TPC "lite": Empty Spaces, Open Places
I’ve always quipped that “I don’t have a book problem. I have a not-enough-bookshelves problem!”
After writing yesterday’s post, however, it appears my next step is to admit:
I. Have. A. Book. Problem.
And I need to do something about it.
Now.
Well, not “now” as in immediately. If this is going to happen gently, it’s going to have to happen over the upcoming days.
Empty Spaces
So for today’s blog post, I’m just going to share a few of the empty spaces I’m seeing in the house.
My desk doesn’t have nearly as much “stuff”:
The book stack is gone from my nightstand:
The entry way is clear:
There’s new space in a cupboard, and the chair no longer holds a pile of laundry:
Open Places
After a month-and-a-half of intentionally switching my bracelet and replacing “baditude” with God’s word and gratitude, I’m feeling open places in my heart.
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| My new magnetic white board. As I “fix my face” each morning I can fix God’s word in my heart. |
Frustration doesn’t flare the way it used to.
I haven’t said things like, “Cheri, what on earth are you doing?” and “Come on, Cheri, get it right for once!” for quite a while.
Changes to my plans don’t blind-side me.
I feel places opening up in my heart.
Calm places.
For peace.
For joy.
For hope.
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| (Can’t see image? Read Psalm 34:4-5 and Day 13 here.) |
Your turn!
- What “baditude” do you think/know is lurking behind your “stuff”?
- How can you flip it to gratitude
- Other thoughts / reflections / insights on today’s topic?
Ha! I don’t have enough bookshelves either! I kept working on my goal today – I got 5 more boxes down from the attic. I went through 3 of them and have 2 more to sift through. I have one of the boxes marked completely for ebay – yay! a whole box worth to go!
I love books! I don’t consider it a problem though I have totes and bookshelves full of books. I would love to have a house with a room to build my own personal library. I have a Kindle as well but reading on it just isn’t the same. I love to write notes in my books and underline and highlight. I know you can highlight on the Kindle but like I said it’s just not the same. Books will probably be the last thing I clean through. I would like my daughters to have a chance to read many of the books I have before I would pass them on. They are only 9 and 11 now and wouldn’t understand some of them. Thanks for the pictures of the empty spaces you now have. I’m hoping to have more of those soon too! 🙂
OOOOOooo, I have a book problem as well. That one is going to be tough. I’ll be praying for a good attitude as I go through them.
I’ve cleared my desktop and it makes me smile every time I walk by.
I have a shelf problem also. I have more books in boxes than I have on shelves. argh. I’m a book addict.
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com
Some of us like the feel of “real books” or have floaters that seem to magnify with electronic screens, so I, like Cheri, have a book problem. BUT, actually donated and tossed many lately. Made small dent in garage tidying and even tossed OB Nursing lectures I gave …oh….10 or 15 years ago. Tidy, un-junked, non-junk drawers are so nice. Thanks for the impetus for summer-cleaning (think I skipped Spring-cleanng)……now have to avoid sin of pride which is difficult for choleric-melancholics….as we are always right and have legitimate reasons for pride 🙂 🙂
Marcene — Bravo!!! I’m SO inspired!!! Pride for C-M . . . SO spot on . . . as soon as I’ve “conquered” something, I have no patience for those who haven’t (regardless of the fact that I was “one of them” so recently and am still “one of them” in pretty much every other area of my life!) Great reminder that all of this is to make more room for God…not self…
You really should consider getting a kindle or a nook. lol You can get 1000s of books on those ereaders.
Janet — GREAT suggestion. I do have fewer books than I might otherwise because the top item in the upper left corner photo is a Kindle! (With hundreds of books on it.)
I justify buying the physical book when it’s cheaper than the Kindle version. This is beyond a storage problem! 🙂