The Colonel’s Motivational Quotes of the Day!

Good morning COL Mikel Burroughs and all the rest of my RP Family. I grew up with enough but it was not in luxury. I remember when leaving for Boot Camp, I had a toothbrush and toothpaste, a clean pair of underwear and that was it. That was probably the first time I was happy that I took the advice of my Dad and was glad I did. When I got to Boot, it was amazing to see all the stuff that folks brought with them. When I left Boot, my life was packed in that green duffel bag that we all learned to pack the Military way.
As I got older, I acquired more things and when I got married, many more things and people in my life. When moving between duty stations, the Navy accommodated with movers to move my stuff, but as you remember, we had to pack it. As time went on, more stuff and more moves. I got really tired of moving. I tend to be a creature of habit, so when moving I am forced to readjust, ugh. I have told my wife that as long as I had her, I could live in a shack and be happy, but you guessed it, more stuff. LOL
The one constant for me is the spiritual stuff I have and wish to keep. I have gotten rid of my material stuff completely on three separate occasions. The less stuff, the more freedom, is what I have come to learn, but once again that is just material things. The stuff I want and hope to continue to have, rests in my relationship with God. I hope y’all enjoy the article I have found on “The Art of Simple Living.” Have a blessed day today and always.

Taken from https://www.crosswalk.com/family/finances/the-art-of-simple-living.html
The Art of Simple Living

Matt Bell
SoundMindInvesting.com
2011
20 Jun
The Art of Simple Living
Not long ago, a friend went through his closet and gave away literally half of his clothes. Rather than missing the items, he said life felt less complicated. Instead of feeling deprived, he felt freed up.
Jane Hammerslough, author of Dematerializing: Taming the Power of Possessions, describes how a roof repair gone wrong forced her family into a quick move to a small, sparsely furnished rental house for six months. She writes of their surprise that they didn’t miss much of what they left behind. Rather than feeling depressed by the “hideous living room” and “mismatched plates” in their temporary quarters, they felt liberated. And when they returned home, she felt “overwhelmed by the utter excess of stuff.” A purging of things soon followed.
She concluded that, “When ‘enough’ is always just a little more than you already have, you don’t have a lot of room left for the truly great pleasures of life: family, friends and the time to enjoy them.”
Making Room For What Matters
Of course, too much stuff can also leave too little room for God. With all the time required to shop for, use, store, clean, maintain, organize, insure, and worry about our stuff, there can be little time left for reading God’s Word, prayer, ministry, church, and reaching out to others. Is it any wonder that the Bible encourages simple living?
I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out. – 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (MSG)
In his classic book, Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster agues that, “The majority of Christians have never seriously wrestled with the problem of simplicity, conveniently ignoring Jesus’ many words on the subject. The reason is simple: This Discipline directly challenges our vested interests in an affluent life-style.”
But the recession may have started to change that, sparking a renewed interest in simplicity. In recent years, writers ranging from mutual fund company foundersto spiritual thinkershave weighed in on the question: “How much is enough?”
Simplicity Is More Than Uncluttered Closets
Of course, there is no clear line indicating exactly how much is enough. But one thing is for sure: simple living does not begin with a trip to The Container Store. Instead, Foster describes simplicity as “an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” It’s “a life of joyful unconcern for possessions” and “the one thing that sufficiently reorients our lives so that possessions can be genuinely enjoyed without destroying us.”
Foster, who explores the meaning and practice of simplicity in more detail in his book, Freedom of Simplicity, says there are three heart attitudes related to possessions that lead to peace. “If what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom from anxiety.”
Once we have begun to cultivate those inner attitudes, what might the outer expression of those attitudes look like? Foster offers 10 suggestions:
Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status
Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you
Develop a habit of giving things away
Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry
Learn to enjoy things without owning them
Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation
Look with a healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes
Obey Jesus’ instructions about plain, honest speech
Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others
Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the Kingdom of God
Moving Toward Simplicity
In our materialistic, over-marketing-messaged world, simplicity isn’t, well, so simple. But as Richard Foster emphasizes, it begins on the inside with the attitudes of our heart.
What have you found helpful in cultivating a simpler lifestyle?
Matt Bell is the author of three personal finance books published by NavPress, including the brand new "Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples." He teaches a wide variety of workshops, including MoneySmart Marriage, at churches, conferences, universities, and other venues throughout the country.

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Will be nice to simply return home. Been gone since 3 April with only a two day spin to restock needs. This to shall pass. I hope this finds everyone safe and with family.

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Great topic this morning, sir. It reminds me of the country music song Boondocks, and especially the line, "...and having a little was just enough."

Though I live in town, I'm a country boy. I am convinced, in the grand scheme of things God does not count time spent it the woods with a dog. God bless us all on this fine, thunder stormy Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skAOb_EUE_M