Thanksgiving Thoughts

It seems at this time of year everyone comes up with their personal list of "What I'm Thankful for this Thanksgiving." Not to be outdone, I've decided to include my personal take on this long time tradition.



I'm grateful for:


#20. The sound of laughter in the kitchen...especially around mealtime.


#19. The moment of peace and quiet right after the dogs have been fed.

#18. The way the sun's light melts across the sky in the morning. Accompaniment by does walking across front lawn and sound of coffee brewing, optional.


#17. Snatching 5 glorious minutes to look at the clouds roll past while I use the microwave.


#16. Finding a clean surface in the house...especially if it's mine.


#15. The dog standing on top of my bladder each morning asking to "go outside."


#14. Sewing with a girlfriend and talking about just anything that pops into our heads.


#13. Finally getting my dog to hold still long enough to trim her toenails.

#12. Going to the bathroom and no one knocking on the door.

#11. Great-grandmother being strong enough to take her first shower in months.

#10. Excavations of back of closet yielding amazing findings from as long ago as the early teen era!


#9. Hearing the words "I practiced it over and over" come from the mouth of the same piano student who used to lick the keys.


#8. Listening to the annual discussion on how best to split up the leftovers between the families after Thanksgiving dinner. Usually preceded by the equally perplexing question of how to best carve the turkey.


#7. Indian summer...second only in pleasure to the first days of Spring.


#6. God's surprises...and sense of timing.


#5. Leftover take-out. (It doesn't get much more convenient than leftover take-out.)


#4. A friend who'll help with the hard part...of anything.


#3. Date-night...for my parents.


#2. The last glimpse of the Bible before I close my eyes at night.


#1. Oh yeah, and all those other things people are usually thankful for at Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
The Simplified Life

Finding Simplicity

"Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" 2 Cor 3:17 (NIV, http://bible.cc/2_corinthians/3-17.html)

Click! Sounded The microwave door as I started my breakfast. The air was crisp in the breakfast room today just like a lovely fall morning should be. I'm new to early mornings, so I wasn't expecting to like the crispness so much. "20, 19, 18..." the microwave ticked down the seconds. I walked over to the window to admire the sunrise. Nobody had told me how beautiful sunrises are this time of year. The colors aren't just there, they're alive and shimmering golden.
Suddenly, I stopped. Two young does stood nibbling the grass in our front yard. One looked up and stared at me. I was transfixed. The sunrise, the does, the sleepy world, oh! heaven. Moments like these are not made, they are given.

For me, this special moment in the breakfast room was, in so many ways, an example of the Simplified Life. The simplified life is just that - simple. It is not another "clear the clutter quick" strategy or "be a better person now" scheme. And it doesn't happen quickly. But over time the Lord has been showing me how to weed down my life to it's simplest parts until, like this morning, it is something I can enjoy with Him.

Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I am some kind of deep in the woods dweller with no TV, no obligations, nearest city miles away, living a simplified life between banjo pickin' on the front porch. But I am VERY far from that person. I am a rural dwelling piano teacher and am currently attempting to get my Bachelors in Music in 2 years through distance courses. I live with my parents and my grandmother and I'm frequently involved in the care of my great-grandmother who lives in Assisted Nursing. My life can be VERY complicated.

But what does simplicity mean? Well, that is a great question. Unfortunately, I don't currently have that great of an answer. I know it is something like "freedom" because every time the Lord shows me something to change it always brings more "freedom." But, hopefully, you will get to decide for yourself, in time, what I mean by the Simplified Life.

In the next few posts I'm going to be sharing some of the things the Lord has shown me already. You'll get to see how to plan a schedule and a study plan, and how to organize your closet so friends and family will look bug eyed at the sight of it. tee hee. I'll also be including some tips on dealing with fatigue and creating "me-time" and time for the Lord. Some of my ideas have come from the famous uncluttering book "Unclutter Your Life In One Week" by Erin R. Doland. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone dealing with clutter.

Til then my dear friend,
The Simplified Life