Preparing to move into a smaller space

by Christian Schreiber, staff blogger

Living in a house — even a modest house — for 25, 35, 40 years or more, you gradually accumulate a lot of "stuff." Furniture, nic-nacs, small appliances, tools — some of these arrive as gifts from other people, some are acquired for a specific need, and others seem to simply materialize in the junk drawer as if they've been there all along.

For most of your life, this is not a problem. You manage to find a place for everything, and you get used to having it around. But when you begin thinking about moving into a retirement community, you suddenly realize how much "stuff" you own. In fact, your abundance of material possessions may cause you to put off the move (even though you know it would be best) just because you don't want to face the daunting task of downsizing.

Here are a few steps to get you started, and a few tips that may make the process less of an emotional drain:

1. Tackle one room at a time.
2. In that room, take everything out of the drawers, closets, cabinets, and cubbies, and spread it on the floor where you can survey it.
3. Bring a large garbage can into the room, and one good-sized box for each of your children, and one good-sized box you will take to your local thrift store.
4. Put in the garbage can anything you haven't used in the past year. If you really can't bear to throw it away, put it in one of your children's boxes. If you know none of your children want it or need it, put it in the thrift store box. Once you put something in a box, you are not allowed to take it back out.
5. If you are having trouble putting things in the boxes, remind yourself that there are people who really need the things that you are not using. Hoarding them will not make you happy and will not bless others.
6. Put the items you really use back in the places they came from. Then leave the room and shut the door.
7. Call your children and tell them to come pick up their boxes. Ask them to drop off the thrift store box too. If your children do not live in the area, ask the thrift store to come and pick up your donation.
8. Repeat for each room in your house. Then do your garage.

Of course, a lot of the things you are not actually using may be difficult to get rid of because of the emotional attachment you have to them. Consider these options:

1. Have your children or grandchildren with you while you're sorting through your things. When you encounter an item that's difficult to part with, tell them the story of why it's so meaningful to you. Once they know the background, one of them may choose to keep it.
2. Take a photo of the item, or have someone take a photo of you with the item. In your new home you can display these photos of items from your old home, or keep them in an envelope marked "Earthly Treasures."

Change can be difficult, and moving into a smaller home can be one of the most difficult changes we face. But going into the process proactively can help transform it from drudgery to adventure, and can offer you new opportunities to make meaningful connections with your family.

The Power of Prayer

by Christian Schreiber, staff blogger

Arlene Horn kneels at her bedside every night, in her hand a list of 27 names. It's a class list from a local grade school, and Arlene has agreed to pray for them. "I don't know how to pronounce all their names," she laughs, "but I figure the Lord knows who I'm talking about!"

"I felt led to do it," Arlene shrugs. "Maybe it was the Holy Spirit. I don't know. I just felt led." Arlene lives at Holland Home, the Providence community in South Holland, Illinois. She has never thought of herself as a particularly gifted pray-er, but when she heard that kids at neighboring Calvin Christian School needed prayer partners, she signed up for the program.

Dora Boomstra -- a 16-year Holland Home resident -- also signed up for the program. Dora has been matched with Mrs. Otte's first-grade class. The 25 first-graders sent Dora a class photo and their class list, along with a card they had all signed. Dora prays for one student by name each day. "I don't always know what they need, but if something particular comes to mind, I make sure to pray about that -- because I believe God is leading me to pray that way." On the "extra" days of the month, Dora prays for the teacher, for the class as a whole, or for Calvin school in general.

The prayers go both ways. Dora wrote a letter to her class, asking them to remember her in prayer as well. She included a photo of herself -- "so they can see that I'm perhaps somewhat like their own grandmas" -- and she's hoping to visit the class in person later this spring.

In addition to Dora Boomstra and Arlene Horn, three other Holland Home residents signed up for the prayer partner program immediately. Gladys Kooy was partnered with the eighth-grade class at Calvin; Anna Bakker was paired with the seventh-graders; and Cleo Sanders agreed to pray for the fourth-grade class.

What a terrific program! It gives the seniors a chance to do something significant for the South Holland community; it teaches the students the value of prayer; and it involves both groups in each other's lives. Dora has already told me that she plans to sign up for the program again next year, and she wants to keep the class that she has now -- she wants to pray them all the way through graduation! I think that's sweet.