Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The Well-Lived Life.......How Beautiful!!!

Do you like luxury, do you enjoy comfort, is there anything you obsess over, do you enjoy walking into a room and feeling loved and comfortable?  Interesting questions, but the last one to me, is the only one important.  Do you enjoy walking into a room and feeling loved and comfortable?  I know that I do, and the moment you walk into a home, you can sense something about the ones living there.  This room I redecorated to suit my taste for a few hours a couple of weeks ago.......Kara and Phil's big day.  With just a little thought and a few luxurious accessories to suit our taste, we made it nicer than we had found it!  We started with the sofas and faced them, one to another, leaving ample space so the guest could sit comfortably and enjoy conversation.  We placed a few candles to make the room more welcoming and placed pillows we found inexpensively, and a few that I made, in the bare window seat.  BLISS!  COMFORT!  and hopefully all our guest felt the LOVE of the families!!! Imagine this room filled with people, relaxing, enjoying conversation, and just feeling welcome and at home.  The way we live, can be recreated anywhere we go.  I can't resist books, so you might add a few of your favorite books also, even if you are just having guests for the weekend in your home.  You might begin by placing a couple of books about the area you live in or that you live near.  Several of our guest were from England, so I wanted them to feel at home and we decided upon a lovely little green teapot that we had found in an antique shop!  PERFECT!!!

What does a guest remember when they visit your home?  You can shop the world over for "things" but what one remembers truly, is the love felt when they are in and when they leave your home.  In the Bible, John 12 tells the story of Jesus coming to Bethany, to visit the sisters, Mary and Martha, because their brother Lazarus had died and Jesus had raised him from the dead! Talk about celebration and great conversation!!!  There, in their home,  they made Jesus a supper, and Martha served dinner or so the Bible says, but Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.  The house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Wow....can you imagine!  Spikenard was a valuable and fragrant ointment derived from the dried roots of the herbal plant called nard.  It was costly and only used for special occasions.  Mary understood that being in the PRESENCE of the LORD was the most special of occasions.  You see, when Jesus is invited into our homes and His Presence fills our spirits and our homes........we don't have to worry about the pillows, the sofas, or even the beautiful flowers for a fragrance.   All the invited guests will know that true love is there!  Enjoy decorating your home............and, most importantly,  fill it with the love of Jesus!  How Beautiful it will be!