Home

Home becomes a big deal when the holidays come around, doesn't it?  With phrases like "home for the holidays"or "I'll be home for Christmas" and the push for cozy 'homey' decor during the cold season.

(I love our new bathroom wall!)

We've been working on setting up our home, because we just moved in. The first couple of days felt like all our stuff was moved into someone else's house. It felt like we were temporarily staying at someone's rental, and I just wanted to go home. But the more we have unpacked, painted, completed projects...the more it feels like our home. 

Nights and weekends have been spent painting, building, digging, doing plumbing, etc because we feel driven to make a place of beauty and rest. As a wife and mom, I want my family to exhale in relief when they walk in the door and feel deep down joy at being home. For our home to be a place to grow, learn, talk, and rest. I know I will feel more at rest when we finish more projects. 

Here up north, there's a tendency to complain when the winter months come and seasonal depression to happen. I read a well written article on the secret to happiness in winter time based on Norway's culture. They suggested lots of candles, fireplaces, drinking lots and lots of hot drinks, dressing for the weather, and celebrating the activities/features of winter that aren't available the rest of the year. As I write this, I'm cozy with my pumpkin blanket and my Golden Chai tea. Especially when the wind starts to howl this winter, I want home to be cozy and full of cheer. 

(me feeling cozy and warm in my new scarf my friend made)

When God gave us this house, He left a string attached. He handed it to us with the understanding it was to be used for Him. This wasn't ours to hold tight, and hide away. It's to be used with open hands as a resting place, a refuge from city life, and a place for people to step back and breath. Each week we usually have multiple people out to eat or play games. Come summer time when the fence is built, friends with kids can bring them out to run wild in the yard. In Medieval times, the Keep was the inmost part of a a castle built to protect the most vulnerable and to be a place of refuge during battle. It is this idea of refuge that rings in my heart. 

Using a home in service for others doesn't require it to be finished nor clean. ;-)  This last week, my friend Tina invited some of us over for lunch and play time after a hike. She honestly warned us that she didn't remember the state of her home, and thought she probably had laundry sitting out. You know what I remember about her house? Her reading library, fall decor, and hospitality as we chatted over tea and the noise of children running around. I'm sure her dirty dishes and baskets of laundry just made my own kids feel more at home. :-) 

Home is a gift...for yourself and for others. It's a place you create so when someone walks in they say "Mmm, I'm glad to be home." Perfection and clean dishes are not required. Just love and hospitality.....and maybe some tea. 

How are you cultivating beauty in your home? How are you using it to bless others? What part of your home do you like the most? Please send me a message! I'd love to hear!

Sojourning with you,

 Felicia