As I approach Lent 2025, I read the March 3 Gospel (Mark 10:17-27) about the man who approached Jesus saying, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ answer is both comforting and disturbing. The comforting part is basically, “Keep the commandments (Love God & your neighbor, honor your parents, do not […]
Living Lightly
Susan Vogt on living more simply but abundantlyBrowsing Posts in Beyond Stuff
June was consumed with traveling to ancestral towns in Germany. So July meant it was time to take care of our “old Kentucky home.” My vegetable garden survived thanks to a neighbor watering it, but as I became friends again with my garden several spiritual insights bubbled up: Planting & Cultivating Plants – In the […]
Today I realized that I have about a week left in Lent and I’ve barely implemented “The Plan.” Sure, I’ve prayed, fasted, and done some service, BUT pruning a “Room a Day” took a deep dive after Week 3 and pruning my “Desk & Office” area barely started. So, what do I have to show […]
I’ve written a lot about simplifying our lives from excessive material and mental clutter. But in the spirit of even simplifying my many blog posts, I decided to summarize key life goals in one post. Actually, for those with a short attention span, I could even summarize the 5 Goals into just the first one […]
Two recent experiences have prompted me to prayer. Ideally prayer is a conversation with the God who dwells within me as I explore deep spiritual truths about what is really important in life. Often this is a quiet time, prompted by scripture and nature. But sometimes the Spirit breaks in through the activities of my […]
I’ve spent a week pondering how to make this coming Lent count. It has not been a quick or easy discernment. (That’s why last week’s blog was on 6 simple environmental tips. I wanted to share simple stuff before starting on a more rigorous routine.) Are you ready for Lent 2020? In addition to my […]
What is kenosis and what does it have to do with living lightly? Theologically speaking kenosis is the act of self-emptying in order to become entirely receptive to God’s divine will. So, what’s this got to do with Living Lightly? I started down this path because my To Do list was getting too long and […]
Is it better to save time or to save money? I notice that I value both time and money but sometimes that complicates my life because one comes at the cost of the other. For example: Eating Out vs. Eating at Home: Eating out saves preparation time (if you don’t count travel time). Still, it […]
Last week I had two experiences of being forced to wait with strangers. My first reaction was annoyance at being delayed. But upon reflection, I realized that these were opportunities to let go of my compulsion to not waste time. I like to be on time and to make the most of my time. In […]
Last August I was going to a prayer service and the “price of admission” was to bring some school supplies for children attending inner city schools. See Purging for a Cause #1 It was an easy and painless way to clear extra filler paper, markers, glue, and folders from our home. Tomorrow I’m going to a […]
Sometimes life gets busy. A relative dies. Emergencies come up…and this blog is overdue. That’s when it’s nice when an opportunity falls into one’s lap. That’s what happened today during my walk. I saw a sign at a neighbor’s house soliciting coats, sweaters, socks etc. for homeless people in the community. It’s getting cold. I […]
Sometimes you’re in a hurry. Sometimes you’re behind. Sometimes you just don’t want to take the time to figure out where to take your extra stuff. That was me last week. I was being good. I was going to a prayer service. BUT they asked folks to bring some school supplies as a goodwill offering […]
Sometimes our lives are cluttered with things. Sometimes it’s things to do that clutter our mind and time. I wonder if I will ever get my To Do list done before I die. Sure, I make time to nap, read, recreate, and take vacations so it’s not like I don’t take breaks, but still I […]
HANGING ON: It was just one leaf – but it kept hanging on. That’s what I thought as I looked outside my bedroom window from Nov. 21 to Dec. 5. As I sat in my prayer space during those two weeks, I kept pondering the spunk of this lonely leaf (see the middle of our […]
Living lightly is not only a matter of reducing material possessions but also not crowding my time with trivia. By virtue of my personality, I enjoy the challenge of saving time. Sometimes this means doing things faster or multitasking. Of course there are pros and cons to speed and efficiency. It takes time to play, pray, […]
I’ve been writing this blog since 2010 and over these 7 years have explored many angles of voluntary simplicity (material, emotional, spiritual, and technological). The question I keep coming back to is: How much is enough? – How much is too much? On the material level I realize that there is a point where more […]
I thought I was finished with my “Letting Go of various emotions” series, but my husband gently reminded me recently that maybe I need to worry less. After resisting my automatic response of “Well, I have to worry for both of us.” I realized that there was some truth in his comment. The incident that […]
Although I like to think that most often my opinions are right, I admit that my husband, Jim, is often more accurate about facts than I am. I might say, “Hey, there were about 50 people at the party.” Jim might say, “No, there were 46. I counted.” I chalk this up to different personality […]
Some people need more self-discipline and organization in their lives. Some people need less. To those who like to be in control (like me) the challenge is to let go of micromanaging my life, other’s lives, and the world. It is only relatively recently that I’ve recognized my love of control as a potential problem. […]
After I broke my arm a couple months ago, I learned to do many things with my non-dominant (left) hand like eating, brushing my teeth, and wearing stretchier clothes that were easier to put on. I’m slowly returning to normal. But what is normal and the “right” way to do things? This got me thinking […]
