Less is More

Less is more.

Less makeup. More natural beauty.

Less planning. More enjoyment of the present.

Less clutter. More space to relax.

Less indulgence in food and drink. More energy and vitality.

Less morning and nightly news. More peace in heart and mind.

Less Netflix. More reading and writing.

Less sleeping in. More quiet, reflective time with God.

Less effort to control and predict the future. More trust and faith in God’s goodness.

I’ve always been a “minimalist”, so to speak. I am not a saver. I don’t hoard pictures, clothes, mementos. I didn’t save all my kids’ elementary “artwork” or projects. Matt would disagree with this next statement because he’s the one that has to lug the storage bins up and down the stairs, but I don’t bombard our house with seasonal or holiday decorations. I sprinkle small, seasonal/holiday related items throughout the house (a small pumpkin here or there, snowflake hand towels in the powder room, a soft pastel colored egg centerpiece, etc.) I like to go big on the scent of the house and the music that is being played. I like to have essential oil scents that compliment the holiday or season as well as playlists softly filling the air with music for the season/holiday. (see end of post for suggestions)

I prefer to consolidate, decrease, or even get rid of…..please, don’t think I have no heart. I do. I just need less “stuff”, so that I can hold value, importance and space (in my mind, my heart, and my literal house) to those things that matter most. I recently decided to go on a social media fast. I was enjoying a quiet, reflective morning with God in our outdoor living area, and had a stirring in my heart to “fast”. Well, if you know me well, you know I love food and drink, so I was not going to set myself up for failure and try to fast from one or both of those. But, I knew that social media had been “eating up” much of my time and taking my attention from more important daily activities, so I decided to release Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat from my days for a month. This “fast” ends next week, despite the fact that Anna and Matt took my phone and “launched” our blog a week into my fast…..

Well, here I am almost four weeks into my fast and…... I AM still alive! Who would have thunk it!?!?! I CAN do life without knowing every detail of how others’ are spending their days. Whoa!!

Less time on social media. More time to pray. More time to study God’s word. More time to go to early morning yoga classes. More time to read. More time to write. More time to just be- just sit in stillness and quiet noticing the abundance of blessings that surround me.

I must however admit that I have missed seeing and commenting on things Matt, our kids, extended family members and my close friends might be posting. I have missed getting a glimpse into their worlds. I have also missed seeing and/or listening to some of my favorite authors’ stories and posts because they inspire, encourage, and remind me of some very critical daily life perspectives (Mel Robbins, Jen Hatmaker, Emily P. Freeman, Annie F. Downs, Brene Brown, Liz Gilbert…. I could go on…..) So you see how easy it is to let an hour slip through my fingers looking into all of these individual social media accounts.

But, I have learned some very valuable lessons during my fast. I have learned that I CAN go without Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. I CAN do a day without social media scrolling. I CAN connect with family and friends through real time conversations…. Go figure! I also learned that I am easily tempted. There have been several times in the past 4 weeks when I almost caved. But I talked myself out of it. I asked God to give me strength and grant me the will power to put my phone down and walk away; I have even left my phone out of sight to help evade the temptation to scroll. I have felt reassured, and I must admit, I have felt a sense of pride in being able to stay the course. To not crumble under the pressure to just look for a quick second. Or just to check in to make sure someone is ok. I have truly held to my fast.

I do plan to get back in the social media game, but I will approach it much differently. I will no longer waste time scrolling through randoms that really have no place in my life. I will be intentional about my posts and about who and what I follow. For all the bad that social media has brought to our society, I still believe it offers a whole lot of good. It is a platform where people with inspirational, spiritual, Godly words of wisdom can share their daily walk in faith. It holds a space where families that are miles away from each other can share every day happenings. Yes, social media is a space that is filled with hate, shame, and point the finger blame. But, I believe, one person at a time, we can change that. We can make our social media worlds be what we want and need them to be- a space for restoration, a soft place to land, a trunk that connects all the branches in our lives, a place to blast God’s redemptive love and grace out into this beautiful world He has given to us.

Less social media. More peace. More time. More quiet. More connection. More learning. More life giving vulnerability.

More God filled social media. Less comparison. Less perfection. Less performance. Less pleasing. Less distraction. Less frustration. Less shame.

Scents: Sandalwood spice incense (either Esscents Home or Gonesh Sticks- extra rich), or Patchouli, Cedarwood, and Orange mix essential oils

Music: Fall Acoustic- Indie & Folk Songwriters, Fall Playlist, and Fall/Autumn Feels all on Spotify