*If you had to flee your house and only had 10 minutes to gather…what would you get? What are the most valuable things that you could not leave behind?
*Is there a disconnect between what you claim to be your top priority and how you use/spend your time and resources?
*We live in a culture of overindulgence…spending, eating, drinking, scheduling, consuming….
*Our culture has taught us that more is better…but is it? If we buy into this lie it keeps us exhausted, overwhelmed, broke, and with a lack of clarity.

*“The More of Less” by Joshua Becker 
*“A Simplified Life” by Emily Ley
*“Seven” by Jen Hatmaker 
*In Seven Jen Hatmaker tells a story of while she was in the process of adopting children from Ethiopia she was home making lunch for her children in America…
She made them fish sticks and then headed back to fold the laundry….she returned shortly after to find the kids finished and back in the living room…then found thefish sticks in the trash can… they said they threw them away because they were out of ketchup. She wept for her kids that night….she thought of the children orphaned inEthiopia due to hunger, disease, etc that wouldn’t eat that night and go to bed without a mother….and she thought of her children here that would live their life with American complacency and overindulgence…and didn’t know who she felt worse for.
*Seven is about a seven month fast to get out of entitled, consumeristic living…(Elizabeth’s family did this!)…each month focused on cutting out one area of greed, excess, or entitlement.
1)Food
2)Clothes
3) Possessions
4)Screentime, TV, social media
5)Waste
6)Spending
7)Stress
*for one month they only ate 7 foods (chicken, broccoli, apples, eggs, cheese, potatoes, and bread)….nothing else…no matter what.  They would talk about how there were children that  would give anything for a meal of beans and rice when they were starting to feel themselves wanting to complain about eating the same 7 things over and over
*Dying to our flesh will open our hearts to humility and satisfaction
*for one month they each only wore 7 pieces of clothing
*for the month they eliminated screen time, TV, and social media they in turn got so much family time
*for one month they only spent money at 7 establishments….(outside mortgage and utilities)…no eating out, no running to Target really quick….It wasn’t only the hundreds of dollars they saved but the saved gas and the saved time.
*When they curbed their appetites they discovered that their appetites changed.
*We want a fresh start and to simplify.
*There is more joy found in having less than there ever was in the pursuit of having more.
*Simplification is no just the straightening of the home…it is in meals, schedules, finances, technology, your job, your motherhood, your faith.
*She has lived through:
Times of Chaos/ times of peace
Times of clutter/ times of order
Times of busyness/ times of margin
Times that were complicated/times that were simple
….always longs for the peace, order, margin, and simple
*We want to enjoy this beautiful life and not be overwhelmed by it.
*Do any other these apply to you?:
-you have clothes you haven’t worn in years
-you buy things you don’t want or need because it makes you feel better
-sometimes you can’t shut down your mind
-your schedule is always busy
-you want purpose in your life but it seems overwhelming to even figure it out
-you rent your stuff its own storage unit
-you keep things because you might need them someday
-you spend excess energy on unnecessary strive in relationships
-your house has expired stuff
-you can’t find things when you need them
-your email inbox is out of control
-you don’t feel great because of all the excess you have had to eat or drink
-you go to target for 3 things and leave with a cartful of things you didn’t even know you needed
-you know you want to make a difference and do something in the world but don’t know where to start
-you have a list of people you’ve been meaning to call or get together with but can never seem to find the time
-you have little to no space between your thoughts
-you organize your stuff to find yourself having to organize it again 6 months later
-you can’t remember the last time you had nothing to do
-your debt is holding you captive
-you have people you haven’t forgiven
-you have wounds that haven’t healed
*Become aware of the war we have in our lives
*We all have excess
*WE have become accustomed to the abundance….stuff, schedule, activities
*Overabundance can literally exhaust you…but it doesn’t have to be this way…we can jump off that train and find joy in less
*Life isn’t here just to survive
*With a little intention…no matter what season you are in…your life can be simplified
*The main enemy is clutter..any area of your life can have clutter
*Clutter is anything that doesn’t deserve a place in your life
*1)Determine what is really important to you 2) get rid of the rest…..
*Home, Mind, Schedule….most people want to declutter in this order because it is easier to declutter your home than your mind…but you must go Mind, Time, Home
MIND
*Any change starts with the right mindset
*Our minds can get so full….no space for any thoughts
*If you don’t control your thoughts you can’t control what you do
*We have to take an inventory of our mind
*We often talk about margin and breathing room…but how much do you hear about brain space
*It takes 15 min of boredom for creativity to set in
*We know you can’t fit 10 pounds of hay in a 5 pound bag….but, if we have a 5 pound bag and only 4 pounds in it we see the empty space and think we must fill it…no
wonder be can’t breath.  If we are full we can’t fit joy, happiness, peace, calm, and stillness.
*When your mind is always racing and your hair is always on fire you will eventually burn out…if you are on that train get off!
*1)What is your mind most consumed with right now?
2)Do you have a trigger that you need to eliminate, alleviate, or delegate?
3)What do you enjoy that gives your mind some rest and space?
TIME
*Our time is our most valuable asset
*”Once she stopped rushing through life she was amazed at how much life she had time for”
*We live in a time of “timesavers” but where is all the extra time going? Just like the 5 pound bag we fill it with more commitments
*We are a generation of overcommitted women who can’t seem to manage it all
*BUSY IS A CHOICE WE MAKE
*Why do we feel the need to be busy all the time?
*”Feeling the need to be busy all the time is a trauma response and a fear based distraction to what you would be forced to feel if you slowed down.”
*What are we running from?
*What are we modeling for our kids?
*We have to get rid of the excess to get back to the basics
*No matter what your situation….YOU GET TO DECIDE WHAT GETS YOUR YES AND WHAT GETS YOUR NO
*She gave examples of pulling her children our of preschool when she have no margin…..and  an example of a friend that was a single mom of 4 and pulled herself and the kids out of activities for a year…..it gave time to prioritize
1)What are things on my calendar that might not be my best yes?
2)What distraction have I let occupy much of my time?
3) What things can and will I say NO to to make time for the things that really matter?
HOME
*When was the last time you paused to think about HOW MUCH you have?
*No matter your financial state right now…you are rich! Do you have a car? a roof? do your kids go to school? a closet? do you throw away food you don’t eat?
*If your household income is higher than $32,000 a year you are in the top 1% of wealth in the world
*Houses have tripled in size
*Some houses have more TVs than people
*Due to clutter 25% of people with 2 car garages can’t park 2 cars in them
*1 out of every 10 American home rents a storage unit
*The average home has 300,000 items
*We don’t need more
*We already have more than enough
*Our children are watching us…what are we modeling
*Our possessions are consuming our time and energy….they are distracting us
*1)What area of your house do you most desire to to clutter free, relaxing, and clean?
2)What area needs the most attention in your house right now
3)Do you have any decluttering tips to share with your table
*Simplifying allows more space in our home, schedule, mind, relationships, and all the things that really matter.
*Minimalism is the thing that gets us past the things so we can make room for life’s important things—which aren’t actually things at all.
*Simplification will bring more balance, freedom, and joy.
*Where else can I let go of distractions so that I can focus on what and who really matter?
*Once we are free to let go of all the things that don’t matter we’re free to pursue all the things that really do!