Episode 45: The Care & Management of Stuff & Why We'd Rather Be Eating Pie

On Episode 45, Tesi and Leslie talk to Jennie Barnds, a mom-of-three with an interesting perspective on our tendency to collect material things and allow "stuff" to slowly take over our homes and lives. Jennie talks not only about literally cleaning a house, but also explores the metaphor of the space that things take up in our hearts and brains. Jennie shares her experience of following the very popular Marie Kondo method of tidying up, as well as her experience of organizing and cleaning her mother- and father-in-law's home shortly after her father-in-law's sudden death and her mother-in-law's subsequent move to assisted living. The three women dive into the questions that surround our American tendency toward excessive consumerism and explore its impact on the human soul ... and on the freedom of the next generation. For links and complete Show Notes, visit our website.

Also discussed on this episode:

• The rub of letting go: Can we let go to our clothing, things, pictures, jobs, and relationships? What's the benefit of letting go? Is there ever a reason to hold on?
• Other people's things: Can we form emotional attachments to other people's things? Should we?
• There are ways that we can help our kids navigate a world focused on things. We can also encourage our parents and grandparents to come up with a plan for what happens to their treasures at the end of life. If not, it's possible to end up living in a museum.
• The spirituality of "stuff": Can there be a spiritual connection to our things? WWJD with all of our things? What does Christ teach us about being men and women who live for others, not for things.