Living With Less | Living Simply

I have been told by many people on different occasions that I have a lot of stuff. I would just brush it off and reply with something along the lines of, "I'm a girl and I love shopping so it's okay!" It wasn't until recently in my life that I began to believe them and realize that I do have a lot of stuff. This summer, I moved all of my possessions to a house right next to my university. This made me see how much stuff I really had because I was physically touching every item and putting it in a box. I decided to get rid of things that didn't really matter to me or that I wasn't really using anymore.

A little over a year ago, I discovered this lifestyle called minimalism and I really liked the idea of it. A minimalist is someone who wants to live a simpler life with less stuff and clutter. (That's my definition.) Ever since then I have been working on my minimalist journey and decluttering my life. I have given three trash bags of clothes and miscellaneous items to Goodwill (and counting) and five big shopping bags of clothing to friends. I have also sold some items on eBay and Vinted that I thought were worth a bit of money. It feels so good to have less clutter in my life than I used to have.

I feel like this new change has made a big impact on the decisions that I make. I know that I still have a lot of things compared to some people but that is why it's called a journey. I'm not done yet. I still have clothes/shoes that I probably don't wear too often, a book shelf full of books that I have never read, and a drawer full of bath products I have yet to finish.

I have also grown and changed since I have started this new lifestyle. I feel a lot happier and less anxious living more simply with less stuff. Something that I just discovered is that a synonym of clutter is chaos and I feel like that is how I felt with a closet full of clothes I didn't even like. I used to go to the mall with friends just for fun but I would usually buy something every time I did that. Now I hardly shop for fun. I am more practical with how I spend my money and I think about what I want to buy before buying it.

My point in writing about this is not to try and persuade you to live this lifestyle too, although it would be an awesome decision! What I am trying to say in this post is that this is the beginning of a new era in my life. I don't think this is a phase and I am just going to go back to the way I was before. I think this is who I am and who I am striving to be.

                                                                     Image Credit

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5

Much Love,

Angela Paige

Cheers! | My Oxford Experience

Hi ya! So basically, I am the worst blogger known to man and that is why I haven't posted anything in months. So I'm sorry! But, I have returned from my four month journey to Oxford. It was such a great experience and I got to see more of the world around me. I could write forever on this topic but instead, here is a video I made for a class about my growth throughout this experience. I hope you enjoy!

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139: 9-10.

Much Love,

Angela Paige

P.S. Sorry that the video is very poor quality.

God is Here

At the end of my freshman year in college I had this crazy idea that I wanted to go to Oxford for a semester. I got together all the documents and turned them all in. I was so excited. I was going to study abroad! However, in that moment my mood instantly changed. I was on the waiting list. I thought that was the end of it. I started to think of other things I could look forward to during that semester (I actually came up with quite a few).

Throughout the entire summer I became content with the idea of staying in Abilene for another semester. I soon forgot that I had been so excited about studying abroad in the first place. That was until I got an email. There was space in the study abroad program that I had originally applied for. When I read the email I instantly thought, "what do I do now?" Most people would have replied back in an instant. Since I had thought about so many alternatives I became okay with them. 

I eventually emailed back saying that I would go. Leading up to the next semester I contemplated my decision. I went back and forth trying to figure out which option was the best. One day I was completely sure that I wanted to go halfway around the world away from everything I knew. The next day I would back out and think, "there is absolutely no way that I can leave my life here in Houston/Abilene and go to another country for a semester." With that said, I doubted God many times. I didn't think he would provide for me financially. I eventually accepted the fact that I was going to study abroad.

Before we left the states, we (all the study abroad students) met and prepared for our journey. In one of the meetings we talked about how there is two sides of the spectrum. One side is super excited about this upcoming journey and is completely ready. The other is sad and is thinking, "Oh man, I am about to leave the country. I don't think I am ready for this." This one described me to a T. I just said bye to my mom and I wasn't going to see her for four months.

I was sad and missed all my people back in the states for a little bit. I kept telling some of my friends that I didn't know how I have survived this long without them. Then I realized something. God is Here. He has been with me ever since I left Texas. He is the reason I have survived without my friends and family back home. He is present all the way over here in Oxford and in the other places I have visited too. God is the same halfway across the world as He is in my hometown. He is unchanging.

Here are some photos that I have taken and seen God in:

This is a picture of the inside of St. Aldates which is a church in Oxford.

This is a picture of the Abbey in Bath. So beautiful!

This is the Berlin Cathedral. I just think that this picture is stunning.

This is the view from the top of the Berlin Cathedral. This was worth the climb!

This is Athens from the top of a hill I climbed. Amazing right?

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 

Much Love, 

Angela Paige