I think that right now, more than ever before, we are reminded that this world is not our home. Life is hard and full of uncertainties, and the world can sometimes be a hurtful place. In the midst of the storms that brew outside our doors, I have always felt that our home should be a sanctuary; a safe, peaceful, beautiful place where our family comes to rest, where they know that they are loved beyond measure; a place where, when the world is crazy or the day has been hard or someone has made them cry, they know there is someone here who loves them ALWAYS. I want our home to be a place where they know that they belong and they matter, regardless of what is happening outside our door. I want them to feel safe and to know that whatever life has handed them, here they are safe and loved.

This doesn’t necessarily mean an expensive, expertly decorated home. It means a place where you want to curl up on the sofa together with a blanket. A place where you long to linger because you feel at peace. A place where the candles are burning and the laughter is plentiful. A place where secrets are shared and joy is abundant, and moments are cherished.

I want our home to “interpret Heaven”, and to be a shelter in the storm.

 Though our children are grown and beginning families of their own, I still want our home to represent this for them and their children. I want our home to “interpret Heaven”, and to be a shelter in the storm. In a world that values fame and riches and getting ahead, this is my prayer for our home and for our family.