Comments on: Mice in our couches.

By: Couch Mouse House – Responding to Jon Acuff « Finally Human

Couch Mouse House – Responding to Jon Acuff « Finally Human — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 01:53:54 +0000

[...] read this provoking article by Jon Acuff, a frankly brilliant writer whom you should all make certain to connect [...]

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:34:33 +0000

thanks for this post, i know it's old but so what…..i needed it today.

By: mom 4ever & love it

mom 4ever & love it — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:58:18 +0000

I 'd been doing emotional hoarding for so long, I began to physically hoard, only I didn't realize what I was doing. Unfortunately, I've had an actual mouse in the sofa situation – although I did get rid of the sofa; but I didn't immediately see my problem. About 6 months later I made some decisions to clear out the emotional baggage – that was given to me by my mother at the age of 8years old – I was 38 when I finally made that decision. Found out the hard way that others – the ones who gave you baggage- don't want you sorting through and clearing out. Went through some very hard times- and began to relapse. Finally got to a point on yesterday in church – GOD is so good- where I gave HIM all of it. The stuff I knew about and the stuff I didn't. Now I have to start on the physical stuff and It is hard; while I am committed, I know this is not going to be easy.

Then I stumbled upon your site, while looking at someones FB page and then going through Dave Ramsey's page. I read a few things and laughed real good. Then wham. I know this was for me though. It was God's way of reminding me that he's there for me and with me while I go through this. Amazing how the LORD will take you where you need to be

By: Terri

Terri — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:44:03 +0000

I really struggled with disorganization and clutter and I found myself overcommitting and then coming up with "white lies" to get out of it—-sometimes just in my head but the thoughts were there almost as soon as I committed. I went to a retreat and really felt convicted about the lying and living a life that didn't shine the light on Jesus but instead shined it on me, a frazzled follower. It was a life-changing moment for me and I realized that clutter and disorganization were strongholds for me and I wanted my stronghold to be Jesus. We're meant to be free (Gal. 5:1) and I wasn't living that life, I was yoked to chaos. Now I help others organize and love it.
Paperwork—set up a filing system and make a rule to only touch the paper once. Toss or file. Most, if not all, manuals are online. Junk mail should be tossed before it's set on the counter. Set up a "mom binder" with your calendar and kid's activities so they don't get lost or put them in your filing cabinet, at the front, labeled. I like to use a label maker because it's easier to read and makes me feel even more organized.
These are all things you can learn but you have to be willing to make the change.

By: Stephanie Butenhof

Stephanie Butenhof — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:56:07 +0000

Wow. I've had to deal with this a lot. Pretty much everything you were saying! I needed this today. Thanks.

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:31:58 +0000

Hoarding is not an addiction. Its an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

By: Reads of the week – 2010 – 7 « Hope In Love

Reads of the week – 2010 – 7 « Hope In Love — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:17:57 +0000

[...] Mice in our couches (Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff – @prodigaljohn) [...]

By: Andrea

Andrea — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:28:01 +0000

"You don’t have to heal your diseases. You don’t have to hold on to your hurt."

I think that's the hardest thing for anyone to get – that it doesn't depend on us one bit. It's ALL God – and until we accept that forgiveness and healing, those mice in our couches are just going to continue to multiply.

By: Joni Ruhs

Joni Ruhs — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:22:13 +0000

Oh I struggle with holding onto it myself. My fear is that if I'm free of shame then other people will think I haven't properly repented or that I'm not sorry. I have to constantly remind myself that there is no condemnation in Jesus. Freedom from sin and shame is the incredible joy I get glimpses of now and then but inconsistently. I'm glad I read your comment. I need to keep being reminded to live free.

By: RawFaith

RawFaith — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:27:52 +0000

I used to help run a group for women who had been abused and were trying to move forward with their lives, so the issue of dealing with the pain and the hurt from the past came up a lot. One of the women talked about holding onto the pain because it was so familiar that it was a safe place for her to live and retreat to… that painful and familiar was better than the unknown of working through the pain and moving forward into a new way of coping and relating. It's doesn't feel safe letting go of the defenses and the things we carry around as part of our identity. For me it was very scary even hoping that God could be the one being in the universe that could heal and forgive like that. But it was an amazingly wonderful surprise that He really could be trusted, and that life could be better without as much of the emotional baggage. It's good to know He's still about the buisness of doing the follow up decluttering too so it doesn't go back to the way it was before. Thanks Jon.