The More of Less Report (September)

This was not a month of less (or was it)? Well, let's just say it was not a month of less when it comes to minimalism. We bought a new fridge, a new dishwasher, a new fridge/freezer, and a ceiling fan. And a suitcase. And a raincoat. And a rolling desk. And... Let's just say our savings budget was not sitting pretty.

Did we need the fridge and dishwasher and ceiling fan? Yes. All of those items broke. Did we need the other things? Yes, and no. We could have made do without, but we decided they would enhance our lives. And so we bought more.

I also bought shower poufs, and soap bags (things we only buy periodically, but happen to be needed now). I bought nail wraps (just because I wanted to try them). I bought, bought, bought....

And then we went on vacation, and we bought, bought, bought....

But my LESS word wasn't just about minimalism. It was about finding MORE life. And a lot of these purchases were about life, and enjoying life. I've heard it said that balance is elusive, but there are seasons. This latter half of the year seems to be turning into a MORE season, which praise the Lord, is what I hoped for in the first place.

January-LESS scrolling: I have been on social media MORE, but in part to watch new content from my friend. She is doing a lot of work about biblical apologetics and living by the word. You can follow her @NuNuChand_Perspective and @DailyHis_.

February-LESS picking: Maybe this is better? I have been MORE busy with life, so at least noticing it less.

March-LESS hunger (judgment): I did kind of go through a few weeks where I was concerned about how much I was eating and trying to cut back a little, but then I got to running MORE and was MORE hungry, so increased my intake again. I am still not confident in how much I am eating, or in my body, but I am trying to focus MORE on other things.

April-LESS goals: I did have MORE goals for this month, but by God's grace, they were kind of manageable? Completing my pumpkin baking bucket list before we left for vacation resulted in some stress, but again, by God's grace, I got it done!

May-LESS no: I did say, "No," a little MORE. Sometimes, I think I should have said, "Yes," but other times, "No" felt right. I need the Spirit's help to say, "Yes" and "No" to the right things. I am so fallen and fickle and yes, I want to tune in MORE to my intuition, but if not guided by the Spirit, I am going to fall more prey to the sinful nature.

June-LESS lying to myself: I started a new habit this month of making a priority list for the day. While I have my daily to-do lists, they are long, and sometimes I forget things. So, I started making a priority list and making sure to get it done. That I did MORE days than not, but it also caused stress and a sprint to the finish before bed on some nights, not the best.

July-LESS fear: Several things sparked fear this month, specifically in regards to running-seeing others injured, small pricks of pain, soreness, etc. I don't want to stop running just because I am afraid, though, so with the help of my physical therapist, I slowly kept moving through my return to run program. Twice, I got to run for 40 minutes-not near what I used to do, but definitely far MORE than I was doing!

August-LESS scarcity: The crazy-amazing part of this LESS journey is how much the mindset challenges have worked. That is totally a work of the Lord! I went through so much scarcity mindset for most of this year, and then when we needed (and wanted) to buy all this stuff, I was like, "Okay." Maybe it was partly due to being close to our trip and seeing that we might have what we needed saved for it. Maybe it was the daily practice of gratitude that started getting engrained in my brain. I don't know. But praise the Lord for MORE freedom in this area.

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Three more months to go. What will the Lord do? Praise Him for whatever MORE He has in store!