Days of Beauty: Extending Beauty Beyond the Walls

Yesterday, we shared beauty - but today I am challenging myself to take it outside of the walls of my home and take beauty on the road!

Now, the ideas are limitless of things you could do! Take a treat to a friend, lunch, plan a fun picnic family night for your family, I'm sure you'll have great ideas!

Psalm 45:1 (The Message), "My heart bursts its banks, spilling beauty and goodness.
I pour it out in a poem to the King, shaping the river into words ..."

This week has been a blessing to our home and I hope it has been to yours as well! Tomorrow, my favorite highlights from your weeks of beauty! Now, I'll tell you that I wrote the daily assignments a week ago for the whole week. Today, several of my ideas fell through - so I didn't exactly fulfill the goal to take beauty to others.

But, I got creative in looking at what I considered beauty. When David forgot a bag of cookies to share with his co-workers, we dropped those off and in the midst of a crazy day - I saw it as beauty. When I helped another who needed it, I saw it as the beauty of service.

I also did not take very many pictures today. And, we took the day off school - it was our first skipped day since we started and was just needed all around. Just relaxing the routine for a day was beauty. We did our errands, Mt. Laundry was conquered (for the day!) and I did some sewing.

We enjoyed lunch out on the porch! And, look at these cute mugs my Aunt sent from Chile!

Transforming into new beauty:

A yummy fall treat which I shamelessly admit that I did not make. When our store had caramel apples on sale and I was reminded of previous flops - it was a no brainer to me!

Thank you for joining me! It was a beautiful week!

Days of Beauty: Sharing Beauty

Psalm 71:8 (The Message), "Just as each day brims with your beauty,
my mouth brims with praise."

We've laid a groundwork to get to what is coming for today and tomorrow! An overflow of all the beauty we've invested in hearts and homes is now ready to pour forth and bless others!

Today, perhaps you'd be willing to share your home with someone else by inviting a friend in? Or, having a tea party waiting for your children when they come home from school?

Think creatively in how you can share your home and beauty today! Lift the load of another and bring encouragement!

Here is a glimpse of our day!

I had a little one wake me at 4am - fortunately I was able to get that one back to sleep. But, I was not able to get back to sleep - so I saw it as a gift from God for some good time with Him.

I read Proverbs 29 and several things jumped out at me in relation to mothering which were a challenge and blessing:

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."

"The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother."

"Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul."

We had a good day today! We began the day simply with cereal and AWANA verses! Usual morning chores and baths were next. Plus laundry and yes, I got out my Fall decorations - hooray!

A few little peeks into our school time.

This little guy had a great time making a "car-porter" (or in this case - perhaps a "train-porter?) out of his fire truck. I loved that a freight car was filled with Cheerios ... sweet. I also found cars in my slippers the other day and it made me smile. Signs of little life ~


Today, I really started noticing the benefits of my focused energy on our home this week. And, guess what? I did not go a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. today - pure heaven. Thanks to David and my friend Heather for getting Emily to and from ballet!

I made cookies and invited friends in for a Blessings Gathering co-hosted with a friend who sells Thirty-One. It was great! Children were welcome and enjoyed playing, there was sweet conversation in and through our home, and yes - there was beauty!!


Now, it is night and the lamps are cozy. I have been reminded this week of how much I love this home and how thankful I am for it. How well it fits and suits our family and what a blessing it is to us - Thank You, Lord!

How did you share beauty today?

Days of Beauty: Bringing Beauty Home

Once we have cared for the beauty we already have, we can take the tidying one step further and clean! Today, I'll be focusing on getting my home clean!

In addition, it seems that each of us have a unique ability to bring beauty into our own homes. We are women, we are created to care for and bless our homes. It doesn't mean we all have to be crafty! It means that we bring what God has given us in the creative department and use it to be a blessing of beauty in our own homes.

It means that we look for ways to bring God's Word into our homes, it can be a simple as lighting a candle and setting a pretty table for dinner. It means bringing a piece of ourselves and God's Creation into the life of our home.

Ok, how will you bless your home today with the beauty God has placed within your heart and abilities?

Psalm 23:6 (The Message), "Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life."

If you can believe it - I only took one photo today and it was of Samuel sleeping... so, no pictures to share today.

However, we did have a good morning in school and I worked at some cleaning that needed to be done today. I had hoped to get my Fall decorations done today, but it did not happen.

I swept, vacuumed, cleaned both bathrooms and cleaned up the screened porch. I also finished the remaining cloth napkins to give my friend a set of 12.

What did I do to create beauty today?

* Help another.

* Love on my children. I didn't lose my cool today - God's grace alone.

* Took care of our home and felt so thankful for it.

How about you?

Days of Beauty: Caring for the Beauty We Have

After focusing on God and the beauty that comes from being beautiful within, a natural next thought to me is to care for the beauty He has already given me. Health, home, family.

Today, I will be focusing on tidying my home. We'll be away all morning for CC, so I know my time will be more limited - but I know that I can start at my front door and just walk through my whole house and put things away where they go. Now, getting them to stay there is another matter entirely!

The beauty that surrounds me will be even more beautiful when there aren't shoes and books lying around! It's just like how we care for our yards and even our hearts - weeding out things that don't belong to make room for the beauty we want to be surrounded with.

Isaiah 61:3, "...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor."

Here are a few glimpses of our day -

We spent all morning and a bit of the early afternoon at CC today, and after Quiet Time - I did start at the front door and work all through the entry way and living room plus some of the dining room and kitchen tidying. I got lots of laundry put away and things taken care of!

For those of you who guessed that I am working on slip covers - you were right! Here is a little bit bigger of a peek. I don't want to show the whole thing until I'm done. I've gotten the larger couch finished!

After dinner, I worked on a few cloth napkins for a friend. Then, I ripped out (more) piping from the three throw pillows left for the couches. I made all the new piping and got the fabric cut out so I can hopefully get those finished very soon!

It's late now and I'm realizing I did not have my time in the Word today though I did read the entry in Jesus Calling. It is easy to feel defeated over that and I will try again tomorrow to begin the day right.

I did complete my chores for today and am pleased with the beauty added to my home just from tidying and putting things away.

How was your day?

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!