When our glasses are dirty and scratched or when our contacts have debris on them, it impacts the way we see and perceive the world around us. We might be able to see something in front of us, but we may not see it clearly or be able to recognize what it really is. In the same way, our perception of other people, or even ourselves, can be clouded. We don't see things the way we should. We rely on superficial things, negative character traits, past failures, and hurtful comments to determine how we view ourselves or how we view others. Why is it that I sometimes have a cluttered perception of myself or other people? How do I clean out the clutter keeps me from truly seeing things the way God wants me to?

We all have lots of different things to which we give our attention, our effort, our time, even our finances. And most of the time the things that dominate our schedules and our list of priorities aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves. There's nothing wrong with advancing our careers or setting and accomplishing goals or having nice possessions. But what about when I become more passionate about pursuing those things than I am about pursuing God? What do I do when something besides God begins to own my heart?

Many of us have allowed ourselves to accumulate a lot of junk. Not old clothes or broken toys or containers of random bolts and electrical cords, but we accumulate addictions and criticisms and debt and various anxieties. We hold onto thoughts and habits and even relationships that are unhealthy or hurtful, and they end up clogging up our minds and our hearts and keep us from freely experiencing the life God wants to carve out for us. We invite you to join us at Flagstone as we begin the new year identifying some of the clutter we’re holding onto and discovering how to clean it out and experience a more uncluttered life.