It’s no big surprise that the more you have the more you have to take care of. We live in a small house and I’m always looking to clear out clutter and to use our space better. I arrange and rearrange furniture on the regular. This week though, the clutter that I’ve been clearing isn’t visible to anyone else. The clutter I’ve been working on this week is… my email. I have managed to collect and save so many emails that it hasn’t shown the number in years, it only says 99+. Perhaps this has caused me to brush it under the rug. Clutter though comes in all shapes and sizes and when my inbox is cluttered with too many messages, it is taking up too much space in the memory of my phone. It’s a terribly annoying job, but this week, every spare second I have, I am scrolling and deleting, and you know what? Even though it’s not something visible that has a great reward at the end, simplifying in this way is still very satisfying. On this journey to simplicity I don’t want to be cluttered anywhere. I want to have time to focus on the things that bring me joy.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. Matthew 6:19-21

Dear God. Thank you for this day. God I thank you for all the things you bless me with every day. I pray today that you would help me to manage the things you put before me well. I pray that you would help me to recognize if there is anything in my possession that I no longer need that I can get rid of to free space in my home, in my email, or in my brain. Help me Lord to remember the simple things and to focus on you. In Jesus name Amen.

I’m a big fan of Jim Brickman and one of my favorite songs by him is called Simple Things. Here are the lyrics and a link to listen to it.

Hey, time won’t wait
Life goes by
Every day’s a brand new sky
Every tear comes to dry
All that really matters in this crazy world
Is you and I together, baby just remember…

The first leaves of the tree,
The way you look at me,
A thousand chiming church bells ring
The simple things are free
The sun, the moon, the stars,
The beating of two hearts
How I love the simple things,
The simple things just are

So here we go
Let’s just dance
Teach my soul to take this chance
Put my heart in your hands
Out of all the moments that we leave behind
Turn around and tell me baby we’ll remember…

The thunder and the rain,
The way you say my name
After all the clouds go by the simple things remain
The sun, the moon, the stars,
The beating of two hearts
How I love the simple things,
The simple things just are

Oh, The ocean and the sky
The way we feel tonight
I know that it’s the love that brings the simple things to light
The sun, the moon, the stars,
The beating of two hearts
I love the way the simple things,
The simple things just are