E82 Thinking critically about all our stuff

E85 When life gets hard, pray

Hey all. I am getting back on this horse and getting real with you today about life. We all have struggles and sometimes, those struggles aren't really THAT bad. But other times, they are the silent, drop to the floor and bawl your eyes out struggles. Those times can really define who we are and also define who is there for us. Let's face it, most of us have had relatively easy lives. But sometimes, life brings us to our knees. And maybe that's where we need to start in times of hardship and also in times of ease. I would submit to you that prayer needs not be a last resort. Instead, it is what we can do, always. We pray at the beginning, the middle and the end of the struggle. We pray through the never-ending struggles. Some people are facing things that are unimaginable, like the loss of a child. We can give everything we have to a fundraiser and bring endless casseroles. But no amount of money or food can REALLY make that struggle better. Those are the "hit your knees" struggles of life. Let's not say, "All we can do is pray." Let's pray at all times.

E84 Being intentional just means making a plan!

Everyone is always telling us to "be intentional" but what does that really mean? I tend to kinda hang out and expect fun things to happen. Then, when they don't, I am disappointed. But here's the thing. When nothing fun happens, I have not been intentional with my time, my schedule or my connection with others. If we have no intentionality about our time, pretty soon we realize it's all been wasted on nothing. I, for one, am not willing for that to keep happening! I am encouraging myself and you to make a list of to-dos for the rest of this year. These to-dos aren't obligations; they are a bucket list of sorts. Then let's take the list a step further and put them on the calendar. Cheers to us making this a more fun and intentional year!

E83 Having a simpler life with less

Today I am encouraging you to join me in my goal of living a life filled with memories, people, experiences, and love... instead of tons of material things. As we get older, those "things" have less and less meaning and we gain perspective on what is important. The process of going through decades of collected stuff at my dad's home has set me on a new mission - to live a life less full of stuff and more full of love.

E82 Thinking critically about all our stuff

We're on a roll here talking about all the STUFF we have. A lot of us have storage units with stuff in them we don't even remember. More of us have stuff stuffed into nooks and crannies in our houses - closets, basements, attics. And what about that garage we can't park in? When it comes down to it, we just have too much stuff! If we start to think more critically about what we have and really examine the "why" of the stuff, we can begin to pare it down, little by little, until we have a more peaceful life with less.

E81 The happy medium between keeping & tossing

As you know, I am on a mission to downsize all the stuff accumulated by me and also by my parents. There is something to be said for paying homage to the past. After all, it is what shaped us and brought us to where we are today! But keeping everything isn't possible and tossing everything without any emotion might make you a psycho. So maybe there is a place in between the two that will give us the peace of having less and the joy of looking back.