What Is It That Makes a House a Home?

My Hyde Park at Tulsa Hills community is one of the stops if you're checking out the Parade of Homes in Tulsa this week. Four beautiful new houses are being featured -- houses with touch faucets, heated bathroom floors, geo-thermal energy features, high-end appliances, and so much more that makes a right-sized house so welcoming.

My post today, however, isn't about homes in the sense of mortar, brick, wood and stone. It's about human lives -- the people -- the families that live in those homes. I started thinking "What if there were a Parade of Homes that we could look at -- one that exemplified "family values" and a place where God's love and character showed Him to be the CENTER feature of their homes? You walked into THAT home and the atmosphere was warm, welcoming and you just wanted to hang out there.

We often say "God is our #1 priority!", and while that sounds really top-notch in terms of ranking order, I remember what my husband and I considered to be our main core value and non-negotiable. It was that God had to be right in the CENTER of our home and family. When a decision was made, it was based on what God's opinion would be. When a little "tiff" (my kids called it "Mom and Dad are having another 'discussion') would arise between my husband and I, we couldn't let the "tiff" last for long, because our CENTER always (sometimes later than sooner) drew us back to harmony and peace.

Our CENTER meant we prayed together, laughed together, listened to each other, helped each other, encouraged each other, forgave each other and gave each other lots of hugs. Did we always get it right? No, but because our CENTER was our non-negotiable, we did course corrections and soon came back to our CENTER. Most certainly, if we made God our CENTER, then, who knows, just maybe others would be drawn to make Him their CENTER, too.

“....but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15.

I Want My Life to be Filled With "I Get To" Moments

I am one to make "to do" lists.  And I'm filled with a sense of accomplishment as I check off each "to do" item.  Last week, my "to do's" included getting my home ready for the family coming in, getting the pantry and fridge stocked with food, getting my baking done, and getting my annual family photo taken.  I was able to check them all off.  

There are a lot of "have to's" in my life.  I have to pay bills.   I have to respond to emails.   I have to go to the grocery store.  I have to put gas in my car.   I have to clean my house.  I have to eat.  I have to wash my car.  I have to pay taxes.

It’s interesting to look at my "have to" list, and the "get to" list.  My "get to" list -- are the things I "get to" do spontaneously AND intentionally, because I CAN, and because  I really want to do those things.

I GET TO write a daily FB post that fills me with unabashed passion, that often keeps me up late into the wee hours of the morning -- seeking God for "the word" that just might make the difference in someone's day.   I GET TO run daily because it makes me feel alive and energized.  

I get to be a silly, wild and wanting-to-live-out-loud with my grandkids like, yesterday, playing hide-n-go-seek and skipping rocks on water, playing Apples-to-Apples and anything else to be a "rockin'" Nana!   I get to be free of having to have the house in perfect order when the grandkids are here -- the messes are nothing compared to the freedom of doing the things that matter most --

like have a sand-design competition -- and, yes, in Nana's house.  Spending time together TODAY -- in this sweet, present time -- time that we'll never have like this day again.  

Then I wonder where does my time with God fall?  Into the "have to"  list or the "get to" list?  Do I consider my time in the Word as a “have to” or a “get to?”  And what about my worship and praise to Him?    Actually, I do pray for God to create in me a "get to" holy desire to spend time with Him, in His Word, worshipping Him and praising Him for all He means to me.     I want it to be the item on my to-do list that becomes so non-negotiable that it comes before everything else in my life.   I want my life to be filled with “get to” moments and not “have to” tasks because I can see them all through the lens of blessing and answered prayer.

Aren't we so glad that we're not on God's "have to" relationship list, but we are His most precious "get to" relationship list.  He considers us His most cherished and beloved of all treasures.  Shouldn't we be living like that?