This weekend as I was organizing our closet, I came across a scrap of notebook paper from my senior year of college (’98-’99), on which I wrote My Five Life Goals:

• To be a woman who pursues knowing God intimately.
• To be a woman who loves His Word and spends quality time in prayer.
• To love people, and create a home that shows hospitality to people.
• To be a world Christian – know what’s going on in the world and care about it.
• To live simply.

I’m happy to say I still agree with these goals. I remember writing them with the thought that I had no finish line in mind – I knew these would always be “goals,” not something I could cross of a to-do list as done. This encourages me, because I feel like I have quite the trek before me to say I’m close to being where I want to be in any of these. But at the same time, I’m satisfied to see that nothing in my life is pulling me in the opposite direction from these.

The last one on the list interests me right now. Ironically, I found this list in my messy, disheveled closet. Hmm. The past month or so I’ve had this palpable yearning to declutter our home. I know that compared to the standard American lifestyle, we already live frugally and spartan. But for us, I think we can do more. Fortunately, our neighborhood is having a area-wide garage sale, so October 29 is my goal. This past week I’ve amassed a mountain of stuff in the corner of our bedroom, which will soon have price tags and sit at Chris & Ali’s driveway for some lucky new owner. And I’ve only just begun – I’m almost done with our closet, and then it’s on to Chickpea’s, our patio, our linen closet, the buffet, and under the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. I’m SO ready to have this stuff out of our home and in to someone’s hands who can actually use it. It also helps that we have a goal of moving internationally – with every item I ask myself, “Is it worth it to me to pack up and ship overseas?” If not, why do I need it now?

posted: 05 October 11
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