494: An Abundant Place Celebration and How to Have an at Home Retreat for the Woman Who Can’t Get Away
Kathi Lipp is here with friend and co-author, Cheri Gregory, to celebrate the release of their new book of devotionals: An Abundant Place. If you have found yourself overcommitted, overstressed, and in need of a mental getaway, Kathi and Cheri have written this book for you. In this special episode, the pair share their favorite ways to declutter their mental space, prepare for their time with God, and gather their favorite quiet time essentials including:
Favorite Beverage
Cozy Blanket
Furry Friend
Once you have all the things necessary for your retreat with God, sign up for the An Abundant Place Book Club here.
An Abundant Place: Daily Retreats for the Woman Who Can’t Get Away
Have you reached the point where one more thing on your to-do list is one too many? Do you find yourself praying, “Lord, I don’t think I can handle any more stuff?”
Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory have been there. They want to encourage you, but even more important, they offer helpful solutions to make your everyday life easier. Get good advice on how to plan ahead, set boundaries with others and yourself, and be more intentional about self-care without the guilt.
Let Kathi and Cheri help you find a place of more joy and abundance, one devotion at a time.
AND if you order your copy of An Abundant Place today, you are still eligible for pre-order bonuses including the An Abundant Place journal and the special podcast series “Devos for Dropouts.”
GIVE-A-WAY ALERT! Kathi and Cheri want you to have the key ingredients to a successful stay-at-home retreat! Leave a comment telling us what stay-at-home retreat item you would adore most, and we will draw two people to win a copy of An Abundant Place, the (In)courage Devotional Bible, as well as all of Kathi’s must-have items for a cozy at-home retreat!
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Meet Our Guest
Cheri Gregory
Cheri Gregory delights in helping women draw closer to Jesus: the Strength of every tender heart.
Cheri is the co-author of four books, co-host of the Grit ‘n’ Grace podcast, co-leader of the Sensitive and Strong Community Café, and founder of Write Beside You communicator coaching.
Cheri and her college sweetheart, Daniel, have been married for 32 years and live in California near their two adult children.
You Don’t Have to Try So Hard – Let Go of the Unreal Expectations and Find Freedom
Have you struggled with perfectionism? How about the need to perform perfectly so that everyone thinks you’ve got it all together? Or, is people-pleasing kicking you in the can? Do you procrastinate until you are a stressed-out hot mess?
You are not alone. So many of us let the bullies of perfectionism, performancism, people-pleasing, and procrastination beat us up. Enough is enough. Cheri Gregory and I are thrilled to be able to announce the release of our book, “You Don’t Have to Try So Hard.” There is freedom to be found in Christ and we want to help you find it.
Check out this video of my conversation with coauthor Cheri Gregory:
Are you feeling suffocated by your stuff? Do you have one or more places in your home that you would be ashamed for others to see?
You know you should do something but you’re busy, you’re tired and you’re overwhelmed.
That’s why “Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space” was written and has since launched a movement. More than a system, Clutter Free helps to uncover the emotions behind why we buy stuff we don’t need and keep stuff we don’t even like.
It’s a book that offers both a strategy and a tactical plan to get rid of Clutter once and for all. Thousands of people have bought the book and successfully won the war against Clutter. Some of us, though, need a little extra help working our way through the book and applying the principles to our daily lives.
Why does this book and these two things matter so much? Because knowing why you struggle with Clutter only solves half of your problem. You need a “how” and that “how” has to fit into the ups and downs of life if it’s going to be sustainable.
That’s why we’re taking our Clutter Free Academy Facebook group members through the book section by section. From June 18 to July 13, the Clutter Free Book Club will go back to the beginning and study the book that started it all.
Whether you’re new to Clutter Free and don’t know where to begin or have been trudging along for a while and are seeking a fresh start, the book club is a great way to build a foundation that will serve you now and in the future.
Beginning June 18, our fearless leader Tonya Kubo will host live discussions in the Facebook group on both the book and its practical application. She’ll go live at 5 p.m. PDT every Monday during the book club. You’ll have opportunities to submit your questions ahead of time or ask them live during the broadcast. All broadcasts will be saved in the group for later viewing.
To participate, all you need is a copy of the book and to be a member of the group. This is the perfect time to take the plunge and confront your Clutter. It’s also the perfect time to invite friends to join the kindest corner of the Internet. Clutter Free is always more fun with friends. Join the group today and get the lay of the land before the book club starts on June 18. Can’t wait to celebrate your successes in the coming weeks.
It’s been three years since Clutter Free came out and took the clutter/organizing world by storm with its quick and easy steps to simplifying your space. When the book was written, we had no idea it would change the course of our ministry by changing thousands of lives. Yet here we are.
Today, that book has evolved into an entire community. Clutter Free Academy is a live workshop, ecourse, blog, podcast and Facebook group. In just a year, that Facebook group has grown to more than 5,000 members. Every day, people post pictures of their transformations. We see bedrooms go from junk rooms to sanctuaries, and we hear stories of how Clutter Free living has freed women from anxiety, lifted spirits and improved relationships.
It’s awe-inspiring, and more is yet to come.
This month, we’re launching the Clutter Free Book Club in our Facebook Group. Going from June 18 to July 13, this brief book club takes members through the book that started it all: Clutter Free. We’ll spend about an hour each Monday at 5 p.m. discussing segments of the book in the group on Facebook Live. The first session will be an orientation of sorts with the first reading assignment. After that, our group discussions will involve the assigned readings and how they apply to our daily lives.
This group is perfect for anyone who is new to Clutter Free and wants to learn the foundational principles upon which the Clutter Free Academy is built. It’s also great for the longtime Clutter Free fan who wants a refresher in the company of others to share similar challenges and successes.
To participate, all you need to do is be a member of the group and own a copy of the book. If you need the book, you can order via Amazon or you can purchase a signed copy from the Kathi Lipp store and receive a free bookmark with the three questions we use to determine whether stuff earns its space in our homes: Do I love it? Do I use it? Would I buy it again? The bookmark comes in handy when you need a reminder. You’ll need to order the book this week if you want to receive it before the book club begins.
Whether it’s your first time or your fifth, we look forward to taking this journey together to become Clutter Free in our homes, our hearts and our minds. Join the Facebook group today and introduce yourself. We can’t wait to meet you.
Just like me, you want to start your day right. Right? And for much of the world that involves a green smoothie and some hot yoga.
But for those of us who follow God, you and I know that the best way to start your day right is to spend some quality time with our creator.
Some things not to do:
Go from zero to 60 Maybe you heard a great sermon at church this weekend that talked about priorities, or were at a retreat that talked about the importance of quite time, good for you! It’s great to be inspired by people who love God and have had a difference made in their lives by spending time with Him. But don’t become so inspired that you try to change everything about your routine – that’s a sure way to think that a morning routine is impossible.
Instead of saying “I’ll spend an hour with God every morning.” How about, “Every day, I will start with a five minutes.” Five minutes every morning is a much better place to start than a 45 minute crash and burn session.
Thinking you can “squeeze it in” When has a morning ever offered up more time magically? When has it taken less time for your kids to get dressed, for your hair to dry, or for you to take the dog for a walk? Morning magic time doesn’t exist (except in Cinderella, but she had all those mice and birds to help her get dressed…)
If you want to start your day right, don’t put yourself behind before you even start.
Going too deep, too fast So you’ve decided to do your morning devotions and you think the book of Leviticus is a good place to start.
Let’s be a little kinder to ourselves – shall we?
In order to start your day right, find a devotional that will meet you where you are. You can work your way up to Leviticus – it will still be there when you’re ready – promise.
So how do you get yourself together in the morning if you do want to start your day right with time with God, but you are already feeling behind?
Round up Your Tools
What you need to accomplish this is pretty simple:
Your Bible
A devotional book
A journal
Your favorite pen
Reserve Time I know it’s hard to do first thing in the morning, but hear me out: When you start to live Clutter Free in every area of your life, including your schedule, it’s amazing what you can prioritize. As you start to put practices in place to make your mornings easier, but the night before being kind to your future self and setting up the coffee, picking out your outfit for the next day, figuring out what is for breakfast, and having your kid’s backpacks and your computer bag packed and by the front door. If you do any of those things the night before, I promise you, you’ve just given yourself a way to start your morning right with at least five minutes with God.
Set the Time I have an alarm on my phone that reminds me it’s time to sit down with God. I know when it is (7:15 AM) but knowing that the alarm is coming helps me do what I need to do so I can actually sit down for my devotions.
Set the Scene One of the ways that I work to anticipate my morning time is to set the scene; my coffee is set up the night before so I can enjoy it while spending time with God. I have my favorite blanket ready on the couch and a Yankee candle and a pack of matches next to me so that I can set my time aside as a little bit of sacred in what I know will be a very busy day.
Read Decide in advance what to read. I tend to either follow a Bible reading plan, or go with a daily devotional that I can read in about five minutes that is accompanied by scripture. Currently, I’m going through Unblinded Faith – Gaining Spiritual Sight Through Believing God’s Word. It’s a 90 day devotional that is set up perfectly for a quick morning read, but with enough spiritual depth that I feel like I’m able to carry the message all day long. Highly recommended.
Reflect (Mediation and Journaling)
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8 (NIV)
If all you are able to do to start your day right is read a devotion, then start there. But, if you do it consistently, it won’t be enough. Eventually, you will want to go – and grow – deeper. That is where refection comes in – meditating and journaling.
I know that for years, I made meditation a much bigger and way more mysterious thing than it needed to be. But meditation is simply the practice of thinking about the scripture you just read, and then giving God the space and silence to speak to you on that scripture or anything else.
So when I’m going through a devotional, I read the chapter, and then go to my bible to read the scripture. Then I spend some time thinking about the scripture I just read, and then ask God to bring anything about that scripture to mind.
Finally, I have a journal where I write down anything I’ve discovered from the scripture or from the devotion that I’ve read. This is also where I can keep track of any prayer requests that come up in the morning or throughout the day.
My journal is simple. I have about a half a sheet per day where I can write things down. There is no elaborate system (those have never worked for me in the past.) This is just something between me and God, for no one else.
At first, creating a daily routine can feel awkward and as if you’ll never make a habit of it – but trust me – if this girl can learn to enjoy and embrace the routine of a daily quite time – I have high hopes for you.
In the comments below, tell us one step you can take to start your morning right – let’s all learn from each other!
Welcome to the Clutter Free Book Club, where I share the books I’ve been reading (and hopefully loving.) Each month I review at least one book I’ve read, and because I am living a Clutter Free life, I pass that book on to one of you. To be entered into the drawing, just comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win. But there is one catch: if you win the book, you have to promise to pass it on to someone else when you’re done (keeping this book club Clutter Free.) When you comment below, share either 1. A book you’ve read that you think I should put on my list or 2. The name of the person you will pass this book onto when you’re done reading it!
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World Hardcover – April 4, 2017
Where I bought it: Audible
by Author Admiral William H. McRaven (Ret.)
Where I read it: It’s a short book – I listened to it while I was helping my step-daughter and son-in-law move into their new house.
I’d heard about Admiral McRaven’s speech at University of Texas (Hook ’em!) and what he’d learned in his military career. It was such and enjoyable book and many of the lessons have stuck with me. Lesson 1 making your bed means that the first thing you do each morning is accomplish something. (I lay in bed for a minute and pray first, so first God, then accomplishment. I recommend THAT order.) Recommended!
Just a word on the books I read and review: I have a wide and varied sense of taste when it comes to books. I would love for you to enter and win one of my books – but if you are offended by book content, I would ask that you go online to read reviews to see if this book is for you before you enter to win.
*Only US readers are eligible to receive the free book.
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Kickstart to Clutter Free
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