Simplicity is a state of living with a certain mindset – a mind set on the things of Jesus. I hope to clarify what it means to me to embrace Simple Pleasures in this life.

“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder (scroll down to grab the gorgeous free pdf art print with this quote on it!)

In all of the homes we have lived in during our 20+ years of marriage, our current approx. 1300 sqft. cottage (including our enclosed porch/laundry room/sunshine room) on 1-acre has been the best for us. Yes, every other home has served a purpose in cultivating a meaningful life, but we are the most content here.

When you have experienced grief and loss, you quickly learn what is most important in life. And, it is not “possessions”.

I do like practical and meaningful things. But, I have very few items on display in my home that do not double as useful products.

We have had 7 children in this home, now 6 since Abigail died in 2021. It requires some creativity and organization, but we live very comfortably.

I think it has a lot to do with my mindset and surrendering to God’s will for my life as a wife and mother. My mom taught me by example that making a house a home is an important job that she took seriously – and my own experiences throughout life have only confirmed these truths!

Titus 2:

³ The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

⁴ That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵ To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

My husband goes out and faces the world every day so that I don’t have to! I get to stay home cultivating a haven of security in a world of chaos for my family. I am SO thankful & blessed!

Blessings that come from a smaller home & simple life include:

• a smaller mortgage and less financial stress. Being in debt to have a larger home, more things, newer vehicles, brand-name clothes, or even more land has never appealed to me. My husband works hard to provide for us without EVER expecting me to go to work outside the home instead of staying home to raise our children and be a homemaker, so I would never want to cause him even more stress by expecting him to give me a huge house with a huge mortgage or live extravagantly otherwise. Other than our mortgage, we have never been in personal debt and I do not plan to ever be!
• less house to clean. Enough said.
• less (useless) stuff in my kitchen means more space for working – baking & cooking every meal from scratch is a joy & pleasure in my simple farmhouse kitchen!
• I like being surrounded by meaningful things more than frivolous things. I do like beautiful and elegant things, but they must serve a purpose – at the very least, a reminder to count blessings. Since we homeschool, full bookshelves are the main “decor” in our home – and I love it!
• we do not spend time or money on landscaping our property for cosmetics. We utilize our property to maximize our ability to grow food – whether meat or vegetables & fruit. It was not until the last 100 years that people started having yards of grass/plants for decoration – they used to grow food, even in the city!
• I appreciate the challenge and the need to get rid of stuff in order to cultivate a restful, peaceful, and tidy home.
• The same goes with our 1-acre (micro) farm – the challenge to be productive/faithful with a little is a huge benefit that we have learned to embrace.

I often think of the following Bible verse. Whether the Lord chooses to give us “authority” over more does not change the fact that we should be “faithful in a very little” right now.

Luke 19:17 “And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.”

My experience is that the more I distance myself from the mentality of the world and the need to “keep up with the Jones”, the more I find peace, quiet, and contentment with what I have. From my husband to my home – I praise the Lord for what He has given me!

Christian Resources

The Shaping of a Christian Family: How My Parents Nurtured My FaithChristianity in Action: The History of the International Salvation ArmySimple Christmas: Daily Advent DevotionalSimple Christmas Songs: The Easiest Easy Piano SongsChoosing Gratitude: Your Journey to JoySCX Women Letter Print T-Shirt Grateful Thankful Blessed Letter Leaf Short Sleeve Top

Lessons In Simple Pleasures

I understand sentimental value and I have items that mean a lot to me. But, the more things you own, the less meaningful they become. Less is more.

I’d rather my children own a few very meaningful and well-loved toys than many worthless and pointless toys that bring only brief entertainment. They take up space and lessen the value of truly valuable toys.

Instant gratification is a relatively new acceptable practice. What happened to treasuring a few items? What happened to appreciating what you have? And taking care of what you have so that it lasts a lifetime?

Now, we are supposed to not only be angry at what little we have but spend our entire lives searching for something more. I’ve seen the result of being taught that instant gratification is better than long-term fulfillment… it breeds selfishness, greed, anger, and a lifetime of “poor me” attitude.

Old-fashioned Gratitude