by Kimberly | Oct 10, 2017 | 31days, Christmas, lavish hospitality
As a book reviewer, I’m already receiving books on Christmas, the holidays, and Advent. This is super helpful because it helps to turn my mind and heart to the real reason for the Christmas season before the hecticness of the holidays work to turn my heart toward other things.
My favorite Christmas album: Sojourn’s Advent Songs.
My favorite thing to do at Christmas: be at home with just my boys and my man on Christmas day.
My first Christmas stocking: a pale pink ballerina slipper.
My favorite Christmas book: Song of the Stars
Christmas is all about the incarnation. The incarnation was one of the first acts of Lavish Hospitality. It is when the Creator of the world came to live in the world he made. He gave up his wealth to become poor for us. And in doing so, he welcomed us.
We, as believers, can be such a visible work of the gospel in people’s lives if we welcome them. Welcome them in their brokenness, in their hurting, in their reality. And you know what, people don’t enter our perfectness. They enter our brokenness, our hurting, and our reality.
Quote: Found in Him by Elyse Fitzpatrick.
by Kimberly | Oct 10, 2017 | 31days, lavish hospitality, marriage
Sorry for the delay, we have been fighting with our internet reception at home. But, I’m still here. An update: I want to use this month to get the quotes and start the stories for Lavish Hospitality. Then use NaNoWriMo to really write it. I’ll keep you posted. Thank you for reading.
This past weekend we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. I have found in marriage it is very easy to show grace for the big things, but so much harder for the small things. One area that my husband and I need to both work on it love: not being easily offended. When one or both of us have been offended, we are not hospitable to each other.
The other night I just didn’t talk – that is my normal mode of response when I’m hurt. So, we watched Bull in bed without saying a word. Turned off the computer and went to bed, all without saying a word. That is not hospitable.
That is not how we are supposed to act. Love doesn’t act this way. I’m not very welcoming to my husband when I don’t even talk to him.
God always need to radically work on my heart when I am offended.
Quote from Tim Keller, The Meaning of Marriage.
by Kimberly | Oct 7, 2017 | 31days, Books, lavish hospitality
One aspect of mothering is that it is life-giving. And as women, I think we are naturally life-givers. Maybe not all of us have biological children, but we are all made in the image of God, and being image bearers as females, I think we are life-givers.
You can be life-givers as a wife, mom, foster mom, adoptive mom, friend, neighbor, church member, business woman, daughter, granddaughter, caregiver, single, married, widowed, divorced.
Hospitality is life-giving as well. We can be life-giving in our homes, our cars, our work, our church, our communities. This may look like bringing a small gift to a neighbor who has just moved in or one who is going through a rough time (a gift card or something fresh from the oven or grocery store). This may look like welcoming your kids’ friends over to your house every Friday night – or any night of the week – just so they have a loving place to hang out. This may look like talking to the older women sitting around you in church, the ones you don’t know, the ones who look lonely.
Whatever hospitality looks like for you – bring life to someone else.
Book quote from Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman
by Kimberly | Oct 6, 2017 | 31days, lavish hospitality
Hospitality didn’t begin with us. It didn’t begin with Southern Living, or really anything Southern. It didn’t begin with a table. It didn’t begin with Sweet Tea.
It began with God. Everything good originated with God. He created all we know.
He didn’t choose us, choose us to lavish his gracious hospitality on us because we were so good. He delighted in us, welcomed us to his table, into his presence, restoring a broken relationship, simply because He is God and He chose to love us.
One of my favorite Bible stories is King David and how he welcomes Mephibosheth into his dining room. He welcomes a lame man, family to the former king, into his presence to eat at the King’s table. David could have had him killed. This story has been my favorite Bible story for 20 years. I spoke at a women’s retreat – my first time I spoke at a church event as the keynote – on this topic. We love hospitality – and this one story from the Bible tells of God’s gracious hospitality to us.
Book quote from The Ology by Marty Machowski – a theology book for kids. Picture: kcreatives
Bible story found in 2 Samuel 9.
by Kimberly | Oct 6, 2017 | Books
When we set up our new home in late this summer, I knew I wanted to have a creative area for my boys. A place where they could have coloring books, playdough, markers, colored pencils, etc – just waiting to sit and get all their creative juices out!
Well, we set up a little Goodwill table that I found before we moved, and put some bins of creative tools around it – and they sit their every day. I love it. I love having pieces of paper all around the house with scribbles and drawings on them.
Another great tool I’ve found for my boys is the Big and Little Coloring Devotional. I found out about this devo coloring book from my friend Sarah on her podcast with the author Rachel Swanson. Then I got to be a part of the launch team. So much fun!
It is a top flip coloring book, made for two people to be coloring at once. So, I’ve been sitting across from my older, him coloring, me coloring. And the neat thing about this particular coloring book is that it is based on Scripture. So, one side will have a (younger age) coloring page with God’s truth on it, the other page will have a more detailed coloring page with a short devotional on it. These devotionals are perfect for you to read, be encouraged, and it may be a jumping off point for you to share these truths with your child – AS. YOU. COLOR!
Such a great activity for you and your child to do together. And Christmas is coming – its a perfect gift for any mom of littles you know – I would say even up to 10yo or so – girl or boy. So, grab some colored pencils, crayons, or markers, and get coloring – and shepherding your soul – and your child’s!
