Saturday April 2 2016  SIMPLICITY AT ITS BEST

BIGGER ISN’T NECESSARILY BETTER.  Not in all things.  Take houses for instance.  I’ve always enjoyed the space of a larger home after Dave and I married.  As a child I grew up in very small spaces.  And when I say “VERY”, I mean very, very small.  Our first home after we married was about 1300 square foot.  I felt as if I lived in a palace.  I didn’t even have enough “stuff” to fill all the kitchen cupboards.  And, if I remember correctly, we got along superbly with just what we owned.  I had no inclination that the house was small.  Two years later we moved.

We moved “up” so to speak.  Our next house was about 2400 square foot.  It again seemed palatial.  The rooms were large, it sat on the side of a high hill and had an astounding view.  Again there were a few bare cupboards and several rooms that had no furniture.  Fast forward to 10 years later when we moved again.  By this time the house had two additional people living in it, lots of “stuff”, and no empty cupboards or rooms. 

That was a temporary move and we planned to back into the same house two years later.  Following those two years Dave was offered a job that would allow us to stay in the area permanently.  We had moved from HOT Southern California to the San Francisco Bay Area.  That area was my home stomping grounds so we decided to stay.

So time to buy another house.  This one was about 2900 square foot.  Again, extra room, more space, but no empty cupboards.  Actually we had a row of stored boxes that had not been unpacked since we moved to the area two years previously.  We lived in that house for two years. 

Our next move, 30 years ago, brought us to Wisconsin!  COLD WISCONSIN!  A few warm months a year and that was (and is) it!  I have never regretted our move to Wisconsin.  Again, another house, this one 4400 square foot.  Now that was a lot of a house and a lot of yard.  We were on five acres of wooded and groomed area.  It was like a dream come true!  Again, we had lots and lots of empty space.  Rooms we didn’t even use.  And lots and lots of boxes packed in one room that we didn’t even unpack for at least two years.  More stuff.

We eventually had the entire house used up.  More places to put more stuff.  And now…it is a nightmare.  It is difficult for me to part with the treasures of the past.  So I just fill another drawer, or another closet, The visual stays uncluttered but I know what is hidden.  And twenty years pass and our children move out and the house is quiet.  But the stuff still lingers.  And when I say stuff, I mean lots of stuff.  Some left behind by our daughter, however, most accumulated by me.  And here is where I am.  An over-sized house on an over-sized lot (we did sell two and a half acres), and lots and lots of stuff inside.

And as I sit typing this blog I am sitting in our daughter’s beautiful home in Florida.  It is serene, beautiful, nicely decorated AND UNCLUTTERED!  All 1100 square foot!  She is organized, particular, and amazingly self-disciplined when it comes to purchasing items that she does not need.  Nothing unneeded comes through the door.  Oh, how I wish I had learned that concept years ago!  It is so refreshing to be in an environment where everything has a place and is in its place when not being used.  Much due diligence is required.  Perhaps she did not want to repeat the mistakes of her mother.  However, I will say that we have about a roomful of stuff that belongs to her in OUR bedroom closet and shop.  Someday she plans to come to Wisconsin, go through it and take the rest.  Hmmm…I wonder if she’ll still want her Barbie bus and all her Barbie dolls.  And maybe I could encourage her to take all her baby clothes I saved for her.  On second thought, perhaps NOT!

Our marriage has been a 43 year journey with lots of stuff accumulated along the way.  Now it is time to downsize.  As I sit in the confines of Rebecca and Neil’s beautiful, well appointed home, I see how simple life can be without all the stuff to take care of.  I have come full circle to the fact that BIGGER ISN’T NECESSARILY BETTER!  Their home shows simplicity at its best!

TOO MUCH STUFF

By Kathleen Martens

April 2, 2016

Too much stuff

Becomes a load

When in the confines

Of your home.

Oh how I wish

I did not own

All the clutter

In places unknown.

It will be

Quite the surprise

When all displayed

Before my eyes

That which once

Was so dear

Now I wish

Was no longer here.

So, I will enjoy the presence of space while luxuriating in our daughter’s beautiful home!  Hopefully my stuff will still be there when I get back.  My hope is that I too will someday experience simplicity at its best!

Lord, thank You for loving me just as I am.

Lord, thank You this wonderful time away to visit our children.

Lord, thank You for all the “stuff” I have.

Lord, thank You for coconuts.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU

Friday April 1 2016  TRUE BLISS

My daughter gave me the topic to write about tonight.  I love it when people suggest a topic.  It may be an idea, a health matter, a story, or even just a word or a few words.  In this case she asked me to write about what TRUE BLISS means.  So, first I looked it up in the thesaurus on my Word screen.  A list of words came up in the following order:

“ECSTASY

HEAVEN

PARADISE

ENJOYMENT

HAPPINESS

DELIGHT

PLEASURE

HARMONY”

So…these are the synonyms.  Before I even looked up the list of synonyms, the words “God” and “heaven” were foremost in my mind.  I was pleased to see those words on the list.  I wrote the poem below using each word in the order that they were listed.  It took about three or four minutes to write the little poem.  I think these words capture what true bliss really is.

WHAT IS TRUE BLISS?

By Kathleen Martens

April 1, 2016

ECSTASY of life on earth

Realizing HEAVEN is its worth.

God’s beautiful PARADISE,

ENJOYMENT for eternal life.

HAPPINESS surrounds my soul

To DELIGHT in such a goal.

True PLEASURE not yet known,

HARMONY dispensed from God’s throne.

I hope you enjoy my poem that utilized, in sequence, the thesaurus’ list of synonyms describing what the words TRUE BLISS mean to me.

My first example of true bliss is the poem that I wrote above.  Now to describe at least in part what true bliss would mean to me I would like to share the following.  I think I have achieved some of what I believe bliss to be.  First, and foremost, it would be Dave and I being retired.  I know I could dream to be young and beautiful and rich, but I am choosing to expound on true life situations of where I am today.   Secondly, it is the knowledge that I have achieved something I long ago dreamed. That dream was to have Dave by my side until we were old.  Well, we have achieved that portion of my bliss.  True, we have our physical challenges at this age, but we also have the precious years that we have lived which many much younger than us will never achieve.  We are never promised tomorrow.

When I look at the young I do not do so with envy and wishful thinking, rather I hope that they too will have the years that have been granted us.  But there is no guarantee.  So I cherish the years that have been, and have learned to live in the moment, enjoying what I have now. To me, that is bliss.

Time alone with God is also true bliss in my book.  As much as I love my family, being alone with self to enjoy God’s presence is the ultimate bliss.  All I need is a journal, a Bible, a few dozen good books, some music composed by David Hollandsworth, and I am in a true land of bliss; that place of ECSTASY, a bit of HEAVEN on earth, as if I am in my own PARADISE which creates so much ENJOYMENT and HAPPINESS in which I DELIGHT because I receive such PLEASURE and HARMONY within myself when I am alone with my Lord.

When I pause to be thankful for all the blessings God has bestowed upon me, true bliss answers my call.  There is so much for which to be grateful; the blessings of life, and love, and a husband, son, daughter, grandchildren and grand-dogs.  Another blessing is living in a beautiful place surrounded by trees and flowers and good neighbors, as is the joy of a wonderful church family and good friends.  Bliss is wherever I am, whatever I am doing, whether sick or well, whether rich or poor.

Most of all, bliss is realizing how much God loves me and my knowing how to love God and myself so I can love others.  Bliss is getting along with myself, having learned not to fret and worry.  Bliss is realizing that life on this earth won’t last forever and that I will someday meet Jesus face to face.  And the greatest bliss of all will be to run the race God has set before me, that I will be seen as righteous in the eyes of my Lord and Savior, and that Revelations 3:5 will pertain to me when Jesus said,  ^“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”  NOW THAT, WILL BE TRUE BLISS!

Thank You Jesus that you intercede to the Father on my behalf.

Thank You for our children who have grown up to be responsible adults who love You.

Thank You for this blissful time away to have time to share in our daughter and son-in-law’s daily lives.

Thank You for the smile on my face.

Thank You for my shoe inserts so I can walk comfortably.

Thank You that I am retired.

Thank You for letting me grow old with Dave.

Than You for the smile in my heart.

REMEMBER TO WRITE SOMETHING IN YOUR THANKFUL JOURNAL TODAY!

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU. 

P.S. What is YOUR meaning of true bliss?