As most of you know, we just moved to New York State a couple months ago. We are very much enjoying our new digs. God has blessed us with a wonderful church family and the area is nice too. If you were to ask me what the biggest lesson I learned from moving was, I would answer – the power of living simply. Allow me to explain.

When I moved from Vancouver to Ohio four years ago, the move consisted of putting 4 suitcases on an airplane. I was still single at that time and didn’t have a whole lot of stuff. But as you might have guessed, moving a family of 4 is a different story. We spent two solid weeks packing and two solid weeks unpacking. A full month in moving mode! The truth is, before we moved, we had no idea how much stuff we had. I will never forget the moving truck pulling up and thinking – we’ll never fill that! We did, along with three other vehicles.

This whole scenario reminds me of my daughter Elizabeth. Everywhere she goes, she tries to bring as much with her as she possibly can. #1. She always has her baby doll (that’s a must!). #2. She needs to have Elmo. #3. If possible, she tries to bring her sippy cup just in case she gets thirsty. #4. Whatever toy she is currently playing with usually enjoys the privilege of her company. As you might have imagined, Elizabeth has to get creative in order to pull this off. Her recent addition of a kids shopping cart helps, but is still not sufficient. Bottom line, she likes what I call “stuff” and she takes it everywhere she can.

If you are anything like us, you probably have more stuff than you think. A lot of it you might never use again. After moving, Stephane and I made the commitment to try and ask – do we really need this – before we purchase something else. We also made the commitment to do inventory at least once a year. I believe that in living simply (or simpler), we will be better freed up to serve the Lord. Time will tell whether we can actually do this, but I think we’re off to a good start.