Thank God, Jesus was right there to grab Peter by the hand and pull him back up to safety. I am SO thankful He does that for me, too, every time I start to sink in despair. I never sink in despair when I am keeping my eyes on Him! What a powerful, life-transforming truth!

One of the ways I am forcing myself to keep my eyes on Jesus is that I have completely minimized mainstream media from my life. 

Here are my reasons:

An Exciting Announcement!

 " Delight thyself also in the LORD, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Psalm 37:4

Hello, everyone!

First of all, a hearty welcome to all the new subscribers and followers! I am deeply grateful that you take the time to read what God places on my heart, and I am so thankful for you! This post has nothing to do with minimalism—I don't often write about other subjects here, but I hope you will bear with me this one time, as I share something else that is close to my heart. This news humbles me, brings me to tears, and compels me to fall on my knees in gratitude and worship to the dear Lord, as once again, He has made a long-term dream come true. I could never praise Him enough!

When I began blogging at Homespun Devotions nearly ten years ago on October 1, 2011, my real dream was not to blog but to write a book called Homespun Devotions. Over these years, the Lord has inspired me to write 800+ devotional posts at that blog, and several months ago, He began to deal with my heart and lead me to pull most of those posts off the blog and start sorting through them to compile them into a series of books. 

After many months of sorting, sifting, praying hard, editing, and seeking God's face every step of the way, I am thrilled to tell you that Homespun Devotions: Volume One is now published and ready to purchase! 

Though it isn't exclusively about minimalism, I am so excited for you to read this new book, and oh, how I hope it will be a bright spot and bring encouragement to your hearts during these troubled, dark times! 

As with our last book, Biblical Minimalism, our dear son, Zach did the cover design for us. The photo was taken by Racheal Cooper Photography, and the formatting was done by Kalen Bruce. I would like to pause right here and explain how God worked a miracle in bringing Kalen into our lives.

I was online one day looking up something to do with Biblical Minimalism, and I came across an article in which Kalen mentioned this blog. I contacted him through his blog, and over the past several months, we have become friends. A few months ago, he and his wife and family happened to come through our area as they were traveling, and God blessed us to be able to meet and spend some time together. During our meal, I mentioned our new upcoming book to Kalen and told him what a difficult time I have with the technical parts of the formatting to upload to Amazon. Immediately, Kalen offered to do that part for me! To say I was relieved and so blessed by his offer is such an understatement. I could hardly believe it! That was the part I was dreading most and it was actually holding me back from wanting to finish the book. I just had such a hard time when it came to that point with Biblical Minimalism, even having to leave some slight errors unfixed, and I was surely not looking forward to going through that again. God knew, and He sent our dear friend Kalen along. If you have not checked out his blog, I hope you can go visit him. It is chock full of wisdom and lots of great tips concerning minimalism. He also has a YouTube channel that you will definitely want to check out.

Many of you have already committed to promoting our new book, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! I have emailed all who are planning to help us get the word out, and we will be mailing your signed copy to you as soon as we receive them in the mail. Again, we are so grateful to you!

If anyone else who is reading this would like to join our marketing/promotion team for Homespun Devotions: Volume One, we would be so thrilled to have you come on board! If you are interested, please email us at homespundevotions@gmail.com to let us know, and we will mail you a signed copy of the book. All we ask in return is that you do the following for us:

1. Leave a review for us on Amazon. This is so important to the success of a new book, and we would so appreciate anyone who would be willing to do this for us.

2. If you are a blogger - in addition to leaving a review for us on Amazon, do a blog post review, sharing about the book. Also, if you would like to do a giveaway on your blog, we will be happy to mail your winner a copy of the book!

3. If you are not a blogger - in addition to leaving a review for us on Amazon, share a link to our book on your social media.

That's it!

I am now hard at work on Homespun Devotions: Volume Two! I'm not sure how many volumes there will end up being, but I will do my best to remain faithful to God's call to this project until He says it is enough. 

I hope to be able to publish another minimalism post here soon! The Lord is laying one on my heart, and I am looking forward to sharing it with you!

May God bless each and every one of you for all your support, encouragement, and kindness to us over these many years! Please keep us in your prayers as we press forward to follow Jesus. My greatest desire is to be faithful to Him. 

Mid-Life Minimizing

Photo by Eldar Nazarov

“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days."  Ephesians 5:16 (NLT)

Mom often told me, “Cheryl, none of us came here to stay always.”  It used to bother me when she said that because I could not even imagine living life without her and Dad.  Losing them was one of my biggest fears for as far back as I can remember.  Now I stand on the other side of that fear becoming reality, and my husband, Kevin, and I find ourselves around the same age my parents were when we first met.  How did we get here?  It seems like the years have flown, and it is near unbelievable to me that we could have reached "mid-life" so quickly.

Now in our 50’s and married for nearly 33 years, Kevin and I approach minimizing from a middle-aged perspective.  The viewpoint and priorities we share today are vastly different from when we began our life together, and while I wish we had known then what we know now, I will be eternally grateful we learned early enough to pass on these truths to our son, Zach.

It is far better to not accumulate in the first place.  

About a year and a half after Kevin and I were married, my sister and her husband came to visit us from out of town, and upon seeing our apartment and possessions, my brother-in-law commented that it took most couples years to accumulate the amount of stuff we already had after only being married for a short time.  At the time, his words felt like a compliment.  Now, I realize we were setting a precedent that would cause remorse and frustration for us later.  I once heard someone say that we spend the first years of married life accumulating and the next stage trying to get rid of what we have accumulated.  I find a lot of truth in that statement and tip my hat to young singles and newly married couples who have already adopted a minimalist lifestyle.  "And He (Jesus) said unto them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.'" Luke 12:15

Mortality is common to us all.

Nothing made me realize that more than standing by the bedsides of both of my dying parents.  They were resilient and had always bounced back from their many health struggles, but death finally came, despite their strong determination to live.  As I mourned in the aftermath of losing them, I realized I, too, will one day leave this world, and just as I entered it with nothing, so I will leave.  Amassing excessive possessions proves to have been a futile endeavor in the end.  "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." I Timothy 6:7

There is no time like the present.

As a middle-aged couple, we are starting to see some of the progressing health issues our parents struggled with, and along with that comes the realization that time to do the things we have dreamed of is limited, open windows of opportunity won’t stay that way forever, and sometimes there is no second chance.  When presented with the option of doing something we love and enjoy, we are much more likely to seize upon those opportunities now and not put off until tomorrow what we can cherish together today.  The wisdom in choosing experiences over things has never been clearer to us.  "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." Colossians 4:5

The burden of debt is not worth what it costs.

There is a line in Bob Seger’s song, “Against the Wind,” that says, “I was living to run and running to live, never worried about paying or even how much I owed.”  During the years we were racking up credit cards and other types of debt, we honestly did not know the total amount of our indebtedness.  All we knew is we were living life in extreme bondage to those we owed money to, and the toll it was taking on us to keep things current and our excellent credit rating intact intensified as we got older.  It is a lot easier to live that way when you are young and strong and running against the wind than it is when you find yourself in the middle stage of life, with less time, health, and energy.  We are more patient now and have learned that nothing is worth being indebted to acquire.  "The borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7

Some things are too heavy to carry.

When we were young, we didn’t pay attention to how heavy a piece of furniture was when we bought it.  Now, the weight of something is the most important factor we consider when making a purchase.  I used to carry around a ton of emotional baggage, worry about what people said and thought, and was so concerned with pleasing others I ran myself ragged.  Through the hard realities of aging and an extremely painful ulcer, I have come to understand that carrying that kind of weight is every bit as detrimental as lifting a cumbersome piece of furniture.  I simply cannot do it anymore, so I had to let it go. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1

What we hold onto affects someone other than ourselves.

When we began accumulating possessions, there were only two of us.  Now, there are three, and as Kevin and I make minimizing decisions, our son, Zach, is front and center in our minds.  We are becoming steadily more concerned about how the things we are keeping will affect him after we are gone.  Do we want to leave him with precious memories or laden with stuff?  Our stuff.  Stuff that he may have no interest in or even understand why we kept.  Our concern for him often influences our minimizing decisions and lends a confirming measure of common sense.  "Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me." Ecclesiastes 2:18

Stuff that used to serve us in one way, can now serve us in another.

As we get older, our physical abilities sometimes restrict us from activities we used to enjoy.  When this happens, it is counterproductive to hold onto things we can no longer use when selling them may contribute to something that is important to us now, in this season.  Recently, unexpected expenses arose regarding our next book around the same time Kevin began considering selling the fishing equipment he has been collecting for years. It was a hard decision for him—many memories were attached, and my heart broke for him when he told me he was going to sell everything and apply the money toward our book expenses.  But it just made sense to him—he no longer does any fishing or has easy access to a good fishing spot, and the book is very close to all three of our hearts.  It all sold immediately, and our problem was solved.  "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Though middle age is a challenging phase in life’s journey, it provides the opportunity to make necessary adjustments, live out the lessons we have learned, and pass the insight on to those who walk behind us.

How Minimalism Simplifies the Cleaning Process for Me

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."  Titus 2:3-5

First of all, I want to apologize for going AWOL from this blog for such a long time.  Life has been busy, and lots of stress has deterred inspiration and the motivation to write.  But, here I am, back again with a post that I hope will be a blessing to you.  You can also find it at No Sidebar by clicking HERE.  Thank you for your patience and faithfulness to follow this blog.  The posts may be sporadic, but each one of them comes from the heart.

Secondly, I want to be fully transparent concerning my weight loss endeavors, since I shared about it here before.  I wish I could say they have been a success, but after all this time, that is just not the case.  I was faithful to my commitment to intermittent fasting from July through December of 2020, only to find that I had lost just a few pounds at the end of that process.  I am not giving up.  I am still trying hard every, single day, and I look forward to the day I can post a victory announcement that I have finally reached my weight loss goal.  Until then, I press on.

Now, for that latest post.

Sometimes, it is hard to see the benefits of a life change until you have actually lived that life for a while.  Then, you can look back and assess the differences with pristine, hindsight clarity.  

In our nearly 33 years of marriage, it has always been my heart’s desire to make sure our home is a welcoming, comforting place – a haven for my hard-working husband to come home to and a safe and clean environment for our son to grow up in.  It is my life’s work, mission, and calling to be the best keeper at home I can possibly be, and I find a lot of fulfillment and joy in the daily minutiae and work required to make that happen.  To be honest, mundane “chores” are some of my favorite things to do and standing over a soapy sink full of dishes is one of my ideal places to meditate and pray.  Over the years, I’ve done a lot of productive thinking standing in front of our kitchen sink, and I seldom use our dishwasher because doing that would rob me of something I find extremely fulfilling.

Today, as I straightened our room and made our bed, it occurred to me how much simpler it is to live out my life’s dream of keeping a clean, organized, ready-for-company house than it was five years ago.  Then, we were living in a mortgaged 4-bedroom, 3 bath house; every closet, drawer, shelf, and cupboard was pretty much filled to overflowing; and excess was oozing out of every nook and cranny of our home.  Now, we live in a rented 2-bedroom, 2 bath townhouse, have eliminated about 90% of our physical possessions, and there isn’t much in our home that we don’t love and use on a regular basis.  Comparing cleaning efforts now with then presents a stark and welcoming contrast.  

Here are some of the ways minimalism has made cleaning simpler for me.

1. Having less stuff, in and of itself, obviously reduces the amount of effort and energy required to keep things clean.  Less furniture means less dusting, less clothing and linens equals less laundry, etc.

2. Owning less means we require a smaller living space.  Less square footage equates to less sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and overall cleaning. 

3. Less time spent cleaning means more time with my family, more time to help our son study for college exams, more time to devote to outreach endeavors, and more time doing the things we love and enjoy.  For example, having two bathrooms instead of three reduces my weekly deep cleaning time by about an hour.  That is an hour I can invest in the online Bible studies I so enjoy, in working on a blog post, or in editing and finishing my upcoming book.

4. Along the way, I have learned to stop buying multiple one-purpose cleaning products and to replace them with basic homemade, all-purpose cleansers.  Continual bombardment of consumerism-driven advertisers and marketing campaigns have convinced us we can only use each product for one specific purpose, i.e.., we have to buy a separate cleanser for toilets, sinks, showers, stovetops, countertops, and floors.  The truth is a homemade glass cleaner solution of water, peroxide, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, and vinegar works great for windows, mirrors, and interim touch-ups, and a homemade multi-purpose cleaning solution of equal parts dishwashing liquid and vinegar covers deep cleaning and most of the rest.  A dab of body wash or shampoo is perfect for wiping down shower stalls, takes less than a minute of time, and reduces soap scum build-up. A combination of elbow grease and an inexpensive pumice stone is the best solution for stubborn toilet bowl stains, tough stovetop jobs, baked-on oven build-up, and many other cleaning challenges.  Such a time saver and so incredibly simple!  Learning and implementing these acquired lessons has immeasurably simplified cleaning our home and consistently saves us a lot of money.  

5. There is no cleaning intimidation or deterrent in an uncluttered space.  Think of it this way - since countertops and tabletops are already kept clear and empty, you don’t have to tackle a pile of disorder and chaos before you can wipe them down and dust.  Since floors are clutter-free, you don’t have to deal with piles of paper, toys, and other random untidiness before you can sweep, mop, or vacuum.  I will never forget how much I used to dread stepping into our oversized garage and having to navigate through and around the maze of boxes, crates, and piles of stuff to get to the outside door.  Seeing the mess was not only a glaring, guilt-inducing reminder of what needed to be done, it also presented an unwanted reality check as to how overwhelmingly monumental the task was going to be.  Excess accumulation creates added layers of necessary steps to achieve cleanliness and discourages ever beginning the process in the first place.

6. In our particular situation, we found it was entirely doable to reduce family vehicles to just one.  Having one family car that we all share and learning to keep that one car free of clutter reduces the amount of time and energy needed to keep it comfortable and clean.

Whether living in our beloved, long-term, pre-minimalism home or in a post-minimalism rented home with no emotional ties attached, it is and has always been my goal and desire to keep things clean.  Minimalism just makes that job a whole lot easier.

How to Minimize Your Kitchen

 "But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."  I Timothy 6:6  (KJV)

Are you starting to feel the slightest nip of autumn in the air where you live? Oh, I do love the fall of the year! As I type this, I am looking out our kitchen window at the plethora of trees on the mountainside directly behind our townhouse. The leaves are rustling, and even though they have not yet begun to change colors or fall, and even though I am inside with the air conditioning running, I still sense a slight "change in the air." Our days are still very warm, but at night ~ well, I sometimes go out on our balcony, and the air is just a slight bit cooler. I am SO looking forward to the ushering in of my favorite season of all. The other day, my sweet husband said to me, "We're getting ready to go into your favorite time of the year." He was referring to that wonderful span of time that begins with my birthday (yesterday!) to his birthday on February 3rd, with Zach's birthday (the day after Christmas) and Thanksgiving and Christmas tucked right there in between!

This is my very favorite time of the year, and this is one of my all-time favorite songs. 

Hope you enjoy it!

"A Change in the Air" by Clint Black

I don't know about you, but I get highly motivated and inspired to declutter, minimize, and downsize at this time of year.  I've always heard about "spring cleaning," but I declare, "fall cleaning" comes more naturally to me.  I just get a hankering to "shed" as the world around me "sheds" and breaks forth into such vibrant, beautiful colors.  I sense a fresh, new zest for life and want to clear out to make way for the new!  

It's a lot easier to accomplish these tasks than it was a few years ago.  The less you have, the less you have to worry about, and I love our new way of living with few possessions!  As you probably know, if you've read this blog or Homespun Devotions for very long, my little family and I have been on a minimizing mission since 2015 - even before that.  By God's grace, we have made tremendous progress, and our lives today hardly resemble our pre-minimized lives at all.  We are so much happier, lighter, and less stressed.  By God's grace, we have maintained our minimized state and have never allowed stuff to creep back into our home and lives, and we remain 100% debt-free.  I say all of this NOT to boast - believe me, this was ALL God - we never thought it could happen.  I say this to encourage you today that there is an abundant life Jesus wills for each of us to live, and He came so we could find and live out that level of life.  "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  John 10:10

Jesus came to make a way for us to live that abundant life, but He leaves the choice in the hands of our free will.  We have to take the necessary steps to reach that abundant life - He is a Gentleman and will not force it on any of us.

If you would like to read more about our story, please consider ordering our new book by clicking HERE, and if you are feeling "a change in the air" and wanting to get started on or resume a past minimizing journey, here are some tips to help motivate you as we prepare for the refreshing coolness of autumn.  A great place to start is in your kitchen.

1.  Get your transport containers ready first.  Whether it be cardboard boxes, crates, or something else, set them up in a convenient spot and label them, "Donate," "Sell," and "Put Away."  As a fourth container, have a garbage can handy to immediately dispose of trash items.  The "Put Away" box is for any misplaced items you find that you still want to keep but need to be moved to another area of your home.  The "Donate" box is to be given away, and we have found it helpful to put our "Sell" box in a location out of sight until we can figure out where to sell the items in the box.  The methods we have used most often are eBay and Letgo, but there are many other options including having a fall yard sale, utilizing facebook marketplace, or setting up a table at a local flea market.

2.  Start with a kitchen drawer.  Yes, just one.  Take everything out and assess every, single item.  Do you have more than one?  Do you need more than one?  Do you even use, want, or need the one?  Try to put less back in the drawer than you took out.  Move on to the next kitchen drawer, and the next, until all drawers are completely decluttered.  Breaking it down into one drawer at a time makes the job doable, gives you a quick sense of accomplishment, and inspires you to move on to bigger areas.

3.  Next, tackle one kitchen cabinet.  Perhaps, you will want to do just one per day, or if you have time, you can do more.  Ask the same questions - do I really use this anymore?  Do I even like this?  Am I only keeping it because it was gifted to me?  Here is the cardinal rule:  If you find that the answers are no, then you'll see it is time to let go.

4.  Assess your countertops.  Do they looked cluttered?  Do you frequently use everything that is taking up countertop space?  Could something be moved inside an empty, out-of-sight cupboard to create a more clean, organized look?  Is there anything that needs to be dealt with, i.e., bills, papers, etc.?  Deal with what needs dealt with, and clear away any unnecessary clutter.  For example, we leave our stand mixer on our countertop at all times because it is too heavy for me to lift in and out, and I use it several times a week.  However, we store our toaster in a lower cupboard because it is light and easy for me to take in and out, and we don't use it nearly as often.  Arrange your kitchen in a way that is most convenient, user-friendly, and streamlined to your needs and wants.  There is no hard and fast rule about what a minimized kitchen should look like, but a universal thread in every minimalist's kitchen is that the unused, unwanted, and unnecessary have been removed, and what remains is neatly arranged, well-placed, and organized.

5.  Keep eating area clear at all times.  This way, when meal time comes, all you have to do is set the table.  If there is anything cluttering your table that discourages you from sitting down to eat a peaceful meal, remove it and find another suitable place for it.  Keep on the table only what will not create extra work for you before meals and only what is necessary.  For example, we do not have a formal dining room; our eating area consists of a small eat-in kitchen table with four chairs.  There are only three of us, so we keep our daily medications and vitamins inside a primitive wooden box situated on a pretty doily on the 4th side of the table where no one sits, and we keep the other three places cleared off, clean, and ready to place our plates at mealtimes.  Again, do what works for you, but keep it minimal and uncluttered.

6.  Analyze your pantry.  Check each item's expiration date.  If anything is past using, throw it away.  Are there things left that you know you and your family will never eat?  Donate unopened, unwanted items to a local family, food pantry, or homeless shelter.  Make meal plans based on what you have on hand, and make a list of frequently used items that need to be replenished.

7.  Clean out your freezer and refrigerator following the same suggestions as you used for your pantry.  While items are removed, take this opportunity to clean shelves, doors, sides, and drawers with a warm, soapy rag.  You will feel so much better after you do!

8.  Wipe down any accummulated cobwebs, the top of your refrigerator and stove hood, inside your microwave, and any other areas that may not get more regular attention.

And, there you have it!  Your kitchen will be completely decluttered, cleaned, and refreshed for fall in just a few, doable steps.  One step at a time breaks it all down into bite-size pieces and makes it less overwhelming.  

I wanted to also give you an update on my intermittent fasting weight loss endeavors.  I am thankful to say, that by God's grace and help, I am still going strong!  Since July 25th, I have made it a point to fast from food for 16 hours each day.  This daily discipline has evolved into a habit and a part of my lifestyle.  I have not weighed, nor will I, until I see and feel a marked difference.  I am feeling just a tiny bit lighter, and I am noticing the smallest change in the way my clothes fit, so hopefully, this is working.  While I wish I could find a wonder pill that would melt the pounds overnight, I realize this excess weight has built up over a period of several years, so I am settled in for the long haul and am not going to focus on how long this is taking.  

In younger years, had I made the drastic sacrifices I am now making to lose weight, I would have seen a big difference by now, but we all know what happens as we get older.  Everything slows down, and the climb gets harder all the time.  So, I will give myself grace, continue to draw close to Jesus during this time of daily fasting, and I will stay the course, by His grace.  Feeling a heightened sense of His presence each day during those fasting hours is worth it all to me.

I would love to hear your minimizing, decluttering, cleaning, and weight loss suggestions and stories in the comments.  Please share with all of us, and may God bless each one of you on your journey!

Weight Loss Update & New Article on No Sidebar

"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

I Corinthians 9:27

How I appreciate all who are praying for me!  Thank you for the emails and comments that let me know you are continuing to pray and stand alongside me in this ongoing battle to "bring my body into subjection."  I just wanted to drop in with an accountability update and let you know how I am doing and hopefully encourage you to keep pressing on in your own minimizing challenges.

As I spoke about in this post and this post, I began the discipline of intermittent fasting on July 25th.  By God's grace, I am continuing to do that for 16 hours each day.  I have not stepped on a set of scales, nor do I intend to for a very long time.  Many failed weight loss attempts have taught me that for me to step on the scales too early in the game equals total frustration and defeat, so I am avoiding the scales like the plague!  

I am taking it one day at a time, and I am applying the many lessons God has taught us in all other areas of minimizing to my current weight minimizing efforts.  You can read all about those lessons in our new book, "Biblical Minimalism."  

We are completely humbled and amazed at how God is blessing this book.  May He continue to place it in the hands of those with open hearts hungry for a closer walk with Him.  If you haven't yet ordered yours, I hope you will click here to order your copy today!

It is amazing how the Word of God is universal and Its wisdom applies to all areas of our lives.  Whether it is severing toxic relationships, tearing down physical possession idols, or being set free from food addiction, Its precepts are all-encompassing, applicable, and entirely relevant.

I am trying not to set unrealistic goals, and I am certainly not making a vow, but my heart's desire is to continue the intermittent fasting until Christmas.  I just keep thinking how wonderful it would be to not have to cringe when it comes time to take our annual Christmas photo!  All of the sacrifice would be so worthwhile if I could face that camera with less dread knowing I had really tried and given it my all to lose this excess weight.  

Whether or not you need to lose body weight, get out of debt, ditch toxic relationships, or let go of excess physical possessions, I want to encourage you today on your minimizing journey by reminding you that God is bigger than this.  I will admit that the thought of needing to lose 60+ pounds is overwhelming to me.  Its insurmountability is enough to cause me to give up, but I won't because the God within me is greater than the mountain in front of me.

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."  I John 4:4

Bigger than This - Jo Dee Messina

Through His strength, I can lose this weight, and you can overcome any minimizing challenge, too.  On my own, I have tried and failed more times than I can even remember.  Somehow, I have viewed weight loss as being in its own category outside the power of God, but this time I am enlisting all the power available to me, and I will conquer this.  I can't do this, but HE can do this through me.

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."  Romans 8:37

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  Philippians 4:13

I want freedom from obesity more than I want food.  As the saying goes, "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."  I am reminding myself that God, not food, is my Source of comfort.  When I am tempted at night to "break" the fast and turn to food for comfort, I will lift my eyes Heavenward and find my comfort in HIM.

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."  Psalm 121:1-2

I also wanted to let you know that today I am sharing a post on No Sidebar about some helpful things to remember while minimizing with children.  Here's a little snippet ~ 

"The journey to a more peaceful, simpler life looks different for all of us, and there is no one size fits all, step-by-step plan or method. For those of us pursuing simplicity as families with children, it is important to remember that while we are working toward a life of greater peace, the everyday press toward that goal can be anything but peaceful."

I hope you will click HERE to head over to No Sidebar and read the rest!

Minimizing Excess Weight Through Prayer & Fasting

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Romans 12:1 (emphasis added)

You may wonder why I am talking about weight loss issues on a blog called Biblical Minimalism.  I realize that this will not apply to many of you, and chances are, you have no weight to lose and/or have already overcame in this area of minimizing.  Even if obesity is not an issue for you, I hope you can bear with me.  Maybe the stuff we talk about here will apply to another area of excess in your life.  Or perhaps you are struggling with another type addiction, unrelated to food, and maybe the things God is teaching me will be beneficial to you for something totally different.  At any rate, I trust you won't give up on me, as I use this space to work through this journey.

I recently published this very raw, unedited, transparent post concerning my ongoing struggles with obesity.  From the number of private emails I have been getting from different readers I have never heard from before, it turns out there are far more of you who share in my struggles than I imagined.  My heart goes out to each on of you because no one else could ever understand or feel your pain more than I do right now.  I want you to know I am praying for you and believing alongside you for victory for every, single one of us.

In our new book and in this post, I talk about the Whole Person Pie©, how our lives are made up of eight "slices" and how God should be the center.

One of those eight "slices" is called "the physical," which, in my opinion, falls right next to "the spiritual" slice of the pie in order of importance.  The physical slice of the pie is broken down into two parts - physical possessions (which you can read about in this post),

and our physical bodies (which I talked about here.)  I say that the physical slice is right next to the spiritual in order of importance because, as Christians, our physical bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit.  "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"  I Corinthians 6:19

One of the parts of the "physical slice" that I focused on in that post is obesity.  

I'll be honest.  I hesitate to write about this at all because I am SO unqualified to talk about it.  Not that I am the authority on ANYthing I write about, but at least I can testify to the chain-breaking power of God and how He enabled us to sell our home and release about 90% of our physical possessions, liberated us from all our indebtedness, and performed so many other wonders in our lives.  Those are areas that I can see such blatant, visible proof as to what He has literally done, and my family and I have walked through those things and can see tanglible victory.  The gray slice you see in the pie chart above called "obesity" is a whole other ballgame.  This is where I am.  This is reality, and this is where I have gained zero victory and why I feel completely unqualified to share since I am still in the throes of this struggle and seeing no success.

When I stepped on the doctor's scale a few months ago and saw that glaring, shocking number staring me down, I could hardly believe it.  I told the nurse who stood next to me that I couldn't believe it.  Bless her heart, she struggles with the same and told me that after she steps on the scales and sees the number, she goes and gets something to eat and forgets about it!  I love her to pieces, but that is not exactly the most helpful medical advice I've ever been given, and it sure didn't encourage me to get this weight off.  When the doctor walked in, and I mentioned my weight gain to him and let him know how distressed I am about it, he began ordering testing, and sure enough, they found issues.  Those, piled on to the other physical conditions I have dealt with for years, in all fairness, are formidable opponents to my weight loss efforts.  Add medically-confirmed menopause to the mix, and you have a sure fire recipe for weight loss sabotage, and to be honest, this has all felt so hopeless.  I have felt completely trapped.

But, " Is any thing too hard for the LORD?"  Genesis 18:14 - this question was raised in reference to God's promise that Sarah would conceive and bear a son at the ripe old age of 90.  Can you imagine how incredulous and impossible this had to have sounded to Sarah?  I don't find it odd that she laughed when she heard that the following year, she would have a son. 

If God can open the barren womb of a 90-year-old woman and give her and her 100-year-old husband a son, can He not help me lose weight, in spite of medical limitations?  Their age was a mighty formidable opponent to childbirth, yet God miraculously fulfilled His promise to them and gave them a son of their own.  

My obesity is a stronghold that looks as impossible to me as having a child must have looked to Abraham and Sarah.  Yet, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."  Matthew 19:26  

2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."  Obesity, for me, is a strong hold.  It is a place in my life that I cannot seem to break through and change through any carnal weapon I have been able to get my hands on.  My many failed efforts in making this happen are living proof that I cannot do this—alone.  

But, God has been showing me that I CAN do this through His strength, and He is consistently bringing Matthew 17:21 to my mind, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."  Sometimes, prayer alone is not enough.  There are some strong holds that cannot be pulled down through any other means than the mighty weapon combo of prayer and fasting.  Fasting requires self-denial and discipline, and I think that is precisely what I need right now.

I mentioned in my last post that I have been reading Kalen Bruce's new book, "10 Branches of Growth," and how Kalen talks about the discipline of intermittent fasting.  I had heard of it, and Kevin, Zach, and I had even tried it for a short time quite a while ago, but I had forgotten about it.  Full disclosure- I am not a doctor, nor am I saying that intermittent fasting will work or even be healthy for everyone.  Please seek the Lord for wisdom, and know that I am only sharing this as my own experience and testimony.  

A few days ago, I started the disicpline of intermittent fasting from 7:00 PM until at least 11:00 AM.  By God's grace, it is my goal to exercise this discipline until it becomes a habit that continues until the excess weight is gone.  I am not making a vow, and I know that I am continually subject to fall off the wagon, but this is my goal.  

Here's the best part.  Through the years, during times that the Lord has called me to fast, I have always been so amazed at the level of intimacy and spiritual depths I am drawn into while fasting.  There is just a special closeness and communion with God that has happened every, single time.  When I began this intermittent fasting a few nights ago, that was the farthest thing from my mind.  My sole purpose in doing this, in the beginning, was to lose weight.  But, the other night it occured to me that I am feeling that amazing sense of closeness to Jesus during the hours of 7:00 PM - 11:00 AM!  This is not just helping me physically.  It is helping me spiritually.  I feel a drawing to steal away in the evenings and go up to our room and enter into extra prayer time.  I am feeling that sense of His presence that is so much more overwhelming than usual.  The sheer act of denying myself those guilty pleasures of snacking and unnecesary food consumption at night is working and producing something good in my soul.  This is a win/win!

As I felt led to write this post, I asked the Lord if it is really necessary for me to share my struggles.  After all, this isn't the easiest thing in the world.  I got an immediate answer and confirmation that He wants to use my intense struggles to help someone else.  I have surrendered my life to Him to use as He sees fit, I have handed the reins to Him, and my life is a living sacrifice.  If He can get any glory out of my issues and discrepancies, and if they can reach out and let someone else know they are not alone, then here I am Lord, send me.  

I deeply appreciate your continued prayers that I will stay strong and be faithful to God in bringing this area of my life under subjection to Him.  This slice of the pie is every bit as important as decluttering the house, giving away possessions, and getting out of debt - in fact, it is even more important than all that because as I said before, this has to do with the very temple in which God's Spirit dwells.  It is my "reasonable service" to do all I can to make it as healthy a dwelling place as I possibly can.  You are my accountability partners, and your prayers mean the world to me.  God bless you all and help you with whatever you may be struggling with today.

Weight Loss Confessions

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."  Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)

Hebrews 12:1 has literally become our minimalism journey anthem.  The laying aside of every weight and besetting sin is our constant pursuit, and it is ever on my mind and foremost in my walk with the Lord.  With all my heart, I want to please Him and live out the plan He has ordained for my time on this earth, and I know I cannot do that successfully while weighted down with excess.

I think often of the analogy the Apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 9:24.  "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."  Anyone knows that in order for a runner to run a race at optimal speed and efficiency, they have to cast off every ounce of unnecessary weight.  To think that a runner could win a race with heavy objects strapped to his/her back, let alone excess body weight, is absurd.

Photo by Aaron Burden

It is no secret that I have struggled much with physical weight issues for several years.  It is a constant source of distress for me, and I have tried so many things to lose the weight, only to fall off the wagon and end up gaining even more.  Can anyone relate?

This morning, as I spent time with the Lord and begged Him once again to help me, He began to remind me how far He has brought my family and me in other areas of life.  He led us to sell our four-bedroom, three-bath home with a huge garage that was overstuffed with excess and release about 90% of our physical possessions.  He brought us out of extreme debt bondage to a place of being 100% debt-free.  He released us from untold layers of spiritual bondage and the spirit of legalism.  He has opened our eyes and drawn us out of so many weighty, encumbering, besetting sins, all glory to God.  So, why is it so hard for me to get a breakthrough on the stronghold of obesity?

If God can enable me to let go of things that had become such idols, to leave the home that meant more to me than I could even put into words, to completely stop using credit, and to walk free from the entanglements of so many levels of spiritual bondage, why is the tackling of obesity any different?

"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?"  Jeremiah 32:27

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear."  Isaiah 59:1

My being physically overweight is no more God's fault than our being in debt up to our eyeballs was His fault.  This is something that I have allowed to let happen, and this is something that I am going to have to put forth the necessary effort and self-control to change just as much as we had to let go of the home we loved and say good-bye to so many beloved physical possessions.  Those possessions made their way into our house over years of accummulation and with our consent, just like these excess pounds made their way into my physical body with my permission.

Over two years ago, on June 1, 2018, I wrote this post.  On June 5, 2018, I published this post introducing The P.O.W.E.R. Tool©.  (You are more than welcome to download your own P.O.W.E.R. Tool© by clicking HERE.)  To say I wrote those posts over two years ago and to see the state I am in today fills me with incredible remorse, even shame.

One thing about tools, they only work and help you out if you pick them up and use them.  We have an electric washer and dryer in our basement.  It is there, at our disposal, to use any time we want 24/7.  We can either gather the laundry from the clothes hamper in our bedroom closet and the laundry basket on Zach's closet floor and walk that laundry to the basement, sort it, drop it in the wash machine, add laundry detergent, and turn the knob for it to begin OR we can leave our dirty laundry upstairs in our closets and allow it to pile up to the ceiling.  We can complain about how much we hate the piled-up dirty laundry, or we can implement our washer and dryer to help us get the laundry clean.

When the Lord inspired me to design the P.O.W.E.R. Tool, I had every intention of picking it up each morning and using it to help me stay on track.  Somehow, over time, I have completely stopped using this tool, and it shows—in very obvious, unhideable ways.  When I wrote this post, I needed to lose 60 pounds.  Yes, I said 60.  Imagine my unimaginable shock when I stepped on the doctor's scale a few months ago to find that my weight had balooned up to an unthinkable number, and suddenly 60 pounds didn't sound like so much to lose.  I am SO ashamed.  Just being real here ~ sorry if this post is too transparent.

Obviously, I didn't have to write and publish this post.  No one is standing over me with a gun to my head demanding I tell the whole world about the horrible stronghold I am dealing with on a daily basis.  I could pretend that I have been faithful and self-disciplined and stayed right on track.  I could lie, either by telling you those things or by saying I have steadily lost weight and have now reached my goal (OH, to be able to say that!) or I could just omit the truth and avoid the subject all together.  There is nothing compelling me to write this post, other than a sincere desire to help someone out there who is dealing with and fighting against obesity as much as I am.

I want you to know that you are not alone.  Today, I want to say to you that I am right there with you - even more overweight than I was on the day I wrote the post announcing to anyone who wanted to read it that I was 60 pounds overweight.

I wish I had a magic potion to offer you - believe me, if there were one, and I could get my hands on it, I would have already done so.  I wish I could tell you to click on a link that would guarantee a miracle cure for your obesity.  I wish I could hand you a simple solution that wouldn't require any type of effort on your part and would enable you to wake up tomorrow morning and see your ideal weight number miraculously appear on your digital scale.

I don't have anything to offer you but this ~

Sincere, heartfelt, genuine empathy because I am in the same, exact boat.  I hate the fact that I have wasted all this time and fallen into such weight-loss apostasy and gone completely off the rails.  TWO YEARS later, I am not only in the same, exact boat, "the boat" is straining even more now because I weigh substantially more than I did two years ago!

In my head, I KNOW all the right things to do.  I have even made vows to God (it really, really sobers me to realize and admit this), and I have repeatedly and shamefully broken those vows.  I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for grace.  Without it, I would have been cut off a long time ago.  Why does He continue to forgive and put up with me when I consistently fail, fall short, and break my promises to Him?

"But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness."  Nehemiah 9:17

"For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee."  Psalm 86:5

"He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities."  Psalm 103:10

It's a good thing, huh?

I'm not sure why I entitled this post, "Weight Loss Confessions."  I think I should have called it "Weight Gain Confessions," because weight loss doesn't show up in any of this equation.

My promises in this area don't really hold their "weight," pun intended, but I am going to openly proclaim that I am going to TRY to get back on the wagon today.  One of the things that is motivating me very much right now is Kalen Bruce's new book, "10 Branches of Growth."  Kalen is a USAF Soldier who writes from a perspective of being extremely disciplined.

And, that is the key.  The Lord is showing me while reading Kalen's book that this all comes down to that one word - discipline, of which "disciple" is the root word.  I call myself a disciple of Jesus, and true disciple of Jesus I am.  I love Him more now than I have in my whole life, and believe me, that is a lot of love because my heart has been tender toward Jesus for as far back as I can remember.  These days, I can hardly speak His name without tears.  He has brought my family and me through SO much, and He means everything to me.  I am His disciple - with all my heart.

But, physical weight is an area in which I am completely unhinged and out of control.  I am so NOT under His subjection in this slice of the Whole Person Pie©.  I can see so many areas of progress - I even feel (with much humility and realization of the fact I am subject to fail or slip at any given moment) that I have some slices of the pie completely minimized and under total submission to Jesus and His perfect will.  Obesity is a continual reminder of the fact that when it comes to the physical slice of the pie - that important slice that includes the fact that my body is His temple - I am so far off track.  It feels impossible to ever minimize this slice, but today, I am relying upon the truths in His Word.

"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."  Matthew 19:26

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  Philippians 4:13

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."  Romans 8:37

I am going to TRY to start picking up the P.O.W.E.R. Tool© each day and check off the boxes as I complete them.  I am going to TRY - try being the operative word - to start drinking the necessary amount of water each day and to get back on an exercise routine.  One of the things Kalen talks about in his book is intermittent fasting, where he only eats between 11 am and 7 pm each day.  He fasts during the other 16 hours.  I really think I can do this.  I think one of the pitfalls I have identified while reading "10 Branches of Growth" is late-night eating.

So, this is my accountability post, and this is me, asking you to please, please pray for me, will you?  I know without a doubt that some of my health issues would improve or even be elminated if I weren't lugging around this load of excess weight.  I long to follow Jesus in ALL areas of my life, including this one, and oh, my, in this one I am failing so miserably.  Biblical Minimalism is "a complete, whole-person release of anything unlike Jesus, a letting go of everything that hinders us from following Him wholeheartedly and single-mindedly, and a relinquishing of all that brings us under bondage to this earthly, very temporary life."  I desperately need His help in becoming an overcomer in this area of my life, and your prayers are a Divine gift!

If you would like to get your own copy of Kalen's new book that is helping motivate me so much, click HERE.  

Kalen recently granted us an exclusive Inner Views interview, and you can read it by clicking HERE!

And, just a reminder, if you would like to order our new book, "Biblical Minimalism," click HERE.

May God bless each of you on your journey, and I deeply appreciate your prayers for victory in this area of my life!