Simply Count It All Joy!

…simple joy by simpler living

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds… James 1:2 ESV

In a world where things seem to be getting increasingly complicated, it takes intentional effort to keep our priorities straight. We all know that trials are a part of life, but it took me years to understand how I could have joy during the inevitable trials and difficultes life brings. Along the journey, a big lesson I have learned is that by simplifying my life and keeping the main things the main things, peace and joy result.

Hi! My name is Karen and this blog is about my journey of getting back to the basics of simple joy by simpler living.

After packing and moving many times over my life, I have come to appreciate having less “stuff “. Recent downsizing of homes has made me really see that the less stuff you have, the easier it is to manage your home life. I know, very obvious. But the not-so-obvious side benefit to me was that the more I let go of earthly treasures, the more I could focus on heavenly treasures and be a better steward of this life that I have been given.

This revelation, along with a little more time in my schedule, has allowed me to use my natural gifting of organization to create a more joy-filled home by simpler living. Simple food. Simple home. Simple faith.

Simple food. My path of healthy living started many years ago by earning a B.S. in Health Education and Promotion. It wasn’t until the last few years, however, that I have truly understood what nutritious food really is. It all starts with cooking real food from scratch. Despite the fact that it sounds like more work, cooking from scratch can be very easy and very delicious! I have physical limitations so for me, it has to be easy. To make it easy, I simplify by buying a few key things in bulk, and cooking a variety of things from these core items. Not only does it save time and money but my family has found that it is much more delicious, satisfying, and healthy! The first benefit I saw to my new way of eating was an immediate decrease in inflammation and pain. I then started to explore deeper into the nutrients I was eating to find out why. In the process, I discovered scientific studies detailing benefits of various nutrients. After learning a lot over the past few years about vitamins and natural illness remedies, I have turned my focus to getting more of these nutrients from foods we eat leading to better health. I am on a journey to learn more and more about eating for optimal health and healing. My motivation is not purely for self interests, though, but primarily to be the best steward of the life I have been given. Come join me as we learn together how simple food can be a part of a joy-filled life!

Simple home. Having a few home systems and routines in place saves me a lot of time during our busy weeks. This takes just a little bit of planning but pays off by freeing up even more time later on. I have meal planning, efficient home organization and cleaning practices to share that are quick and easy. This investment on the front end allows more free time later. Let’s journey together in making our simplified homes more peace-filled and joyful!

Simple faith. Religion can get very complicated with rules and traditions. I keep this area of my life simple too by keeping the main thing the main thing. Whether you share my simple faith in Jesus or you have another belief system, I invite you to this area of my blog to see the freedom and joy that comes from simple faith.

I am excited to start this journey with others who desire to get back to the basics of simple joy by simpler living!