Home life

The other day I was cleaning up the kitchen and I overheard Scott reading a Little House chapter to Madelyn. Something that stuck out in my mind the rest of the evening and many days after was home life. Very simply within the text the writer uses the words home and life together, as one. In the story, I believe Pa had been out for days and came back to find that he had indeed missed home life.

Home life. It encompasses so much. For the Little House family, I imagine that home life was a very positive thing. I am sure that there was so much life. There was plenty of work, learning, growing, eating, cleaning, exploring, investigating, nurturing, creating, tending to, fixing and mending, hoping, dreaming, loving and feeling within that house they cared for.

I want our home life to be positive. I want it to be pure and not lacking. I want it to be clean and orderly. I desire my kids to dream big, learn every other minute, walk tall, care and care about caring. I truly want my home to be full of sweet and tender moments. I want there to be wonderful meals cooked. Lots of humble prayers prayed.

I want our home to be full of questions and answers. I want us all to feel freedom and not total restraint. I want our family to hear music and love the way it makes us feel. I want us to dance and be confident in ourselves. I want us to read and enjoy it. I desire for there to be laughter bouncing off of every wall every day.

I desire my children to see me loving their father at home (and elsewhere). Let them all see our great passion for one another. May they see us serving one another and building each other up. I want them to know that this family has purpose and we will care for one another.

I want my kids to believe in Jesus. I want them to know God. I want them to want to do good. I desire them to want to serve others uncondtionally. I want us to captivate their hearts at home and point them to the Lord.

It is quite a responsibility we have as parents to create a positive home life. We have to be thoughtful about each day. We have to be intentional. I believe that being home is such a gift we can give our children and ourselves.