What Makes A House A Home ?

What Makes A House A Home ?

I went to the home improvement store the other day.

Along with the throngs of other home enthusiasts.

It got me thinking- we spend a lot of time, thought and money to create not just a house, but a home.

Otherwise, any sort of structure would do…right?

Home is a shelter from storms – all sorts of storms – William J. Bennett

 

What is it we are searching for?

What really defines a home to you?

Let’s do a quick exercise.

Stop for a minute, and think–what sort of place ever made you feel the most restful? The safest, or most at peace?

Home might be defined more by a sense, than by what we can purchase to put on the walls. 

There are color palettes that appeal to us visually. There are tendencies to feel more at ease with clutter or stark minimalism.

We might enjoy time spent on the porch, or in the yard.

The bedroom might be where we look forward to ending our day, or the kitchen might relax us with its functionality.

Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts – Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

Haven

These spaces and places, these colorful or neutral environments, contribute to our home health.

I mean, I LOVE decorating and creating an environment that people feel welcome.

I think that is the key though, the sense of welcome. To our guests, to our family. And just as importantly, to ourselves.

“I” feel welcome here.

Without peace…without love…without relationship? We chase objects. They can never create the comfort we seek. To me, that sense of refuge, haven- that equals home. 

Without peace? I could never feel at home. The comfort of being loved, safe, cozy.

Homemaking resources you might enjoy:

• The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming
• The Christian Homemaker’s Handbook
• Not Just A Mom: The Extraordinary Worth of Motherhood & Homemaking 
• Having a Martha Home the Mary Way: 31 Days to a Clean House and a Satisfied Soul
• Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management: The 1861 Classic with Advice on Cooking, Cleaning, Childrearing, Entertaining, and More   (Ok, maybe not “practical” in a modern sense, but such fun to read! )
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