Reason #558
The hubs made it home. No gambling-hostage situation, no bus wreck, and no minor injuries. Back in one piece. Last night it felt as if something was missing, which it obviously was. So I'm glad everyone is back in their rightful spot and our home feels complete.
Every now and then, I go back and re-read my old posts from this time last year. It serves for a good reminder as I tend to forget what all has happened over the last 558 days. Anyway, I was reminded that today marks 3 years that I have lived in this house. Aside from the house I grew up in, that is the longest I have ever lived anywhere. I pretty much moved about once a year from the time I started college until I moved into this house, so it's been nice to grow some roots.
Truth be told, I have a hard time believing it has been three whole years. In fact, I remember the weekend I moved in. My family came over and helped move and paint the entire house in one day. That's right people, one day. It was a long day, but there's nothing like knocking out unpleasant activities as quickly as possible. And although I've lived here for 3 years now, I feel like I have basically moved every year since then due to the many times I've rearranged the house. Anyway, I feel like (hopefully) we are almost done for a while. I say that, and the next thing I know we'll be doing something else. But I suppose that's kind of how homeownership goes, right? Just because you have a home doesn't mean that you move in and never change another thing about it. No, if you want to keep adding value to your home, if you want to continue to enjoy it, if you want to make the most of it and keep it up to date, you keep working on it. You paint new colors, change out decorations, rearrange things, add and take away, and you pour countless hours of time, money, energy (not to mention sweat) into it to continue making it "yours."
Aaron and I have worked quite a bit making this house "ours." We've make quite a few changes to it and still have a good chunk of work to complete. We are getting there, slowly but surely. And although I'd like to just get everything complete in one fail swoop and never change it again, I know that won't happen. Because something will break, something will need replacing, something will go out of style, or something won't be needed anymore. Plus, my ideas never stop thanks to HGTV and Real Simple. And so piece by piece we address each issue. Room by room, we decide what is a priority and what can wait. And we realize that the most important thing about our home isn't necessarily what it looks like, but what goes on inside of it.
A house divided will fall. No matter how beautiful your home is, how big, how decorated, how expensive, or how nice it is, it's what goes on the inside your home that really matters. Because although a home can be a good distraction, beautiful décor can't satisfy you. A super nice yard isn't going to make you happy. New paint, new floors, and new dishes in the cabinet are not going to complete you. And for some reason we believe this. We fall into the trap thinking that if we can have the best of the best, we will be set. Life will be so much better if our living room looks like the cover of Better Homes & Gardens. If we just knock down a wall, expand the size of the bathroom, get new countertops, or buy new furniture, everything will be alright. Because surely if our home life looks nice, our home life will be nice. False.
It's important to know what goes on in your home. Way more important than what things are in your home. Because if you spent as much time trying to make beautiful the relationships with your family as you did your backyard, how much more would you love your home? If you spent as much time keeping up to date with your family as you did with paint colors, how much more would you know the people you live with? If you cared about the little details of their lives as much as you cared about the décor on your shelves, how much deeper would your relationship be with them? It is possible to live with someone and not know them. It is possible to focus on the wrong thing rather than what really matters. Because truth be told, no matter how much time and energy you pour into a house, your house is never going to pour back into you. It's going to take and take and take, and one day, someone else is going to enjoy the fruit of your labor. Your house will probably outlast you and someone will eventually change everything you did to turn it into theirs. But if you focus on making your house a home, a place of safety and refuge, a place where love abounds, where people can be known and accepted, where there is freedom to be oneself, where faith is welcomed, and where truth prevails, you will gain so much more. Because those things never grow old. They never break or run out of style. They aren't just trends that hang around for a time and then need to be updated and replaced. No, if you pour into the people inside of your home rather than your home, you will receive. It will take work, effort, and time on your part, but it will be worth it. And after a while you will truly understand that what makes a home beautiful is the sweet memories over the years, the space shared with loved ones, and the time you get to spend together under the same roof.
#558 - For a home that is beautiful not because of things, but because of what the Lord has done with the inside.
"Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you." - Psalm 84:3-4
Every now and then, I go back and re-read my old posts from this time last year. It serves for a good reminder as I tend to forget what all has happened over the last 558 days. Anyway, I was reminded that today marks 3 years that I have lived in this house. Aside from the house I grew up in, that is the longest I have ever lived anywhere. I pretty much moved about once a year from the time I started college until I moved into this house, so it's been nice to grow some roots.
Truth be told, I have a hard time believing it has been three whole years. In fact, I remember the weekend I moved in. My family came over and helped move and paint the entire house in one day. That's right people, one day. It was a long day, but there's nothing like knocking out unpleasant activities as quickly as possible. And although I've lived here for 3 years now, I feel like I have basically moved every year since then due to the many times I've rearranged the house. Anyway, I feel like (hopefully) we are almost done for a while. I say that, and the next thing I know we'll be doing something else. But I suppose that's kind of how homeownership goes, right? Just because you have a home doesn't mean that you move in and never change another thing about it. No, if you want to keep adding value to your home, if you want to continue to enjoy it, if you want to make the most of it and keep it up to date, you keep working on it. You paint new colors, change out decorations, rearrange things, add and take away, and you pour countless hours of time, money, energy (not to mention sweat) into it to continue making it "yours."
Aaron and I have worked quite a bit making this house "ours." We've make quite a few changes to it and still have a good chunk of work to complete. We are getting there, slowly but surely. And although I'd like to just get everything complete in one fail swoop and never change it again, I know that won't happen. Because something will break, something will need replacing, something will go out of style, or something won't be needed anymore. Plus, my ideas never stop thanks to HGTV and Real Simple. And so piece by piece we address each issue. Room by room, we decide what is a priority and what can wait. And we realize that the most important thing about our home isn't necessarily what it looks like, but what goes on inside of it.
A house divided will fall. No matter how beautiful your home is, how big, how decorated, how expensive, or how nice it is, it's what goes on the inside your home that really matters. Because although a home can be a good distraction, beautiful décor can't satisfy you. A super nice yard isn't going to make you happy. New paint, new floors, and new dishes in the cabinet are not going to complete you. And for some reason we believe this. We fall into the trap thinking that if we can have the best of the best, we will be set. Life will be so much better if our living room looks like the cover of Better Homes & Gardens. If we just knock down a wall, expand the size of the bathroom, get new countertops, or buy new furniture, everything will be alright. Because surely if our home life looks nice, our home life will be nice. False.
It's important to know what goes on in your home. Way more important than what things are in your home. Because if you spent as much time trying to make beautiful the relationships with your family as you did your backyard, how much more would you love your home? If you spent as much time keeping up to date with your family as you did with paint colors, how much more would you know the people you live with? If you cared about the little details of their lives as much as you cared about the décor on your shelves, how much deeper would your relationship be with them? It is possible to live with someone and not know them. It is possible to focus on the wrong thing rather than what really matters. Because truth be told, no matter how much time and energy you pour into a house, your house is never going to pour back into you. It's going to take and take and take, and one day, someone else is going to enjoy the fruit of your labor. Your house will probably outlast you and someone will eventually change everything you did to turn it into theirs. But if you focus on making your house a home, a place of safety and refuge, a place where love abounds, where people can be known and accepted, where there is freedom to be oneself, where faith is welcomed, and where truth prevails, you will gain so much more. Because those things never grow old. They never break or run out of style. They aren't just trends that hang around for a time and then need to be updated and replaced. No, if you pour into the people inside of your home rather than your home, you will receive. It will take work, effort, and time on your part, but it will be worth it. And after a while you will truly understand that what makes a home beautiful is the sweet memories over the years, the space shared with loved ones, and the time you get to spend together under the same roof.
#558 - For a home that is beautiful not because of things, but because of what the Lord has done with the inside.
"Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you." - Psalm 84:3-4
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