Easter: The Aftermath

Easter is over.  The chocolate bunnies are eaten.  The leftovers from Easter dinner are gone.  The new outfits have been dry cleaned and tucked away in the closet.  It's back to business as usual.  But if we celebrate the resurrection then go back to status quo then we've missed the point.   Easter is a new beginning.  For the Jewish people Passover was a significant time.  While the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt the last plague was the Passover.  Everyone who Read more

Passions Need People

Last time we looked at how Nehemiah's passion led him to complete the tremendous undertaking of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days, but he didn't do it alone.....   How often have you had an idea, a vision, a passion you wanted to pursue, but it never went beyond an idea in your head because you had no idea how you would make it happen?  Yeah, its sounded like a good idea, but that thought of trying to accomplish Read more

The Power of Passion

Often when we hear the word passion, we think of it in the context of love and romance.  Most people can relate to that feeling of being in love.  You fall for that special someone and they become your obsession.  That special person is all you think about.  You'd do almost anything for them.   You can also get passionate about a goal. Something you feel driven to accomplish.  Something that you're willing to put your all into, make sacrifices for.  Read more

Spring Break the Hunger....A Child's Spark

Last time, I asked for your help in raising money for my church’s current initiative: buy 300 Food Packets to send home with kids over spring break.  Essentially, the food pack is enough stuff for the kids to make themselves a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday.   So we’re sitting in church last Sunday, listening to the man explain the initiative and my son (whose 9) leans over to me and says “Mom, that’s all they get?    They should Read more
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Book Review – Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter, and Simplify

Posted on October 11, 2011 by ML Smith Posted in Book Review, Minimalist Christian | Leave a comment

I absolutely LOVE my Kindle.  One of the best parts about the Kindle are the quick, little ebooks you can purchase for less than $2.00.  One such treasure I recently found was Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter, and Simplify by Francine Jay.  The ebook  book is a collection of articles she’s written over the years and cost $0.99. I can honestly say it has changed my mindset and I predict will change my life.

Francine Jay is a minimalist.  What is minimalism?  In Jay’s words….

It’s eliminating excess

It’s asking “why” before you buy

It’s embracing the concept of enough

It’s living lightly and gracefully on the Earth

It’s uncovering who you are when all of the logos, brand names, and clutter are stripped away.

As someone who has spent years drowning in a cluttered house and overbooked schedule, her message of simplicity called to me loud and clear.

Simple living is not a new concept to me.  Perhaps it is where I am in my life that has made me more receptive.   Just a few years ago I was burning for a bigger house, a nicer neighborhood, a fancier car, and buying whatever struck my fancy.  Then one day I just got tired of chasing.  I had a longing to be content.  I wanted to stop wanting.

This message should resonate with Christians looking for more than the day to day that the world has to offer.  As she says “…when our homes…are overflowing with clutter, our souls take a backseat to our stuff.”  How can we wholeheartedly offer ourselves to Christ when we don’t have space for him…literally and figuratively?

This book review kicks off my own efforts to embrace the minimalist lifestyle.  To strip away all but the necessities so I can focus on what matters most.  Join me in my journey.

Other thoughts from Francine Jay….

“Do you ever look around our house, at all the things you’ve bought and inherited and been given, and feel overwhelmed instead of over joyed?”

“Forget about perfection.  For the vast majority of tasks, good enough is good enough”

“Minimalist living eliminated the distractions – the clutter, the chores, the debt – the devour our time and energy”

“…minimalism – living beautiful lives with less”