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.

Author Interview Liana and Angie

Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Angie & Liana: Our hope is that readers will be able to identify and eliminate the clutter in their homes, their schedules, and their minds so they can deepen their relationship with God and with their loved ones and can spend time doing what they love.

Q: Are you working on another book now?

Angie: Yes and no. The writing project I’m working on most right now is a play featuring a professional organizer and her family. I hope to have it performed at the local community theatre I have acted in most and which helped me start my career as a professional organizer. While organizing their costumes, props, and set pieces, I realized that this was something I absolutely loved to do. A few years later, I started my professional organizing business, Shipshape Solutions. My next project after that is to write a book with my husband about our adventures hiking in all 63 national parks. It will be a book of devotions for couples.

Liana: No. I’ve been writing nonstop since 2017 and am in need of a break. I do have at least 3 other novel ideas that I hope to write someday, but for now I’m just taking it slow and enjoying not being on a deadline.

Q: How long did it take you to write this book?

Angie & Liana: Liana had the idea for the book in 2001! She started writing it a few years later. Twice she got negative feedback on the idea and put it “back on the shelf.” We met virtually in 2021 and began writing sometime that year. While we’ve each also been working on our podcast and on other writing projects individually, it’s taken us 2-3 years from start to finish. (To hear the whole story, watch or listen to Season 3 Episode 11 The Big Reveal of our podcast.)

Q: What do you wish you’d known when you were younger?

Angie: There were a lot of things I thought about doing but assumed I didn’t have the talent, passion, or opportunity to do. I never would have imagined that one day I’d start a small business, start a podcast, or write a book. I wish I’d had more confidence in myself to enable me to dream big from an early age.

Liana: That it’s never too late to pursue your dreams. I assumed that I was too old to write a book (my lifelong dream), but at the age of 50 I received my first publishing contract. Four years later I have 4 books published (3 novels, 1 devotional).

Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your book?

Angie & Liana: You can find everything you need to know about the Uncluttered book and podcast on our website (uncluttered.faith).

Angie: For information about me individually and my writing and speaking, visit my website (shipshape.solutions).

Liana: My website - lianageorge.com

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.