The Simple Life

Have you read this book? I read it about two years ago and I was inspired but also very intimidated. I loved the idea of creating a Rule for my life, but I was skeptical about implementing it. Part of the reason my for reticence was laziness to be sure, but another part was the feeling that to do this, to make my Rule, it had to be perrrrfect. It had to be just like Holly's and just the thought of that exhausted me. So I put the book away and thought,"well isn't that nice....for them."

Over the next few months we experienced so much change in our family it was like we were living on fast forward. Holly's ideas kept creeping into my mind. This summer as I was preparing to begin homeschooling I pulled it our again and began to read through it one more time. This time I was looking at it differently. I had a new reason for needing more order in my life and also a renewed sense of purpose to give my children a firm foundation in a living faith. I read slowly and shared parts with Lee. I began to look at how this could work for us. I was able to discard the notion of being just like Holly and to listen to what the Holy Spirit was asking of me.

I have sketched out a Rule for myself and I have not been entirely sucessful in following it. That is ok though, it is a work in progress, just like me! The best thing I have gleaned from the book is the concept of the 5 p's. It is slowly transforming my way of living and prioritizing.

Another recent nudge of encouragement in my quest for simplicity and order have been a series of posts, beginning with Dawn and culminating in Kim's wonderful posts, beginning here.

I will post some pictures of my own efforts soon, I promise. Thank you ladies for inspiring me and Kim, thank you for the generous downloads.