Three years ago, I found myself in a losing battle against materialism. I was an unhappy shopaholic who couldn’t keep a budget to save her life. Research shows clutter can compound stress and anxiety in our lives, but I didn’t need research to confirm what I was experiencing. We already have enough stressors in our life that we can’tcontrol, which is why I’ve become a big fan of the recent “tidying” craze inspired by Marie Kondo.
Earlier this year we had a “mouse problem” in our attic and I nearly lost my ever-loving mind! As soon as I thought we’d caught the last of them, more scratching would be heard between the attic floor and downstairs ceiling, until my husband finally found the bait they couldn’t resist. Would you believe it was Cheeto puffs? (You’re welcome!)
Amidst the loud cracks and zips of fireworks, and the laughter of free fellowship…I hear something else. Many people can’t hear it. Most would muffle it intentionally. It’s the sound of Poonam, a Christian woman in India, weeping outside the front gate of her home…
