June 3, 2025 • 29 mins
The spiritual practice of spring cleaning reveals the powerful connection between our physical spaces and our inner lives. As James and Shanda explore in this enlightening conversation, decluttering isn't just about managing possessions—it's about creating space for what truly matters.
Drawing from biblical foundations, they examine how ancient wisdom about cleanliness in Levitical law reflects God's care for both our physical and spiritual wellbeing. From the purification rituals after childbirth to the annual Passover cleansing, these practices weren't arbitrary rules but reflected a deeper understanding of how our external environments impact our internal lives.
Between stories of archery tournaments and family cleaning days, a beautiful truth emerges: maintaining order in our homes can be an act of worship and stewardship. The relief that comes from tackling neglected spaces mirrors the spiritual refreshment of addressing the clutter in our souls—whether that's lingering bitterness, unhealthy control issues, or other spiritual challenges we've allowed to accumulate.
The conversation turns practical as they share their personal decluttering rhythms (twice yearly for Shanda) and how identifying what matters most to your spouse can transform your cleaning efforts into meaningful acts of love. Their vulnerability shines through as they discuss their own spiritual decluttering journeys—James working through control issues and Shanda learning to trust God more fully.
Most powerfully, they remind us that just as darkness is the absence of light, our spiritual blind spots become visible when we draw near to God through consistent spiritual disciplines. Regular time in Scripture, prayer, and self-examination doesn't just maintain spiritual health—it creates capacity for greater joy, peace, and effectiveness in ministry to others.
Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by physical disorder or spiritual heaviness, this episode offers both biblical wisdom and practical encouragement for creating space—in your home and your heart—for renewal. Join James and Shanda as they explore how cleaning house, both literally and figuratively, can become a profound spiritual practice.
Let's connect!
Website: This Devoted Life
Instagram: Devoted Motherhood & This Devoted Life Podcast
Email: podcast@thisdevotedlife.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
What started as a Saturday morning coffee date
turned into a podcast where wechat about things like faith,
family finances and so much more.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
In a world that is encouraging you to live your
truth and to follow your heart.
We want to encourage you tolive devoted to the truth.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
The Bible has a lot to say about how to live a
victorious Christian life, andwe want to share practical
insight in how to apply thosetruths to your life, as we
endeavor to apply them to ourown lives as well.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a
review and share these episodeswith your friends so that you
can help them live this devotedlife too.
Welcome to another episode ofthis Devoted Life Podcast.
We are back in the studio withjust the two of us after a fun
little run with some reallyawesome podcast guests.
So if you missed those episodes, we had Elizabeth Santelman
(00:52):
with Sunshine in my Nest.
We had Kindle Togetherness,which is Sarah Ruth Owens.
We also had Whitney Newby fromBrighter Day Press, and we also
had SD Smith, the author of theGreen Ember series on recently,
which was a really fun onebecause he also let our son do
an interview with him, whichjust he was through the moon.
So if you missed those podcasts.
I would suggest go back andlisten to those, just because
(01:13):
they are some really sweet, veryGod-centered, they love the
Lord and they just bring theirown passions to the podcast,
which is what we love, becausewe want to have people on that
share our faith but alsochallenge us in our living for
the Lord and just making surethat we are serving the Lord.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, I think it was really fun to do that and you
know we'll plan on continuingthat.
But it's also nice to kind ofcome back and just give you a
little update on life and keeplearning together and growing
together as fellow believers andfellow parents and fellow
spouses and all of the familystuff, so the devoted family
(01:55):
life.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, so we, for this episode today, we're actually
going to be diving into springcleaning.
I have been.
We finished up school just overa week ago and it's now like
full on purge mode.
I know like spring is kind ofalmost done because we're into
June now, but this is like myspring now, so I am deep
cleaning all of the things, andso this episode is going to be
(02:18):
about not only just deepcleaning our home, but making
sure that we're spiritually deepcleaning as well, and just what
does that mean for our lives.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, yeah, and I feel like over the past couple
of years I've kind of re-broughtthis up from time to time, but
you know, when January 1st comes, everyone's doing their New
Year's resolutions, goals,things like that.
Well, kind of I feel likespringtime almost is a good time
to check in and to also maybecreate new goals and things like
(02:48):
that.
I think anytime is a good time,as long as you're ready to
improve on something or changesomething.
So, yeah, the springtime,especially up here in the north,
when you have the long coldwinters and then the sun's
shining and you can go outsidewithout a cold, you can open all
the windows.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, get some fresh air and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
So we like to be outdoors throughout the entire
year, but it's definitely moreenjoyable when you don't have to
bundle up.
So it just kind of gets allthose spring fever juices going.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Speaking of being outside, we had a really fun
weekend this weekend because ourkids are now 12, 9, 7, and 4.
And this past fall I asked ourkids, like what do you think
your thing is?
Because I feel like they'restarting to get to the age where
maybe we should start narrowingsome things down and not
necessarily putting our effortinto everything, but kind of
(03:38):
just letting them reallycultivate what matters to them.
And our 9-year-old she was 8 atthe time she told us that it
was archery and I was kind oflike archery, where did that
come from?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
So we've been doing a homeschool archery class for
years, but it just was more of aI think seven years now.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
right, yeah, we've been doing it since our
nine-year-old was four and soit's been fun.
But I never really thought thatthat was going to be something
that she was passionate about.
So when she mentioned it I waslike, okay, well, we can maybe
put a little more effort intothis this year.
So we signed her up for anextra archery league so that she
was doing two.
Um, the one, the homeschool one, tends to be more fun, like
they're amazing about likehelping the kids with their
(04:14):
technique, but it does tend tobe more of a time to get
together with friends and justget reps in.
So the other archery league wasshe started, um, like really
fine, tuning her skills and itwas fun Cause one night she came
home and she was like I got mypersonal best.
And I was like oh, really Likehow, how many bullseyes did you
shoot?
And she was like I shot 38.
(04:34):
And I was like 38 bullseyes.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
I was like, okay, it was true.
Yeah, I mean, it's legit.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, so maybe this is her thing.
You know, they bumped her upfrom, I mean, after those 38
bullseyes.
They bumped her up to anadvanced archery league because
they were like she's doingreally well and she needs to be
challenged a bit more.
So, getting back to thebeginning of the story, um, this
weekend was our first archerytournament, um, and it was fun
because we're doing what'scalled the S3DA.
It's the scholastic 3d archery.
(04:59):
So it's um outside archery withlike target animals and they're
walking through the woods, andso it's a great time to be
outside and just to let the kidsdo something that they enjoy
while also having a little bitof competition.
And so our son and our daughter, who's really into archery now
did that, and our daughter,she's nine and she took first in
(05:23):
her class, which was just likethe pinnacle for her.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
And like by a lot, like it wasn't even close.
So again, we're not sayingshe's like the next Miss Robin
Hood or whatever, but it's beenreally fun for her and something
that really kind of justenergizes her, motivates her and
, yeah, she's been there a goodtime it's fun when you see your
children start to find theirthing that they're passionate
about, and that's something thatthey are good at.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
but she's not good at it because it was something
that came natural.
It's something that she has puta ton of effort into, so it's
really cool as parents to seewhen your children now are
seeing the fruits of theirlabors.
It wasn't just something thatshe just willy nilly, was like
I'm going to take up archery andI just happen to be really good
(06:09):
at it.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
It was no, I'm choosing to do archery and I'm
going to get good at it, andshe's so.
Our son, he also did great andhe actually has a lot more like
stiffer competition in hisdivision, so he still shot great
.
He didn't necessarily place allthat well, you know
respectively, but what's kind ofinteresting is a lot of times
kids, especially in that age.
The reason why they're good ornot as good is based on how well
(06:34):
they listen to the instructionand so it's just kind of funny
because she is very good atlistening and then implementing
what she learns and what is toldwhen our son he's not like.
It's not that he doesn't listen, but it's like kind of a little
bit of the yeah yeah, yeah, youknow.
And then let me go do my thing.
(06:56):
So just, I thought I'dmentioned I mean, I feel like
there's some like life lessonsin there.
You know, it's like all right,get good instruction, listen to
the instruction and then go outand do it and, um, actually have
that application.
Um, but not to get totallyunraveled here, but so you said
that, uh, when we, when shestarted the homeschool, it was
(07:17):
when she was four and she's fiveor she's nine.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
No, no, no, I said we've been doing it since we
were four, so our son was fourwhen we started.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Yes, so she's been doing it since she was four as
well, so she's been doing it forfive years, well, four minus
COVID.
Yeah, and then all right Soundsgood, because yesterday when we
were talking to Mr Marty hesaid we've been doing it for
seven years and I'm like wait asecond nine minus four.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
You're like this is not that.
Then, Okay, nine minus four.
You're like this is not thatthin, Carry the 12 times three.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
All right, yeah, sounds good.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
You really did derail that one, but that's okay.
All right back to topic.
We want to make sure that weare.
You know, as our homes gatherdust and clutter, our hearts and
our souls can as well.
So this episode is just aboutdecluttering.
So we want to give just somevery practical insight into what
that looks like.
This is not going to be like ahow-to, but just more of maybe
(08:10):
an encouragement to make surethat we are keeping a short
account both, you know, justphysically, and also spiritually
.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah, yeah, and it's definitely.
I mean, if you walked throughour house at the moment, you
would definitely know that thisis not a how-to, it's more of a
hey.
This is important in our livesright now, so we think it's
probably, you know, applicableto your lives as well.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Well, we've been through like a really busy
season.
You know we mentioned archeryand baseball season and before
that was upward basketball.
So we've been in kind of a busyseason the past several months.
And the other day we had aSaturday at home and I was like
can we please just like clean?
And so the whole family pitchedin and we just like kind of
deep cleaned the whole mainlevel of our house.
And you looked at me and youwent.
(08:53):
I did not realize how much of aburden you were carrying.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
He said you know that you didn't actually do, but it
was like, oh my goodness, aweight was lifted off of you and
you could breathe easier.
It was like everywhere.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
I looked was a to-do list.
So, once the to-do list wascrossed off, it just was, yeah,
a big breath of fresh air.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
But you know, like diving into this podcast, the
one thing that we want to alwaysdo when we talk is bring it
back to the Bible and if youlook at biblical principles when
it comes to, you know,decluttering and keeping a short
account and just making surethat you know we keep tidy homes
and whatnot, leviticus is justfilled with these types of you
(09:39):
know they're Old Testament laws,but God had them there for a
reason.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, not really fun to read through during the read
through the Bible in the year,but it is yeah, it's filled with
these laws, Exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Well, he had them there for a reason and it was
for the Jewish people, but itwas there for their good.
And so, like I'm just going tomention some of the ones that he
had, you know, in Le, and soI'm just going to mention some
of the ones that he had.
In Leviticus 11, it talks aboutclean and unclean animals, and
that was there for their health.
Purity after childbirth was inLeviticus 12, and it was talking
about how a woman needed tohave a time of purification and
(10:12):
then going to the temple andbeing declared clean after her
childbirth.
And so I mean now we knowmedically there is a time after
childbirth where a woman isgoing through just the healing
process after, and God literallywrote that into the Levitical
law knowing that it was for hergood and a time of purification.
You know there was laws aboutmildew and contaminated objects
(10:35):
in Leviticus 14.
So literally that was like ifthere is mildew or mold on
something, there was a wholeprocess that the Jews had to go
through to purify the objects.
It was specifically likeclothing and whatnot.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Okay, yeah, it's kind of you mentioned that and I'm
like every once in a while we'llopen up the refrigerator and it
looks like there's a scienceexperiment kind of back there in
the corner.
It's not my kombucha, there isliteral mold growing in our
fridge, and they didn't evenhave refrigerators back then.
So, yeah, I can see why God putthat in there.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
So I mean there are like biblical laws that take
into account cleanliness from aphysical perspective.
So, it wasn't just aboutspiritual cleanliness, it was
also an external cleanliness aswell.
Now, does the externalcleanliness make you more
spiritual?
No, but having an outwardappearance of cleanliness,
(11:29):
taking care of the temple thatwe are now the physical temple
of the Lord spiritually and justour bodies.
We can take care of thosethings, take care of what God
has given us with our homes.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Yeah, Orderliness and godlinessdo.
They do parallel each otherquite often.
And again, you know this is theLevitical laws.
That's hard to say, but yeah so, and it's the Old Testament,
it's the age of law, it's thedispensation of the law, but we
(12:02):
can still learn from them and,like I said, it's just good kind
of practical living at times Ilove reading through the Old and
New Testament together, so alot of people will like cherry
pick verses.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
But really, when you read the Old Testament, even
though those Old Testament lawsare not necessarily applicable
today, there was still a reasonand a heart behind why they were
created, and so we can applythose to the New Testament grace
that we've been given and usethose to continue and further
our faith Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Yeah, a hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
And like even going back to some of the Old
Testament stuff, god literallydesigned feasts for the Jews
that were part of like a renewal, and one specifically that I
can think of is the JewishPassover.
So we have a friend actuallyit's Sarah Ruth, with Kindle
Togetherness who is a MessianicJew, and so she still holds to
(12:52):
some of the Jewish feasts, andone of the things with the
Passover is you are supposed topurge all of the yeast from your
home and you're supposed to gothrough and just completely
clean everything from top tobottom, like they'll even sweep
out, like the corners of theirhome to make sure that there's
no leaven in the home.
And so she does a lot withsourdough and she will actually
(13:13):
get rid of her sourdough starterevery single Passover as part
of just that renewal.
She'll get a new and she'llstart up a whole new sourdough
starter and so it just kind ofshows that even God baked in
these Jewish feasts for a timeof renewal and a time to purge
(13:34):
and to cleanse and just to startfresh and new.
And I was kind of laughing whenI was thinking about this
podcast because I had told you Iwas like I feel like there are
two times a year where I ampurging and it's like just
before Christmas, because I knowlike we're usually on Christmas
break, I've got time to do it,I know that the kids are going
to get some presents and it'sjust a really good time to deep
(13:56):
clean during that time.
So I usually do it then andthen now here I am in June doing
the same thing, and so there'slike two very distinct times of
year where I personally amtaking time to.
I mean, we keep a tidy home butthere's a time to really deep
clean.
And I feel like that twice ayear for us is kind of our sweet
spot with deep cleaning, and Imean looking at God's laws, like
(14:17):
even he has like one time ayear for the Passover where you
just like wipe everythingcompletely clean?
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Yeah, totally.
And I know you know really notto get too far into the weeds on
this, but like tidiness andclean like a cleanliness are two
different things.
So I like things you know tidyand in order and I like to clean
as well.
You know tidy and in order andI like to complain as well.
But sometimes, you know,especially those couple of times
(14:45):
a year, you like I'll feel likethe house is kind of in pretty
decent shape and you're like no,like we need to actually clean
this.
And that's something that'simportant to you.
And so I think, kind of knowingwhat, what buttons you know
need to be pressed or getpressed by the way that a family
just kind of coexists together,it's always good to know,
especially for spouses to know,like what's important to you or
(15:06):
not, Cause and I know we'vetalked about this in the past,
but sometimes you know, let'sjust say a wife will do
something that she thinks thatis important to the husband and
she'll really exert all thiseffort and energy into it, and
it's not that he doesn'tappreciate it, but it might not
be important to him.
And then you know he'll saysomething and you know, finally
(15:28):
the wife will snap and be likeyou know, I do this, this, this
and that, and it's like well,maybe you know there's something
else that is actually less work, that's important to him, that
you can kind of put your energyinto, and or vice versa.
Obviously, I was just kind ofpicked, uh, you know the, the,
each spouse, but yeah, so thoseare things to just as you're
doing that, um, you know,practical, cleaning you know
(15:48):
just kind of know what'simportant to your family and
your spouse.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I know when we um were first married, our pastor
down in Tennessee actuallymentioned what exactly what you
said like literally ask yourspouse what is important to them
because to him he was.
He said that, um, I think itwas dusting, like he hated dusty
surfaces, okay.
Um.
So I asked you.
I said okay.
I said what is your thing?
And you told me floors.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
You were like I cannot stand when there is stuff
on the floor, whether it'scrumbs or if there's like toys
scattered everywhere so likefloors to you was like your
thing yeah, like you walkthrough barefooted and you like
have to like kind of like scrapeyour foot off you know stuff
that you know, like the kidstrack in sand or whatever you
know, yeah, yeah, that's kind ofthe my house is not that messy
(16:33):
but there does we have a bootscrubber?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
yes, there are times where the kids have been
snacking on something and it'son the floor and you walk
through and it's like, alright,we need to grab the vacuum and
just to be clear that's notsomething that you have to do.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
It's just more like hey, as you're cleaning, or
whatever it's like if you wantto or have the time to put more
effort or thought into somethingit's like why not pick
something that's important toyour spouse?
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yeah, Like I told you dishes, like you will stop and
do the dishes for me.
Like load the dishwasher atnight and get it running and I'm
like, oh okay, I didn't have todo that.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
You know, once again.
That's I have like relief foryou Like, you can like, it's
palpable, you can feel it, yeah,so definitely.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I mean, we talk about this all the time.
It's just communicate with yourspouse and I mean, even as
we're coming into this, likedecluttering, that we're talking
about, um, that is something,that is a conversation that you
can have.
Um, I always see those memeswhere it's like hey, you know,
we're having guests over and thewoman's like running around
trying to clean the house andthe husband is out edging the
driveway.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
And she's like what is he doing?
Like that does not matter, butit mattered to you.
Yeah, exactly, I want everyoneto be impressed by the nice,
clean edges on the driveway andI'm thinking, man, I'd rather
have a clean house.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
No one's going to notice the edges on the driveway
, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Or what's even worse is like you're out back, like
cutting down a tree or something.
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
This is just like the real and the gritty, I guess.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
So let's actually go into some practical ways that
you can declutter your home andwe'll also get into practical
ways to spiritually declutterafter this.
But one of the things isdeclutter with a purpose.
So Hebrews 12, 1 says lay asideevery weight.
So as I'm working from room toroom, I am trying to declutter
with a purpose.
(18:15):
Like I hate the.
Does this spark joy?
You know what is that?
Marie, I can't remember whather I don't remember.
Like I hate the.
Does this spark joy?
You know what is that?
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Marie I can't remember what her?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
I don't remember Like years ago there was this does
this spark joy?
And then no, it doesn't.
So you get rid of it.
That's not what I'm talkingabout, but I do want to make
sure that I am decluttering withpurpose, so, like going through
the kids rooms, like we are, Ijust finished doing the girls
room and I went through everydrawer, every whatever, and kept
only the things that wereneeded, you know, and we got rid
(18:44):
of the things that wereliterally creating a physical
weight that was unnecessary.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yeah, absolutely yeah , and it's not that we're
minimalists or things like that,and not that we shouldn't be
you know it's just we, we aren't, and um.
But at the same time it's likewhy keep the clutter?
Why keep the things that, whenthey a lot of times can be a joy
to others?
So, we'll donate whatever andgive it away and maybe sell a
(19:09):
few things if it has some value,and we don't know anyone that
necessarily would want it.
So those are things that it canactually benefit others and
it's also benefiting us, yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I was thinking of Proverbs 31.
That's been known as, like the,the Proverbs 31 woman, um, and
I recently learned that theProverbs 31 woman, um, she's
actually referred to as a womanof valor in the original Hebrew,
which I thought was really kindof neat, because that gives me
this picture of just like thiswoman who is, like you know,
(19:41):
valiantly working towards a goalRight and um, you know.
So she look at well, to the wayof her household.
The way that I keep my home isactually an act of worship and
it's the way that I am caringfor the things that God has
entrusted to me.
And so the way that now I amgoing through and decluttering
(20:01):
our house and just taking careof the physical aspects is also
a way that I can spirituallyhonor the Lord, because I'm I'm
taking care of the things thathe's entrusted to me.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Absolutely yeah, and it's not that we have to like
over-spiritualize things orwhatever, but it is true.
It's all connected and, um, youknow, our spiritual being and
our souls with our physicalbeing.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yeah, I mean a way that we can spiritually you know
, deep clean is just to keep ashort account of our sins.
First, john 1.9 says if weconfess our sins he's faithful,
and just to forgive us our sinsand to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
And so, just keeping that shortaccount and like really taking
time to sit and be like allright, is there anything that
(20:42):
has that I have allowed to seepin in the past few months?
And you know I struggle withwintertime because it's dark,
it's just honestly depressinghere in Michigan outside, and so
there might be like a littlebit of like a spiritual warfare
going on for me that I need tomake sure that I'm, you know,
(21:04):
coming into the springtime justreally taking account of.
Okay, what have I allowed toseep in in the past several
months that maybe I need to, youknow, keep account of yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, and in our notes here, you know, as part of
this it's the spiritual rhythmsin life and so, kind of in an
attempt to confess and keep ashort account with God and to
remove the soul clutter that'sin your life and in your, yeah,
just like a part of who you are,you can identify those things.
(21:39):
I mean sometimes kids we kindof laugh because, like kids will
tell you the truth, likewhether you want to hear it or
not, whether you want to hear itor not, but sometimes you know
adults other adults might not,you know, unless you're really
close with someone they mightnot share something that you
know is evident in your life.
So, like, how do you recognizethose things that you should
declutter out of your life?
And it's through thosespiritual rhythms, with prayer
(22:02):
and Bible reading, and you knowBible study and just really you
know seeking out godly things.
And then usually God will showyou like, hey, you need to get
rid of this bitterness in yourlife.
You need to get rid of this envyand this lust and all these
different things that left, youknow, harbored in your life, can
(22:24):
really lead to some bad thingsand some damaging things, and so
you know, kind of really havingthat spiritual rhythm of doing,
you know, keeping a shortaccount with God, talking to him
, learning from his word, ithelps you stay decluttered or
take care of those things anddeclutter the things that really
(22:44):
need to be rooted out of yourlife.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
You're much better at Bible references than I am, so
maybe you'll have the referencefor me, but I was thinking of
you know, the word of God isquick and powerful and sharper
than any two-edged sword.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
So if you need, to Is that Ephesians 6?
Maybe, I don't know, we'll haveto look that up.
We'll put that in the shownotes.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
But anyways, I got to thinking you know what you need
to declutter, and it's likespending time in God's word will
literally show you.
It divides us under the soul andthe spirit, you know, and it's
just like, okay, let's take timeto be in God's word, and that
will, in turn, show you what youneed to do.
And you know, just from apersonal perspective, one thing
(23:23):
that I really struggle with andthat I've been working on for
the past month, that just kindof I don't know why it all of a
sudden hit me, cause you know,there's Proverbs three where
it's like trust in the Lord withall thine heart and lead not to
thine own understanding, and Iwent whew.
A lot of what I struggle withis a lack of trust in the Lord,
because I try to control this,and it's a verse that I've known
since I was like three or fouryears old, but to me, all of a
(23:46):
sudden, it's been brand new.
I was reading it in one of myBible studies and it really it.
It pierced a part of me where Iwas like I need to give up some
control, because I'm trying tolike, whether it's in
relationships or just, you know,struggling with the kids or
whatever it.
To me it was a I need to trustthe Lord more, and it's, it's a
(24:07):
verse that I've, I mean,probably heard a million times
over the past.
You know 38 years of my life,but all of a sudden it was
striking me as something new,because the word of the Lord is
like new every morning.
I mean, his mercies are newevery morning and it's just,
it's living and active, and itstruck me in a different way and
so I knew that that was theLord giving it to me, going oh,
this is something that we needto work on right now.
(24:28):
So, honestly, like if I'm justbeing totally transparent,
that's the where I amspiritually decluttering, right
now is like trying to give upsome control and not letting
things make me so frustrated andangry when it's not going how I
had it planned.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Yeah, yeah, like you said, control is definitely
something that both of usgravitate towards.
And I've got to say you lookgreat for 38.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
And maybe I was thinking of the sword of the
spirit with Ephesians 6 orsomething I don't remember.
So don't hold me to my put onthe spot.
I'm sorry, I did really put youon the spot with that one.
You're really good withreferences and I am not great
with references.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
But one verse that I do want to wrap up that little
section of, just likespiritually sprinkling in our
souls is.
you know we talked about beingin God's word.
James 4, 8 says draw an eye toGod and he will draw an eye to
you, and so the more we drawcloser to the Lord, the more he
is going to be able to reflectand to shine light.
Light is another thing that'sbeen coming up in a lot of Bible
study like topics for me lately.
(25:25):
Just darkness does not lovelight.
So the more we are drawingcloser to the Lord, the more
he's going to be able toilluminate those dark spots in
our life that we need to purge.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Yeah, actually darkness is the absence of light
.
So, it is true that once we'redevoid of Christ his, you know,
just working in our lives, andwe kind of hide these dark
corners of our souls and ourspirit and who we are, our
beings, it can get pretty badright, because we don't have the
(25:58):
light shining and exposingthose issues.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
And so often there are times in our life where it's
like, well, I don't want toread the Bible, and usually
that's like those are the timesthat we need to, and that's
where I think those spiritualdisciplines come in, because if
you have habits set up to where,like you do it every morning
you're not going to I mean, youdon't want to do it just because
I have to do it.
But that's not a bad thing,though, either, to have these
rhythms and disciplines set upto where, well, I spend time on
(26:24):
God's word at this time, andeven though I don't really feel
like it today, I spend time inGod's word at this time, and
even though I don't really feellike it today, I'm going to.
You might still get somethingfrom the Lord during that time,
because you were still faithfulwhen you didn't feel like being
faithful.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
Right, yes, yeah, no, I totally agree.
And yeah, so it's.
These are all great remindersand there again, it is the
physical and spiritualapplication of this.
And you know one thing too,with you know, taking the time
to declutter and to have thespring cleaning, sometimes, you
(26:58):
know, I guess you know thisisn't something that really
speaks out to me, but I thinkyou know some people could say
like, well, you know, it kind ofit distracts me from other
ministries that I could be doingfor others or whatever.
But it's almost like the oxygenmask where you know you put
your own mask on first and ifyou take the time to make sure
your home and your life is inorder, it actually makes you
(27:21):
more capable of helping andserving others.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Right.
Well, doesn't it require of apastor to have his home in order
?
In order to minister, I meanthat's.
I mean it's kind of biblical.
I mean we're not pastors, Imean especially not me.
But you know that is arequirement for a pastor is that
he leads his wife and hischildren well in order to be
able to shepherd his flock well.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Right and so I mean, I feel like that's kind of the
same thing here is kind of awell-ordered life actually
enhances your ability tominister, to other people yeah,
it eliminates a lot of thedistractions and it just really
helps you, you know, be moreeffective in other areas of your
life rather than being boggeddown and overwhelmed by your own
home.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Yeah, and so this is not to say that you should like
never have any clutter, you know, because, like I mean it just
it automatically accumulates.
This is just like a time tojust remind us, and maybe you,
that there there is a season ofrenewal right now, with spring,
everything's coming alive andit's fresh, like I can look out
our windows right now and justsee the sun shining and
everything's turning green, andit just for me, it's like when I
(28:24):
feel like I come back alive andit's just a time to to clean
house and to open the doors andto let the sunshine in and just
um, you know, not only clean thehouse physically, but just
making sure that, spiritually,we are, you know, keeping a
short account as well.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Yeah, exactly, yeah, no, it's good.
Like I said, it's practical, um, you know it's something that
is important for all of us, um,but it's kind of uh, been
especially on our minds in thelast few weeks.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Yeah, all right.
Well, I guess that'll be a wrap.
So until next time, continue toseek God, love your spouse, hug
your kids and stay devoted.
Thank you for tuning in to thisDevoted Life podcast with James
and Shanda.
We appreciate your support insharing biblical uplifting
truths with the world.
If you found value in thisepisode, please leave us a
(29:11):
rating and review on yourfavorite podcast platform.
Your feedback helps us toimprove the show and we'd love
to hear from you.
Be sure to hit subscribe so younever miss an episode.
To learn more about how to livea life devoted to God and
family, head over tothisdevotedlifecom.
You can also follow me, shanda,on Instagram at devoted
underscore motherhood.
Thank you again for listeningand we look forward to seeing
(29:32):
you next time on this DevotedLife podcast.
What started as a Saturday morning coffee date
turned into a podcast where wechat about things like faith,
family finances and so much more.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
In a world that is encouraging you to live your
truth and to follow your heart.
We want to encourage you tolive devoted to the truth.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
The Bible has a lot to say about how to live a
victorious Christian life, andwe want to share practical
insight in how to apply thosetruths to your life, as we
endeavor to apply them to ourown lives as well.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a
review and share these episodeswith your friends so that you
can help them live this devotedlife too.
Welcome to another episode ofthis Devoted Life Podcast.
We are back in the studio withjust the two of us after a fun
little run with some reallyawesome podcast guests.
So if you missed those episodes, we had Elizabeth Santelman
(00:52):
with Sunshine in my Nest.
We had Kindle Togetherness,which is Sarah Ruth Owens.
We also had Whitney Newby fromBrighter Day Press, and we also
had SD Smith, the author of theGreen Ember series on recently,
which was a really fun onebecause he also let our son do
an interview with him, whichjust he was through the moon.
So if you missed those podcasts.
I would suggest go back andlisten to those, just because
(01:13):
they are some really sweet, veryGod-centered, they love the
Lord and they just bring theirown passions to the podcast,
which is what we love, becausewe want to have people on that
share our faith but alsochallenge us in our living for
the Lord and just making surethat we are serving the Lord.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, I think it was really fun to do that and you
know we'll plan on continuingthat.
But it's also nice to kind ofcome back and just give you a
little update on life and keeplearning together and growing
together as fellow believers andfellow parents and fellow
spouses and all of the familystuff, so the devoted family
(01:55):
life.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, so we, for this episode today, we're actually
going to be diving into springcleaning.
I have been.
We finished up school just overa week ago and it's now like
full on purge mode.
I know like spring is kind ofalmost done because we're into
June now, but this is like myspring now, so I am deep
cleaning all of the things, andso this episode is going to be
(02:18):
about not only just deepcleaning our home, but making
sure that we're spiritually deepcleaning as well, and just what
does that mean for our lives.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, yeah, and I feel like over the past couple
of years I've kind of re-broughtthis up from time to time, but
you know, when January 1st comes, everyone's doing their New
Year's resolutions, goals,things like that.
Well, kind of I feel likespringtime almost is a good time
to check in and to also maybecreate new goals and things like
(02:48):
that.
I think anytime is a good time,as long as you're ready to
improve on something or changesomething.
So, yeah, the springtime,especially up here in the north,
when you have the long coldwinters and then the sun's
shining and you can go outsidewithout a cold, you can open all
the windows.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, get some fresh air and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
So we like to be outdoors throughout the entire
year, but it's definitely moreenjoyable when you don't have to
bundle up.
So it just kind of gets allthose spring fever juices going.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Speaking of being outside, we had a really fun
weekend this weekend because ourkids are now 12, 9, 7, and 4.
And this past fall I asked ourkids, like what do you think
your thing is?
Because I feel like they'restarting to get to the age where
maybe we should start narrowingsome things down and not
necessarily putting our effortinto everything, but kind of
(03:38):
just letting them reallycultivate what matters to them.
And our 9-year-old she was 8 atthe time she told us that it
was archery and I was kind oflike archery, where did that
come from?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
So we've been doing a homeschool archery class for
years, but it just was more of aI think seven years now.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
right, yeah, we've been doing it since our
nine-year-old was four and soit's been fun.
But I never really thought thatthat was going to be something
that she was passionate about.
So when she mentioned it I waslike, okay, well, we can maybe
put a little more effort intothis this year.
So we signed her up for anextra archery league so that she
was doing two.
Um, the one, the homeschool one, tends to be more fun, like
they're amazing about likehelping the kids with their
(04:14):
technique, but it does tend tobe more of a time to get
together with friends and justget reps in.
So the other archery league wasshe started, um, like really
fine, tuning her skills and itwas fun Cause one night she came
home and she was like I got mypersonal best.
And I was like oh, really Likehow, how many bullseyes did you
shoot?
And she was like I shot 38.
(04:34):
And I was like 38 bullseyes.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
I was like, okay, it was true.
Yeah, I mean, it's legit.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, so maybe this is her thing.
You know, they bumped her upfrom, I mean, after those 38
bullseyes.
They bumped her up to anadvanced archery league because
they were like she's doingreally well and she needs to be
challenged a bit more.
So, getting back to thebeginning of the story, um, this
weekend was our first archerytournament, um, and it was fun
because we're doing what'scalled the S3DA.
It's the scholastic 3d archery.
(04:59):
So it's um outside archery withlike target animals and they're
walking through the woods, andso it's a great time to be
outside and just to let the kidsdo something that they enjoy
while also having a little bitof competition.
And so our son and our daughter, who's really into archery now
did that, and our daughter,she's nine and she took first in
(05:23):
her class, which was just likethe pinnacle for her.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
And like by a lot, like it wasn't even close.
So again, we're not sayingshe's like the next Miss Robin
Hood or whatever, but it's beenreally fun for her and something
that really kind of justenergizes her, motivates her and
, yeah, she's been there a goodtime it's fun when you see your
children start to find theirthing that they're passionate
about, and that's something thatthey are good at.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
but she's not good at it because it was something
that came natural.
It's something that she has puta ton of effort into, so it's
really cool as parents to seewhen your children now are
seeing the fruits of theirlabors.
It wasn't just something thatshe just willy nilly, was like
I'm going to take up archery andI just happen to be really good
(06:09):
at it.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
It was no, I'm choosing to do archery and I'm
going to get good at it, andshe's so.
Our son, he also did great andhe actually has a lot more like
stiffer competition in hisdivision, so he still shot great
.
He didn't necessarily place allthat well, you know
respectively, but what's kind ofinteresting is a lot of times
kids, especially in that age.
The reason why they're good ornot as good is based on how well
(06:34):
they listen to the instructionand so it's just kind of funny
because she is very good atlistening and then implementing
what she learns and what is toldwhen our son he's not like.
It's not that he doesn't listen, but it's like kind of a little
bit of the yeah yeah, yeah, youknow.
And then let me go do my thing.
(06:56):
So just, I thought I'dmentioned I mean, I feel like
there's some like life lessonsin there.
You know, it's like all right,get good instruction, listen to
the instruction and then go outand do it and, um, actually have
that application.
Um, but not to get totallyunraveled here, but so you said
that, uh, when we, when shestarted the homeschool, it was
(07:17):
when she was four and she's fiveor she's nine.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
No, no, no, I said we've been doing it since we
were four, so our son was fourwhen we started.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Yes, so she's been doing it since she was four as
well, so she's been doing it forfive years, well, four minus
COVID.
Yeah, and then all right Soundsgood, because yesterday when we
were talking to Mr Marty hesaid we've been doing it for
seven years and I'm like wait asecond nine minus four.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
You're like this is not that.
Then, Okay, nine minus four.
You're like this is not thatthin, Carry the 12 times three.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
All right, yeah, sounds good.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
You really did derail that one, but that's okay.
All right back to topic.
We want to make sure that weare.
You know, as our homes gatherdust and clutter, our hearts and
our souls can as well.
So this episode is just aboutdecluttering.
So we want to give just somevery practical insight into what
that looks like.
This is not going to be like ahow-to, but just more of maybe
(08:10):
an encouragement to make surethat we are keeping a short
account both, you know, justphysically, and also spiritually
.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah, yeah, and it's definitely.
I mean, if you walked throughour house at the moment, you
would definitely know that thisis not a how-to, it's more of a
hey.
This is important in our livesright now, so we think it's
probably, you know, applicableto your lives as well.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Well, we've been through like a really busy
season.
You know we mentioned archeryand baseball season and before
that was upward basketball.
So we've been in kind of a busyseason the past several months.
And the other day we had aSaturday at home and I was like
can we please just like clean?
And so the whole family pitchedin and we just like kind of
deep cleaned the whole mainlevel of our house.
And you looked at me and youwent.
(08:53):
I did not realize how much of aburden you were carrying.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
He said you know that you didn't actually do, but it
was like, oh my goodness, aweight was lifted off of you and
you could breathe easier.
It was like everywhere.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
I looked was a to-do list.
So, once the to-do list wascrossed off, it just was, yeah,
a big breath of fresh air.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
But you know, like diving into this podcast, the
one thing that we want to alwaysdo when we talk is bring it
back to the Bible and if youlook at biblical principles when
it comes to, you know,decluttering and keeping a short
account and just making surethat you know we keep tidy homes
and whatnot, leviticus is justfilled with these types of you
(09:39):
know they're Old Testament laws,but God had them there for a
reason.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, not really fun to read through during the read
through the Bible in the year,but it is yeah, it's filled with
these laws, Exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Well, he had them there for a reason and it was
for the Jewish people, but itwas there for their good.
And so, like I'm just going tomention some of the ones that he
had, you know, in Le, and soI'm just going to mention some
of the ones that he had.
In Leviticus 11, it talks aboutclean and unclean animals, and
that was there for their health.
Purity after childbirth was inLeviticus 12, and it was talking
about how a woman needed tohave a time of purification and
(10:12):
then going to the temple andbeing declared clean after her
childbirth.
And so I mean now we knowmedically there is a time after
childbirth where a woman isgoing through just the healing
process after, and God literallywrote that into the Levitical
law knowing that it was for hergood and a time of purification.
You know there was laws aboutmildew and contaminated objects
(10:35):
in Leviticus 14.
So literally that was like ifthere is mildew or mold on
something, there was a wholeprocess that the Jews had to go
through to purify the objects.
It was specifically likeclothing and whatnot.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Okay, yeah, it's kind of you mentioned that and I'm
like every once in a while we'llopen up the refrigerator and it
looks like there's a scienceexperiment kind of back there in
the corner.
It's not my kombucha, there isliteral mold growing in our
fridge, and they didn't evenhave refrigerators back then.
So, yeah, I can see why God putthat in there.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
So I mean there are like biblical laws that take
into account cleanliness from aphysical perspective.
So, it wasn't just aboutspiritual cleanliness, it was
also an external cleanliness aswell.
Now, does the externalcleanliness make you more
spiritual?
No, but having an outwardappearance of cleanliness,
(11:29):
taking care of the temple thatwe are now the physical temple
of the Lord spiritually and justour bodies.
We can take care of thosethings, take care of what God
has given us with our homes.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Yeah, Orderliness and godlinessdo.
They do parallel each otherquite often.
And again, you know this is theLevitical laws.
That's hard to say, but yeah so, and it's the Old Testament,
it's the age of law, it's thedispensation of the law, but we
(12:02):
can still learn from them and,like I said, it's just good kind
of practical living at times Ilove reading through the Old and
New Testament together, so alot of people will like cherry
pick verses.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
But really, when you read the Old Testament, even
though those Old Testament lawsare not necessarily applicable
today, there was still a reasonand a heart behind why they were
created, and so we can applythose to the New Testament grace
that we've been given and usethose to continue and further
our faith Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Yeah, a hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
And like even going back to some of the Old
Testament stuff, god literallydesigned feasts for the Jews
that were part of like a renewal, and one specifically that I
can think of is the JewishPassover.
So we have a friend actuallyit's Sarah Ruth, with Kindle
Togetherness who is a MessianicJew, and so she still holds to
(12:52):
some of the Jewish feasts, andone of the things with the
Passover is you are supposed topurge all of the yeast from your
home and you're supposed to gothrough and just completely
clean everything from top tobottom, like they'll even sweep
out, like the corners of theirhome to make sure that there's
no leaven in the home.
And so she does a lot withsourdough and she will actually
(13:13):
get rid of her sourdough starterevery single Passover as part
of just that renewal.
She'll get a new and she'llstart up a whole new sourdough
starter and so it just kind ofshows that even God baked in
these Jewish feasts for a timeof renewal and a time to purge
(13:34):
and to cleanse and just to startfresh and new.
And I was kind of laughing whenI was thinking about this
podcast because I had told you Iwas like I feel like there are
two times a year where I ampurging and it's like just
before Christmas, because I knowlike we're usually on Christmas
break, I've got time to do it,I know that the kids are going
to get some presents and it'sjust a really good time to deep
(13:56):
clean during that time.
So I usually do it then andthen now here I am in June doing
the same thing, and so there'slike two very distinct times of
year where I personally amtaking time to.
I mean, we keep a tidy home butthere's a time to really deep
clean.
And I feel like that twice ayear for us is kind of our sweet
spot with deep cleaning, and Imean looking at God's laws, like
(14:17):
even he has like one time ayear for the Passover where you
just like wipe everythingcompletely clean?
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Yeah, totally.
And I know you know really notto get too far into the weeds on
this, but like tidiness andclean like a cleanliness are two
different things.
So I like things you know tidyand in order and I like to clean
as well.
You know tidy and in order andI like to complain as well.
But sometimes, you know,especially those couple of times
(14:45):
a year, you like I'll feel likethe house is kind of in pretty
decent shape and you're like no,like we need to actually clean
this.
And that's something that'simportant to you.
And so I think, kind of knowingwhat, what buttons you know
need to be pressed or getpressed by the way that a family
just kind of coexists together,it's always good to know,
especially for spouses to know,like what's important to you or
(15:06):
not, Cause and I know we'vetalked about this in the past,
but sometimes you know, let'sjust say a wife will do
something that she thinks thatis important to the husband and
she'll really exert all thiseffort and energy into it, and
it's not that he doesn'tappreciate it, but it might not
be important to him.
And then you know he'll saysomething and you know, finally
(15:28):
the wife will snap and be likeyou know, I do this, this, this
and that, and it's like well,maybe you know there's something
else that is actually less work, that's important to him, that
you can kind of put your energyinto, and or vice versa.
Obviously, I was just kind ofpicked, uh, you know the, the,
each spouse, but yeah, so thoseare things to just as you're
doing that, um, you know,practical, cleaning you know
(15:48):
just kind of know what'simportant to your family and
your spouse.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I know when we um were first married, our pastor
down in Tennessee actuallymentioned what exactly what you
said like literally ask yourspouse what is important to them
because to him he was.
He said that, um, I think itwas dusting, like he hated dusty
surfaces, okay.
Um.
So I asked you.
I said okay.
I said what is your thing?
And you told me floors.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
You were like I cannot stand when there is stuff
on the floor, whether it'scrumbs or if there's like toys
scattered everywhere so likefloors to you was like your
thing yeah, like you walkthrough barefooted and you like
have to like kind of like scrapeyour foot off you know stuff
that you know, like the kidstrack in sand or whatever you
know, yeah, yeah, that's kind ofthe my house is not that messy
(16:33):
but there does we have a bootscrubber?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
yes, there are times where the kids have been
snacking on something and it'son the floor and you walk
through and it's like, alright,we need to grab the vacuum and
just to be clear that's notsomething that you have to do.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
It's just more like hey, as you're cleaning, or
whatever it's like if you wantto or have the time to put more
effort or thought into somethingit's like why not pick
something that's important toyour spouse?
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yeah, Like I told you dishes, like you will stop and
do the dishes for me.
Like load the dishwasher atnight and get it running and I'm
like, oh okay, I didn't have todo that.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
You know, once again.
That's I have like relief foryou Like, you can like, it's
palpable, you can feel it, yeah,so definitely.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I mean, we talk about this all the time.
It's just communicate with yourspouse and I mean, even as
we're coming into this, likedecluttering, that we're talking
about, um, that is something,that is a conversation that you
can have.
Um, I always see those memeswhere it's like hey, you know,
we're having guests over and thewoman's like running around
trying to clean the house andthe husband is out edging the
driveway.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
And she's like what is he doing?
Like that does not matter, butit mattered to you.
Yeah, exactly, I want everyoneto be impressed by the nice,
clean edges on the driveway andI'm thinking, man, I'd rather
have a clean house.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
No one's going to notice the edges on the driveway
, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Or what's even worse is like you're out back, like
cutting down a tree or something.
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
This is just like the real and the gritty, I guess.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
So let's actually go into some practical ways that
you can declutter your home andwe'll also get into practical
ways to spiritually declutterafter this.
But one of the things isdeclutter with a purpose.
So Hebrews 12, 1 says lay asideevery weight.
So as I'm working from room toroom, I am trying to declutter
with a purpose.
(18:15):
Like I hate the.
Does this spark joy?
You know what is that?
Marie, I can't remember whather I don't remember.
Like I hate the.
Does this spark joy?
You know what is that?
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Marie I can't remember what her?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
I don't remember Like years ago there was this does
this spark joy?
And then no, it doesn't.
So you get rid of it.
That's not what I'm talkingabout, but I do want to make
sure that I am decluttering withpurpose, so, like going through
the kids rooms, like we are, Ijust finished doing the girls
room and I went through everydrawer, every whatever, and kept
only the things that wereneeded, you know, and we got rid
(18:44):
of the things that wereliterally creating a physical
weight that was unnecessary.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yeah, absolutely yeah , and it's not that we're
minimalists or things like that,and not that we shouldn't be
you know it's just we, we aren't, and um.
But at the same time it's likewhy keep the clutter?
Why keep the things that, whenthey a lot of times can be a joy
to others?
So, we'll donate whatever andgive it away and maybe sell a
(19:09):
few things if it has some value,and we don't know anyone that
necessarily would want it.
So those are things that it canactually benefit others and
it's also benefiting us, yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I was thinking of Proverbs 31.
That's been known as, like the,the Proverbs 31 woman, um, and
I recently learned that theProverbs 31 woman, um, she's
actually referred to as a womanof valor in the original Hebrew,
which I thought was really kindof neat, because that gives me
this picture of just like thiswoman who is, like you know,
(19:41):
valiantly working towards a goalRight and um, you know.
So she look at well, to the wayof her household.
The way that I keep my home isactually an act of worship and
it's the way that I am caringfor the things that God has
entrusted to me.
And so the way that now I amgoing through and decluttering
(20:01):
our house and just taking careof the physical aspects is also
a way that I can spirituallyhonor the Lord, because I'm I'm
taking care of the things thathe's entrusted to me.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Absolutely yeah, and it's not that we have to like
over-spiritualize things orwhatever, but it is true.
It's all connected and, um, youknow, our spiritual being and
our souls with our physicalbeing.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yeah, I mean a way that we can spiritually you know
, deep clean is just to keep ashort account of our sins.
First, john 1.9 says if weconfess our sins he's faithful,
and just to forgive us our sinsand to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
And so, just keeping that shortaccount and like really taking
time to sit and be like allright, is there anything that
(20:42):
has that I have allowed to seepin in the past few months?
And you know I struggle withwintertime because it's dark,
it's just honestly depressinghere in Michigan outside, and so
there might be like a littlebit of like a spiritual warfare
going on for me that I need tomake sure that I'm, you know,
(21:04):
coming into the springtime justreally taking account of.
Okay, what have I allowed toseep in in the past several
months that maybe I need to, youknow, keep account of yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, and in our notes here, you know, as part of
this it's the spiritual rhythmsin life and so, kind of in an
attempt to confess and keep ashort account with God and to
remove the soul clutter that'sin your life and in your, yeah,
just like a part of who you are,you can identify those things.
(21:39):
I mean sometimes kids we kindof laugh because, like kids will
tell you the truth, likewhether you want to hear it or
not, whether you want to hear itor not, but sometimes you know
adults other adults might not,you know, unless you're really
close with someone they mightnot share something that you
know is evident in your life.
So, like, how do you recognizethose things that you should
declutter out of your life?
And it's through thosespiritual rhythms, with prayer
(22:02):
and Bible reading, and you knowBible study and just really you
know seeking out godly things.
And then usually God will showyou like, hey, you need to get
rid of this bitterness in yourlife.
You need to get rid of this envyand this lust and all these
different things that left, youknow, harbored in your life, can
(22:24):
really lead to some bad thingsand some damaging things, and so
you know, kind of really havingthat spiritual rhythm of doing,
you know, keeping a shortaccount with God, talking to him
, learning from his word, ithelps you stay decluttered or
take care of those things anddeclutter the things that really
(22:44):
need to be rooted out of yourlife.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
You're much better at Bible references than I am, so
maybe you'll have the referencefor me, but I was thinking of
you know, the word of God isquick and powerful and sharper
than any two-edged sword.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
So if you need, to Is that Ephesians 6?
Maybe, I don't know, we'll haveto look that up.
We'll put that in the shownotes.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
But anyways, I got to thinking you know what you need
to declutter, and it's likespending time in God's word will
literally show you.
It divides us under the soul andthe spirit, you know, and it's
just like, okay, let's take timeto be in God's word, and that
will, in turn, show you what youneed to do.
And you know, just from apersonal perspective, one thing
(23:23):
that I really struggle with andthat I've been working on for
the past month, that just kindof I don't know why it all of a
sudden hit me, cause you know,there's Proverbs three where
it's like trust in the Lord withall thine heart and lead not to
thine own understanding, and Iwent whew.
A lot of what I struggle withis a lack of trust in the Lord,
because I try to control this,and it's a verse that I've known
since I was like three or fouryears old, but to me, all of a
(23:46):
sudden, it's been brand new.
I was reading it in one of myBible studies and it really it.
It pierced a part of me where Iwas like I need to give up some
control, because I'm trying tolike, whether it's in
relationships or just, you know,struggling with the kids or
whatever it.
To me it was a I need to trustthe Lord more, and it's, it's a
(24:07):
verse that I've, I mean,probably heard a million times
over the past.
You know 38 years of my life,but all of a sudden it was
striking me as something new,because the word of the Lord is
like new every morning.
I mean, his mercies are newevery morning and it's just,
it's living and active, and itstruck me in a different way and
so I knew that that was theLord giving it to me, going oh,
this is something that we needto work on right now.
(24:28):
So, honestly, like if I'm justbeing totally transparent,
that's the where I amspiritually decluttering, right
now is like trying to give upsome control and not letting
things make me so frustrated andangry when it's not going how I
had it planned.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Yeah, yeah, like you said, control is definitely
something that both of usgravitate towards.
And I've got to say you lookgreat for 38.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
And maybe I was thinking of the sword of the
spirit with Ephesians 6 orsomething I don't remember.
So don't hold me to my put onthe spot.
I'm sorry, I did really put youon the spot with that one.
You're really good withreferences and I am not great
with references.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
But one verse that I do want to wrap up that little
section of, just likespiritually sprinkling in our
souls is.
you know we talked about beingin God's word.
James 4, 8 says draw an eye toGod and he will draw an eye to
you, and so the more we drawcloser to the Lord, the more he
is going to be able to reflectand to shine light.
Light is another thing that'sbeen coming up in a lot of Bible
study like topics for me lately.
(25:25):
Just darkness does not lovelight.
So the more we are drawingcloser to the Lord, the more
he's going to be able toilluminate those dark spots in
our life that we need to purge.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Yeah, actually darkness is the absence of light
.
So, it is true that once we'redevoid of Christ his, you know,
just working in our lives, andwe kind of hide these dark
corners of our souls and ourspirit and who we are, our
beings, it can get pretty badright, because we don't have the
(25:58):
light shining and exposingthose issues.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
And so often there are times in our life where it's
like, well, I don't want toread the Bible, and usually
that's like those are the timesthat we need to, and that's
where I think those spiritualdisciplines come in, because if
you have habits set up to where,like you do it every morning
you're not going to I mean, youdon't want to do it just because
I have to do it.
But that's not a bad thing,though, either, to have these
rhythms and disciplines set upto where, well, I spend time on
(26:24):
God's word at this time, andeven though I don't really feel
like it today, I spend time inGod's word at this time, and
even though I don't really feellike it today, I'm going to.
You might still get somethingfrom the Lord during that time,
because you were still faithfulwhen you didn't feel like being
faithful.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
Right, yes, yeah, no, I totally agree.
And yeah, so it's.
These are all great remindersand there again, it is the
physical and spiritualapplication of this.
And you know one thing too,with you know, taking the time
to declutter and to have thespring cleaning, sometimes, you
(26:58):
know, I guess you know thisisn't something that really
speaks out to me, but I thinkyou know some people could say
like, well, you know, it kind ofit distracts me from other
ministries that I could be doingfor others or whatever.
But it's almost like the oxygenmask where you know you put
your own mask on first and ifyou take the time to make sure
your home and your life is inorder, it actually makes you
(27:21):
more capable of helping andserving others.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Right.
Well, doesn't it require of apastor to have his home in order
?
In order to minister, I meanthat's.
I mean it's kind of biblical.
I mean we're not pastors, Imean especially not me.
But you know that is arequirement for a pastor is that
he leads his wife and hischildren well in order to be
able to shepherd his flock well.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Right and so I mean, I feel like that's kind of the
same thing here is kind of awell-ordered life actually
enhances your ability tominister, to other people yeah,
it eliminates a lot of thedistractions and it just really
helps you, you know, be moreeffective in other areas of your
life rather than being boggeddown and overwhelmed by your own
home.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Yeah, and so this is not to say that you should like
never have any clutter, you know, because, like I mean it just
it automatically accumulates.
This is just like a time tojust remind us, and maybe you,
that there there is a season ofrenewal right now, with spring,
everything's coming alive andit's fresh, like I can look out
our windows right now and justsee the sun shining and
everything's turning green, andit just for me, it's like when I
(28:24):
feel like I come back alive andit's just a time to to clean
house and to open the doors andto let the sunshine in and just
um, you know, not only clean thehouse physically, but just
making sure that, spiritually,we are, you know, keeping a
short account as well.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Yeah, exactly, yeah, no, it's good.
Like I said, it's practical, um, you know it's something that
is important for all of us, um,but it's kind of uh, been
especially on our minds in thelast few weeks.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Yeah, all right.
Well, I guess that'll be a wrap.
So until next time, continue toseek God, love your spouse, hug
your kids and stay devoted.
Thank you for tuning in to thisDevoted Life podcast with James
and Shanda.
We appreciate your support insharing biblical uplifting
truths with the world.
If you found value in thisepisode, please leave us a
(29:11):
rating and review on yourfavorite podcast platform.
Your feedback helps us toimprove the show and we'd love
to hear from you.
Be sure to hit subscribe so younever miss an episode.
To learn more about how to livea life devoted to God and
family, head over tothisdevotedlifecom.
You can also follow me, shanda,on Instagram at devoted
underscore motherhood.
Thank you again for listeningand we look forward to seeing
(29:32):
you next time on this DevotedLife podcast.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.