Mereta’s full testimonial:

I just recently moved…to a bigger house, because we have too much stuff, we now have an extra living room, an extra bedroom, an extra dining space and two extra bathrooms. I thought the extra space would simplify my life, but instead it has made it just the opposite, chaotic. My mind was going in the direction of, I need another couch for the extra room, and I need another table for the eat-in kitchen and yes finally, no more fighting over the bathroom. But after living here, my house is a mess because my husband and I work full time and between the kids, supper, family worship and bed-time rituals we have no time to take care of the house, we have higher cost in utilities and all this equals stress. I didn’t even get through the introduction when I realized that simplifying means removing not adding to. And then I got the urge to leave work and get rid of my extra stuff (and then some). But don’t just read the intro, the book is too good to stop there. I never knew what minimalism was, but by minimizing your stuff and freeing up time and energy you can live life to the maximum. Lorilee has a simple and refreshing approach to minimalism and an easy to follow writing style. I was very privileged to get to read this book, it spoke to me and helped me realize that I minimalism is more than just about my belonging but also about ME.

I don’t know who I am. I don’t know who I am. It’s a scary thought, but I am being honest. I never realized it. When I introduce myself to others, this is what I say: “I’m Mereta, mom and wife,” sure that is a part of what defines me. But I have yet to discover who I AM and what my passion is. I would have never even realized this if I hadn’t read 3-2-1 Stop by Lorilee (Lippincott). This book has helped me look outside the box that society has placed us in, in which the walls are made up of: wanting, needing, buying and having. And it helped me realize that I AM NOT the person my things and society make me out to be, I AM MORE, but I still have yet to figure out whom that is. This book is NOT a self-help book, it IS a self-realization book. I am on a new journey, my closet is almost my ideal closet, but I have a long way to go and in the mean time I will definitely need to keep praying the Serenity Prayer because I definitely need a lot of courage and God’s strength to break out of the box and be ME.