Fall Challenge: Week 1

Making My Home a Haven Challenge

Week 1 Assignments

• Get a large candle and light it each day.
• Whenever the candlelight catches your eye say a prayer of peace over your home.
• Reflect on the type of wife and mother you are: peaceful or disgruntled?

I decided to put a candle in each room of my house (well, that had the space for a candle, hehe).  So, I have a candle on dining room table, on a stand in my living room, on a counter in the kitchen, and in each bed room.  As I lit the candles in each room, I prayed out loud.  I prayed out loud only because my son was whining and my husband was getting frustrated with his whining because he had a headache and so I figured if I prayed out loud, I could at least "hear" myself think.  To my surprise the praying out loud ceased my son's whining and my husband calmed down - WOW! Talk about instant peace in the home - woohoo!!! I knew God answered prayer, but that was more than instantaneous, it was like "now".  :)

When I started praying out loud I was just quoting Scriptures of peace and turning them into prayers.  Then throughout the day as I was working with Jordan for school, playing games with Jordan, doing the laundry, cleaning up around the house... every time I saw one of the candles flicker its flame, I just said out loud "Thank You Jesus for lighting up my home with Your peace!"  Jordan listened and then caught on, so everytime we would walk into a room with a candle flickering he would say "Thank You Jesus for lighting up my home with Your peace" too.

As to what type of mother am I...  I have to say I can be both, peaceful and disgruntled.  The times when I'm peaceful and patient and slow to get angry are when things run smoother and usually when I am tested the most.  But the times when I am disgruntled, is usually when everything just gets turned upside down, moods go all over the place for everyone, and peace? - ha! it's nonexistent!

I have decided that every morning when I wake up, I CHOOSE to put on the Shoes of Peace! When things start to get chaotic, I CHOOSE to pray to God.  When my last nerve is about to bust open, I CHOOSE to quote Scriptures of peace.  When the husband comes home from the battlefield stressed, worn out, and wounded, I CHOOSE to make my home the haven he needs for peace, comfort, and healing... so he would not want to feel like it would be better to be on the battlefield than at home!