It's been a minute, actually it's been a month since I last posted. I've been tossing around this idea for quite awhile, but also wrestling with the social media grip that seems to have a strong hold on all us these days, myself very much included.
In a time when we are influenced everywhere we turn, it often creates this feeling of discontentment within our hearts. Even more so as women, but I think especially as mothers. Am I doing enough? Do we need that? Am I getting this right?
The title of this post alludes to one thing, but really means another. Yes, I am very much drawn to fine fabrics and flooring, stainless steel appliances and beautifully painted brick, but this post is not about building supplies or gorgeous home decor. I recently read the book The Lifegiving Home by Sally Clarkson, and it has eternally changed my perspective on building a beautiful home.
In her book, Sally goes on to say " The task of building our homes into places of beauty and life, that will feed the hearts, souls and minds of our children, is the most comprehensive task to which God has called us as Mothers. We are quite literally "home makers" -to plan and shape a home environment that provides our families with both a resting place and a launching pad for everything they do in the world."
I think sometimes as women, especially mothers, we often get so bogged down in the day to day grind of laundry, and dishes, and grocery runs, and meal planning that we forget what it is we are trying to do, and why we are called to do it. Don't we all want our families to feel loved and cherished, and special while they are in our home? Of course we do, but life is busy, and if I'm not careful that intention and calling quickly turns into to do's and things just to get checked off.
Sally drives home this point in her book, " the home we cultivate as mothers is the restorative training ground for our children...a place where they can be discipled and filled with love and care prior to growing up and heading into battle."
There are so many ways to breathe life into our homes and families, each in our own unique way. As a child my parents would always turn on the lamp in my bedroom, and pull back the covers on my bed before bedtime, and when I was little one of them would always lay down with me. Even when I would be at home in college, or before I got married, if I came in late at night, and they were already asleep, the lamp would be on in my old room, and the bedspread pulled back.
Small and simple ways that I am trying to pour life and love into my own family right now looks like, freshly baked muffins to wake up to on a weekday, playing our favorite songs throughout our home, bubble baths and bible stories before bed, rainy day playroom picnics, and cinnamon rolls on Sunday mornings.
As a mother I love making even the smallest holidays more fun with simple decor around our house. A little banner over the fireplace for Valentines day, flags in the yard for the 4th. Displaying books by theme and season in our playroom. None of these things are rocket science, but one day I do hope that my family will look back and remember that Mama made ordinary things feel special.
I was recently listening to a podcast on this subject, and a fellow mom was telling about how when her children were younger, she would pick them up from school, and ask about their day. One day her son began to tell her about how his feelings were hurt on the playground. She patched him up, and then responded with "it sounds like it's just nacho day" which made him smile. Knowing one of his favorite foods was nachos, she decided right then to make that for supper, which began a tradition in their home of always making nachos when someone had a bad day.
Years later, when her son was home from college, he overheard her and her husband talking about how stressful their days had been, and he reminded them "it's just nacho day". Bet you can guess what they made for dinner that night.
I want to create a place of belonging, where my family can feel loved on, and cared for and nurtured. As mothers, we are our children's very first home. In the grand timeline of our lives, we have such a short amount of time for our children to live within our home. We have 18 short years to fill up their love tanks, and let them watch us when we get it wrong too. Right now we get to create and cultivate the culture of our home, and I believe home should be the place they feel the safest and the most secure. A place much more than just where we eat, sleep and repeat.
So here's to always keeping cookie dough in the fridge just because. Here's to tossing their hooded towel in the dryer right before bath, because isn't wrapping up in toasty towel before bed one of life's simple treasures? Here's to Friday family movie nights, that I pray are in my future for years to come, complete with a pizza and juice boxes on the floor. Here's to popsicles on the back porch, diapers only as the dress code. A family's story begins and ends right here in our homes, and how wonderful is that?
What ways do you create these feelings within your home? How do you love on your family during this season? Please share as I would love to add more of these things into our family routines!
