Making My Home A Haven is important to me. Sharing homemaking skills. Recipes and food. Bible Studies. This is a treasure chest of goodies. So take a seat. Have a glass of tea and enjoy. You will learn all about who I am.
Today’s memory verse Today is the third day of Making Your Home A Haven Bible study. My gratitude and prayer list. There are so many verses to pick for my SOAK today.I particularly liked this verse, Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord , and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily […]
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4
{Cue the Confetti!!!}
It’s time to begin the 11th Annual Making Your Home a Haven Bible Study! This week’s spiritual focus is to Delight in the Lord! Join me for Week 1’s video as we discuss How to Delight in the Lord —then pull out your journals and begin!
When our schedules are full and our to-do lists are overwhelming, it’s hard to stop and enjoy life to the fullest. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross and the forgiveness of our sins, we have a personal relationship with God. Not only should we delight in God as our savior and friend, but God is also a giver of good gifts, that he wants us to delight in!
So how do we delight in the Lord and the good gifts he has given us?
We must stop.
We must stop and open our eyes to the generosity of our God. When we sit still in his presence and simply enjoy the Lord, we find that our souls can be satisfied in him. He is a delight to know!
Once we are still in God’s presence and delighting in him, the fullness and richness of all God has given us, comes to life. Suddenly we see God’s hand in everything. We see God’s love in the chirping birds, a crispy apple, a hot cup of coffee, a bouquet of flowers, a hug from a friend, a beautiful sunset, a powerful storm and the changing leaves on the trees.
People who work too much, don’t delight in life. Instead of experiencing freedom in Christ, they lack the self-control and faith to simply stop, rest and delight.
Every evening the sun sets, signaling it is time to rest. And on the seventh day of creation, God rested. Rest and delight are God given, built-in needs for our souls.
So, it’s time! It’s time to take 15 minutes a day to stop and be grateful, pray, meditate and delight in the Lord and then go forward with the day, delighting in the good gifts God has given us to enjoy. Let’s get started.
Go buy an extra large candle and light a candle everyday in your home. Each time the glimmer of the candle catches your eye, let it remind you to say a prayer of thanksgiving and a prayer for peace in your home.
I will be starting mine in the morning but you can start yours at dinner time or whenever is convenient for you. I will be placing mine in the kitchen – the main hub of my home. Let’s make our homes feel like a warm hug and a sweet haven all month long!
You see when we do not take the time to tend to our own souls – we have nothing left to give to others. So many times I have found myself busy and running on empty and then I snap – in a moment of frustration and weariness I say or do things that I would never do if I was more rested and connected with the Lord.
And so this month – let’s be intentional!
Begin your gratitude list now.
Pull out a pen and paper and begin. As you set your pen to the paper – wait on the Lord. Seek God and ask him to show you all the ways he has shown himself to you lately.
Give thanks to God for both the big and small blessings in your life.
They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Introducing the 11th Annual Making Your Home a Haven Bible Study
From Sarah:
FROM SARAH I WILL BE STARTING WEEK ONE TOMORROW : MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020
This study started last week for everyone else. I had to delay starting it due to being sick. Truly sorry about that. The first part was posted early October. It Introduced The Making Your Home A Haven Study For The 11TH Year. The following are the posts that followed. Women Living Well /Good Morning Girls Check Out The Printable Book Mark And The Coloring Book For Children In The 2nd Post.
“Welcome to the 11th Annual Making Your Home a Haven Bible Study! 11 years ago, we began this series and never could I have imagined how much it would resonate with so many women around the world!
Our souls desperately need a deeper connection with God.
So many times we try to mask our struggles, pain, confusion or emptiness by keeping busy and distracted, eating food, going on vacations, seeking success or elevating certain relationships. While many of these things are blessings from God, they are not good substitutes FOR God.
This Bible Study is going to help you slow down.
It is going to force you to pause every day and enter into the presence of our Almighty God.
God’s pace is much slower than this world’s pace.
We must slow down to catch up with God.
We must create calm moments in our day because it’s in the unhurried moments, that we can clearly see and hear the voice of God.”
“Self-care is a very popular concept these days, but I believe that soul care IS self-care.
So, let’s take care of our souls by intentionally creating a physical environment, as well as a spiritual environment, in our homes that brings us closer to God. As a result, we will experience peace and a sense of calmness inside our souls, no matter what we are facing.
Each week, I will provide for you a practical challenge of something I do in my home that makes it more of a haven. I hope you will take the challenges. They do make a difference!
Each weekday, we will pause, give thanks, pray and meditate on God’s Word through SOAKing in the daily scripture reading for the day.
Also, you will find 4 videos, one per week, that correspond with the scriptures we are studying.”
All the resources are free for this study but there is an optional Study Guide available on Amazon titled: Delight in the Lord
The Study Guide is optional, as I will provide for you the daily Bible Reading Plan and many free resources each week here on the blog. BUT I highly recommend the Study Guide. It provides space for your daily gratitude list and daily prayer requests, plus a place to keep all of your Bible study reflections/SOAKs and video notes.“ https://womenlivingwell.org/2020/10/resources-for-the-delight-in-the-lord-bible-study/
Here’s the topic schedule:
Week 1: Delight
Start a daily gratitude list and delight in the Lord, the giver of good gifts.
Go buy an extra-large candle and light a candle everyday in your home. Each time the glimmer of the candle catches your eye, stop, pray and give thanks.
Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again, rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)
Week 2: Draw Near
Slow down, be still, listen, pray and commune with the God of the universe. He is near.
Keep your candle going and add to it soft music everyday in your home. Choose worship, classical or another form of peaceful music that helps you focus on the Lord.
The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)
Week 3: Desires
Take your desires to the Lord in prayer this week.
Keep your candle burning, the music playing and purchase a small bouquet of flowers for yourself. Let that bouquet be a daily reminder of God’s love and presence with you.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
Week 4: Dependence
It takes faith to rest in the Lord and depend solely on him but he is trustworthy. Delight, draw near, and exchange his desires for yours and depend on God. He loves you so!
Rest is a need not a want. Rest is not optional and it is a blessing from the Lord. So, seek out a place of solitude to rest and pray. Get alone with God outside or in your home. Be still with God and take a much needed bubble bath, nap or still time with the Lord.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)”
Candles are an important part of the Making Your Home A Haven Fall Challenge. Do you have to have a candle lit in your home to take the challenge? Of Course not. Why wouldn’t you want to have one lit? I do understand there might be those of you out there that for some reason, […]
These are unprecedented times, when everyone in the world is being encouraged to stay at home as much as possible. This can create a lot of anxiety for everyone. So it’s important that you create a relaxing and tranquil atmosphere, whether you have returned to lock-down or if you’re just practising self-quarantine or shielding. These […]
Welcome to the Third Sunday of Advent. The third Candle is pink, a symbol of joy. It is also called the Shepherd’s Candle, for when the angels announced that the savior was born, the shepherds were filled with great joy. The faithful believers wait in joyful anticipation of the coming of the Lord.
A common feature of the Advent celebration is the Advent wreath, a simple or decorated evergreen wreath with four candles set in the circle and perhaps a fifth white candle set in the middle. Traditionally, three of the outer candles are purple, the color of royalty, celebrating the imminent coming of the Newborn King, while one of them is pink or rose-colored. Eric D. Huntsman
Celebrating Advent: Keeping Jesus Christ The Focus Of The Season
By Deseret News Nov 25, 2011, Eric D. Huntsman, For the Deseret News
“Advent is an important tradition in Germany and Scandinavia as well as being part of the Christmas worship of many branches of Christianity, including the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist churches. The name “Advent” comes from the Latin ‘adventus,’ meaning “coming, appearance, or presence.”
As early as Pope Gregory the Great (A.D. 590–604), Advent was established as a four-week preparatory period that anticipated the celebration of the birth, or advent, of Jesus Christ as the Babe of Bethlehem. But as observed today, Advent also celebrates Christ’s presence and importance in our lives now, and, just as importantly, looks forward to his future return in glory when he will reign as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
Although some Christian communities celebrate it differently, a common feature of the Advent celebration is the Advent wreath, a simple or decorated evergreen wreath with four candles set in the circle and perhaps a fifth, white candle set in the middle.”
Eric D. Huntsman is an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University and is the author of “Good Tidings of Great Joy: An Advent Celebration of the Savior’s Birth” published by Deseret Book