Comforts
Being home for the holidays is probably my favorite place to be!!! I know it would be fun to visit New York City, the mountains of Tennessee, or any place where it is decorated nicely for Christmas! There would be plenty to do, see, and experience, but honestly, I would rather just enjoy our home, time together snuggling up in blankets, and watching a rolling fire! The lights, our pretty decorations, and the comforts of home call to my heart. Home is a great place to be! Home is where your marriage comes together!
Making Your House A Home
When you start out being married, you may not have many decorations! You may think, “we live in an apartment,” or, “we don’t have any extra cash.” We have learned over the years how to make anywhere we live our home!! Your perspective and attitude have a lot to do with it! Start with knowing how much you have to spend. We budget in money for new decor, usually after Christmas when they have all of the good sales! Although, they sometimes have great deals before Christmas as well.
Start Small
Budget for a Christmas tree that fits your home, we get a live one each year, but you could do a small artificial tree. You can find great deals online, at the store, or even a garage sale. Look at your local Goodwill or discount store, and you can find lights, a few ornaments, or you can also string popcorn!! My husband laughs and says, “stringing popcorn just happens on Hallmark.” This is his way of saying he doesn’t want to do it, but I always laugh and let him know we did it as children! You can also make some inexpensive ornaments. Pinterest is great for this!! You can add a new ornament and item of decor each year! As you build your marriage, you can build memories of Christmas traditions you create!
Inviting
Your home is the centerpiece of who you are! It’s a place you want to be, to have family and friends over, and to relax! You want your home to be inviting!! Your husband should want to come home after a long day of work, and so should you and your family! If you work outside of the home, you can do little things at night to tidy up! Pick up, do the floors, clean the kitchen, throw in some laundry, and start a load of dishes in the dish washer. You will be amazed at how much you can get done in 15-30 mins.
Welcome
Your home should say, “Welcome!” Keep your home clean, kept, decorated, light a candle, and create an atmosphere!! Our home is not perfect, but it’s perfect for us!! We work hard to do the best with what we have and do it with excellence! I want my husband, my children, friends and family to feel at home when they are here. If I work on this, I feel at home too! When the holidays hit, with all the hustle and bustle, I love to know I can go home and feel peace, joy, and welcome!
Marriage
Home is where the heart is!! The heart of your family, marriage, and life happen in the home! You become one at home, you learn to resolve disagreements at home, you learn to flow together in unity at home. Your marriage is the second most important relationship in your life, and you want your home to be a place to dwell in that marriage. I used to nanny in some amazing homes, which were decorated at Christmas, over the top!! But they were missing something. They were missing a family. They spent most of there time anywhere but home! They had beautiful homes but never made it a priority to be there. This happens more than you know. The marriage and family are affected by this!!
A Place To Dwell
When we celebrate this great season, we celebrate the birth of Jesus!! His birth, the coming of the King! There was no room for Him in the Inn, and so they went to a humble stable, and He was born. Do you know God is everywhere at once! But since the time of Moses they wanted a place for God to dwell. Nothing has changed, we still want Him to dwell with us today! He can! He can be an ever-present help in our time of need. HE can change us, live in us, and fill our lives and home! When you make your home a place that Jesus dwells, you will have a spouse, children, and all who enter, want to come and enjoy! You and your husband will want to be home for the holidays!!
Prayer
We are praying for your marriage this week! We will be praying you make your house a home! That you and your husband will make so many memories in the place you dwell!! This can be the beginning of many traditions together and for your children and future children as well!! Make your home a place you want to spend Christmas not to escape!! When you invite His presence into your home, you will be content with the things you have and will create a lasting marriage at home!!
Scriptures
Monday: 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” When you make your house a home, do it as unto the Lord! It will make every moment there more enjoyable!! You have an opportunity to make staying home for the holidays great when you give your expectations to the Lord! Enjoy your home!!
Tuesday: Titus 2:5 says, “[To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” When we keep our home, we can make any dwelling a home!
Wednesday: Zechariah 4:10 says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,..” Start small and enjoy what you have!! Your home is home because you make it that way!
Thursday: Proverbs 31:27 says, “She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” There is always time to keep up on your household and make your house a home! This can be a great year to start making your home a place for the holidays!
Friday: Proverbs 14:1 says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” Be wise and build your home! Take time to make everyone who enters feel welcome!!
Saturday: Mark 10:8 says, “And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.” Your home is where you become one, spend time there, and make it a home for the holidays!
Sunday: Luke 2:7 says, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Remember this Christmas that no matter how small your abode, Jesus had humble beginnings too! Welcome His presence and it will be a place to dwell with joy!
Contact
Please feel free to contact us at janene@happilyevermarried.org and share and read more blog posts at http://happilyevermarried.org
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