72: A Spring Reset For Heart, Home, & Habits

Sunlight, open windows, and the itch to purge a closet can feel like the whole story of spring, but the deeper shift happens inside. We explore how a true reset begins with the heart, then flows into the home and the habits that quietly shape each day. With Scripture as our compass, we talk candidly about emotional clutter like comparison and worry, spiritual clutter like distraction and busyness, and the mental noise that comes from constant input. Instead of chasing perfection, we choose repentance, grace, and the steady practice of “word before the world” to reframe our days around what is true and life-giving.

From there, we turn to homemaking as a ministry of peace. Rather than pristine countertops and curated corners, we aim for rooms that serve people with order, simplicity, and warmth. You’ll hear practical ways to start small—one drawer, one shelf, one 15-minute reset after dinner—and how to build simple systems that actually stick because they fit your family in this season. We walk through discerning what to keep, what to release, and how to let wisdom, not pressure, guide the way you set up your spaces.

Finally, we uncover the “hidden clutter” of habits. Morning and evening routines, media boundaries, margin on the calendar, and weekly rest can either drain or restore. By bringing these patterns into the light, testing what works, and editing what doesn’t, we make room for what truly matters. If you’re craving less noise and more peace, you’ll leave with a gentle plan: ask God for one burden to release, one space to calm, and one habit to reset. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs a spring reset, and leave a review to help others find a slower, simpler path forward.

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Transcript

Spring As A Fresh Reset

Leanne Tuggle 0:50

Well, my friends, it is officially spring. The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and I feel like we can kind of all take this collective deep breath. We made it through the winter. Well, unless you have allergies like I do, and then you're kind of gearing up for all that that entails for this spring weather. But one of the things that I do really love about the spring is that feeling of new beginnings. I do love the start of the new year because it does have that fresh start feeling. But the spring provides this sort of natural reset that is hard to ignore. And I think it's for this reason that so many of us open the windows, let the fresh air in, and then suddenly we feel like we need to clean everything. I mean, I can't be the only one who's looking at her windows thinking, ugh, yeah, it's a little cringy. I was chatting with a friend the other day about this desire to clean or declutter once spring rolls around. And she mentioned seeing this meme that honestly described my feelings exactly. And it said this This coffee tastes like things are getting chucked out today. And I have never felt more seen. Because that is exactly the way I am. Wake up one morning and just decide it's all got to go. Maybe it's because of my lifestyle of frequent moving. Thank you, military life. Or it could be because I do tend to be a little bit more of a minimalist. But every spring or even early summer, I feel a need to declutter. It's like this very real urge to get rid of stuff. And this year, I couldn't help but think that maybe it's not just my closets that could stand to be cleaned out. What if spring cleaning included decluttering our hearts, our homes, and our habits? Psalm 139, 23 and 24 says, Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, and see if there is any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. When it comes to embracing excellence this spring, I think it is wise to examine our hearts before our homes. We cannot truly declutter our homes if our hearts are overwhelmed and distracted. And when things are cluttered, it is easy to just keep piling on the clutter. We promise ourselves that we'll take care of it soon, but then soon never comes. So let's do things differently this year. Okay. Consider this season an invitation to ask the Lord to reveal where there might be some clutter in our lives. Do you have emotional clutter? Maybe things like resentment or comparison or worry? Or maybe you're dealing with some spiritual clutter like distraction or busyness or something else that is taking you away from time spent with the Lord. Or perhaps you are sent sorting through mental clutter like noise, overconsumption, or constant input. Yeah, I'm looking at you, social media. Psalm 5110 says, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. I think this is where we need to start in our decluttering process. Before we bring out the garbage bags and start labeling our donation piles, ask God for wisdom and discernment to see the areas in your heart that might be cluttered. You can ask this question, Lord, what in my heart is crowding you out? Or what is weighing heavily on me in this season? Matthew 6.21 provides this reminder for us. It says, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And in this context, I take this to mean that if your heart is cluttered, then chances are pretty high that your life will feel cluttered too. Something I've been convicted of more recently is how infrequently I repent of my simple ways. It's uncomfortable to admit that you still struggle with sin. But a practice of daily repentance is a way of humbling your hearts before the Lord. This is not to feel shame, but rather to fully embrace the freedom that comes with surrendering your sins and laying your burdens at the feet of Jesus. Colossians 3:1 and 2 says it like this: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things here on earth. I want to have that heavenly perspective at the forefront of my mind. It is so easy to get swept back into my old ways of people pleasing or anxiety or bitterness or comparison. Instead, I want to embrace what Hebrews 12, 1 says, to lay aside every weight and sin which clings too closely. And the best way to reset my heart is to prioritize time spent with the Lord. And maybe you started your year really strong. You were waking up early, you were doing your Bible readings, and now a couple of months later, you're struggling to even read a couple of verses. That's okay. Use this spring as your reset. Consider this your quarterly check-in. If you listen to an earlier podcast from this season, I talked about setting up little anchors for yourself throughout the year to check in and see how you're doing with the intentions that you set at the start of the year. So can make this your quarterly check-in time. Pick up right where you left off. I think that's the most important thing. If you had some sort of a Bible reading plan and you got off track, sometimes we have this tendency to think that we have to start all over again. And you don't. You just pick up where you left off. You don't have to start over again in Genesis. This isn't about perfection. Decluttering your heart before the Lord is actually letting go of perfection and choosing instead to meet with God right where you are, word before the world. Even just 10 minutes of scripture reading is enough to replace negative thought patterns with the truth. When I first started this podcast, I use the verse Philippians 4, 8 as sort of an anchor for the entire premise of this show. And that verse says, Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. I think of this verse as like our roadmap. These are the things that we want to fill our hearts with. So as you declutter and you let go of the things that weigh you down, replace with whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy. This is the heart reset that you need. And then once our hearts are decluttered, we can move forward with stewarding our homes well. You want your home to be a place of peace, a place where your people feel safe and refreshed and loved. Homemaking is intentional. It's not about having perfectly decorated rooms or pristine countertops. It is about creating a space that feels peace-filled. Proverbs 24, 3 through 4 says, By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. By knowledge, the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. I love these verses because it means that I can rely on God to help me create a space that reflects his peace and beauty. Wisdom comes from him. So I can ask him to help when it comes to ordering my home. And 1 Corinthians 14, 33, one of my favorite verses, confirms this when it says that God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. But you have to start somewhere, right? One drawer, one shelf, maybe even one room at a time. I find it helpful to maybe even set a timer right after dinner and for 15 minutes go through the house and put everything away in its place. Since my children are eight years and older, I include them in this process, and then we can cozy up for a time of reading together in a space that is tidy and calm and full of peace. Now, when you saw the title for this episode, you may have been thinking that this would include tips for how to declutter or the best ways to do spring cleaning in your home. And that sounds like a really great episode. But I really do want to encourage you to think about systems that will lend to more peace in your home. And I do find that the simpler the systems or routine, the easier it is for me and for my family to follow it. And I truly believe that coming up with systems that work for you and your family are more likely to be the systems that you actually use. I could tell you exactly what we do in our home, but if it doesn't make sense for you, if it doesn't make sense for your family, you're not going to follow them. So the best way to create systems is to really sit down and brainstorm and think about what isn't working in your home, what area is maybe getting more clutter, and then think through how you can solve that problem and be consistent with it. I highly recommend the book Living Well at Home by Jennifer L. Scott if you would like more practical tips on how to create method and order in your home. And when it comes to actually decluttering your home, keeping only what serves your family and your calling in this current season is the best way to go. And then let go of everything else. And then lastly, when it comes to decluttering, you need to consider your habits. Habits are often unconscious clutter. These are the things that we do over and over again without even thinking about it. Ephesians 5, 15 and 16 says, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time. And this is exactly how you declutter your habits. Because they are unconscious, you have to bring them up to the conscious level and then decide what is working and what isn't working. Really examine those habits, the things that you do without even thinking, and then edit them as needed. And spring is a wonderful time to reset your routines. Routines to evaluate, some routines that you might want to take another look at are your morning routine, your evening routine, maybe even your media consumption, or your Sabbath rest time. Are you saving time to rest each week? You might even spend a few minutes with your calendar and check to see if there's any room for margin, or are your days completely jam-packed. Do you need to reevaluate some plans so that there is room for family time or downtime? Romans 12, 2 says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Our culture is hyper-focused on doing all the things. And it is so easy to get wrapped up in all of it, too. But that kind of living isn't sustainable and it's not in alignment with God's design for you or your family. 2 Corinthians 5.17 reveals the truth of who you are in Christ. It says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. So don't settle for the old way of doing things. Let this spring be about making room for the things that matter most. When it comes to your heart, your home, and your habits, less clutter equals more time with God, more peace in your home, and more space for living with intention. So this week, when the urge to start purging or cleaning or decluttering hits, consider this an invitation to seek the Lord first. Ask God to reveal maybe one thing in your heart that you need to release. Ask Him to show you one space in your home that needs more peace. Or ask for wisdom when it comes to the habits you need to keep and the habits you may need to reset. To wrap up this episode, I want to read this one verse from Isaiah. The encouragement found right here in Scripture can inspire us to take that next step to welcome the spring and see it as an opportunity to draw near to God. Isaiah 43, 19 says, Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Allow the Lord to make a way for you to declutter your heart, your home, and your habits this spring.