Rip and I live on land that allows us to do so many things … things that are so refreshingly unpretentious that they could easily be overlooked. Yet, we know the simplicity of our country life are blessings from God to be enjoyed, but also shared with whomever God sends our way. It’s the unembellished things that seem to matter most … like mowing acres of grass lined with hundreds-of-year-old trees, planting shrubs in random places, sitting outside to a blanket of bright stars just to hold hands in the quiet. It’s placing old bricks around the edges of flower beds and digging more holes for seeds in our garden. It’s hearing a knock at the door, and then getting to perk coffee while they come inside to a plate of homemade cookies. It’s sitting on the back porch swing with a friend as they laugh and enjoy the fact that they left their phone in their car on purpose. It’s watching our dog run and leap across the creek and realizing we’re still young enough to try catching a few lightening bugs into a wide mouth mason jar. It’s taking a stroll to the mailbox while waving at our neighbors as they feed their cows. It’s curling up in a double-wide recliner, with the one my soul loves, just to listen as one of our children on speaker phone tells us about their day and then ends the call with, “I love y’all.” You see, it’s the uncomplicated joys that we never want to take for granted because in them, we experience such a pure worship of God.
“In His presence is fullness of joy,” Psalm 16:11, and His presence is with us on the mower, in the swing, at the table, and as we celebrate the company of family, friends and strangers. Hospitality isn’t only opening the doors to our home and inviting people in.
Hospitality is the art of slowing down to enjoy people.
Rip and I are empty nesters and we both sense God preparing us to take some steps of faith with Him into a new season of ministry … of serving Him in how we serve people. Rip and I love people! All people! And to care for and serve others is why we are here, and we know it.
More to come …
But for now, I hope you will find Interior Inspirations – Inspiring the Interior of Your Heart and Home – to be an online place you’d want to visit every day, for hope, encouragement, and a few tips and thoughts in creating your own home into the haven you long for it to be.
~ I love you, Lisa
