Mom Heart Moments #307

My people will live in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.

MANY YEARS AGO, the elves’ city of Rivendell in the Lord of the Rings trilogy captivated my family’s imagination. Cultivating our home as a place that celebrates all the great beauties of life from eras gone by has been one of our goals, giving us inspiration for hours of collecting and crafting over the years.

A library that holds all the great books of children’s literature, classics, biographies, and beautifully presented information is a must. Our home library has turned into a tearoom of sorts now, with comfy chairs, its own tea set, paintings from places we’ve visited and lived, and always candlelight and music. And of course, there’s a bookshelf in every room, with each child collecting his or her own library.

We must have a well-stocked kitchen with all sorts of recipes crafted over years of testing: traditional holiday food, meals for those who are ill, birthday fare, cold-winter-night soups and breads, and all sorts of healthy variety in between.

Cozy living rooms with fireplaces are where stories are told and ideas discussed and children cuddled. Bedrooms have comfy chairs and piles of books in baskets to encourage reading and quiet times. And, of course, there are candles galore.

Clusters of chairs encourage close conversations —rockers on the front porch; love seats and big chairs around a firepit on the back deck; chairs in twos all over the house.

This is what I have had in my heart to shape: a haven that breathes life and truth and love into all who would enter. I wanted to make sure my home, for my family and friends, is indeed a homely house and that all things excellent and worthwhile over the ages are celebrated in its walls, because everyone needs a place to belong and a home where a welcome is always available.

Today, find a spot in your home that you might rearrange or decorate in a way to make people feel more welcome —including those who live there!