Simple Steps




Woke to chilly temperatures...35 F (1.7 C )  Floors cold.  Polar fleece slacks and a warm sweater serve me well as I light the stove and get breakfast going.  Conversation at breakfast determines that perhaps a nice gas heater would be good for the living room, as a back up heat, since we seem to enjoy sleeping with no heat on, we often choose in winter not to keep the fire going through the night, making some very cold mornings.  Having some heat on while the fire gets going would be nice.   Its actually a step in making things more simple.   Its not something we will depend on, but it sure will be a nice backup on the coldest winter mornings.
Simplicity, I have learned is in the mind, in the heart and in how we react to situations, more than it is about making your own soap or keeping goats.   True simplicity is about living in the present, not stressing out, not being a worrier, not being full of behaviors and attitudes that strangle our freedom.  True simplicity is about seeing the necessary and seeing what is not necessary in our lives.  Its being able to take the time to see your life as a flower, and seeing that this beautiful flower needs to be nourished, cared for and admired.   Taking steps to live a simple life, means living with the purpose to be unburdened by objects that take away from the care of our peace of mind.  I had some soup last night, and as I ate it, I was mindful of what was going in my mouth, how amazing God is to make foods for us with different textures and colors. He didn't have to do it that way, but He loves beauty, and He loves us so much that He wants to delight us.  As I took a bit of broccoli in my mouth, slightly crisp, little buds of flavor, I thought about all the sunshine, the rain, the nutrients in the soil that had to come together to make this mouthful of taste and texture.  It was as if there was a bit of the universe in each mouthful.  I thought about each bite this way, the carrots, the celery, the mushrooms.   Thinking about the farmers, the packaging folks, the truck drivers bringing the produce to the stores, to the store clerks stocking the shelves.  Each bite of my food became such a miracle, such a beautiful gift. Simple living is I have discovered, about being present in the moment, its about taking time to experience what is around us.  Life is good.

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