Home
“Sometimes that's what prayer is —simply inviting God to join us where we actually are, not because He isn't already here but because inviting Him reminds us it's true.”
Emily P. Freeman, Simply Tuesday
This post is inspired by Valerie Woerner’s House Prayers Worksheets: Prompts to pray for each room throughout your house. She’s taught me, “Prayer is the front line, the first defense - not a last resort.”
Combined with collected quotes from authors, I’ve created a space where I’m reminded of perspectives & suggestions on how to have less house. More “home”.
I’m praying over my home. & perhaps you’d like to do the same.
Here’s to taking care of our things. & each other. Here’s to forgiveness & joy. Patience & truth. Clean hands. Clean hearts. & just maybe, a clean home.
porch/driveway
the season of life you’re in
the patience & willingness to allow room for growth
people to feel welcome when they enter
take captive every thought
smooth mornings
resist hurry
step in the shoes of others/understand
Your life, right now, today, is exploding with energy & power & detail & dimension, better than the best movie you have ever seen. You & your family & your friends & your house & your dinner table & your garage have all the makings of a life of epic proportions, a story for the ages. Because they all are. Every life is.
You have stories worth telling, memories worth remembering, dreams worth working toward, a body worth feeding, a soul worth tending, & beyond that, the God of the universe dwells within you, the true culmination of super & natural.” Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines
living room
joy & laughter to fill the space
good conversation
the people who will come over
the influences we let in (ie. TV, books, etc.)
There is beauty in the lived-in & loved-on & used-just-about-up. Myquillyn Smith, The nesting place
dining room
gratefulness
helpful hands
family conversations + communication
learning to listen while others speak
More last-minute invites, more dirty dishes. More inconvenience (more joy). More mayhem, more adventures. Less time to myself, of course. Less energy. But energy is like manna, isn’t it? More arrives in the morning, doesn’t it?
Best not to save it for later. Erin Loechner, DESIGN FOR MANKIND
kitchen
healthy relationship with food
nourishing others — both their hearts & their bellies
discernment in making good choices
creativity & joy
God’s provision
clean hands & a pure heart
You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients. Julia Child
master bedroom
rest
energy
prioritizing marriage
romance
good communication
good sleep
kid’s bedroom
may my child accept Christ
gentle, kind spirit
rest for kids/energy for mama
development + learning
guest bedroom
loving + serving others well
being a good steward of what has been entrusted
willing to give
God-sent friends/family
God is in the business of creating places for his people. He is the original homemaker. So here we are in the gap somewhere between the garden & the city... Let's move forward with creative purpose to make a home that serves us well, so that we, in turn, can welcome & serve others well. Myquillyn Smith, cozy minimalist home
bathroom + closet
self-care
cultivate contentment with what I have
cultivate contentment with the body God gave me
freedom from negativity
Here is the secret to subtraction. It doesn’t matter what you remove. What matters is that you stop adding it back. Erin Loechner, Chasing Slow
hallway
grace + patience
bridge builder/connector
walk in the light
strong legacy
purpose + direction
Don't sacrifice the good to chase the perfect. Emily Ley, Grace, not Perfection
office
strong margin for work + life
focused + unrestricted work time
equipped to graciously handle failures & successes
surrender finances
God’s creativity
favor with God & with man
ways to continue providing for my family
I don't want to get to the end of my life & look back & realize that the best thing about me was I was organized. Shauna Niequist, Present over perfect
laundry
find delight in the mundane
eyes open for ways to serve my family
living clothed in God’s armor
washed whiter than snow
& realize that as long as we all choose to walk around clothed, the laundry will never really be finished. Myquillyn Smith, The nesting place
back yard
living with a lightness to your step
adventure
enjoyment of the simple life
I want my everyday to make God glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift. Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines
garage
take care of what God has provided
declutter heart/mind
physical home (please, please don’t break)
repair what needs fixed
complete what is undone
teachable spirit to keep growing
Well, you know me by now. If it holds no purpose, it holds no place. Ever the practical. There’s a balance somewhere, & I haven’t yet struck it.
But. These are the folks I live with, & these are the folks I love. A bit of grace, then. ERIN LOECHNER