Simplicity.

I'm gearing up for another school year, which starts (gulp) tomorrow*.  It's going to be a busy one - filled with school, internship, work, church, community groups, and running.  Who knows?  I might even a throw a social life into the mix.

I'm excited, but already a bit overwhelmed at the stark contrast from the lazy days of summer to the rainy busy days of fall.  My life is about to change dramatically.

School isn't the only thing that's changing - but that's another post for another day.  Suffice it to say, there is much to look forward to in my future.

At the same time, I'm really working on grounding myself.  I don't want to become so wrapped up in my busyness or my dreams and schemes for the future that I forget who I am or why I'm here.  Conveniently, my pastor just spoke on this very topic at church.

Simplicity.   

It's one of the four pillars my church is founded on.

The entire sermon is definitely worth listening to, but since this is a blog and its already getting a little big lengthy, I'll leave you with the final notes.  Most of these are concepts he quoted from other authors, authors whom I did not write down the names of and therefor cannot give credit to (authors who know better than to end a sentence with a preposition, like I just did).  But their words are too good to miss.

Three Inner Attitudes to Simplicty

1. Everything we have is a gift from God
2. God can protect what we possess (we must trust God with everything we have)
3. What I have is available for others (if you aren't using God's gifts to bless others, they are essentially "stolen goods")

Three Outward Expressions of Simplicity

1. Buy things for usefulness, not status
2. Reject anything creating an addiction in you (*cough cough* facebook)
3. Develop a habit of giving things away

So there you have it.  As I prepare to start a new school year and quite possibly a new life, I'm working on simplifying as much as possible.  It isn't about giving up the things that are fun in life.  It's about finding that One thing that fully satisfies.  God will not be my secondary desire.

* by the time I post this, it will most likely today, since it's nearly midnight