Making a Beautiful and Happy Home

"A true home is one of the most sacred of places. It is a sanctuary into which men flee from the world's perils and alarms. It is a resting-place to which, at close of day--the weary retire to gather new strength for the battle and toils of tomorrow. It is the place . . .

  where love learns its lessons,

  where life is schooled into discipline and strength,

  where character is molded.

Few things we can do in this world are so well worth doing--as the making of a beautiful and happy home! He who does this--builds a sanctuary for God, and opens a fountain of blessing for men.

Far more than we know--do the strength and beauty of our lives, depend upon the home in which we dwell. He who goes forth in the morning from a happy, loving, prayerful home--into the world's strife, temptation, struggle, and duty--is strongly inspired for noble and victorious living.

The children who are brought up in a true home--go out trained and equipped for life's battles and tasks--carrying a secret of strength in their hearts, which will make them brave and loyal to God, and will keep them pure in the world's severest temptations!"

J.R. Miller

God has been so gracious to me in teaching me so many things. Lately, He has been pressing on my heart the importance of doing what He has set before me for His glory alone. My heart does not need to be concerned with what others think or do but just to be concerned with how pleasing I am to Him. I must serve Him in every task with a heart of rest. Perfect rest and peace- like a baby content to lean on his mother. In this great business of homemaking and mothering, my heart must first be right with the Lord. I must have a heart that is still- resting in trust upon the Lord. I must lean upon Christ.

Then, my business is to make our home full of beauty, love, and joy which points to the Savior. In order to make this possible, I must check what is feeding my soul and the soul of my family. Am I careful what I bring into my home both physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally? I am beginning to see how this trickles down to even to the tiniest detail. What is the tone of my voice and my words? What books do my children look at? What toys do they play with? What does my cleaning say about our home? What colors are in my home? How is my furniture arranged? Does all point to the beauty and truth found in Scripture? All these tiny details add up together to paint a picture. What is that picture saying to my family? Does it say that this home is a beautiful sanctuary for God where one can rest? Or does it speak of haste, neglect, and lack of concern? Is their life filled with what is most convenient/popular or with what is most glorifying to God? Is their life filled with the disposable or with what will last longer than a week? Am I striving to bring beauty, truth, and love to my home or have I ceased to care and am just surviving?

God is so gracious in showing these things to me. But, I am rambling on with all these thoughts. He says it best:

    "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9 ESV)