If your Monday is like mine -- filled to the brim with housekeeping chores -- perhaps you will appreciate these thoughts from favorite author Emilie Barnes: "The spirit of welcome begins in your own heart, in your own attitudes. It has its birth in your willingness to accept yourself as God's child and to be grateful for your place in God's family, your true spiritual home."
"With that foundation, welcome becomes a way of life. You open your life to others instead of shutting them out. You learn to see your encounters with people as gifts instead of viewing them as hindrances or distractions."
"And you treasure your close relationships for what they are -- gifts from God. With that attitude, a smile and a hug become as important to the spirit of welcome as a candle and a pot of stew."
-- Emilie Barnes, The Spirit of Loveliness
I pray that all the tasks we do today to bring order to our homes will bring honor to God and blessings to our families. And that we will remember that today's chores are expressions of love -- each task a blessed opportunity to tell our families ...
Welcome Home.
