There's the most adorable couple that ride by our house on bikes. The lady has a cute basket on the front of her vintage style bike. Her floppy sunhat and glasses are so cute. They look so happy and carefree. Picture perfect. One day that same couple came happened by our house when we were selling a set of chairs and I learned they were under hard times. A lost job and some ... Read More »
Hospitality
What that woman walking down the street taught me…
My friend and I were on the way to a coffee shop in town to catch up and reconnect. We'd tried several times before and either sickness or schedules prevented us. This particular morning I texted her knowing I didn't have time for coffee but also trying to practice the discipline of biblical friendship. I texted and she said Yes. So we're about 1 mile into our short trip to ... Read More »
Table Mentoring – a must read book!
Sue Donaldson, author of Table Mentoring, is the kind of woman that I'd venture to say many younger women call a "second Mom". She's the kind of woman you see Jesus in and the kind of woman you can call on at the last second....like when you think your chicken dish isn't going to turn out in time for company. (Don't ask me how I know that). She'll pull you out of a culinary ... Read More »
China Soup Bowls and Plastic Spoons – Hospitality gone wrong
Our sweet, elderly neighbor passed away two years ago and her children are in the process of selling her house. In their cleaning out and packing things up the daughter asked me if I would like her Mother's china. I was so honored and thrilled to be gifted with this beautiful 12 piece place setting of china. Did you notice the totally adorable soup bowls? They have two ... Read More »
Pushing through the Awkward in Friendship
Our small group met at a Pizza place for discussion over the book Messy Beautiful Friendship last night. Ya'll we do book clubs all wrong. We meet every few weeks and discuss about 64 chapters at a time. It's ridiculous but somehow it works for us and we like it. Last night we discussed hospitality. Christine Hoover talks about "back door" friends. You know - the kind that ... Read More »
Celebration of Influence
A ladies event I participated in years ago called "Celebration of Influence" has impacted me every year since. The luncheon was a special day where the ladies in our church invited someone who had influenced our lives in some way. We treated them to lunch and did everything we could to make them feel special and appreciated. We chose a gorgeous log cabin in the mountains that ... Read More »
31 Days: Day 16 – The Ministry of Presence
The ministry of presence = showing up and simply being there. It's a powerful statement even when words aren't used. To just be there. Sometimes words are exchanged and God's word is part of that and many times not. Don't feel the need to fill in the silence with words, scripture, stories of how you understand but really you have no idea (and that's not your fault). Silence ... Read More »
31 Days: Day 14 – Come To My Table – God’s Hospitality & Yours
I was introduced to Sue Donaldson author of Come To My Table just a few months ago. Our introduction was timely because hospitality was something I was struggling with. Still kind of am. This and this are just two examples of my less than stellar hospitality moves and there's more where that came from but we'll just leave it at that. Yep. What Sue helped me see through her ... Read More »