It's That Time Again! (and Giveaway!!!!)

I don't know about you, but I am so in the mood for some spring cleaning!!!! I don't think that there is anything quite like the feeling of pulling everything out of a space, throwing away the junk, blessing others with items no longer needed, and putting only the most special items back in in an organized fashion! It's liberating! It's frustrating! It's humbling!

During the month of March, I will be joining the challenge given by Simple Mom to simplify our lives by unburdening ourselves of the stuff that is laying seige to our homes!

On Mondays (the 5th, 12th, 19th, & 26th) in March, there will be a new Hot Spot to work on that week! There will be a prize at the end, but as Simple Mom says the real prize, "is a clean, more decluttered home."

Here are the Hot Spots:

*5th - Kid's Stuf ~ Toys, clothes, etc.*

*12th - Kitchen and/or pantry*

*19th - Closets, counters, & drawers*

*26th - Choose your own adventure*

Since it's only the middle of February and I'm ready and rearing to go, I thought I would spend the next two Mondays preparing my heart and head for the Great Spring Purge of 2012!

I've always been a pack rat at heart. I have great emotional attachments to things, the feelings those things give me, and the guilt of letting an item go. But as with everything in life, if you are trying to fill a round hole with a square peg, it's not going to work. I used my things as a crutch for many years when I should have been relying on the Lord to fill that space.

I used my stuff, my wordly goods, to try to complete me in a way only my Savior could. Only in the last couple of years have I been able to let go of those mere things and realize that they can't fulfil me. I've learned that not only can they not fill a void, but they also distract me from who the Lord wants me to be.

Stuff has held me prisoner for much to long. I've had to

buy it,

clean it,

store it,

move it,

organize it,

straighten it,

dust it,

box it,

unpack it,

declutter it,

and sadly there's been times I've worshipped it.

It made me feel good, feel important, and feel special. Those are feelings I shouldn't be trying to get from material items. By God's grace, He has opened my eyes and heart and showed me that STUFF can be a derogatory word and has shown me my errors and given me a fresh outlook!

I'm so excited to share this journey with you, so I hope you will come back on Mondays to hear how the Lord has convicted our family to focus on Christ, not our things and to share your progress!!

GIVEAWAY!!!

To get this party started I am giving away a copy of Karen Ehman's The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized!! This is a fabulous book that shows you how to manage your time, eliminate clutter, experience order and keep family first! I really enjoyed this book and I know you will too! It's a easy read and it may help you in your journey too!!!

To enter, please leave a comment on why you would love to win this book!!

Extra entries:

* Join the Challenge*

*Share this post on FB*

Please leave a separate comment for each entry!