There is HOPE

October is coming to a close and that means it's time to conclude this 31 days series of finding lots of hope in a little home, even though in the end it was more like 25 days, but less is more? I wanted to throw out a couple disclaimers before I wrap this thing up

1. I've said it before, but just to be clear I am not anti-big houses. In fact as we (I say we because J helped me a lot in this series) discussed this topic we began to talk about what we miss most about having an average size house. For me I think the number one thing is a washer and dryer. For J it's a garage for building things. I totally agree. I did videography of a wedding a couple weeks ago and both the bride and groom were accountants. During the consultation they said "this should be easy becasue we are numbers people, we leave all the art up to you. Do your thing and we'll stay out of the way". "Numbers people" make better minimilists because they work with information. Artsy people USUALLY need to create with their hands. Whether it's a theme party or a coffee table J and I are always creating and that takes up space. So I like the idea of space, it's just that for some of us a lot of space is not our reality right now, and for others it's not even on the wish list, so that's what this series was focused on.

2. I have shared a lot of pictures in this series. For my new readers you might be thinking why do you call yourself the messy mom if you have 5 people living in 800 square feet and your living room still looks like this?



Well, I hate to shed some light on the illusion, but this is the photo I took when I was checking out where I needed to stand for the shot.



So that is reality. I just didn't want to show a bunch of messy house photos because this series really focused on design, function, furniture, and arrangement of furniture which would be difficult to see with all the distractions. So yes, I did clean up for you!

The reason I wanted to talk about lots of hope for the little home is because I wanted to show that there is potential for the place that you are at right now. I talked about having multiple purposes for things in your  house. I discussed thinking outside of the box and seeing the advantage of things like room or bathroom sharing. I didn't even get into the smaller electric bills and less cleaning (which I absolutely LOVE by the way). Beyond just the practical tips and tutorials though, this series has been very personal for me. I am getting choked up even as I type this, but the reason I know that there is lots of hope in a little home is because I have experienced it on a deep and meaningful level. It's not just about the house, this series is also a testimony of what God has done for my family spirtitually as well. We have been through so much and we've seen his goodness in a way that is beyond what we've ever known. We are closer as a family (not just because of the lack of square footage). My marriage is the best it has ever been and even my dreams are bigger than they were before. When I declare hope for the little home I am not just talking about furniture and flooring, I am telling you that your home no matter what the size can be filled with hope. You are a beacon of hope! Each member of your family is a light. We all have a story that can impact people. Because I have been through the fire, and I still have a long way to go, but His strength carries me. He was with us a year ago when we trudged through unemployment, and nurtured a pregnancy, and labored to bring new life into this world. And when we faced the diagnosis of hearing loss and stood up as advocates for our daughter, and  plowed through the recovery after surgery. Then when we climbed up the three flights of stairs to move into an empty apartment far away from all we knew we still saw hope at the threshhold and today we still see lots of hope in our little home. I hope you will too.