This is what my kids' rooms look like after a playdate. . . . . 

I just got back from a regional Ladies' Missionary Conference where I was given the opportunity to share a 5-minute update on where we are in the process of preparing for a career in missionary aviation.  One of the prayer requests I shared with the ladies is for help specifically during our upcoming move to New Tribes Mission's Missionary Training Center.  This move has evoked a lot of stress for me, not only because I feel overwhelmed with two preschoolers and a newborn. 

Now more than ever I feel weighed down with "stuff."  Naturally, with five people in a house, there are simply more people with more needs--clothes, dishes, toys, personal belongings.  But even so, I know we are blessed with TOO much.  What a wonderful problem to have, right?  The stressful part is knowing WHAT things are unnecessary and anticipating how long it's going to take to make each and every little decision.  (Did you ever notice how much less time it takes to pack your bag when you're coming back from a trip, as opposed to how long it took to pack it before you left?)

Downsizing my own belongings, though still taking some time, would not be incredibly stressful.  I can gauge pretty well what I haven't worn in a year and what I won't probably ever look at again.  But how do I go about purging all of the kids' clothes and toys?  What is the standard?  What questions should I ask myself as I sort?  There are things they don't play with now but might love in a few months as their imaginations expand.  There are clothes they haven't worn much while they fit, but what if I have another child in a different season or who seems to rip and wear everything out?

I know I just have to dig in and start sorting.  And probably sort it all a second time, getting rid of even more.  I LOVE the light and airy feeling you get when there are empty drawers and the Goodwill box is full.  I love feeling as though something has been accomplished.  But that's the thing: once you finish purging, it's almost always time to start again!

I found some great tips at this site about how to rotate your children's toys and books so you can have fewer and enjoy them more.  I'm really thankful for the opportunity to move frequently and often reevaluate the things we have and their relative unimportance.  I want to hold loosely to every material blessing and cherish instead the living beings in my life and give them what they need the most: love, correction, teaching in the way of righteousness, peace in our home, joy in my heart, a passionate relationship with my Lord and Savior.