About the Book

Book: Uncluttered: Shaping Your Heart & Home for What Matters Most

Authors: Liana George and Angie Hyche

Genre: Nonfiction Devotional Book

Release date: June 11, 2024

In a world where chaos reigns and clutter overwhelms, discover the profound connection between orderliness, faith, and inner peace.

When organizing gurus like Marie Kondo and The Home Edit talk about orderly living, people listen! From Container Store junkies who love labels and color-coded files to homeowners who struggle with too much stuff, fans of these experts often consider their teaching sacred knowledge.

But is that the only help available?

Thankfully, for Christians, the Bible is a wealth of organizing principles waiting to be mined.

In Uncluttered: Shaping Your Heart & Home for What Matters Most, professional organizers and authors Liana George and Angie Hyche delve into the timeless wisdom of God’s orderliness, revealing how it extends far beyond mere tidiness. Through poignant personal anecdotes, Scripture, and practical advice, this four-week devotional invites readers to embrace the beauty of simplicity.

From decluttering your physical space to clearing your mind, each day offers a transformative insight and actionable step towards a more serene existence. Whether you’re a seasoned organizer or a clutter connoisseur seeking solace, Uncluttered provides a roadmap to a life of harmony, purpose, and joy. And ultimately, making room for what matters most.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Authors

Liana George is a sought-after speaker, blogger, and author. Before pursuing a career in writing, she was a professional organizer and is the former owner of By George Organizing Solutions in Houston. Her debut novel, Perfectly Arranged, Book One in the Hopeful Heart Series, was released in October 2021 from Scrivenings Press. The second book in the series, Perfectly Placed was released in July 2022, and the third book in the series, Perfectly Matched, was released in April 2023. When she’s not putting things in order or scribbling away, you can find her reading, traveling, or watching tennis.

Angie Hyche is a certified professional organizer (CPO®), author, speaker, and the owner of Shipshape Solutions in Kingsport, Tennessee. She is passionate about helping her readers and listeners declutter and simplify their lives so they can focus on what’s most important and spend time doing what they love. Her first book, Unholy Mess: What the Bible Says about Clutter, was published on Amazon in December of 2020.

More from Liana and Angie

If you were to do a Google search for books related to the topic of organizing, you’d see a wide range of options—from books on decluttering your home to the best way to manage your time. But nowhere on the list would you see the Bible listed as a resource.

Why? Because most people don’t consider the Bible to have much to say on the topic. But they’d be wrong. The Bible is full of organizational principles waiting to be mined!

That’s why we wrote the devotional, Uncluttered: Shaping Your Heart & Home for What Matters Most. We wanted to show people—in a non-judgmental format—that God has a lot to say on the subject.

Here’s one example:

Day 12

A Time to Let Go

“… a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away …”

Ecclesiastes 3:5-6 (NIV)

It was time.

The soles of my favorite silver sandals were worn paper-thin. Ten years of constant use had taken its toll. Every time I slipped those shoes on for an outing, I knew I would slide them off in pain.

It was time I let go.

But I couldn’t. I was certain I would never find another pair of sandals with such unique style and flair. They were my go-to shoes, my favorites, the ones I couldn’t travel without. How could I possibly get rid of them? Yet, my season for these beautiful sandals had surpassed the time they were intended. They did the job they were supposed to do—and then some. It was only fitting that I say goodbye to them so I could make space for a new pair.

It was time I let go for good.

While you may not have trouble parting with a certain pair of shoes, you likely have other items in your home that you are endeared to—your old, comfy jeans; the worn-out stuffed animal that’s missing an eye; the trophies you won in high school that remind you of your glory days.

There was a proper season for those things, but now it may be time to let them go once and for all. It’s never easy, but it’s usually necessary. When we do, we are no longer bound by things that tie us down, bring us stress, or cause us pain. Instead, we can live with peace and freedom.

But we’ll never see those results if we continue to cling to the things that no longer serve us. It’s only when we let go that we can receive what’s waiting for us in the next season of life.

Prayer

Father, give me the strength I need to remove the unnecessary so the essential has first place in my life. Help me make room for that which serves me well and brings glory to You. Loosen my grip on what I need to let go of so my hands will be free to receive all You have for me.

Now, Unclutter It!

When is it time to let go?

How do you know when it’s time to let go of a pair of shoes, a piece of clothing, an unused kitchen appliance, or anything else in your house? Is it a feeling you get, or are there visual indications that an item you own is no longer serving you?

While there’s no definitive guide to dictate when or what to remove from your home, here are a few signs it might be time to part ways with your physical stuff:

Dust collecting on the item
Tears/rips, broken or missing parts, rendering it useless
It’s been crammed in the back of your drawer or closet, and you haven’t missed it
It no longer works properly and makes it hard to use
You have no idea what it is or how to use it You’ve had it for a while, and it’s still in its original packaging, untouched, or has the price tag attached
Its “best by” date has passed

As you work through different rooms or spaces in your house, keep this list handy to help you determine whether or not to hold onto an item. In most cases, you’ll find you can probably discard or donate the item without any regrets. Whatever it was had its season in your life. Now, it’s time to let it go.

Reflection: Which of these signs did you notice most often as you worked through your stuff? What does that indicate to you?

We hope you’ll find Uncluttered to be a valuable resource, not only for your heart but for your home as well.

Author Interview

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

Angie: I learned that the shorter the writing, the more difficult it is to write. It seems like it would be the opposite! We decided to aim for about 350 words in our devotionals. I had been writing 1,100 word articles for local newspapers for seven years. It was a difficult transition! When you have fewer words to work with, you have to be more choosy and specific in choosing them. But I love the challenge of it, and I’m eager to write more!

Liana: That God will give you what you need when you need it. I was diagnosed with cancer in October 2023 and the manuscript for Uncluttered was due in November. I asked our publisher for an extension and she graciously gave us until Feb 1, 2024. As of Jan 1, I had only written 4 of the 14 devotionals I was responsible for (Angie was a rockstar and had hers down already). I wasn’t sure how I would get them done in time, but God provided every word and idea to write those 10 devotionals, complete the edits and turn in our manuscript 2 days early!

Do you read the genre you write? Why or why not?

Angie: Although there are many Christian professional organizers who have written books, very few have made the connection between faith and organizing. Very few of its type exist. And I’ve read almost all of them. I’ve also read LOTS of organizing books and lots of devotional books. But I’m not sure either genre was necessarily helpful in our process. It’s a very unique niche.

Liana: I do enjoy devotional reading from time to time, but when I’m writing I try not to read in that specific genre so I don’t confuse any of my material with others’.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

Angie: Get your ideas down, no matter where you are in the process. Don’t wait to figure out what they’re going to become, what tools you want to use, how to format them, etc. Just record them somewhere! You can’t edit what you haven’t written.

Liana: That beauty is in the chaos and to embrace that when you’re writing. Your first draft will be messy and probably not very good, but once you’ve finished that early writing, then you can easily chisel away the drivel and discover your masterpiece.

How did publishing your first book change your writing process?

Angie: My first book, Unholy Mess: What the Bible Says about Clutter, was self-published in 2020. I’m not sure I changed my writing process after publishing this book, but I improved my skills considerably thanks to working with Liana George. She had been taking writing lessons for years and had already published her wonderful trilogy of fiction books about a professional organizer. With her example and guidance, as well as what I’ve learned from our publishing company, Scrivenings Press, my writing has taken a big step up in quality.

Liana: My first three books (Perfectly Arranged, Perfectly Placed, and Perfectly Matched) were novels so the writing process was different than a devotional. However, after sending those 3 novels out into the world, I gained more confidence in my writing ability, which helped as I worked on Uncluttered.

Is your writing space pristine or organized chaos?

Angie:I’m sure that you won’t be surprised to learn that my writing space, as well as pretty much my whole home, is pristine. I’ve spent many years helping clients declutter and organize, and the more experience I had, the more I learned to value spaces free of clutter. The clutter in my schedule and my mind is a different story that is more akin to organized chaos.

Liana: Organized. I can’t create in chaos or clutter.