Spring is in the air. The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, the trees are getting their leaves back. The air is warm but just right. It is the perfect time of year to hit the reset button. Renew, revamp, and refresh. And I’m not just talking about regular ole spring cleaning.
I love spring cleaning. I really do. It is the time of the year when I donate stuff that the kids have outgrown or don’t play with anymore, deep clean the house, and just get things back in order. Everything feels fresh.
I’m a person who loves empty space so I don’t want a ton of stuff taking up every corner or things all over the walls.
Spring Cleaning isn’t Just About “Stuff”
But spring cleaning isn’t just about stuff. I don’t want you to just revamp, renew, and refresh your home. I want you to do that for your spiritual life too. It is pretty likely that you did this around the new year.
That is awesome, me too!
But we, as humans, tend to fall back into old patterns and habits quickly and easily. I know I do anyway. I go back to getting too busy for my time with the Lord, forgetting to be grateful for what I have, and being frazzled with life.
Bible Studies
Even though spring cleaning isn’t just about stuff, I do want to start by encouraging you to go through some things and organize. If you are anything like me then stuff like bible studies tend to pile up quickly as you find sales.
I tend to have too many Bible Studies, prayer journals, prompts, and resources. I know that doesn’t sound like a problem but it is. When there are too many options I tend to get overwhelmed and do nothing. So in the spring, I like to sift through everything and make a plan. What am I going to use next, what can wait? Basically, I prioritize all of my Bible study materials.
You may be wondering who on Earth organizes their Bible study materials. Me. I do. Listen, I love a good sale, and when my favorite Bible study company sends me emails telling me their bible studies are only $5 I tend to go a little bit overboard. Which leaves me with stacks of bible studies.
The answer to this is obviously to stop buying so many bible studies at once and do the ones I have first. But, I’m weak so I organize and put things in order based on what studies I want to do first. I also toss used up bible study books (I really struggled with this because I thought it was a little wrong, but I also hate clutter, and honestly when am I ever going to look through those again?). This makes room for the fresh ones.
Take an Honest Look at Your Prayer Life
Declutter Your Calendar
Part of spring cleaning is decluttering your calendar to make room for what God has for you. If your calendar is so full that you don’t have any margin at all then things need to go. I say this from a place of being a chronic over scheduler. It is a major weakness of mine.
So I take a few times a year to make sure that I am praying over my calendar and weeding things out that are overshadowing my priorities and my time with the Lord.
Re-Evaluate Your Budget
Along with overhauling your calendar spring is a great time to take a second look at your budget. Spring means summer is coming and you may want to take trips, do extra outings with your kids, or not cook as much.
Re-evaluating your budget helps you make room for these things while still staying on track with your financial goals. You can also start budgeting for Christmas or other special events to make the holidays less stressful.
Are you looking for a community or someone to grab coffee with who is in a similar life season? We’d love to connect with you and get to know you better! Below you will find a few people that can’t wait to meet you, shoot us an email so we can make a plan!
Tyler OJ Campus
Teresa Ator: teresaa@gcc.org
Bethanie Tayler: bethaniet@gcc.org
Tyler UB Campus
Max Heller: maxh@gcc.org
Marthe Durosiermarthed@gcc.org
Lindale Campus
Molly Pontius: mollyp@gcc.org
Debra Kirby: debra@gcc.org
