At the start of each new year I sit down and write a word or a phrase that becomes the inspirational umbrella for that year’s dreams and goals.

2019…SIMPLIFY EVEN MORE!

Apparently I may have been slightly ahead of the latest tv show inspired cleaning craze. A bandwagon I can totally get on board with! I don’t think I’ll ever be labeled a minimalist, but having things fairly tidy is something I’m continually striving for. (You wouldn’t know that coming over to my house though. Who else needs to go through their garage? …again?!)

Don’t get me wrong, organizing the abyss under the sink and whispering to my clothing is actually incredibly freeing. But right now, “SIMPLIFY EVEN MORE”, holds a much deeper meaning to me.

Sometimes I feel that God allows me to see certain possible outcomes. A discernment that prepares me in some way. It might be emotionally or just an inkling of an idea for what is about to become reality. Occasionally I’ll get that deja vu feeling, a nudge, or an internal push or a whoa, hold up…I try to listen. I try to trust and obey those promptings. I know they are the Holy Spirit speaking to me. More often than not, a step of faith reveals a beautiful unending outcome, a revelation into something I hadn’t imagined.

It was this time last year that I was given the words “Barn Wood Wife”. I had no idea what the plan was, but I told my husband we needed to get that website. Six months later a lightbulb moment at a vintage market event gave me the idea for what that site might look like. I pushed and learned and researched for several months to get that vision up and running. Here I am learning how to blog (which is still super weird and raw and nerve wracking to me!), to test out what works, what sells, and what I can and want to commit to.

I’m smack dab in the middle of that. It’s an interesting time. I’m giving myself forgiving deadlines. It’s ok if I haven’t done a blog post in months. I need to write and share the appropriate thing at the right time. And trust that my words touch someone, somehow.  I currently have that uncomfortable urge to just allow and not fight so hard. That is not easy for me.

We’re also in a sweet spot with the kids. They can make their own sandwiches and wipe their own backsides, but I still have a few more years before they’re driving, have jobs, and are even more independent. I have to look and see what God is putting before me. “Simplify even more” is now a beat in my head. It’s a reminder to keep doing what I’m doing, but to put the importance of priority in the forefront. Mop the floor, bathe the dog, fold the clothes…but stop to snuggle. Stop to listen. Stop to discuss a topic. Say yes to the yes stuff. And say NOOOO, a quick hard no, to the stuff that you feel should be a no.

Living with simplicity (“Simplifying Even More”) looks like this in my head:

Look for the truth nuggets. Exercise for 5 minutes. Sit and sip my hot coffee. Drink more water. Recognize and move on from toxic relationships. Try not to be completely shocked by those blindside moments. Gasp less. Moisturize more. Keep my wise counsel circle tight. Put on an extra sweater. Keep whole days with nothing on the calendar. Hire a handyman. Ask for help. We have what we need. We may not have what we want right this very second. Be ok with that. Keep dreams alive. Reevaluate that dream. Be positive about new opportunities. Be grateful for the old constant skill you can fall back on. Try not to question the hard why’s. Put on mascara and lip gloss. Just Do. Just Love. With God, I’ve got this.

This stuff is my stuff. The thoughts that rolls around in my head at 2 am. (That’s when I wake up and solve all the world’s problems ya’ll!)  🙂

Take a minute, or a day, or make this a continual thing and write your own thoughts and catch phrases.

I promise the revealing is good. It’s part of the journey.

-Emy