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Because this is how we roll …..

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One of the things I have loved about reading Make Room for What you Love is the constant reminder that the goal of getting rid of clutter is not to create a perfect and pristine home…

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Which is great because we probably never will be able to pull off either one of those…

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Rather it is about having a home that reflects our family and the things we love.

Twenty-five pages into the book, Melissa offers a bullet-point list of questions and suggests grabbing a journal and spending some time thinking about the answers before digging into the meat of the book.

Well…you don’t have to tell me twice to grab a pen and a notebook…but thinking about these questions helped me set my focus for the rest of the book.

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As I journaled, I realized that I do like a neat and tidy home, but I want it to be comfortable.

I want just the right amount of pictures and keepsakes, and I want to balance incorporating who we are now with who we were then.

I learned that I want our home to be a place where we can have people over and also work on creative projects…

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But I realized that I have been using the piles of daily living, enhanced with three generations of memorabilia, as an excuse for feeling overwhelmed.

In reality there are underlying issues that Melissa addresses with humor, grace and HOPE.

The book has helped me pull some of those paralyzing attitudes out into the light and put names on them; in order to meet the goals that I see as the purpose for the blessing of the home God has given us.

My favorite question was the one that asked me what inspires me to be happy in our home:

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When the house is clean and orderly…not perfect, but not a disorganized mess….

When purpose is being served…whether it is place for Russ and I to regroup and refresh…

OR having it full of guests who are enjoying good food and fellowship..

or when I successfully complete a project….whether it’s this blog or a handmade craft…

and of course…

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When our family comes and everyone just spreads out…

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Because I don’t mind messy when it comes to love.

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So enjoy the Fourth and I will see you tomorrow as we dig into some of the Journey through this great book <3

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REMEMBER….If you leave a comment on Facebook or this site today through Friday, your name goes in a drawing to receive a copy of this book.

Stuff you should know:

I will hand deliver it if you live locally or mail it to your home if you do not.

If you already have one, go ahead and comment so you can gift it to someone else.

IF you don’t want your comment published – just tell me that IN the comment. Your name still goes in the drawing…whether the comment is to be posted or not.

I never include emails or last names (unless YOU have a website you would like people to know about).

Also you should know…giveaways and such are a method bloggers/websites use to gauge how big their audience is and to capture emails for future promotions. (GASP…it’s true…even the most godly freebies are often used to measure readership…it’s not wrong but I want to be up front with you <3)

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20 Comments

  1. I appreciate your perspective and thoughts on this item of family and the home. Homes should be a comfortable place for making memories with family and those we invite inside. Thank you for your thoughts.

    1. Thank you Tom, that means a lot. As you would suspect, I always live in the tension between the temporal and eternal perspective in ALL things…and it is reaffirming that this is coming through the series based on this book. We can err in either way…too much focus on maintaining our homes…or too little. Finding the balance of using the gifts God has blessed us with to accomplish His purpose is always the key. I am honored by your response Tom! Thank you for the ministry of hospitality you and your lovely wife have in YOUR home!

  2. Looking forward to reading this book .. Love all you share, especially your family and God’s hand in all you live and experience.

    1. Thank you so much Teresa. God bless you. You set a good example of using creative talents God has given you to bless others <3

    1. Honestly, I felt like I was sitting down with a good friend who understood me with EVERY page! Seriously made me laugh and nod my head and not feel so weird with my struggles to purge!

  3. Great book. Much food for thought. Inspired me to plow through my kitchen/pantry and get rid of much excess. But could stand a second purging! Thinking about the master closet next Happy 4th Lola. Love love the pics!! And happy birthday toJohn.

    1. Oh Lisa! you make me smile! We are soul sisters in the quiet battle to purge, girl! Our “little corners of the world” ….hugs hugs hugs and more hugs <3

  4. Loved how you mention that you want your “house to be clean and orderly ,maybe not perfect”. Thats the same way I feel.Having a happy home takes a lot of hard work and cleaning the clutter is a necessary first step.

    1. Thank you for stopping by! An unexpected delight to my morning! Yes— it is work that I tend to run from and Melissa definitely exposed my avoidance tendencies and helped me grow up a little bit in the responsibility of being a good steward of our resources…both time and material! Bless you!

  5. I love this book! I’d be thrilled to win and gift it to someone. I also love giveaways.

    I enjoyed reading your thoughts and how the book has inspired you.

    Have a good fourth and blessed week!

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