Skip to main content

A Penny For Your Thoughts - Releasing Aesthetic

“Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:15b

The realization that stuff isn’t making me happy was bigger than it probably should have been for me lately.  I am in constant pursuit of more, but what if I get rid of a bunch of stuff then don’t replace the stuff I have left with anything until it breaks down? 

For me, this is revolutionary, and has removed so much pressure from my day to day life.  Bill and I really are trying to figure out what it looks like to reject consumerism, but still value supporting small businesses and that sometimes the passion for less stuff can be just as distracting as the passion for more.  Our journey in this world is always about finding balance.  We can spend our lives shopping and rearranging, but does that really accomplish anything?  Once you have furniture in a room, can’t you just let it be?  Do we need to redecorate seasonally?  Or is that just another way to spend money? These are the kinds of thoughts rolling around in my mind.

My goal is first to serve the Lord and honor his commandments and secondarily to have friends, family and anyone who crosses our path feel comfortable with us and in our home and have it always feel like a place they are welcome and not judged.  Creating an environment people are comfortable in is not about having the prettiest things or the most aesthetically pleasing home, I think it is more about being present to what they need in the moment.  

I am releasing the aesthetic need for the cutest plates and prettiest serving dishes and remembering that it is more important to show care for their souls and their physical hunger than to post a picture to Instagram of how beautiful our meal is.  However, I do think there is something to be said for making every meal feel special and lighting candles and making a table beautiful for no reason, just because :)  I am just trying to remove the pressure to do so.  Every meal does not have to be colorful.  Every meal does not need to be photographed.  God knows I am guilty of this.  I am sure my husband will read this and praise the Lord for victory over this subject.  In true transparency, I might wrestle with not taking pictures of my food all the time.  However, like everything else, acknowledging the problem is the first step to addressing it.  I feel pathetic admitting that, but I don't want people to think my soapbox has nothing to do with me.  It is 100% my own problem.


Wow, sorry I am stringing you through this thought processing session.  I have SO much on my heart on this subject, and to be honest it is taking me by surprise.  

Come over for dinner and we can chat about it :)  Seriously.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In the Nursery: Whole Hearted Parenting Manifesto

I recently finished a book by Brene Brown titled, DaringGreatly .  It really moved me, and I am definitely still processing it. At the beginning of the book I wasn’t resonating deeply with the topic of vulnerability, as most people will tell you I am an “open book”.  I will answer most questions without holding back and love to deep dive into good conversation.  However, what I came to realize through her many examples is that we all wrestle with vulnerability, guilt and shame throughout this book even if is more momentary than constant.  I gleaned SO MUCH from this book that I did not anticipate, and I thought I would share this Parenting Manifesto that she put right at the end of the book.  I am printing it and framing it for our nursery, as I think it communicates some deep parts of my heart cry for parenting my kiddos well. I hope this resonates with someone else as much as it did with me.   I needed these words to remind me that parenting is not a checklist,
2 comments
Read more

A Penny For Your Thoughts - Looking Back & Missing Italy

 I took this my first day in Italy, and will always remember my town just like this... I realized something about my writing the other day, and that is that I am much more present in my writing than I am in my brain.   I am constantly thinking back, but I never write about my past.   Sure, I write a story here or there reminiscing on my African travel, but rarely do you hear about my life pre-California unless it is in reference to my family.   Lately, I have found myself pining for Italy.   Did you know I lived there?   Probably not, because I rarely mention it! I knew I was going to love it there, but it has stuck with me since the moment I left.   I have wanted to go back every   minute of every day since then.   The simplicity of life, the emphasis on slowing down, the architecture, the food, the flowers, the people, the color, the trains, the bikes, the gelato, the smiles and laughter, the wine, and the cities are only scratching the surface of things I love from the bea
Post a Comment
Read more

At the Library - May through September 2019 Reading

We had another baby in May (SO much more on that later) and blogging has obviously taken a back seat, but I am still reading for pleasure and have managed, in my sons first four months of life, to complete these 8 books!  Y'all, I remember a time when even completing 2 books a year would have sincerely sounded daunting, much less with a newborn.  If you want to read more, you can find the time!  Take stock of your days and see where you are wasting hours.  For some of these, I listened to the audio book while I was pumping or watering the garden.   Rather than give you an individual breakdown of each of these books, I just want to report I found them all incredibly enjoyable.  A total cross section of a food memoir to a psychology deep dive to nature centric novels, I would recommend them all in different capacities.   We have fallen a bit behind on our Bible reading, but we WILL finish by the end of the year. You do not make it to September
2 comments
Read more