Simple 2014.

My resolution this year is to simplify.

Redundant, cliche...possibly. Yes, probably. We hear it all the time because we are constantly needing to be reminded of it. Simplicity is just so hard to maintain amidst the busy clutter that life constantly hands us. Things to do, places to be. Going, going, going.

But, I'm going to try. I'm going to try to wedge some peace into the chaos. To nudge some grace into the stress. To peel away the unnecessary layers that produce unnecessary frustration. Each personal situation presents its own challenges and I know that the things that may give me stress may not produce stress for someone else--or, someone else's stress may not happen in my life. But we all experience it on some level and I'm going to try to get down to the nitty-gritty of its existence in my life.

My first step is my home. To declutter, to finally sell the stuff I've been meaning to sell and to give away the rest and throw away the trash. To see smooth surfaces and open spaces, rather than filling every nook and cranny with stuff. To decorate intentionally, for my walls and shelves to wear the photos and words that represent us.

My second step is social media. I give up Facebook at some point every year, and this year I've already hit that "some point". Despite good intentions, I find myself once again mindlessly scrolling through my phone when I could be engaging the actual reality happening around me. It's my own failure at self-control and sometimes, the best way for me to regulate it is to discontinue it. I have no idea when I will start it back up again, but the few days I've been away from it have been liberating. Isn't that odd? (It just means I was on it too much.)

The third step is relationships. To strengthen the strong friendships. To invest in the ones who need investment. To give feet to my love and turn it into action, better.

My goal this year is a Simple 2014. I am praying that God will continue to show me the cluttered areas of my life and to give me the grace to refine them.

So. That's what I'm up to.

Have a lovely day!