PORCH
a soft place to land
a calm weekend haven
a gentle pause from life's busyness
so we may experience
the tender lovingkindness of Jesus
as we do life together
as we do life together
in community
“What people are craving isn’t perfection. People aren’t longing to be impressed; they’re longing to feel like they’re home. If you create a space full of love and character and creativity and soul, they’ll take off their shoes and curl up with gratitude and rest, no matter how small, no matter how undone, no matter how odd.”
Shauna Niequist
Hey All ~
My original intent for this edition of PORCH was to share a bunch of lovely Christmas snapshots from past years since this is often a stressful time and I thought it would be a nice respite for us all.
But as I was pulling everything together it hit me that these days my kitchen doesn't usually look like those pics and I'm guessing yours doesn't either. After spending an hour and a half cleaning up the kitchen last night, I shifted this weekend's theme upside down to reflect what's pretty much true.
1. Our December kitchens have morphed into command central, bustling hives of all kinds of frenzied activity and unorganized chaos.
2. Yet, is it still possible for our homes to be known as welcoming havens in the midst of mixing, baking, arranging, hunting for the elusive recipe, creating, whisking, wrapping, taking out the garbage, washing, crafting, eating, checking homework, pulling food together for the food pantry and the potluck. Coffee sloshing from our mugs, reading, stacking, folding, drying, emptying the dishwasher, and checking our phones every other minute. Wielding rolling pins, keeping an eye on the kids and the clock, organizing, chopping, praying, re-filling the fridge, writing, cleaning, paying bills. Broiling, scrubbing, charcuterie-ing, packing and unpacking, checking our calendars, piecing puzzles, making lists, shifting our ever-growing piles as we traipse across sticky floors.
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What do you think?
Can we cultivate hospitality right about now or do we have to wait til next year? (Notice I didn't use the word entertaining which I absolutely despise.) In the midst of relentless activity, how can we offer a warm and welcoming haven, a nurturing refuge, a hub of kindness to others? Let's talk about what's happening in our pre-Christmas kitchens ... and our overloaded souls.
Linda
November 2023 Update
Please come visit me at Grace & Space, my new online home sweet home on Substack. I'd love for you to join our little community there. This week I'm playing Personal Shopper as we talk about winsome stocking stuffers, 10 exceptional books, and a bunch of out-of-the-box gift-giving suggestions!
