Making Your Home A Haven

Welcome back! We are almost finished with our book club. We have been reading Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph.

This week we read 3 great chapters (16-18) on homemaking, but for lack of time I am just going to key on the one topic that is near and dear to my heart. Making your home a haven. One of the most important aspects of your role as wife & mom is the responsibility to set the atmosphere in your home. Making your home a special place for your family. A place they love to be.

What makes your home a haven? The answer to that question will be different from mine. No two families are exactly the same. And it may change with different seasons and stages of your family life.

When our boys were little, making our home a haven meant allowing it to be a place where they could kick a soccer ball, wrestle with their dad, run and even ride small tricycles (yes- in the house!). I kept breakables packed away, décor to a minimum, and understood it was a time in our lives for those 2 little rambunctious boys to be boys.

As our kids grew, it meant having space, things to do (swimming pool, trampoline, pool table…) and lots of food for them and their friends to enjoy. It meant not minding the noise and mess of a dozen middle school boys or giggling little girls running through the house and yard.

Now, with my kids all grown, making my home a haven is where my husband gets a back rub after a long day, grandies can come over and be spoiled, and we can gather for family dinners.

What is important to your family? Peace and quiet? Social gatherings with lots of food? Space to develop hobbies? Make your home a place where they love to be and feel free to explore interests. A place where they know they belong, where they can share their struggles and receive godly advice.

You, as the mom, play such an important role in this. Your personal mood sets the tone each day. Are you fun to be around or grumpy much of the time? Are you encouraging or critical? Involved in their lives or distracted with your own? Stressed out or relaxed?

It’s so easy to get so engulfed in life and forget that one of the most important things we can do is create a loving, happy environment for our kids to grow in.

Watch yourself for a week. What does your family see? Are there areas can you improve? How can you be more encouraging? More fun? More involved? More relaxed? Make a plan, and begin to grow these qualities in your heart. Be a blessing.