Simply Nesting: The final week.

This week the challenge wasn't to clean up my home.. but my heart. There has been a move in the Hayes household for some time now to simplify.. get rid of the unnecessary.. things that could distract us from what is truly important. In order to help Jeremiah and I cast a vision for what that would look like for our family we came up with what we are calling the "Hayes Home Halakah". Halakah simply means "the way that one walks". How do we want to walk? How do we want our children to walk? How do we want to encourage others to walk? One of the pillars of our halakah is 1 Thessalonians 4:11:

Make it our ambition to lead a quiet, simple life; working with our hands.

Though there are many ways we have done this, one of the ones that stands out in my mind is getting rid of the television. What I have found is that even if I choose the best programming possible, I cannot control everything that comes through that box into my home. At first, I admit, this was not something I was excited about. I went along with it because Jeremiah thought it was a good idea and he is much wiser than I am.. and I trust his judgement. Several weeks later I was watching TV at a relatives house and I was floored. Naked women bathing is the shower? Check. Victoria's Secret commercials? Check. Sexual innuendo's? Check. What was I watching? HGTV. I was learning about home renovations and also exposing my children to things I simply do not think they need to be seeing. And, let's be honest, if they don't need to see it.. do I?

Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Phillipians 4:8

I still have to far to go.. This is just one way that we are simplifying our life and trying to set the right course for our family.. and in it all.. may God get the glory!