Making Your Home a Haven Annual Challenge

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 are blessings from God, they are not good substitutes FOR 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

In 2010, I began a fall challenge that encouraged women all over the world to create peace in their homes, as a start to the fall season. 

I didn’t know it at the time, but the Making Your Home a Haven Series would become a hallmark study that women would look forward to every year. And since then, 2017 is the only year I didn’t offer the Making Your Home a Haven series. Instead I offered Rest and Release.

So, let me introduce you to the “Making Your Home a Haven” Bible Study. Each week, for 4 weeks, I will give you one practical tip and one spiritual tip that you can do to create a haven in your home.

Introduction

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The 2019 Making Your Home a Haven Bible Study looks like this:

Week 1 – Gratitude

Start a daily Gratitude List.

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 and pray.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Week 2 – Meditation

Slow down, focus, reflect, and think about God’s Word every day this week.

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.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

Week 3 – Prayer

Take time to have deeper and more meaningful times of 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.

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

Week 4 – Fasting

You can choose to do a 24 hour fast or fast one meal a day for 7 days in a row or fast for a period of time from something like social media, screen time, shopping or whatever you choose.

Seek out a place of solitude to pray. Get alone with God outside or in your home.  Be still with God and fervently pray.

And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18

2019 MAKING YOUR HOME A HAVEN BIBLE STUDY BLOG POSTS

2018 – Making Your Home a Haven Soul Care Edition

The 9th Annual Making Your Home a Haven Challenge – Soul Care Edition is all about learning 4 spiritual disciplines: Gratitude, Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, and Solitude.

Paired with the 3-month Habit Trackers below, you can take these 4 spiritual disciplines to the next level by journaling your prayer, thanksgiving, and what God is showing you each day.

2018 MAKING YOUR HOME A HAVEN SOUL CARE EDITION BLOG POSTS

2017 – Making Your Home a Haven Rest & Release Edition

If your calendar is full and you feel tense, rushed and even panicked at times – this study is for you. We must stop overbooking ourselves and slow down to meditate on God’s Word and let the Psalms comfort us, the Proverbs counsel us, the Gospels draw us nearer to Jesus, and Revelation fill our hearts with hope.

God wants you to talk with Him about your struggles, pains, and frustrations, and give Him all your cares in exchange for His peace.

LEARN MORE ABOUT REST & RELEASE HERE

2017 MAKING YOUR HOME A HAVEN REST & RELEASE BLOG POSTS

Making Your Home a Haven Homemaking Challenge

The 2016 Making Your Home a Haven Bible Study looks like this:

Week 1 – Go buy an extra large candle and light a candle everyday in your home. 

Each time the candle catches your eye, say a prayer for peace in your home.

Week 2 – Play soft music everyday in your home. 

Choose worship, classical or another form of peaceful music that the family enjoys. Focus on using peaceful words and maintaining peaceful relationships. Remind your family to avoid seething anger, tattling, criticism or back talk. As the wife/mother, work on gentleness this week.

Week 3 – List a few of the spots in your home that make you visually stressed because of all the clutter. 

Now go buy something for that spot – like a basket to put it all in! Work on cleaning up clutter – throw things away and encourage the children and your hubby to do the same in their bedrooms or offices or work areas this week. While you’re at it – clean up some clutter in your spiritual life. What gets in the way of your peace spiritually?

Week 4 – Keep the candle going, the music playing, and add some tender moments with your family. 

Have a pillow party in the family room and get out every blanket and pillow in the house and be cozy with the kids or your hubby! Even if you live alone you can do this. Enjoy a cozy evening of hot cider and caramel corn. Give a 5 minute back rub to every single person in your house…and for a double challenge- try to give one every day to each family member! During your tender moment with the family, ask them how they feel about this challenge. Are they enjoying it? Is it helpful? Is there anything they would change. Give your family listening ears. I think you will be blessed by the positive feedback you will receive!

Week 5 – Focus on the kitchen, the heart of the home. 

Cook things with pleasant aromas. Pick a meal the family can cook together – include everyone in a task and take pictures so everyone can remember moments in the kitchen together – test tasting, being creative, laughing and loving. Remove discontentment with your home or family and give thanks to God for the home God has given you to in which to create a haven for your family.

This week's spiritual focus is gratitude. Join me as I share about the importance of slowing down and practicing gratitude. Join in in our weekly challenge. #Biblestudy #MakingYourHomeaHaven #Gratitude #WomenLivingWell

2016 MAKING YOUR HOME A HAVEN BLOG POSTS

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