(Photo: Canva)

The house is quiet but for the ticking of the simple, blue-rimmed clock on the wall. Blue because that’s my favourite colour. I love everything about this place, from the beautiful wood bookshelf that once haphazardly adorned the front curb of a rundown shop in the roughest area of town—the shop owner assured us it was genuinely Amish-made—to the eleven-year old discount couches that behave more like sinkholes than seating when we sit down.

This is home.

Tomorrow is my 38th birthday and I’m feeling thankful today. I’m thankful for grace, for the One who holds me up as I stumble along. I’m thankful for family, the ones who see me at my best and at my ugliest and deeply love me anyway. I’m thankful for beautiful friends who listen to my heart and who pour out theirs. I’m thankful for my church, a thriving, exciting place, but also a safe place to let our masks slip as we pursue Jesus together. I’m thankful for my community, a group of strong, amazing mothers who are walking this homeschool path together.

And I’m thankful for home.

The paint is peeling on the kitchen cupboards. Upstairs, one of the windows is cracked. There are drywall patches throughout the house and water damage in the corner of the office closet. So many repairs to be done, yet I love this place.

This imperfect place is filled with laughter and provides solace for tears. It’s here that we learn and struggle and grow. In this place, we’re grounded and rooted in faith, love and the memories we make.

This past year, I read Sally Clarkson’s book The Life-Giving Home. It has challenged and inspired me to look for ways to make my home a space that breathes His life, even in the imperfect mess. And so, I’m working on it.

Tomorrow marks another year of this gift of life. My goal this year is to grow closer to Jesus, closer to my family, and to make my home a place where I serve more gently and graciously.

To create a haven for the children who spend their days here, the husband who returns home tired after a long day at work, and all the other beautiful people who pass this way.