Day 12 - Make a Home a Haven

I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but for new readers, I am addicted to challenges. You know, those 30/31 day challenges (like this Write 31 Challenge). Well, I am currently on Day 12 of this challenge, Day 9 of the Whole30 challenge, and in Week 2 of the Make Your Home a Haven Challenge (I feel like I need to stop saying "challenge accepted!").

I stumbled across the Make Your Home a Haven Challenge on Pinterest, and I thought it would correlate perfectly with getting me in the mindset of embracing our time in our apartment. At the beginning of this year, we decided we wanted to move into a house by the time our lease is up in December. But after a while, we found that it would be wiser to stay here another year. When we had the mindset to get the house, I had decorated the apartment, but viewed it as just the stepping stone to the next best thing. I wasn't truly invested to rally pour my all into this place. Now that we've just renewed our lease here, this challenge couldn't have came at a better time.

The purpose of the challenge is to do just what it says: make your home a haven. During the month of October, you are prompted each week to do something that will bring a sense of peace and comfort to your home through things like prayer for those in your home, foods that your family loves, quality time with one another, and little decorative touches that welcomes Fall into your home. Although I'm only in Week 2, my favorite part of the challenge is lighting my candle, which serves as a reminder to pray for Toby and our home, and smelling the scent of Apple Cider Crisp waft through our apartment. When that candle is lit, I am reminded to pray that our home sees peace, acceptance, love, healthy communication, times of fellowship with others, and just the presence of the Holy Spirit. When I pray on those things, I focus on those things instead of a house. Whether I am living in a house or not, I want all of those things in my home. What's all that square footage of a home if there's none of the above?

So in making my home a haven, and while waiting at least another year until we buy a house, I am going to embrace these days and thank God that a) it doesn't take much to decorate this tiny place and b) I can tidy up this place before Toby gets home or any guests come in less than 15 minutes. 

Anyone else heard of or joining the Make Your Home a Haven Challenge? It's not too late to get started!