Not a good time to be useless around here...

Maybe it is the weather (I promised I would not complain again -- I won't -- I won't!), or maybe it is just the right time, but this house is getting decluttered in a major way. If you aren't essential for living, look out; a black trash bag or a pile for the hospice thrift store donation site are your destination. Every drawer, every cupboard, every possible nook and cranny is being overhauled, and I won't stop until I am done. I usually do this right after vacation, in preparation for our new school year, but last year I never did it. What a mistake! So, I am getting this done now, before we go away, and I am sure I won't be sorry. Our house is not tiny, but it feels small when there is too much stuff around; keeping things cleaned out is essential for familial sanity.

As usual, there is a musical companion chosen for these tasks. In the first cupboard I tackled, I found cassettes that hadn't been listened to in a long time. Most are now in a bag for the thrift store, but this one is a long-lost friend:



Brother to Brother , John Michael Talbot and Michael Card

I first became acquainted with John Michael Talbot while living with a dear woman named Diana. Each morning, as I struggled to open my eyes and get going on my day, I would smell espresso being made, and hear the quiet strains of Talbot's music dancing on the morning air. There is a gentle strength in my roommate, and she has quietly and faithfully built her life on the foundation of Christ. Those quiet mornings of coffee and music were only the beginning of that journey. I'll see her in two weeks, at our every-other-year beach gathering, so I listen to this music with her in mind.

I may have to switch to something a little more raucous as the evening wears on. With sweat dripping down my back, and piles of "should I toss or should I file?", I need the strength to carry on. The only thing worse than a cluttered house is a house in mid-decluttering stride. There's no quitting once the flood gates open, no matter how overwhelming it gets. I'll be back when there is progress made, and not before. If nothing gets posted for more than a week, I may have fallen into the under-the-stairs closet, or still be sorting out pictures of five babies that all look identical. My family enjoys my company though, and can usually be convinced to work with me in my labors, so chances are I won't get lost in the pile of black bags.

In the meantime, enjoy these summer days. Try not to miss the beauty around you, wherever you may be, as well as the wonder and mystery of our short lives.

"Jesus, paint my life with charity
Paint my life with mercy
Paint my life.

And we know You are the Master of painters
Comin' the true Prince of Peace
And we know You are the True Creator
Comin' the King of Kings"

John Michael Talbot, The Mystery