Our family members are not cloned images of one another. We recognize this to be true as we join in marriage and merge two very different lives together into one. Moms witness this because even children from the same family plot their own path. While it would be simpler to think and talk the same, the Holy Spirit allows our thoughts and actions to complement each other while still maintaining our individuality. When we love as Jesus loves, we allow grace to fill the spaces when we disagree. Spirit-filled individuals can turn the world upside down with a unified purpose of bringing glory to God.
design tip
When choosing a color scheme of complementary colors, create a palette that will unify the whole collection of space in your home. Pick three or four colors to use in various shades throughout the house.
Father, help me learn to take on myself only the tasks you want me to do, so I find balance and please you in all I do and say.
Balance Schmalance
Let all things be done decently and in order.
I CORINTHIANS 14:40
You won’t need to have too many conversations with women today to find that many of us feel overworked, under-rested, and stressed out. Stretched thin by the commitments to our jobs and our families, we take inadequate time to care for ourselves. While the command to do things “decently and in order” might indicate more work to a perfectionist such as myself, it also reveals that there should be balance in our lives to accomplish the purpose God has for us. Achieving balance begins with learning to say “no.” Taking on too many burdens breaks us down in the long run.
A room without balance seems awkward and uncomfortable. Research shows that using symmetry for balance makes us happier. Many of us crave a structure that is understandable and definable! As it is in the interior of our home, so it is in our hearts. When we are out of balance in any one area, our happiness takes a nose dive and living a joy-filled, Christ-honoring life will be all but impossible!
design tip
Using symmetry in a room poses the easiest method to achieve balance. Work with symmetry by using a pair of matching nightstands, table lamps, or even artwork.
I thank you, Lord, that you are acquainted with our humanity and understand our deepest longings and needs. I praise you for your mercy and comfort you provide your children!
Bringing Hygge Home
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction.
II CORINTHIANS 1:3
What in the world is Hygge? Pronounced “hue-guh,” the Danish word references feeling cozy and special. Bringing this sense of happiness to our homes and comfortable living is Hygge. Wouldn’t you agree that this should be a goal for our homes? A place of rest, comfort, warmth and calm—a haven amid life’s storms. Hygge makes our family and friends feel comfortable and special.
In the reality of the harsh world in which we live, how often do we struggle to find a place of hygge in our hearts? This passage reminds me that our source of true rest and comfort is found in God alone! Even His name reveals hygge: “the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort!” He provides our place of rest. No matter the trial or test, He provides all the comfort we need.
design tip
You can achieve hygge with a few simple steps—even a well-placed blanket or fuzzy pillow will do the trick! A cozy home involves thoughtful touches. Thinking ahead about what others enjoy will help us provide for their comfort and rest.
Lord, please help me keep short accounts with you by confessing my sin daily, instead of accumulating the clutter that will hinder me from running my race and pleasing You.
No Room in the Room
Let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
HEBREWS 12:B
Excess stuff weighs us down with the burden of finding places to keep and organize it all. From pillows to lamps, to collectibles and dishes, stuff crowds our homes and our lives. Best course of action: eliminate the clutter. Even organized clutter is still clutter. Whether it exists out in the open or in the secret places we hide it, it is still excess.
Isn’t that just like sin? We all deal with sin. All of us. Whether it is a recurring sin we struggle to get the victory over or new roots of sin in our hearts, no one is exempt. Ridding our homes of clutter and creating a simple style helps us enjoy our space more. The same holds true in our hearts. Following Christ is only possible when we purge sin and pursue holiness. The calm a purge offers far outweighs the pain. What are we waiting for?
design tip
Clutter builds up for everyone. Don’t organize it! Utilize a system of removing one thing for each new item purchased. Save only the things that bring you the MOST joy. Take pictures of the rest and pass it on.
Dear Lord, I pray that you will continue to expose my sinful thoughts to the truth of your Word, so I will learn to take every thought captive and not wander.
I’m Feeling Exposed
We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
II CORINTHIANS 10:5B