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Making Your Home A Haven of Peace

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FALL IS HERE!!! Although the calendar has said fall for a few weeks, the weather has been hot and humid here in the deep south!! But this weekend, the first taste of fall weather arrived! Also this time of year brings the Making Your Home A Haven Challenge!

Our homes were designed to a haven for our family. A place where we come to after the stresses of the day zap our energy and constantly pull our peace from us. A place to unwind, relax, be renewed and recharged to do it all over again!! Home calls to us with memories of love, welcome and family. Today's modern families may not actually 'be home' very often with the hectic schedules of work, activities, church etc. This challenge encourages us for that time that we are home, to make deliberate, intentional efforts to make our home a true haven.

This week's challenge is to "Go buy an extra large candle and light a candle everyday in your home. Each time the candle catches your eye, say a prayer for peace in your home."

I have bought a tart warmer with a fall scented tart from Yankee Candle. I keep it lit near the rocking chair that I sit in. It fills the room with scent and flickers gentle light. This is a subtle way to add some atmosphere to the home.

This is also an easy reminder to pray for peace in our home. With three sons, peace does not come easily! Bickering, wrestling, battling for the tv remote to watch either rough and tumble sports or an action packed adventure movie is what boys are all about! But amidst the chaos in our daily life, my prayer is for them to have peace in their heart. Peace to guide them in their decisions, in their relationships, through the trials and crises of life, to find true peace from the Lord. With our two older boys being teenagers, peace equals boredom to them. But my prayer is as they grow in wisdom and maturity to remember their years at home with good memories and an understanding of the joys of a peaceful place to abide.

My husband has grasped the importance of and needs to come home to a haven of peace after his stressful work days. This little candle reminder guides me and challenges me to keep flickers of peace alive at all times! It inspires me to gentle distribute peace through my words and actions. To keep a spirit of peace through cheerful attitudes and attempt to keep an orderly home and keep undue distractions from him which hinder his peace.

To give out peace, we must first receive peace - lasting, sure, true peace. True peace comes only from our Lord and we build that peace in our lives through prayer and reading His Word. Some of my favorite Scriptures about peace (which I love to sit in my rocking chair and read aloud) include:
  • Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. Psalms 37:37
  • But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalms 37:11
  • But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. Proverbs 3:1
  • Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Romans 14:19
  • Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
  • ...and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
I hope you will join this week in delighting in making your home a haven and lighting a candle reminder to bring peace to your home and family.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 5, 2011 at 10:32 AM

    Such warm encouragement for a bleak day. We're in the PNW's gray days. I love the reminder to create peace, spiritual and physical, in my home.
    mommamindy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 5, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    Stopping by from GMG blog hop! I found the 31 day challenge, but must be honest only stopped by once, and while out yesterday forgot to buy a candle... looking back, I keep being drawn to the candles, but never bought one! Hoping I can get one soon! :) Fall in the northwest means rain :( but the leaves are just now starting to change! :) Have a wonderful week and thank you for the scriptures!

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