Life was sweet today.

Like every other human on the planet, I experience highs and lows in life.  Some days are bitter, some days are sweet, and most fall somewhere in the middle.  Today was one of those simple, precious, fleeting days- the ones that seem to last forever but go all too quickly at the same time.

I had a few reasons behind the idea of creating Soul Food Time.  I wanted a place to share my favorite recipes, hobbies, and experiences while connecting with new people.  I hoped to reach hearts through posts about my faith.  But one of my biggest motivations was quite selfish- I desperately wished for a way to capture the little moments of this season of my life, the tiny snapshots along the way that I never, ever want to forget.

Today was nothing special, really, at first.  We didn't take any big trips, make plans, or spend a bunch of money.  Today was scheduled for simplicity, for nothing.  This scheduled nothing comes at a cost sometimes, and it can be misunderstood.  However, this intentional white space gives me time to connect with God and family, helps me stay balanced and at peace, and provides healing and perspective.  In the nothingness of the white space of today, I tidied my home.  I prayed.  I sat and played with my dachshund's ears and talked to him, watching his bright eyes reflect his joy at the extra attention.  I laughed with my husband as we watched Reed dance, rock, and trill "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" to Mr. Potato Head. I listened to the content sounds of my 3 week old nephew drinking the last few ounces of his bottle, stroking his soft, thin hair.  I worshiped while listening to my favorite songs in my car, feeling the eyes of my two-year-old in the backseat observing my raised hands and out-of-tune notes.  I felt soft dirt on my fingertips while positioning a new tomato plant.  I took a nap.  I walked with my in-laws to a local ice cream shop, jogging every once in a while to keep up with Reed on his little blue balance bike.  We stopped suddenly as he braked, reversed, and stroked the sides of a bush gently, feeling each little leaf, and I thought, in each of these moments.... this is priceless.  This is important.  These are the snapshots that I never want to forget.  Maybe I didn't do anything "great" or "exciting", or super-productive today.  Maybe I was lazy and selfish.  Maybe I wasn't perfect in any sense of the word, but I loved the people in my day completely and was fully present in most of the moments.  Maybe I have nothing to post on Instagram, no new followers on social media, and I didn't volunteer, spend, network, or create. And that's okay.  My soul is brimming tonight, full of memories, gratitude, and love. Yes, I know life can be bitter, sweet, or maybe just in between.  But no matter what kind of day it is, seek to find joy by being present in each moment.  Thoroughly experience the little snapshots in your day.  Find beauty in simplicity, in rest, and in love.

Amidst the rush and craziness of Christmas this past year, I picked up a book at the library my mom recommended: The More of Less by Joshua Becker.  The timing could not have been more perfect.  Feeling overwhelmed by the "stuff" and business of the season, I resolved that with the new year I would begin my journey to find less, whatever that meant.  
​Less stress.
Fewer possessions.
Less worry.
Fewer distractions.
Simplicity.
Minimalism.
Many people think minimalism means living out of a backpack with no stuff, and I guess it can for some.  To me, that doesn't sound fun or helpful AT ALL.   My initial response to minimalism was selfish and pitiful: "absolutely NOT.  I already don't have enough of anything.  Now you want me to give away what I do have?!"  
Oh, was I so wrong.

The thing is, I'm not really a pack rat.  No part of my home is like something from Hoarders.  I don't collect soup cans, or newspapers, or cats.  That should count for something, right?  Do I have some clutter? Yes. But we don't even live in a space where we can keep too much extra stuff. Enter poor, pitiful ME. 

Four months ago, I often felt like I didn't have the things I wanted.  I always felt the need for more.  How was getting rid of stuff going to help someone who felt like she still didn't have enough?
​
In the middle of that season, I still felt the stuff crowding in on the edges of my mind.  I was often stressed and anxious, my heart felt discontent and covetous, I always wanted MORE.  I heard myself say:
"I don't have anything to wear!" (staring at a closet full of clothes)
"I wish I had a car like that." (driving my car that works perfectly well)
"I need to go to the grocery, again." (sorting through a full refrigerator)
"I never have time for me." (scrolling through social media for the tenth time in an hour)
"Must be nice to have this much space." (dreading cleaning my own home)

A discontent and greedy heart is an ugly, lonely, heavy load to bear.  Because on top of it all, guilt settles in. After all, I knew, deep down, that I was abundantly blessed with everything I needed. 
Thank God for grace and the power of less.

January 1 rolled around and I dove in.  I wrote down my reasons for choosing minimalism and posted them on my refrigerator.  And every week I would get rid of a box or two of items.  Sometimes I would go through a room at a time and ask myself, "when is the last time I used this?"  If it had been over six months, I donated or pitched it.
Becker recommends boxing things up that you haven't used in a while, and if you don't need them in a few more months, donating them, but I found that getting rid of things right away worked best for me.  And you know what?  I haven't missed a thing.

​4.  I am picking up new hobbies.  What working mom of a two-year-old has hobbies?  This one! Less stress, more white space in my calendar, and less to clean means more time for me and the things I love.  I've started reading again, and not just books for work.  I bake chocolate zucchini muffins whenever I want to.  I started a blog!  In fact, Joshua Becker's "15 Reasons I Think You Should Blog" was the catalyst for the start of Soul Food Time.  Having time for myself again has been so much fun, and it all started with a decision to simplify.

5. We have extra money to be generous and have fun.
The decision to own less inherently means more money.  More money to save, more money to give, more money to spend on experiences instead of things.  This part is the biggest comfort of all.  There is nothing like feeling content, blessing others, and having fun.