Making My Home a Haven

Every now and then, I find myself glancing over entries at the Biblical Womanhood blog. As a new wife, I am searching for guidance on how to be the Godly wife my husband needs. Though I cannot relate to everything posted on this blog, I find a lot of the entries very helpful and encouraging.

Today I read the Monday's Making Your Home a Haven series and was immediately motivated to make my home a haven, having just returned from vacation. In two hours I started laundry, cleaned the kitchen, unpacked our suitcases, put items where they belonged, cleaned the bathrooms, and cleaned the major walkways of our little home.

As I cleaned, I reflected on why making the home a haven is so important. At Biblical Womanhood, they want to spruce it up so the husband comes home to a haven, a place of rest and comfort. I remember one day during my spring break, I had spruced up the house, opened the windows downstairs, lit some candles, and began preparing dinner. Chris came in the door, and I will always remember his reaction. He was so thankful! He said it was so relaxing to come home to that environment, to smell the sweet fragrance of the candles mixed in with a spring breeze, to have a couch to sit down on, to have a place to put his shoes, and so on.

As a working wife, I feel I can appreciate it as well (along with my husband). From a lot of experience this past school year, I realized that after a long day, coming home to a kitchen piled high with dirty dishes, a living room with dirty clothes and books scattered everywhere, and a bedroom you can barely walk through just adds to the stress you feel at work. I come home, see the house in that condition, and then I just want to turn right around and walk back out... find somewhere else to go.

With all this reflection in mind, I would like to make it a goal of mine (with the summer of organization behind me) to keep my home a haven. I would like to have my Sunday evenings to clean up the house to get it ready for the week. I would like to beat my husband home so I can straighten up the house, light a candle or two, open up a window (weather permitting), and begin cooking our dinner. In general, I would like to see myself step up this year and be a housewife and a teacher... I kinda neglected my domestic duties in the craziness of last year.

I shall travel to Virginia next week, then I will come home and get back into the routine of getting up early, and hopefully get into an afternoon/evening routine that will help me succeed in this goal.

So, here goes! :)