Home

I've been reading recently from a few different sources lately  about having a "word:" one word that symbolizes a goal or focus in your life. Especially with the New Year and resolutions and such, this idea has come across my path again. I never really stopped to give it much thought, but at point I did finally ask myself what my word would be, and very quickly, I realized my word is "home."

Still fresh from my busy California life where I was a working mom, always running, when "home" just meant a place to eat and sleep, I am still actively appreciating the blessing of having "home" be the center of my life. Home is where I spend most of my time and pour out my energy, service, and love. 

The first focus of my home is my family. If I'm not giving everything I have to my marriage, and to my role as mother, then I am missing the point of who God created to me. I am made as a helper to my husband. I want to support him and encourage him. I want to make home a wonderful place that he looks forward to returning to at the end of every day. By keeping home clean and orderly as he likes it, by giving him my attention, respect, and care, I want this to be his favorite place to be. After my role of wife comes mother. I want home to be a refuge for my kids from a world that seems to be getting increasingly hostile and scary. I don't want home to be a shelter or bubble to protect my kids from every evil, but I want it to be a place where they can learn about the world from a proper perspective, so they have the confidence to go forth and explore because they know that our God is in control of everything. I want home for them to be a place where they learn how to love God and love their neighbors, and give them a foundation strong enough to stand against everything the world throws at them. 

The second focus of my home is my neighbor, the Biblical view of neighbor that includes every one who crosses my path that I can serve in some small way. I want my home to open and welcoming. I never want to shy away from having company, and I want every one who walks in the door to feel God's love and peace in this home. I want to teach my kids to be gracious hosts and to serve others. I'm slightly obsessed with feeding any one who walks in my home. Food is such a beautiful way to serve: it is such a basic need yet can also be one of our greatest pleasures. But ultimately, I desire for our home to be a place where people know they can come for help or shelter or food, or even just for happiness and playtime and love. 

I'm not saying I have reached any of the lofty ideals described above, but these are the goals I am striving towards, and "home" is my word. Love starts in the home.  If we can't show God's love to our family at home, it will never reach the world beyond our walls.