Thank you so much to everyone who entered last week’s giveaway for The Joy of Less Journal! I just loved reading your comments and learning how minimalism has changed your lives.
I used Random.org to select two winners–and here they are!
Tricia, who on April 28 at 2:38 am wrote:
Making the changes to live a more minimal life has brought more joy to my marriage. I was raised by a hoarding father and I took after him. My husband is a great example of a minimalist and my hoarding was a major struggle for him. We have a huge storage area under our house. I called it the dump. I could gather up trash bags full of stuff, open the door and throw them down there. Never to be seen again. We fought about it for years. He finally gave up. I thought I had won. My home always looked nice and orderly but I knew it wasn’t. The dump weighed on my heart and conscience. I read your book and something finally clicked. My husband went on a trip and I spent 5 days and nights throwing away, donating, cleaning and organizing. That experience was hard, painful and humbling but so worth it. The change was dramatic and was the catalyst to take on the rest of my home. I want to live a minimal life. Never again will I let things hurt my marriage.
Becky Jones, who on April 26 at 7:14 am wrote:
Simplifying the stuff seemed to awaken me from my reverie. I found I had been in the cultural current speeding down the river of life grabbing everything as I went- whatever sparkled from the banks of the river I was reaching out for…being involved in every good activity and event, enjoying beautiful home decor (and more and more), if 100 books were good- 200 were even better…..it was like I was asleep and adrift. The purging and letting go shook me awake to what I already knew in my spirit- this life isn’t about stuff or any temporal thing and my sleepwalking was causing me to miss out on all of the very special “someones” in my life and I was losing sight of investing my life in what lasts….I love that we can fully enjoy life and all of God’s creation and leave it for the next soul to fully enjoy…. there’s more than enough beauty and joy and love to go around!
Congratulations to the winners, and thanks again to everyone who participated!
Thank you so much Francine. I knew when I walked into Powell’s Bookstore on Hawthorne and saw your book The Joy of Less that I had found a book to treasure. It has enhanced my life in so many ways. I’m excited to get the The Joy of Less Journal. So glad I was one of the two chosen by Random.org.
Are you sure those were randomly chosen? Those are two great letters…congrats to you two!
I really enjoy the posts where people describe in the comments section their journey, including their struggles and triumphs. It is always inspiring!
It was great to read the two winning entries – I would love to see the rest…!
Hi Francine,
I recently read the first part of your book 100 essentials which I downloaded as a teaser from Amazon a while ago. Now I wanted to buy the book for my kindle and it’s not available for purchase.
I am so sad! When will it become available for purchase again?
Warm regards,
Susanne from Berlin, Germany
I have given away at least 3 big bags of clothing, books, or linens every week for years. More is given to me. A friend is moving from a large house to a condo and gave me 2 bags of art supplies. I gave one bag away to a friend who volunteers at a nursing home. One bag went to a friend who wanted certain pictures, and some went to my DIL who wanted pictures for her scrapbooking. Some went into the recycling.