Spiritual Pack Rat Problems

[bobinfaith]

Hello brothers and sisters;

I have to deal with a problem in our home, being a pack rat but a spiritual pack rat.

I have boxed and stored in Ikea white cabinet drawers stuff like church documents and documents going back 22 years, old career docs, tax returns, old mortgage docs, and old outdated electronic cables and hardware, etc...

I always felt that one day I may have a need for this stuff and I feel that's part of the trap. I think of the Scripture in Matthew 6:19 - 21, 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - ESV

Am I trying to take this stuff to heaven?

Many of you may be able to relate to my problem. I've researched and the first thing I came across, "hold the item in my hand and ask, do I really need it?"

Shall I put it in the trash, recycling, donate?

Can anyone relate and what solutions did you come up with that may help this thread?

 

[rtm3039]

Hello brothers and sisters;

I have to deal with a problem in our home, being a pack rat but a spiritual pack rat.

I have boxed and stored in Ikea white cabinet drawers stuff like church documents and documents going back 22 years, old career docs, tax returns, old mortgage docs, and old outdated electronic cables and hardware, etc...

I always felt that one day I may have a need for this stuff and I feel that's part of the trap. I think of the Scripture in Matthew 6:19 - 21, 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - ESV

Am I trying to take this stuff to heaven?

Many of you may be able to relate to my problem. I've researched and the first thing I came across, "hold the item in my hand and ask, do I really need it?"

Shall I put it in the trash, recycling, donate?

Can anyone relate and what solutions did you come up with that may help this thread?

Donation is always the best option; however, I too suffer from this. I don't even want to think about all the junk I have in the garage. In this closet, I have the "turn table," amplifier, and tape deck I got in 1978. I also have two electric typewriters from the early 80s.

It will not be easy to part with this stuff, when the time comes (probably when I retire, and we relocate to Memphis).

 

[Cosia]

Yes I can relate bobinfaith very.uch so.
I put away souch stuff that I can't even remember what I have there. I think things like tax returns are good to keep, but not forever.

The list of items would go on and on. I do have clear ours now and then. I find things I have never used and wonder why I bought them. Clear outs go in charity bags or recycle bins.
I am getting better at not hoarding but still not quite there yet. I can always think of a good reason to keep something. Then I remind myself 'enough for the day thereof.'

God Bless

 

[blueskies]

Shall I put it in the trash, recycling, donate?

Very timely brother, my wife and I have been discussing this ver problem.

I can not advise from a position of righteousness as we suffer from the same affliction. There are just my wife an I in a large house, with all we’ve accumulated, along with stuff from deceased friends and relatives.

What we’ve decided is to go room by room and make 3 piles.

A pile of what we find important.
A pile of that which we would sell.
A pile to donate
A pile to toss.

Wait, that’s 4 piles…!

Looks like we’re still in the planning stage. I’ll have to get back to you on this.

 

[bobinfaith]

Donation is always the best option; however, I too suffer from this. I don't even want to think about all the junk I have in the garage. In this closet, I have the "turn table," amplifier, and tape deck I got in 1978. I also have two electric typewriters from the early 80s.

It will not be easy to part with this stuff, when the time comes (probably when I retire, and we relocate to Memphis).

View attachment 7564

Hey Ray;

You made me feel better. I'm not alone with my pack rat problem. I recently gave our 1987 Pioneer stereo system - turntable, amplifier, radio receiver, and dual tape cassette to a friend who can use it.

My brother's hobby is collecting old vinyl and plan to give him all my albums.

 

[Lanolin]

Can I ask Bob
are church documents and documents going back 22 years, old career docs, tax returns, old mortgage docs, and old outdated electronic cables and hardware

your TREASURE???

All paper stuff can be shredded for compost/worms
Cables and hardware can take to scrapyard or maker places where people can take it apart and play with it.

Then you will have an empty IKEA cabinet and you can sell that to some poor flatters who need something for storage, since a lot of flats are poky with no storage space. Or donate it to the charity shop.

I can't think of what church documents you'd want to keep (lists of peoples sins, you can shred obviously) as God doesn't keep records of wrongs. Everything else if you want to keep make it into a book. Maybe have 22 books, one for each year? Or maybe if you can squeeze it into maybe 3 volumes and just have one for each decade.

 

[rtm3039]

Hey Ray;

You made me feel better. I'm not alone with my pack rat problem. I recently gave our 1987 Pioneer stereo system - turntable, amplifier, radio receiver, and dual tape cassette to a friend who can use it.

My brother's hobby is collecting old vinyl and plan to give him all my albums.

A while back, I did organize my closet from a mess to a lesser mess. Now I have these large plastic containers with all the junk inside. One container has almost every possible computer cable one can imagine. I have also kept every old laptop I have ever had. I have external zip drives, 3.5 drives, and even a 5.1/4 drive. None of it is of any value, but still have them

 

[rtm3039]

Hey Ray;

You made me feel better. I'm not alone with my pack rat problem. I recently gave our 1987 Pioneer stereo system - turntable, amplifier, radio receiver, and dual tape cassette to a friend who can use it.

My brother's hobby is collecting old vinyl and plan to give him all my albums.

PS. Somewhere in the garage, I have a whole container full of vinyl. I also have at least 300 VHS cassettes. Back around 1995, I joined one of these services where you could get a bunch of VHS movies for a penny each and then at regular prices. I decided to buy a copy of every movie I have ever liked. Now they sit in limbo too

 

[Via dolarossa]

Well some one will recycle them.
I know some artists do create unusual items that are a talking piece:

 

[Lanolin]

My eyes
I once stacked all the old unread books in my library next to the height chart and just made a sign saying 'Can you read your height in books?' as a challenge. It didn't quite reach the ceiling. Once I didn't stack it properly and they all came crashing down.

 

[Lanolin]

I am not sure what my Dad will do with all his thousands of 45 vinyls when he leaves this earth. Mostly they are from the US.
Unless they are donated to MOTAT or a sound archive, I am not sure what you can use them for. CDS make bird scarers or you can cut them up to make sparkly mosaics.

I considered sending them back to the recording companies that made them if they still exist. Decca, RCA, Capitol...? Surely they will know what to do with them. Though places like Real Groovy take them (which is where he bought a lot of them from anyway)

Its like me buying from an op shop and donating my goods at the same time. Sometimes I think I'm just swapping stuff.

 

[bobinfaith]

I am not sure what my Dad will do with all his thousands of 45 vinyls when he leaves this earth. Mostly they are from the US.
Unless they are donated to MOTAT or a sound archive, I am not sure what you can use them for. CDS make bird scarers or you can cut them up to make sparkly mosaics. I considered sending them back to the recording companies that made them if they still exist. Decca, RCA, Capitol...? Surely they will know what to do with them. Though places like Real Groovy take them (which is where he bought a lot of them from anyway) Its like me buying from an op shop and donating my goods at the same time. Sometimes I think I'm just swapping stuff.

Can I ask Bob are church documents and documents going back 22 years, old career docs, tax returns, old mortgage docs, and old outdated electronic cables and hardware your TREASURE???

Hey Lanolin;

I had the same problem with my collection of vinyl 45s and LPs. You'll be surprised how many record collectors there are that have good turntables to play them on.

My brother's hobby is collecting old LPs, puts the album cover in clear plastic sheets and keeps an inventory in his computer of his albums, group, year and he probably includes the songs on side A and B. He is willing to take my collection of LPs off my hands.

I'm sure there has to be a record collector in Auckland that would love to take them from your Dad.

My church documents, old tax returns and other docs and old electronic hardware can be destroyed or donated by a recycling company. They're not my treasures but I have to be honest, why I kept so many years of stuff is beyond me.

I did share in another post that I still have 11,000 marbles all packaged in bags of 50. I used to teach kids how to play marbles and sell them back in the 90s. I asked the Salvation Army thrift shop if I can donate them and they said yes.

Please pray I'm not just talking but will be a doer of this project.

 

[Major]

Hello brothers and sisters;

I have to deal with a problem in our home, being a pack rat but a spiritual pack rat.

I have boxed and stored in Ikea white cabinet drawers stuff like church documents and documents going back 22 years, old career docs, tax returns, old mortgage docs, and old outdated electronic cables and hardware, etc...

I always felt that one day I may have a need for this stuff and I feel that's part of the trap. I think of the Scripture in Matthew 6:19 - 21, 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - ESV

Am I trying to take this stuff to heaven?

Many of you may be able to relate to my problem. I've researched and the first thing I came across, "hold the item in my hand and ask, do I really need it?"

Shall I put it in the trash, recycling, donate?

Can anyone relate and what solutions did you come up with that may help this thread?

NO! Save IT!

I have saved all my sermon notes and cassette tapes (Before CD's).

I have saved all my production books and study guides.

I have over the years had several associate pastors come by and borrow such things for their own church use. It has saved a lot of small churches a lot of money. I have told my grandchildren that it is all theirs when I leave here and maybe they can produce some books or such to help others.

 

[Lanolin]

I used to think people were nice giving me their stuff but have become a bit cynical when I realised they were just using me as a dumping ground or storage for their junk.

I just say I don't have the room. Literally I do not. Older people are very bad at this thinking younger people will really want to wear their outdated fashions, worn furniture, broken tools etc. lol

 

[rtm3039]

I used to think people were nice giving me their stuff but have become a bit cynical when I realised they were just using me as a dumping ground or storage for their junk.

I just say I don't have the room. Literally I do not. Older people are very bad at this thinking younger people will really want to wear their outdated fashions, worn furniture, broken tools etc. lol

Ok, but if these evil old people are giving you stuff, and you are taking then, isn't it your fault?

 

[bobinfaith]

With all the deaths, and dying there has been in my life, people tend to leave way too much stuff behind.
-----Let Me Stress This-------Please think of the next generations, and your children/family/friends who will be stuck with the task of getting rid of your outdated "Sh--" It is a very daunting and difficult thing to do, going through box after box of needless documentation wondering why it was kept. Get Rid Of Your Stuff. Simple. Documentation can be shredded, and there are companies that will deliver commercial sized shredders.
Thrift stores, and donation boxes abound in every community. You can also organize a church rummage sale, then donate what doesnt sell.
It really is an easy thing to do. Fill up some contractor bags/boxes and take them somewhere. Why do so many people have so much stuff?
Havent worn/used/needed it in over a year? Chances are you dont.

Thank you, thenami!

I really need to get rid of my outdated "shtuff". lol!

Well, everyone's posts inspired me to get this project started.

I'm doing handyman stuff around the house this week and as I was putting ladders and stuff back in the shed I came across more stuff!

I definitely don't want my wife and family to get stuck with my stuff and not knowing what to do with it.

As Major suggested, I already have my old sermons and seminary papers in a separate storage and don't really want to get rid of them.

Goal to complete? By the end of August.

 

[Cosia]

Thank you, thenami!

I really need to get rid of my outdated "shtuff". lol!

Well, everyone's posts inspired me to get this project started.

I'm doing handyman stuff around the house this week and as I was putting ladders and stuff back in the shed I came across more stuff!

I definitely don't want my wife and family to get stuck with my stuff and not knowing what to do with it.

As Major suggested, I already have my old sermons and seminary papers in a separate storage and don't really want to get rid of them.

Goal to complete? By the end of August.

Hello bobinfaith
Just put a note on my calendar for 31st August,"Ask bobinfaith a question"

 

[D3vot3d2G0d]

I said when I first came here I am an affirmed minimalist.
If it's not used or worn in 6 months it finds a new home in donations.
Paper mail, I shred and trash ,most companies are going paperless anyway.
Places of business will keep records for yrs and you can buy back a copy when needed.
7 yrs is what is required by law to keep records if I'm not mistaken.

I have also went through too many family members deaths and had to do the removal. It isn't mine anyway so it doesn't hold sentiment to me.
I do NOT want my daughter to have to go through the trouble,so my papers are kept in order in an attached case and I just did my LIVING WILL.

So I think I'm ready to go for Jesus said NOT to return to your house to get something when it's time to go.......... can't take it with us anyway ! smiles

 

[bobinfaith]

I said when I first came here I am an affirmed minimalist. If it's not used or worn in 6 months it finds a new home in donations. Paper mail, I shred and trash ,most companies are going paperless anyway. Places of business will keep records for yrs and you can buy back a copy when needed. 7 yrs is what is required by law to keep records if I'm not mistaken. I have also went through too many family members deaths and had to do the removal. It isn't mine anyway so it doesn't hold sentiment to me. I do NOT want my daughter to have to go through the trouble,so my papers are kept in order in an attached case and I just did my LIVING WILL. So I think I'm ready to go for Jesus said NOT to return to your house to get something when it's time to go.......... can't take it with us anyway ! smiles

Hello D3v;

Good to see you back, sister. God bless you!

I feel for the help you gave for removal of stuff. So I shared this with my wife, should I go be with the Lord before her, I don't want her to be burdened with left over stuff that I hung on to for years.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[Lanolin]

Ok, but if these evil old people are giving you stuff, and you are taking then, isn't it your fault?

I'm not taking them though. Who said I was taking them? They just drop it at my doorstep, or leave it in my car. They don't even give me a chance to say no. I don't say anything but they just put it there. Or mum takes it..cos she can't say no.