The Peace-Filled Home

Not too long ago we had some of our dearest friends over for dinner. Their son was running around with our kids and general hilarity and mayhem was the order for the evening. As the kids played and the husbands talked my sweet friend turned to me and said, “You know, your home just feels so peaceful.”

It was then I knew she had actually gone and lost her mind. I mean, could she not see what I saw? Pizza boxes on the kitchen island, toys strewn all around on the floor, yelling and screams of laughter wafting down to us from the upstairs playroom.

“You think THIS is peaceful?” I asked her. Did she not see and hear what was happening in that moment? Was my friend certifiable and should I be concerned that she was in our home?

And that is when she said it. “Oh, I know that things are kind of crazy right now but just in general, at it’s core, your home feels peaceful.”

It caught me off guard. It stopped me in my tracks. It was a simple comment (a compliment!) thrown into a conversation (probably one that started off with a discussion about boys and why on earth they can’t seem to aim properly when they’re going to the bathroom) and yet it completely floored me.

And this simple comment started me down a path of pondering and processing what it really means to have a peaceful home. A peace-filled home.

Is it possible to have a home that is peaceful even when life is crazy? Are there things that I have done in my own home that have contributed to it feeling peaceful? Can we create homes that are havens for our families when schedules are busy and jam-packed?

I think the answer to all of those questions is a resounding YES!

Last weekend I had the opportunity to share my own journey towards a peace-filled home at the Becoming Conference in beautiful Asheville, NC. It was a time to gather together as women to encourage and inspire each other. A beautiful time of sharing hearts and ideas and generally lifting each other up as we journey down this path of womanhood.

Over and over I heard women share with me that they wanted to have peace-filled homes too. That they longed for it.

And over and over we talked about where to begin

Because, you see, I believe that..

 a peace-filled home begins with a peace-filled heart.

And as I was flying back home to Oregon on Sunday, I started wondering if maybe I should share with you what I shared with the ladies at the conference.

I’d like to start a dialogue. I’d like us to be able to talk about whether or not you feel like your home is filled with peace. I’d like to know if you feel this is just as important as I do to the success of a home and a family.

Because I believe it’s a choice. I believe that we have to choose to have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes.

So, what do you think? Would you like to join me on this journey toward having a peace-filled home? Are you ready to invite it into your heart and into your home?

I sure would love to be on this journey with you!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Peace-Filled Home and thank you so much for meeting me at the fence today,