Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Luke 12:15

“I can’t find anything after I put it away. I know I need to organize, but I just don’t know where to start. I want to invite friends over, but my house is such a mess. I want less clutter, but I just can’t figure out how to get started.” Sound familiar?

Although we live in larger homes and have fewer children, our attics, basements, closets and rooms are overflowing. Storage units are becoming more popular.

We need to remember that more is not necessarily better. Things can’t bring us happiness. Peter Walsh, a pro at decluttering, said, “If your house is full of clutter, all the blessings that could fill your house can’t get in.”

A friend recently shared that she cleaned out her bedroom drawers and felt so much better about the whole room. She is now going to tackle the boxes of clothes piled around the room. Good for her! She has set a goal. One of the main obstacles in removing clutter is the overwhelming thought that you have to make so many decisions.

The University of Illinois has wonderful information on dealing with clutter on their web site. I really like their idea of a Clutter Emergency Card. Use the following questions to help you decide what is important and what’s not.

* How long has it been since I used this?

* Do I like it?

* Does it work properly – is it broken?

* If I keep this, what will I get rid of to make room for it?

* Can I locate this information somewhere else (probably on the internet) if I need it?

Don’t tackle the whole house at once. Get three boxes and start with one room. Put broken or throw-away items in one. Fill the other with items to donate to charity or friends. The third one should be the one you are left with. Now you are ready to make decisions concerning the items you need and plan to keep.

I promise you, decluttering will go a long way in sweeping frustration out the door. You will enjoy life more with an organized home.

As you are getting rid of the clutter in your home, remember to keep your mind free from clutter so that you can hear words from God. We are so busy that we sometimes use all our twenty- four hours without talking to the Father who loves us so much. Take time to clear your mind, get away from noise and talk to your Heavenly Father. It seems that the more time-saving devises we have, the less time we have.

I want to leave you with a scripture that helps me. I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants (Psalm 85:8).

Janice Yandell