My house is not always “picture-perfect” or “magazine-ready”.  Sometimes it is in such a mess, I don’t even like it. There are weeks that I never get the laundry folded and put away in our master bedroom. There can be piles of mail or magazines that no one wanted or needed, stacked on the kitchen counter waiting for someone to decide to throw it away or do something with it.

There are weeks that our yard around the house looks awful and the grass needs cut or the weeds chopped down.  My husband may bring “things” home that he promises it is for a good reason or purpose, and it lays in our yard between the house & his barn/workshop.  The firewood can just be thrown in a pile instead of stacked neatly. You may find lumber or logs that haven’t made it to the shop storage area yet. And don’t get me started on the patio furniture…

For the past few years when the heat hits and the pollen has fallen, our pond doesn’t look so inviting. It somehow covers itself with a green scum that we are trying constantly to clear up. It is a horrible lime green color and looks pretty thick just laying there. You can’t see the fish and they certainly aren’t jumping…. The frogs won’t even come out. LOL…

And after some time of battling this all here at our place, I gave up the practice of hospitality and have been “hiding our home” from family and friends. This is not what God wants for us. Yes, I can get on top of the laundry and the mail. I can keep the house picked up and cleaned but the outside is not my area of work and I have to trust that God will provide a way and the time for my husband to get things back in shape as they should be. But no matter what……. I should have never stopped showing hospitality. My family and friends just want to come in and visit with us, they don’t want to buy our home. They aren’t coming for an inspection. If they are then that is their problem and not mine and I have to trust that the Lord will work that out with them. I need to do what I can, don’t worry about the rest and open my door to welcome others in.

So this is my confession and my reason for starting this blog. I need to let the Lord work in me and get me back to what I know is Biblically right according to His Word and get back to showing hospitality to all that are in need or who I may need.

1 Peter 4:9-11 

⁹ Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

¹⁰ As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

So walk with me as I find my way back and to the art of practicing – Just Simple Hospitality!