Making Room for God: Decluttering and the Spiritual Life
()
About this ebook
Decluttering became trendy with the 2014 release of Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. And while there’s no shortage of secular books promoting the practice, Making Room for God is the first book on organization from a Catholic perspective. Self-proclaimed pack rat Mary Elizabeth Sperry will help you make decluttering a prayerful, peace-filled, and soul-expanding experience.
Popular Catholic speaker and Bible expert Mary Elizabeth Sperry explores the relationship between our stuff and Catholic beliefs about grace, sin, repentance, prayer, and the common good. She boldly affirms the goodness of our stuff and of God’s abiding presence in the worldly goods all around us. She also reminds us of how sin can distort our relationships, including the ones we have with our possessions. Through spiritual disciplines—especially prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—we can protect this relationship so that we own our possessions but they don't own us.
Making Room for God offers an enticing and entertaining approach to decluttering, discipleship, and the spiritual life that makes tidying up seem almost fun. Writing from an unabashedly Catholic perspective and with convincing practicality, Sperry looks at the role of material goods in the life of a follower of Jesus. Each chapter includes humorous and often self-deprecating details of the author’s own journey through decluttering to help us believe that we, too, can simplify. Alongside these adventures are Sperry's rich spiritual insights gleaned from extensive knowledge of the Church’s tradition and helpful exercises for freeing ourselves from clutter and the temptation to sin it so often harbors.
Sperry draws liberally from the Bible, liturgy, Fathers of the Church, lives of the saints, and Church teaching—especially that of Pope Francis—as she explores the relationship between our stuff and our spiritual lives. Practical elements offer a step-by-step approach to decluttering living spaces, getting rid of unused and excess items, and limiting future accumulation.
Mary Elizabeth Sperry
Mary Elizabeth Sperry has worked for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops since 1994, and serves as associate director for USCCB permissions and NAB utilization. The author of five books, Sperry's articles have appeared in publications including Give Us This Day, Liguorian, Emmanuel, and Today's Parish Minister. She speaks about the Bible and a variety of spiritual topics in dioceses and parishes throughout the United States and has been interviewed on National Public Radio, EWTN Radio, CBS Radio, Relevant Radio, and SiriusXM. Sperry earned a master's degree in liturgical studies from Catholic University of America and a master’s degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has bachelor’s degrees in international politics, Russian, and economics. She lives in the Washington, DC, area.
Related to Making Room for God
Related ebooks
Theology of Home: Finding the Eternal in the Everyday Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Messy Minimalism: Realistic Strategies for the Rest of Us Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unstuff: Making Room in Your Life for What Really Matters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Clutter Clearing Choices: Clear Clutter, Organize Your Home & Reclaim Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Giving Thanks and Letting Go: Reflections on the Gift of Motherhood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSmall Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ultimate Makeover: The Transforming Power of Motherhood Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Sentimental Person’s Guide to Decluttering Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Be the Boss of Your Stuff: The Kids’ Guide to Decluttering and Creating Your Own Space Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Catholic Woman's Book of Prayers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Redesigned Life: Uncovering God's Purpose When Life Doesn't Go as Planned Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHaving a Martha Home the Mary Way: 31 Days to a Clean House and a Satisfied Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Heart of Perfection: How the Saints Taught Me to Trade My Dream of Perfect for God's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Love the Home You Have: Simple Ways to…Embrace Your Style *Get Organized *Delight in Where You Are Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Friendship Project: The Catholic Woman's Guide to Making and Keeping Fabulous, Faith-Filled Friends Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Clutter-Free Home: Making Room for Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Letters to Women: Embracing the Feminine Genius in Everyday Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDwelling: Simple Ways to Nourish Your Home, Body, and Soul Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lenten Healing: 40 Days to Set You Free from Sin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn Full Bloom: Finding the Grace and Grit to Thrive Wherever You're Planted Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Me Project: 21 Days to Living the Life You've Always Wanted Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClean Mama's Guide to a Peaceful Home: Effortless Systems and Joyful Rituals for a Calm, Cozy Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJust Rest: Receiving God's Renewing Presence in the Deserts of Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Theology of Home II: The Spiritual Art of Homemaking Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Christianity For You
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5NIV, Holy Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Reviews for Making Room for God
0 ratings0 reviews