Lots of stuff

Remember how I mentioned that I brought that artificial tree to Bibles for Missions because it was a great idea that wasn't a priority? And that I have a few of those 'projects' lying around the house?

Well the Nester just wrote a Guest Post @ (in)courage about "stuff". In fact, she'll be writing about stuff - her stuff and how she's been re-thinking her...stuff - for 31 days in October. And as I was reading this post, it made me excited for those 31 reads in October. Because I love a beautiful home too. Plus, I also like change. A lot. (If you haven't noticed already...) I like to swap furniture layout. Just for fun. I find it exciting and relaxing all at the same time. And I love it when seasons change out. And I like to "shop my home" and do some switch-a-roo's with accessories.

Thing is, in order to change and swap, you need the stuff to change and swap with. The Nester hit on something so true for me when she said

My entire life I’ve been enamored with house and home and making beautiful things.  Over the years I’ve collected lots of pretty things, learned how to bargain shop for great furniture at low prices and then turn it into something usually really pretty, sometimes horribly ugly but that’s all part of the fun.  It used to be that was the only way I could furnish our home.  But somewhere the need turned into a hobby that turned into excess.

Need. Hobby. Excess.       Uh oh.

Excess? That is one place I don't want to go, probably already have, and need to work at so I don't let it continue. Because the Bible says,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

Beauty reflects our Maker and I'm all on board for beauty. Especially in our home, which reflects our heavenly home. But it's not our heavenly home and when I intensely focus on this life - this house - I'm treasuring the reflection a little too much. And so I'm looking forward to reading what the Nester will offer in October. Balance. Loving beauty, but practising contentedness. Beautifying your home, but not obsessing about it.

That being said, autumn is definitely in the air. I love autumn. Yesterday Hadassah and I picked out some gourds and small white pumpkins. This afternoon I plan on coming up with an autumn wreath for the front door and hunt through a couple of totes in the attic for my favourite metal leaves. And I'll enjoy every moment of it because it's something I love to do. But while I'm rummaging through the totes to find the leaves, and the drawers to find the fabric for the wreath, I may be pulling out some 'stuff' for another run to Bibles for Mission. Because, as Nester (again) says it so well,

I want to create a home to be a place to launch from, a safe place of rest for our family and others so that we can go out and live.  A place to learn to take a risk and be creative. Those things really don’t have much to do with buying a lot of useless stuff.

Be intentional. Have balance. Great lessons to learn. Thanks, Nester, for thinking it through with us.
Have a great weekend!

ps: Sorta kind related but not really, I just read this post on living a "Walmart life" via this post and was thankful for it the wisdom in it (although I'm not an Olympics fan). Thought you might be interested in reading it...