Being able to purge, de-clutter and organize your environment and your life starts with a search of your mind and heart.  It requires asking yourself questions and answering honestly.  It is giving thought to the season you are in and the goals, dreams and vision you have for it.  It is quieting yourself before the Lord, listening and asking for the calling and purpose at this time in your life. 

Here are a few questions you can start with.  What do you want to be doing in this season of life?  What you do not want to be doing in this season of life?  What calling and purpose do you sense from the Lord for this season?  What things and activities would you need to support it?  What things and activities would clearly block it?  Do you need to limit access to your time with certain people?  How much time is really necessary for social media?  Is TV time a brief respite for enjoyment or a time stealer and an excuse to not pursue what you want in your heart?  How about all the paraphernalia related to some hobby, sport or activity clogging up your garage, spare room or closets that you no longer have any real interest in or are no longer able to do.  What could that freed-up space be used for to further your dream and calling now?

To move forward, inevitably the past must be dealt with and that can bring some difficult, emotional decisions.  Face the fact you will grieve in letting some things go as strong memories can be associated with them.   

The past has a strong pull and that keeps many people bogged down, choked and in a time warp.  Clinging to a lot things because of old memories is chaining you to the past and choking off the future.  Living in a memorial, a mausoleum to a dead relation or an old way of life keeps you stagnant and bound, and I am going to guess, hopeless because you are essentially paralyzed.  There is no longer any life in those things and memorials.  It is just screaming death and loss and that does not do a lot for a persons’ hopes and dreams for the future.  I addressed some ideas for preserving truly cherished memories and memorabilia in my last post that may be helpful.  

The aim is to avoid stuff from the past that is triggering negative memories and sadness in your home.  The aim is to create a safe and uplifting place so you feel happy about being home and pursuing the good and new things in your life.  This may necessitate deleting certain photo’s, throwing out things that trigger feelings you know you do not want to have, and other memorabilia that take you right back to old, dead things from your past.  If something gives you joy, does not seem to have a negative memory or feeling for you and fits nicely in your home or wardrobe, then keep it.  

For example, I have two things that I love but had struggled over, wondering if keeping them somehow kept me tied to the past.  One was a piece of jewelry to which I decided to give new meaning.  Now it reminds me of some of the elements of the eternal, beautiful, future City of God on Earth of which the Bible speaks.  The second item is a decorative stained glass scene of a waterfall and surrounding nature I had packed away for quite some time as I could not find a place for it and I was not ready to let it go.  Recently, I prayed about it, then walked around the house with it, seriously considering if it was time to release it.  I suddenly realized, due to a recent re-arrangement of my water fountain with the addition of a new, colored, Himalayan salt lamp, my stained glass piece would work beautifully with them.  The colorful painting I did of the sky and mountains hangs above them, amplifying the water and nature theme of the arrangement.  I was thrilled!  So, if you too have something you truly love and find it beautiful yet is connected to a difficult time in the past, save it or pack it away.  In time you may discover it comes alive for you in a new way, free of any old memories!

Another example ~ getting rid of some of my dish sets was very difficult.  In the past, I used to entertain a lot ~ I love hospitality and was once involved in entertaining in my home and in outside activities and events where my dishes and decorative items were used.  

To simplify and make time and space for the work and activities I am pursueing in this season of my life, it was necessary to release those dishes.  To attempt to continue hospitality activities would mean time, energy and resources stolen from my dreams, goals and calling for this season.  It would also mean frustration from lack of space for the things I need that will support them.

The dishes represented good times from the past, but also a hope for the future.  They represented happy friends and family times.  Yet, I had to realize my life had drastically changed, that God was in control and had me in a lengthy, solitary season for the purpose of developing other abilities and talents and in time it became clear I would not want to spend that kind of time and energy entertaining on that level again.  

I have lots of great pictures of those events and gatherings.  I am thankful for the opportunities of that season in my life and that I took full advantage of them!  I ended up keeping my two favorite sets of dishes for my own daily use which brings me delight!

Go ahead and ask yourself some honest questions and take the steps needed to begin.  It’s OK to feel the struggle.  As you begin to move forward, things shift.  Over time you gain a clearer perspective.  It becomes easier to shed certain things.  They were fun, were a blessing and were satisfying in that past season.  As we are preparing for the next season, we can believe the Lord has other good things in store for us!  Expressing gratitude will aid in the release of those good things to us and open our eyes to the good already before us.

As you begin or continue your process, I remind you there are so many fun and helpful purging, de-cluttering and organizing videos and podcasts online to help encourage and give you practical steps.  For starters, Terri Savelle Foy has a lot of great videos among which you can find plenty of very practical help in this area.

As you release things, give thanks for the opportunity and season with its happiness and fun it may have afforded you.  For the negative memories ~ express gratitude for the lessons you may have learned and/or for your protection and deliverance.  For the painful memories of losing someone who loved you and that you loved ~ for the precious time you did have with them and that you were actually loved.  Many people on this planet never experience that.  

“Whats next in your life is connected to whats now in your life” ~ Steven Furtick