Truly beautiful homes

"Home was intended to be so much more than just a place of bare essentials" Sally Clarkson

To make our home truly beautiful one must have God as the centre of all activities. Guest must feel welcome and there is an air of generosity, peace, calmness and love. Your children will grow up to remember their home as a place of warmth and kindness, where all those who visit felt comfortable to gather and talk about things that mattered to them. In all likelihood, these children will grow into adults who will create the same sort of home.

A beautiful home must also be free from influences that can pollute and disturb the tranquility — today this is much harder than yesteryear as we are surrounded by bad influences such as television, trashy magazines and social media (via our phones and computers). People today recognize the damaging effects that television and social media have on impressionable children, and, for that matter, on teenagers and adults.  Neither the television or smart phone should be allowed to rule the home. 

Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;  By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. (Provers 24:3-4)

The next time you are sitting in your lounge room or sharing a meal with your family, ask yourself:  Do I truly feel at home? Am I doing everything possible to build a healthy family and household?  Do guests feel welcome here? And, above all, does God feel comfortable in my home?

Homes today are often seem to operate on an ad hoc basis. . . they are simply bus interchanges where people meet to grab a bit to eat, sleep or get change and go off to do other activities. Homes are no longer the gathering places for friends and family and for some families it is a rarity to sit down and enjoy a meal together let alone a conversation of any substances. 

"If we look at the lovely world that God designed, we can see a pattern for what He has intended for us—a home environment filled with colour and creativity and order, a welcoming provider of lighter and refuge, a pace where memories are made and shared. Instead of creating us to live in a house of weariness and colourlessness, God has made us to live in a home full of soul-beautiful elements" ~ Sally Clarkson (The Life Giving Home)

Importantly, your home doesn't only provide a place of comfort to your husband and children you are also role modelling to your children what "home" looks and feels like so they too can create their own home once they fly the nest. 

Even if you haven't done a great job thus far, it is NEVER too late to make changes in your home. Look around, what can you do to make it more friendly, welcoming, more Godly?  Look to the bible as your manual – check out these verses Proverbs 9:1, Proverbs 14:1, Proverbs 24:3-4 and Proverbs 31:27 as they are a great help. Remember, building one's home has nothing to do with money, rather wisdom, understanding and knowledge. It is through skillful management with intelligent and biblical principles that one builds a solid home on rock. 

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2)