This chapter is all about finding your center and what is there. Her principal argument here is that surroundings should reflect the center. For her, of course, God is the center, and whether we have an entire home or only a drawer to call our own, it should “reflect the beauty of woman whose heart is with God” (Ortlund, Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman, 76). Then she says something that would fit Marie Kondo’s philosophy: If everything doesn’t fit in your space, you have too much stuff. It’s time to clean house. As Kondo would tell us, keep that which sparks joy.

So start with your intimate life (no, not that): your bedside table, your sink. Basically, bring order and beauty to your private spaces. I like that, especially when she talks about having spaces that are off-limits to kids. Yes, please.

Then she moves on to the people around you and loses me. “Honor that person [spouse, roommate, whoever] by looking nice as much as you can” (Ortlund, Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman, 77). Um. Why looking nice? Why not offering calm, kindness, sanctuary? I’m totally on board with the notion that leaving a mess causes stress so don’t do it. I come home from work and know exactly how walking into a clean, calm house feels vs. a messy toy room and crying children.

This really is the Marie Kondo chapter, because the next few pages are dedicated to tidying–bathroom counters, closets, drawers, etc. After a line about weight (apparently not being heavy is part of being beautiful for God–ugh–so much to unpack there), she goes through a ‘what-not-to-wear’ fashion advice.

• Color test
• are you wearing it or is it wearing you?
• proper fit–so true, and I know I’m guilty of wearing things that don’t fit properly
• SHOES!
• underpinnings

And then she says to make sure your spouse has the biggest closet so they know you love them. Um…that assumes we have two closets. I’m also not sure my spouse would notice who had the bigger closet.

Once you’ve Kondo-ed your house and flat surfaces are pretty much bare…add one thing that’s aesthetically pleasing. “[L]et the most obvious eye-catchers in each room be beautiful, not utilitarian” (Ortlund, Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman, 82).

Now that I can support. But as I look around my house I see that I have a lot of work to do.