Susan woke up one morning with leftover cookies from a big batch she’d made to welcome her son home from college for Christmas. After a few days with an abundance of cookies testing her willpower, she had to stop eating them, but hated to toss them in the garbage. In a spontaneous move, she…
Hospitality: Ordinary Moments Matter
Editor’s note: Jesus told us to love one another. But, in this day with busy schedules and busier families in every home on our block, just meeting the neighbors can be a challenge. Kristin Schell decided to take Him seriously in a very unique way. She painted a picnic table turquoise and put it in…
Take This Bread
I haven’t baked bread since college, when I went through a brief but intense baguette phase, baking pan after pan of slim loaves, wrapping them in dish towels while they were still hot, cradling them like babies in the crook of my arm, arriving at friends’ houses and neighbors’ homes with still-warm, crusty, golden bread.…
Hospitality Jesus’ Way
Then He turned to the host. ‘The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be — and experience…
You Can’t Be What You Can’t See
Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. — Helen Keller During [a] frazzled time of life, I managed to squeeze in a conference in my hometown of Austin, Texas. I was drawn to the Verge Conference for people living out the gospel in community, which was exactly what…
Home: a Restful Haven
The Homiest Home My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. — Isaiah 32:18 NLT When you picture a homey sort of home, what comes to mind? A crackling fireplace, a warm meal, lots of laughter, and a comfortable bed? Perhaps you picture your grandmother’s home with all its…
Hospitality: Open the Door
Hospitality is the virtue of a great soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity. — Hospitality, Louis, Chevalier de Jaucourt1 Lori and Mike first came to my table on one of those frigid November evenings where the light had seeped out of the day well before dinner and entertaining was the last…
Hospitality: Entertaining Angels Unaware
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. — Matthew 25:35 NIV My friend Arlys grew up on a Christian missionary compound in the heart of Muslim Tsanyawa, Nigeria. One of the vivid memories of her childhood is her…
Entertaining Angels With Hospitality
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. — Hebrews 13:2 When there is room in the heart, there is room in the house. ~ Danish proverb When was the last time you visited someone and felt truly welcome and comfortable? What made you feel that way? In all likelihood, it…