Monday, October 03, 2011

Days of Beauty: Eternal Focus


Beauty can be a way of life for us. We can just choose to make things and life experiences beautiful. This is something that I feel deeply about! Bet you never would've guessed that, hmm?

Today, I want to focus on the Spiritual Beauty in my home. This is the very foundation of what I want my home and family to be built on - and if I rush around and tidy and clean like a crazy person - what beauty will I really have accomplished for eternity?

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to seek him in his temple."
Psalm 27:4

How will you focus on the spiritual or eternal beauty in your home today?

* Begin your day with Him. How is your Quiet Time? Your time with Him? Share what He is teaching you!

* Lead your children into a quiet place with Him. Once you've had your Quiet Time and your children are up and about - read from His Word together, practice memory verses, consider a special breakfast and creating an atmosphere of worship and holiness.

* Ask God for a spiritual focus today - be watching for opportunities to share more of Him and His Word. When you are scrubbing dirt - talk about how God has given us clean hearts and cleansed us from sin, etc...

* Ask your children to join you on a prayer walk through your home. Praying for those who live within these walls and for guests - that God's Presence would be known and a shining light within and without. For His peace to reign here, for His grace to be given and received here, for others to come to know Him through the ministry of home.

* Play God-honoring and uplifting music.

* Consider wrapping sandwiches in eternal truths! Enjoy the beauty God created and make lunch al-fresco!

* Create some simple beauty with little hands - choose a favorite verse to write on the banner!

Ok, that is enough ideas for one day! I'll just tell you up front that we did our Haven week last week so that is how I'm able to share our pictures right now. I've found it is a bit stressful to write posts for the Haven series morning and night and try to visit all of your lovely posts as well. I think this will suit much better!

Now, here is a glimpse of our Eternal Focus day!

I began by exercising and reading today's entry from Jesus Calling plus all the suggested Scriptures along with that. Isaiah 50:4 really jumped out at me for today - to practice listening to Him!
"The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught."


Time for a cozy breakfast! I pulled out just a few Fall things and a loaf of banana bread I made over the weekend and some leaf candles - a sweet gift from a sweet friend!


We reviewed AWANA verses and read today's entry from Jesus Calling for Kids. Then I had little helpers in the kitchen making bread and pumpkin cupcakes! (Note: I used the whipped cream and toppings from this recipe instead of Cream Cheese frosting.)


Warning: attempting to have a day like this will throw any to-do list out the window and possibly make your kitchen look like this:


While I attempted to restore some sort of order to the kitchen, my littles created a little play house in the hallway with all the doors closed. Something in me thought I should offer to have school in there which they loved even though it drove me crazy!


We finished school just about at lunch time ~ it rained off and on all day and was very wet and muddy outside, so we had a picnic inside!


I had made the sandwich wrappers (link above) and little paper fun goodies a couple of nights before. I spent no more than an hour - probably less on everything.

Little flags on our fruit noting the Fruit of the Spirit:


I also made "wrappers" for our glasses that had verses on them:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..." "Man does not live by bread alone but by the very word of God..."


A mug of Goldfish carried the tag, "I will make you fishers of men..."

We did listen to uplifting music throughout the day!

These are the three sweet little souls in my care:

Another good reminder and very cool old scale I found recently!


A yummy Fall treat - these will make your home smell divine!
I made little stands that said, "How sweet are Your words to my taste..."

Pretty things are so much fun to take pictures of!


During Quiet Time, I enjoyed my Peace Retreat and a library book!

Then, did my ironing and tried starch for the first time! Officers need to have crisp creases! Should I put something over my ironing board cover? I don't want the starch to build up on there and ruin it - or I guess I could wash it?


In keeping with my desire to be real and honest here - I'm going to admit that this was a hard day. Taking on a desire to work at investing for eternity is sure to draw some warfare and I felt it today. I know that I must simply trust in God to draw on this deposit for His glory at a future time.

Beauty was created that pointed to Him!

We did not complete our prayer walk through the house today and I had really wanted to do that with my children, so I will try again another day this week.

If you're participating - please leave a comment, I'd love to visit your post!

13 comments:

LynnMarie said...

Wow you have a whole lot more energy than me! As I was reading this I thought "What fun but what a packed day!" Part of the beauty that you have is your skills in so many things!

Wendi said...

Love the sandwich wrappers!

Stop by and visit my beauty post.

angie said...

I printed the sandwich wrappers. My kids don't take many sandwiches in their lunchbox, but they will work wrapped around their thermos or water bottle, too. I'd missed those on Ann's site.
I love the old scale. That and a globe has been on my "antique" wish list for a long while.
Do your children (the readers)take note of the scriptures and words of beauty at the lunch table? Do you talk about them during the meal? Just pondering how to incorporate more scrpitural discussion into our days...

Shannon said...

Monica - This is just what I need this week (maybe every week?!?). I'm planning to start tomorrow morning.

Mom said...

Dear Monica, these photos are beautiful and the way you are incorporating Scripture into your home (including on the bare floor underneath your carpet!) brings to mind these verses: "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth." Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Of course, you don't have to do all of that in one day!! :) Love you lots, Mom

petrii said...

Hi Monica,
I just posted on my blog "Days of Beauty". Thank you for doing this. I am LOVING it!!!

Have a Blessed evening ~~ Dawn

*carrie* said...

Beautiful ideas and those cupcakes look amazing. That scale is so you!

Unknown said...

What an inspiring post! Thank you for sharing your day with us. :)

God bless and keep you,
Sonia

Abbi said...

I love all your little scripture pretties.

I am working to have a Making Your Home a Haven week as well. My post is here:http://proverbs31living.blogspot.com/2011/10/making-our-home-haven.html

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

What a great idea :) :) :) I loved adding bits of Scripture to the food, to remind the little ones about God's Word, His promises, etc :) :) My personal favorite was the tag on the goldfish crackers God making us fishers ofmen :) :) What a neat way to present that to your kids :) :)

On a sidenote, I have an old vintage scale almost exactly like the one you showed in your photo here. That's really cool. I have skeins of yarn sitting on my scale :)

Love and hugs from the ocean shores, Heather :)

Sarah Belle said...

I love how you are discipling your children in so many simple lovely ways. tammyp

Lauren (in Savannah) said...

Looks like a wonderful day the kids will remember!

P.S.>>>I used to use starch and it left a layer of starch on my wall. Not sure if your ironing board is near a wall.....

Maria said...

Thank you so much for the reminder and I love the printed wrappers. Beauty and thoughtfulness in our home echo the Lord's creation and detailed love in our lives... beautiful!