Occupation: Homemaker.

I love fall. I think it is my favorite season. The cooler weather, the colorful trees, the smell of pumpkin spice lattes, apple cider, and other delicious seasonal treats. Fall festivals, hayrides, the holidays, family traditions, and the coziness of your home and spending time with loved ones as the days get shorter... not to mention my anniversary and my son's birthday! :)

Recently I have been reading a series on one of my favorite blogs called "Making Your Home A Haven" (see below). The series spans five weeks and challenges women to bless their families through prayer, showing gentleness and love, as well as in a number of practical ways such as cooking family meals or special treats, decorating for the holidays, and creating special family memories. It has really spoken to me by highlighting the ways in which I can bless and bring JOY to my family through the seemingly "mundane" tasks of motherhood... be it cooking, cleaning, or even folding laundry.

There is an inherent difference between "housekeeping" and "homemaking." One brings to mind a list of chores and drudgery, the other a feeling - a pleasant one, at that. When I first got married I had little to no cooking skills. I could do my own laundry but had never been responsible for keeping multiple people in constant supply of clean clothes, towels, sheets, and looking presentable (still working on that last one). I knew how to dust and vacuum but had never had a five bedroom house to keep clean and fresh for a family and visitors. These tasks can become overwhelming, boring... burdensome, even. But when we view our roles as wives, mothers, and homemakers as part of a higher calling... when we realize that God has entrusted us with one family and one house to bless, we start to see the joy in the mundane.

"We aren’t responsible for every home on the block…just the one God has given us.
God has given us one home to turn into a haven for his glory.
One home to use to shine brightly for him.
One home to subdue, manage and cause to flourish.
And when one home is flourishing – the souls that pass through that home are forever touched and changed by the work of your hands."
 http://womenlivingwell.org/category/homemaking/making-your-home-a-haven-challenge/