I received a great response from my first Simple Living post.  Thank you, dear readers!  It seems that the desire to simplify is strong among my friends and family.  I feel encouraged by your messages here and on Facebook.

As I said in “My Story”  (linked in case you missed it), my love of simple things and a simple lifestyle has been present my whole life.  I have many inspirations all around me, and I’m pleased to be able to share them with you.  Some of these sources are new to me while others are not new at all!

1. YouTube Minimalists:  I love YouTube!  For a long time, I thought it was about silly cat videos and wild teenagers, but I was wrong.  Sure, you can look up singing kittens, but you also can learn many new things.  I’ve been learning plenty from some inspiring and interesting content creators such as Melissa Alexandria, Samantha Lindsey, and Coco.  Their videos make me excited and hopeful!  Melissa promotes a positive, can-do attitude.  She discusses a wide range of topics including minimalism, food, and sustainability, and I simply love her channel.  Samantha is a fairly new YouTuber, but I won’t be surprised to see her audience grow and grow!  She is a favorite of mine because we share the Christian faith, and that isn’t a common trait in the minimalist movement.  She speaks in a gentle, pleasant way that makes you feel like you are chatting with a friend.  Coco’s channel is called “Light by Coco,” and I love the whole atmosphere of her beautifully edited videos.  Everything about “Light by Coco” is simple, graceful, and elegant.  YouTube is loaded with videos on living simply, and I enjoy many of them.  One final favorite is Sprout and Blossom by a woman named Mary.  It’s a great channel, and you can also visit the accompanying blog;  www.sproutandblossomwellnes.com.
2. A Visit to My Sister:  I’m sure that Kristy would not call herself a minimalist, but she has some of the habits and characteristics of one.  When I visited with my sister and her little family this summer, I was struck (again) by the simplicity of how they live and the simplicity of what they enjoy.  We are alike in many ways, and pleasure in the small things of life is something we’ve always shared.  We do have a big difference though.  Kristy is inherently, naturally NEAT.  I am…not.  When we were kids, I envied her perfectly tidy room.  Now, I feel inspired rather than jealous.  I have trouble with paper clutter and little bits and pieces of things being kept for no real reason.  My sister doesn’t seem to struggle with those things, and it shows in her home.  I may be the Big Sister, but I know when I can learn something from my little sister!
3. My Children:  While my children are definitely a big reason for our clutter, they also play a big part in inspiring me to minimize our belongings.  They don’t need stuff.  They need me–not Mommy cleaning all the time or trying to distract them so that I can take care of messes.  I know that a simple life will allow them to thrive and truly enjoy this magical time called childhood.
4. Jesus Christ:  This is my last and most important inspiration.  Among other things, Jesus teaches simplicity.  He teaches that the only “things” that matter are the things of the heart.  Modern Christianity might seem like a culture filled with stuff, but Jesus actually  lived a life of few possessions, and He showed others that the physical elements of their lives pale in the light of eternity.  He called His disciples to leave behind their homes and belongings in order to follow Him.  They couldn’t be weighed down by the stuff of life if they were going to accept Christ’s mission to travel around the known world healing people and teaching the message of new life.  Sure, it’s probably pretty easy to not worry about your sandals when you are the Son of God.  I get that. Even so, Jesus is the perfect model of simplicity.  Something to think about…