A new trailer for you, today! I'm so very excited about this new book!
Jesus said, " I am going to prepare a place for you....." John 14:2
PREPARE: TO MAKE READY FOR USE IN ADVANCE
"Oh, mama, I can hardly wait to come home. Let's have endless cups of tea, share all of our adventures from the past few months, and just be friends for hours and hours. I just love home!"
Excited down to my tippy toes and filled with butterflies every time I think about it, I can't wait till my precious ones are all under my roof. We all belong to each other and we have all needed a place. I have had all 5 (including my new son-in-law) home the past 3 weeks and we have had endless meals, conversations, messes and clean ups. But I find when I prepare by making them favorite meals, putting flowers in their rooms, making time for private cups of tea on old tea tables, our friendships grow even deeper and flourish. --
--Our home and table can be a sanctuary for life, a holding place for all of our ideals, an atmosphere of love and a energy that engages dreams and inspiration. In short, my children and husband to not need a perfect home, or always organized and clean, but they need a mother and wife who is committed to whatever it takes to fully live the life of Christ in this home that they understand, taste and feel His reality.
God created and prepared the garden as a "place" for us to flourish--wild with color, confronted with beauty, texture, interesting sounds, a variety of food, companionship. He contemplated not only the needs Adam and Eve, his children would have, but he also pondered how to make their home a place of beauty, soul satisfaction, mind engaging and interesting and spiritually captivating.
Planning and providing are truly a glory of a woman, living into God's design. With my precious ones coming home, I have been planning and preparing ahead of time, so that when they come home, I can focus on our time together, meet their needs and walk through the days with peace. With 7-10 people in my home for the next few weeks, three meals a day, will not totally overwhelm me as I prepare ahead of time for the few days I will have with my crew.
If I am behind and in a "Martha" mode, I will miss precious moments with my favorite people. Relationship is the key to love and influence, so it is my goal to prepare to be patient, to stay up late to listen, to understand and to serve. I want them to leave my home to go into the world with the fragrance of Christ fresh in their hearts, minds and souls--and always thinking this is the best place to be.
A Place of Beauty and Tradition
Now in my 60's, I have had a whole lifetime of gathering precious treasures that speak to my children of family, memories--the way we have always done things, and to make our home environment one in which they will always think it is the best place to be.
Actually, I have learned that when I live in a tiny overseas apartment, or a sprawling older home, that it is the "me" inside of it that makes it home for my children.
Each of us, made to be like Him, has an endless capacity to bring beauty in our world as He did. We just have to practice. I tend to do things the same every year, because my life doesn't provide for much creative space right now--but for all the times I have built this in the past, it is now easy for me to put in place because of practice.
Prepare a place for your friends and join us for lots of fun, PDFs for everyone, and inspiration at our launch party October 3rd!
For more information about the launch party (including all our wonderful giveaways!) please go here: The Lifegiving Table . We hope to see you there!