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 5, 2017 | 31days, lavish hospitality
Tonight at bedtime, doing it solo since my husband was out of town for the day, one kid was screaming in pain because of his tummy the other was pretending he was shooting me and saying he was scared of the dark because he wanted a story in a book read to him.
Not my finest hour – but all ended well. And now, I’m waiting for my mister to make the trek back from ATL.
Parenting is not for the faint of heart – or yes, maybe it is – and that makes us lean on Christ all the more. Practicing this type of hospitality at all times of the day is hard – but so necessary.
When we fail though, we can come to our kids and seek their forgiveness and point them to the Father’s unconditional love.
Quote from Sally Clarkson’s book The Mission of Motherhood. Photograph: kcreatives
by Kimberly | Oct 4, 2017 | 31days, lavish hospitality
When we are in relationship with other people, the main way we communicate lavish hospitality is by the words we speak.
I’ve learned in marriage that it is more often the little things I say (and how they are said) that cause the most damage.
As a Mom, usually when I am tired and not feeling like I’m in charge, is when the anger comes out and I lash out at my children.
Usually with friendships and relationships, I’m more in control of when and how these things happen and I can back out of the situation to regroup, but I’ve learned so much over the years about how my words (and other’s words) can affect our ability to love well.
I can think of three specific relationships, as an adult, that were totally broken by words. One was letting a misunderstanding get in the way and cause years of silence. One was silence instead of fighting for a friendship. One was condemning and has just been healed to the point of being able to talk every now and then.
War of Words is such a helpful book by Paul Tripp, about using our words to communicate the Gospel. As we invest in those around us, take stock of our relationships, and use our mouths to be instruments of grace, let us first look to our role as reconcilers – not those who destroy.
by Kimberly | Oct 3, 2017 | 31days, Uncategorized
“I gradually began to understand more fully that he was not a problem to be addressed, not the sum of his behavioral performance. His worth to God was not about his ability to fulfill other people’s expectations or act according to accepted norms. Instead he was a beloved child of the Father with a specific role to play in God’s ongoing story of redemption.”
Sally Clarkson – Different
The Fall is a special time for our family. We celebrate two birthdays and a wedding anniversary within 3 weeks time.
To say that I thrive in parenting would be far from the truth. I have to tell myself everyday who I am in God’s sight, how He has equipped me to parent the exact boys I’ve been wonderfully given, and how I’m not like all the other moms out there.
When we compare our momselves to other moms – we are not lavishing hospitality – welcoming, grace – on ourselves or our children. When we play the comparison game, get caught in its trap, we do such a disservice to our hearts. And that in turn, doesn’t allow us to love our children well either.
To show lavish hospitality to our children is welcoming them just as they are. Not only when they are obedient, or loving, or going to bed on time. But, I’ve found for me, when I’m stressed about not being a good mom (because I’ve listened to other things besides the Word of God), I take out my unworthiness on my kids.
Let’s show lavish hospitality to ourselves and our children by staying out of the comparison trap!
by Kimberly | Oct 2, 2017 | 31days, lavish hospitality
“She recalls wanting to be a part of those experiences,
even is she didn’t yet have a palate for the bitter bean.
She understood at that moment that in cultures around the world,
life takes place over mugs and french presses.”
Kinfolk Table: Elizabeth Haddad
Hospitality is easy when we are around people we love and who love us and with those with whom we have much in common. It is harder when we are around strangers, people who are not in harmony with our lives, or those we just don’t know. Maybe the people we need to pour out grace to are the ones who are least like us.
I’m not a coffee drinker. Slowly, I’m becoming one, but its like iced coffee with cream and caramel or a sugary frapp from the corner coffee shop. Maybe if we learn to like things out of our normal sphere (like coffee, or foods we normally wouldn’t eat), we would sharpen our ability to show hospitality.
With my husband: I learn to appreciate classical music. He learns to appreciate Zac Brown Band and Alabama. With my boys: I learn all about fire trucks and dinosaurs.
How can you learn to show lavish hospitality by learning to love things you don’t already love?
by Kimberly | Oct 1, 2017 | 31days, lavish hospitality
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Day 30
Every October comes around and there is group of women who set out to write a blog a day for the entire month. Every year I try to do it, and every year I fail.
This year, I’m trying something new. I’m working on a book (Lavish Hospitality) and want to use this space, this month, to work out the 31 short chapters of the book.
This is not going to be a book about food and blankets and setting up guest rooms. Yes, partly, there will be some recipes and stuff like this. But, hospitality is more than just setting a pretty table.
I want to “prepare a space for lavish grace”. Here the the sub-headings:
To my heart.
To my husband.
To my children.
To my neighbors.
In my home.
In my church.
Grace was poured out lavishly on us. We need to be ready to pour it out lavishly on others.
Hospitality has a southern ring to is. You may think of cozy reading corners, mums in the Fall, tea and coffee, flowers and guest rooms. It can be those things. But, just because you have coffee set out doesn’t mean you have a welcoming home for others.
So, in the next 30 days I’m going to be sharing 30 quotes and thoughts on them. These quotes will help me formulate thoughts on this topic, and I hope they will encourage you to practice lavish hospitality in your world.
