What Decluttering a Room Taught Me and How It Will Set You Up For a Relational Win in 2025 with Melinda Patrick {Eps 79}

What Decluttering a Room Taught Me and How It Will Set You Up For a Relational Win in 2025 with Melinda Patrick {Eps 79}

Author: Melinda Patrick January 10, 2025 Duration: 32:40

We have this room in our home that I affectionately call the gathering room. It rests above our garage and for many years it was a great connecting place with family and friends. In fact that is the original intent of the room. A gathering place for family and friends. A place where we could hang out, play games, watch a movie and relax. A place where we could enjoy laughter and long late-night talks with our children and one day grandchildren.

And, that is how the room was for a many years.

But overtime, the room became a place to stash and hide things away in a hurry when company came. Which eventually turned into a place where I would store items I didn't know what to do with  -  always with the mind set: One day I will take the time to get this sorted back out and cleaned up.

But …the time didn't come and I have continued living my life while steadily stashing away items in the bonus room like a squirrel packs his nest for winter.

Our hearts can be the same way.  

In this episode, I share with you 3 things I learned on this decluttering journey that will also help us declutter our hearts and set us up for relational wins in 2025. 

I also share two ways to maintain a clean room and a clean heart along with 3 questions you can ask yourself as you declutter:

  1. How well has this attitude, thought, or behavior worked for me?
  2. Does this bring me joy in life?
  3. Do I want my children to have to deal with this?

If you are decluttering a room or your heart this year, let me know.  I would love to cheer you on and prayer for you.  Send me an email:  melinda@melindapatrick.org

Also, please share this episode with someone else who may need to be encouraged.

Let's start 2025 off with decluttered hearts!


Melinda Patrick hosts The Bridge Between Us: A Guide For Christian Parents Navigating the LGBTQ Conversation, a space created for those navigating one of family life's most complex and emotional journeys. This podcast speaks directly to the moment a parent learns their child identifies as LGBTQ-a moment often met with a whirlwind of love, fear, faith questions, and a deep desire to preserve connection. Rather than offering simplistic answers, these conversations explore the nuanced tension between deeply held religious beliefs and the unconditional love for a child. Melinda brings empathy and understanding to the heartbreak and confusion, assuring parents they are not alone in their struggle. Each episode delves into practical aspects of building and maintaining that essential bridge of relationship, discussing what it means to embody both grace and truth in daily interactions. The dialogue here is for parents seeking to move beyond fear or isolation, looking for a compassionate path forward that honors their faith and their child. By focusing on real stories and thoughtful perspectives, this podcast becomes a vital resource for strengthening family bonds during a time of profound change. It’s about finding a way to walk together, even when the path feels unfamiliar.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Bridge Between Us: A Guide For Christian Parents Navigating the LGBTQ Conversation
Podcast Episodes
Still Faithful: What Faith Looks Like Moving Forward {Eps 129} [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:33
After walking through pain, courage, renewal, and joy, many parents find themselves asking a new question: What does faith look like now? Not before the hardship. Not once everything is resolved. But here — in the middle…
Still Faithful: Rebuilding Joy Without Betraying the Pain {Eps 128} [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:33
After a long season of grief, uncertainty, and emotional weight, joy can feel complicated. Many parents find that when moments of lightness or happiness begin to return, they are quickly followed by guilt. It can feel wr…
Still Faithful: Courage When The Story Isn't Finished {Eps 127} [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:47
When a parenting story remains unresolved, courage can feel difficult to define. Many parents believe courage means having answers, confidence, or certainty about the future. But faith often asks something different. In…
Still Faithful: When God Invites You To Rise Again {Eps 126} [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:54
After long seasons of grief, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion, many parents find themselves in a kind of spiritual winter. Life has been focused on carrying, praying, waiting, and holding tension. But sometimes, qui…
Still Faithful — Boundaries That Protect Love (Not Punish It) {123} [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:34
Setting boundaries as a parent can feel confusing — especially in painful or estranged relationships. Many parents worry that boundaries mean rejection, distance, or giving up on their child. In this episode of the Still…
Still Faithful - Loving Well Without Losing Yourself {Eps 122} [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:57
If January was about stabilizing the heart, February invites us to reimagine love — not as fixing or chasing, but as something steady, humble, and true. In this episode, we talk about what it means to love well when rela…
Still Faithful — Faithfulness When Nothing Is Resolved {Eps 121} [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:00
Some parenting stories don't resolve neatly. Relationships remain strained. Questions remain unanswered. And the waiting can feel exhausting. In Episode 5 of the Still Faithful series, we talk about what faithfulness loo…
Still Faithful: Staying Rooted When Trust Feels Fragile {Eps 120} [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:52
Trusting God can feel especially fragile in painful parenting seasons. For many parents, faith doesn't feel confident or clear — it feels cautious, tender, and uncertain. In Episode 4 of the Still Faithful series, we tal…