The Wise Woman Builds Her Home {Home, Part 1}

As I walked up the street with our mail, I noticed how two fall trees beautifully frame our home. It reminded me of this series of posts I wrote a couple years ago. Because I am passionate about creating a home that is intentional, authentic, and Christ-centered, I want to share them again!

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Learning and Growing Together {Home, Part 7}

{Home is the starting place for lived-out-love, a place where the needs of the whole person are cared for.  This post explores encouraging personal growth.}

This is the final post in this series! This week we’ll consider how we care for each others’ need to learn and grow as individuals, which includes encouraging and celebrating each other!

Throughout this series of posts, we’ve explored the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual aspects of home. We also considered how we extend love to others beyond our home.  Home looks different throughout the seasons of life; yet we all need these aspects of home and can build them in intentional and creative ways!  I began this series with this verse:

“The wisest of women builds her house …”  ~Proverbs 14:1

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Fellow Sheep {Home, Part 6}

{Home is the starting place for lived-out-love, a place where the needs of the whole person are cared for.  This post explores spiritual care.}

Jesus is our Shepherd, and we are his sheep.  Thinking of our relationships this way sets the tone for spiritual care and relationships within our home.  Seeing ourselves as “fellow sheep” would be helpful for any people living together under the same roof!  Knowing Jesus as the Shepherd puts our relationships into perspective.  When we have a growing relationship with Jesus and trust him to work in others’ lives, it is humbling, hope-giving, and freeing for our relationships with one another.

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My daughter, Aubrey, reading her Bible before bedtime.

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An Open Door {Home, Part 5}

{Home is the starting place for lived-out-love, a place where the needs of the whole person are cared for.  This post explores the relational care we extend to others beyond our household.}

Each of our homes has a front door.  I imagine each person in our household coming and going, and other people being welcomed in.  My husband Richard engages with many people at the university, the girls are a helpful and friendly part of their school community, and I run errands or spend my morning at MOPS as a mentor mom.  Neighbor kids come play and a small group Bible study meets in our home.IMG_20171101_150436459.jpg

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Our Closest Relationships {Home, Part 4}

{Home is the starting place for lived-out-love, a place where the needs of the whole person are cared for.  This post explores relational care within our home.}

Our homes are like classrooms for learning to love well, in the context of our closest relationships. Our families of origin play a significant role in shaping how we relate with people. As we go through life, we continue to learn and grow as well!  We can thoughtfully learn from our mistakes, from other people, and from helpful books.  We have the ability to make choices so we continue to grow.  If we have children at home, this is where they learn social skills and can grow a heart of love toward others that is natural to them.

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