What makes a house a home?

What's in a home? what makes you feel welcomed and loved, care for and invited in?

That's been the theme of the week in so many ways!

It has come through...
Welcoming new people here, and helping them to settle in
Conversations with hosts and guests entirely separately, yet all in one day!
Seeing different people's homes, and the reactions of people to different places, some that make sense and some that don't (the places, not the people reactions!)

It has struck home yet again, how very important it is to welcome people in, to be hospitable, to encourage, no matter who, what or when, and is something that I would love to do more of!

And yet, coming back the original question.... what makes a house a home?? What, in the physical environment makes one feel welcomed and invited in, as a visitor for a meal, or to make someone else's home, your home for a time. What are we called to do? What are we called to do as Christians, and is there a line that says, that's it, enough, I can stop now?? Sometimes I think we wished there was a line like that, but I don't think there is one.... and therein lies the challenge for us all....

much to ponder!

New years resolutions...

We don't make New Years Resolutions here, rather we look back on the last year, and look towards the new year, writing them on either side of a stone, to take away with us, into the new year, as a Stone of Remembrance.

This gives us something tangible to refer to as go move into the year, that we can be reminded of God's love, care, faithfulness to each of us personally no matter what is going on.

I was thinking about the week ahead, and all the things that will have to be done, need to be done, and that I would like to see. There are new people arriving, people who I have got time with, and people I don't have enough time with.

There just isn't enough time to do all I would like or need to do this week, and I am plain tired, just thinking about it:)

Looking at this stone in my lap though, I can see all the things I was looking forward too, such an amazing year of hope and promise in sooo many different ways! Much has happened since then, and much has happened really differently, doors opened and shut, yet in it all God is great, and has done more amazing things already this year that I could possibly imagine!

So it is with that assurance that I think I can probably trust him with this week and the coming weeks and all they hold, knowing that his plan is always going to be the best:)

Random strangers

I tried to catch my favorite bus home this afternoon, but everyone else was trying to do the same thing, so I missed out:) Anyway... I decided that it would be much more fun to sit and read in the Starbucks across the road till the next bus came, as, I reasoned, it would be a great way to pass some time, and more fun that walking alll the way up to find a different bus home!

While I did get some reading done, the lady sitting next to me eventually stopped me to ask me what I was doing, and what book I was reading! (I was reading and brainstorming a few ideas for something I was thinking about at the same time, so taking copious notes:))

We ended up having a great chat, she is from Copenhagen, and here starting her own children's clothes design, and trinket box business among other things. She was also reading, and waiting before she went to a church service later on that afternoon. What followed was a lovely chat, comparing of notes, work and life here. It will be interesting to see where it all ends up, but we have contact details, so will see what happens! T'was a nice interlude in the day:)

Recent lessons

A couple of weeks ago we did an exercise in a group to each work out what our love languages were. It’s something that has come up over the years, and people have talked about it on and off in varying contexts.

When I had first tried to work it out, I had thought I knew what mine was. You have a choice of 5, Quality time, gifts, acts of service, physical touch, and words of affirmation. Before I did ‘the test’ I had thought mine was acts of service, however it turned out to not be the case at all! It turned out to be quality time, which looking back, makes perfect sense. I love spending time with people and proper time, with them, not rushed time.

One thing that has struck me this time though, has been that, while we can know what most speaks to us, but we can see what speaks to other people too, and notice when they continually go out of their way for others. It might not be your primary, or even secondary love language, but you can learn to see it in them, and greatly appreciate it when they care for you in that way, and in turn, show you care for them. I guess I have just been struck that we can learn to see in others how much they care in their different way. Like speaking a different language. It’s also been interesting to see the things that I notice more than other things and realising that I don’t see nearly as much as I would like to!

It’s been helpful to think it all through once again, and see how we continue to change and grow in so many different ways. I was having dinner with a friend last night, and she was commenting on how, all through the bible, we are constantly called to love others, and we are called to love in so many different ways, and so completely. I guess thinking about the love languages, we can learn something new about ourselves, as well as learning to see new things in the people around us, and how best to ‘speak’ love to them in each new circumstance. Much food for thought:)

Muscle strengthening excercises

I am in a new situation. I don't know how to act, what to feel, how to share. What is the Godly way to act and respond? How do I respond? How do I want to respond? who do I want to be in this situation? I see others reacting to similar situation and marvel now with new understanding.

I do know that I want to learn all God has for this time, I want to be strengthened from within ( keep being reminded of a back bone etc, compared to an exoskeleton for some reason), to know more of myself and inner convictions, to become more like Jesus in all things, no matter how new and strange they are.

In all of it though, I am glad to be 'here' and look forward to the lessons learned and the fruit it bears!