Home Sweet Home – Page 2 – The Welcome Home

There’s a whole bunch to say…

And I’m trying to consider how I’ll succinctly say each day what I’d like to share with you. I began blogging some seven years ago and I like to write – I like to encourage and offer hope and inspiration to mothers at home. I love talking about marriage, motherhood, homemaking, homekeeping and walking with the Lord. I love to share slices of life and views of the day. I tend to get wordy at times. I tend to have strong opinions, etc., etc. If you’re offended by all this, please find other great blogs to read — there are too many great blogs out there for you waste your time here reading things that might perturb you.

So anyway, much time was spent writing and reviewing sites, gathering and posting articles, recommending sites and products. Good things… so many good things. But somewhere along the way I lost my way – I lost my personal vision and huge responsibility first as the mother of many children and I began to coast — but I didn’t even realize it. I didn’t realize I’d wandered a bit from my first calling: my husband, our home, my walk, leading our children by allowing my time and attention to be gobbled up by computer, website and internet time… trivial pursuits by comparison to the very real responsibilities of my life. You know what I mean perhaps – for perhaps you’ve had your own!!

Pursuing good things is truly the enemy of pursuing best things.

Good things are not always the best things.

Doing good does not necessarily mean you’re doing well.
Or right.

We had a great family sorrow — a sudden and sad crisis, if you will, which led to deep introspection, endless conversations and much personal evaluation (and reevaluation), personal examination (and reexamination). In the end, one of the things I knew I had to do was to hand over my computer to my husband for a time so that I could get my priorities straight — so that I could reorganize my life, my priorities and revisit / rekindle the purposes for which the Lord created me.

So, here I am today… so wishing I could tell you all I’ve come to understand in the last several months, the culmination of all the sweet hours in the Word, in writing and in fellowship with the LORD — the things I’ve learned, the things I regret, the sorrow, the joy, the pain, the rejoicing. And for one thing, more than ever, I realize why, 11 years ago, we chose a web name: welcome home.

If you’re just joining me and know nothing of what I’m talking about or even if you’ve been a reader for some time, I pray to be an encouragement to you, to not waste your time, but to point you to the Saviour. In the course of my writing, I hope you’ll see Jesus in spite of this cracked pot. I hope you’ll see glimpses of His hand in daily living. Whether or not you’re a new reader of my blog or A Christian Home website, I just want to say: welcome home.

what the devil intends for evil, God uses for good…

Truly, the devil does only seek destruction.
God is only good. All the time.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

O will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever… He has once again – in a remarkable, amazing, loving and merciful way – that He alone is Lord and He alone (Romans 8.28-29) works all things together for good to them that love Him and are the called according to His purpose. (29) For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Though sometimes painful and seemingly hopeless, things the LORD allows us to experience are for our good and His great Glory. We do praise Him and Him alone for the great love wherewith He has loved us and for His watchcare over our little lamb. We can only take that sweet cup of salvation and say: Thank You.

When a prodigal returns, walking back down the lane, sees the lights of Home and is welcomed into the arms of her father & mother, sisters & brothers, there is much joy and rejoicing — the kind known only following much travail, heartache, pain and sorrow. Sorrow endures for a night, but truly, truly, Joy does come in the morning! Praise only the Lord.

more later.

It takes a mama…

I don’t get out much… some, but not much. And, for the most part, I like it that way. O, don’t get me wrong: I love to go places, I love to do things and I love to see new things. But I love being home. When I do go out… I sure see why it’s important for me to be here… at home, keeping the home and caring for each one and each thing here.

I love keeping our home and I love home-work. I love making sure that home’s home. O, I know that anyone can clean houses, make food, clean it up and make more food and clean that up, too and do it over and over and over again. I know that anyone can put stuff in the washer, move it from there to the dryer, put more stuff in the washer and do the same thing over and over and over again. I know that anyone can supervise the existence of children in a home and maybe even teach them things, too. I know that anyone can tidy up, dust, vacuum, sweep, wipe, mop, and turn lights on or off in a home. I know that anyone can bar a door from intruders and anyone can uphold a schedule and order.

But it takes a mama to make a home home. It takes a mama to care for the things of a home. It takes a mama to care for the apparel and appearance of the children and husband in her home and it takes a mama to care for the quality of the food and the presentation of the meals and the appearance of the table and the conversation that happens there. It so matters what goes on them,what goes in them and what goes on around them.

It takes a mama to remember the nuances of life… the candlelight and the music of life — to share the yesteryears and stories of generations gone before. It takes a mama to remember the preferences and particular idiosyncrasies that make up each child’s unique personalities and to really care how those children feel and how their character is shaped. It takes a mama to genuinely attend to a nursling, a baby, a toddling child, a maturing son or daughter and all the needs each age and each season brings — it takes a mama to anticipate what the changes will be and what they’ll necessarily require. It takes a mama to care about a rash, a fever, a first step, a composition, a heartache, dental appointment, a physical exam, pictures on the fridge, a skinned knee, an awkward incident, a disappointment, an accomplishment…

It takes a mama to set the tone, the order, the routines, guide the activities and make the sweet memories of the home. It takes a mama to demonstrate God’s precious and specific order for one of the halves of His creation. It takes a mama to show what the Word says… to demonstrate the living Word of God in word and in deed. It takes a mama to hear the heart of her children — and to care what’s going on in each heart. It takes a mama to teach a child to pray… and to listen to the LORD. It takes a mama to do all that matters (and a mama knows it all matters… a lot).

It takes a mama to make a home sweet and it takes a mama to give a home a heart and it takes a mama to make a home a wonderful place to remember and a dear place to long for. It takes a mama to be a real sweetheart for her husband and the first sweetheart of each of her children. It takes a mama to make a home a journey, a launch-pad, a destination and a desire.

When mama’s not home… the home has no heart ♥ and there’s really no-one to look well to the ways thereof. God’s clear design is marred and distorted when mothers lose sight of, or disregard, the inestimable value of motherhood… when women choose lesser things.

H♥me. It takes a mother’s kiss to make some things all better. It so matters when mother’s there. And it so matters when she’s not.

Bountiful beauty

hydrangeas

Pretty soon the beautiful hydrangeas will stop blooming for the year…
For now, each morning I love to walk around the yard and see the beautiful variety and lovely shades of blues, greens, purples, lavenders and red hydrangeas… these are my favourite flowers… but the roses are quite lovely, too.

pink rose

white roses

in the rose garden are candlelight roses, lavender, various pinks, yellow, peach, coral and white… the whites are particularly beautiful this year!

carrotsandtomatoes

produce from the garden this morning… in addition to many(!) zucchini, yellow squash, beans and onions, Naomi and ‘melia picked some carrots. They came running in to show me the “married carrots” and the “pants carrots.” I smiled… at the married carrots… sweet, innocent girls thought the carrots were dancing bcz they were married. Sweet. I love the delightfully sweet innocence of children.

Home is where the sweet happens

So… a late Saturday morning ramble… over a particularly delicious cup of coffee that I didn’t make (thank you, Kathryn, Mmmm mmm mmm). Being away from home this week has made me increasingly more appreciative of the things that make home: home. I was keenly aware this past week that there are wonderful things that are and that happen at home that aren’t and don’t happen anywhere else. The familiar makes home: home. Memories and children – children and memories… these are what make home: home. History makes home: home. The Lord makes home: home. The familiar, the security… the acceptance, the freedom to say and do and think things – these also make home: home. Or, rather, the freedom to say and do and think things without fear or with confidence of acceptance… well, these are what make home: home. Confidence of acceptance… what a wonderful thing… home is.

So… it’s so good to be home. O, and, don’t get me wrong… it was good to have a little time away, too. But the very cool thing was that the ‘gettaway’ wasn’t to get: away. It was to run to, and not from, something… it was to go to, and not away, from something. But, even still, though it was a tremendous time… a wonderful place to be and a delightful way to spend days and was very profitable and refreshing… it still wasn’t: home.

Home is where the good things are… home is where the good times are… home is where the sweet happens.

Sadly, I know this isn’t always true in every home. And, for many women, home is really the last place they want to be. So, through the week I have been mulling over… what makes home: home? and what can women do (or what can men do) to make home *the* place to be – *the* place to *want* to be?

This thought, or these thoughts actually, was on my mind all week as we spent time away on a semi-working holiday. We were learning a new webpage design program and were putting together the contents of the site. It’s slow going for me… bcz I can never seem to make a decision and stick with it… and the learning curve is steep for me. But my husband is patient and kind and flexible and loving and on and on. Along with our long, long talks about life and the season ahead, we talked about what we want to accomplish. I don’t know that we needed to get “away” to do this and I don’t know if it took a heart attack to do this or just what… but I do know that the Lord is surely directing the path… and we’re just seeking to order our steps aright.

What a delight to be welcomed home last night… by our children and grandchildren. Home is… sweet home. Home is where sweet happens.