First, let me apologize for being so MIA! Most of last week I did not have internet access at home and therefore the blog was a bit neglected. On a positive note, this allowed Caleb and I to spend a lot of intentional one-on-one time with no distractions. It was lovely.
This weekend I was reminded how nice it is to embrace simplicity. Life here is simple. Truly, all you need are the basics. Food, a place to call home, some clothes, and good company. I did not realize just how caught up I had been in the American standard. When Caleb and I began packing up our lives into boxes I realized just how much we owned. We ended up with a lot more boxes than we had expected.
As we packed up I began to realize just how little we actually used or how little we actually needed. So many of the items from around our home or from in our closets began to feel like clutter. And now they are sitting in storage. And quite honestly, I haven’t missed anything in there. If I am being completely honest- I can’t even remember most of what is in there. We brought over 3 suitcases each. Now, having been here for a month we realize we don’t even need our 3 suitcases worth of items. Life can be so simple. And when it is simple, it is so much easier to enjoy.
Now we don’t have clutter to distract us from the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. There is not clutter to distract us from the bird singing. We have so little to clean or organize that we have more time to go out and make memories. We spend less money on decor, clothes, and frivolous items that we have more money to spend on adventures, memories, dates, and time with others. We’ve realized that the less we own, the more we glorify the Lord for what He has given. Each little blessing seems like that much more of a grand gift from Abba.
Simplicity is wonderful and so rewarding. After almost 2 months of living simply I am overwhelmed with the amount of free time, joy, and thankfulness the Lord has blessed me with. Less time is spent worrying about or taking care of things and more time is spent loving people and embracing life.
p.s.- If you tried visiting the blog in the past 24 hours you may have noticed that it was down. I attempted, and failed miserably, at redesigning the blog through coding. In my attempt of giving the blog a facelift, I locked myself out and shut down the site. Praise the Lord for actual coders and web designers for fixing my mistake. I believe my coding days are over… Thank you for being patient with me. Any website designers out there who can design on a Thai Baht budget? ha ;)
I love reading about your journey and seeing all of the gorgeous photography! I saw your P.S. there and I’m glad you were able to get things fixed! :) Also, wanted to let you know that I’ve got a new offering in the works that I think might be RIGHT up your alley! I’m planning on launching it in July but if you want to know more, I should be able to have everything ready to go soon. Just let me know! xoxo
Ha- yes thank you for the suggestion for the fix. Luckily my mom’s company has a coder on staff so they fixed it for me :) PTL ha. Excited to see what you have up your sleeve!!! :) Keep me updated! Excited to get all of your updates xox
This is such a beautiful story, thanks for sharing it. I can completely relate, being at one with your special person in complete isolation from life’s distractions is simply the best. It’s these little moments in life that we’ll remember when everything else has passed. xx
Amen! It is indeed the little moments :) be blessed xox
I’ve just finished reading “7” by Jen Hatmaker (literally on Saturday night) and now reading your post, I really feel called to simplify more and more. It is amazing what we can consume here in America and think nothing of it. I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon cleaning out my closet- big time! I want to live more simply and this is just the start. I’ve also been fasting from TV shows, and it is amazing how much more positive I feel and how much more meaningful things I can get done and notice. Thank you for this inspiring post that encouraged me on this journey to simplify.
Goodness I SO need to read this book. Might have to be my next purchase. Praying for you as the Lord moves in your heart and in your home. Excited to see how He uses you in mighty ways! xox
oh man, this describes my life. we’re moving back to the US in september, and we’re going to give away most of our possessions. and we have a lot of stuff in storage back home. but i want to move back on a clean slate and not have a house cluttered with junk. it is so true that living overseas forces you to streamline and simplify (and this, coming from someone who checked 10 bags!!! when we first came to cambodia. granted, we brought over a lot of household items we can’t buy here, but still – crazy.)
How did I not know this!! How exciting! Where are you headed back to? Goodness this is going to be such a transition. Praying the Lord walks closely alongside you as you begin this journey. So excited to see how He will continue to use you!!
thanks, chloe – we’re headed back home to kansas city. LOTS of very mixed emotions as the day draws closer, but i still have three months to sort through it all. excited and sad at the same time :)
Oh so true what you are saying here! I will occasionally go through where I just want to purge stuff from the house. I feel like clutter is distracting me from the things that need attention. It is always so strange to me how things get collected over time yet when I just purges a few months before. So happy you are enjoying life there!
Amen! Especially with a precious little one on the way!! So excited for you two!! What fun adventures you have ahead!! xox