Hospitality

"When you entertain, you bring honor and glory to yourself. Showing hospitality brings honor and glory to God."

The topic of hospitality has been on my mind lately and for a lot of reasons. Just recently my neighbor across the street brought me a meal (enough for a small army) and a wonderful women in my life often invites me over for dinner with her family. (thanks Robin!)

When I first became a Christian, I heard about hospitality a lot in my fellowship. I even have a book with ideas, recommendations about hosting different cultures, and recipes. :) I've seen many great examples in my life of women who 'glow' in the area of hospitality...after all, being in the South...you just grow up into 'Southern Hospitality'. But I want to make sure that my Southern Hospitality is Biblical Hospitality. And I don't just want to know it...I want to PRACTICE it. *grin*

Defined: hospitality is...

1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.
2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

The bible says:

Romans 12:13
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

1 Peter 4:9
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Often I think of hospitality as having people into my home...and it can be...but really, it's more of an attitude of my heart toward strangers and friends. The 'strangers' part...well, I really need to pray to have that heart and live those scriptures out...especially at work. How about you?

Lord, help me grow and bloom in this area! I want to have a disposition of the heart to be full of warmth, friendliness, and generosity. Thru Jesus Christ, Amen. To help me, I was looking at the thesaurus for some other words to give me a wider picture. The ones that stood out to me are: cheer, companionship, comradeship, consideration, friendliness, generosity, good cheer, heartiness, hospitableness, sociability, warmth, & welcome.

So my decision is to pray about this and look for areas where I can show a heart of hospitality toward friends and strangers by putting it into practice. Please pray for me :)

The quote above is from this short article that I thought was great! Click here to read: "Hospitality vs. Entertaining".

Ideas- Bonding & Building Your Friendships

Jesus loved deeply so I imagine his times with friends were interesting, fun and with a heart to build memories. Since my thoughts have been on friendship this week, I thought I'd share some ideas of things to do with your 'bestie' to build memories. Most of these I've done in the past and loved! So grab a friend with your prayerful hand and get creative!  


Movie Insider: create an activity based on a movie you both enjoy. Make costumes, hats, really dress the part and set up a time to watch the movie. Here's an example of me and one of my friends in our homemade 'yaya' hats.

Vacation/Staycation Together: This doesn't have to cost much money. It just takes a tiny bit of planning to enjoy the next town over or experience something in town you've never done before. How about giving a cute B&B a try? Travel sites run plenty of last minute deals. Decide to both save some money, decide what weekend to go, then at the last minute look for a hotel. Skeptical? My friend and I did this and ended up staying in a 5-star hotel for only $99 a night. That's just a little over $50 each to stay in one of the fancy hotels in our area! Seriously.

Spa Night: Probably something you've done before but I like to encourage these. There are few things as bonding as grown women staying up late into the night swapping stories and beauty tips.

Local Activities: Go biking together in a park. Grab you best gal pal and try out the newest gym in the neighborhood. Fancy restaurant you've always wanted to try? Then invite your best friend. Here's a picture of my friend and I enjoying the IMAX theater at the local museum one night after work. (thus the smurfy photo tone) LOL

Serve Those in Need: Decide to encourage together! Volunteer together. Have a 'girls lunch' to make cards for the homeless to encourage them or to write letters to women staying a local women's shelter. Take brownies to the local fire department, police station, or maybe even the night staff at the ER to thank them for all their hard work.

The Closet: One weekend have your friend come over and help you go through your closet. Get advise on new ways to put outfits together, or how to accessorize, or what to give away. Later make plans to go to her place to do the same. Nothing like bonding over fashion.

Say Cheese! Grab a disposable camera, grab your best friend and go outside and take pictures. It's great in the Springtime! Go to inspiring parks, wide open fields of flowers, local lakes. Then drop the camera off at some place that has one-hour development, as for double prints and take off for lunch/dinner. Pick the pictures up afterwards. I know two ladies in our campus ministry who just did this and posted the pictures on facebook. The photos were beautiful!

Summer fun: One of my favorite memories is sitting in my backyard with one of my best friends, in bathing suits and relaxing in the sprinkler with ice tea during a hot summer day. Or you can go to the pool or a lake close by and chill with a snow cone. This simple activity allows plenty of time for girl talk.

Living Legacy: Plant a friendship tree or maybe some type of perennial flowers to celebrate your friendship. Then on the anniversary each year of the 'planting' think about celebrating with a weekend as friends :)

Afternoon Tea: Spoil yourselves by setting up an afternoon tea with your closest friends. Dress in your fancy cotton dresses, hats, even gloves, and enjoy some tea and simple snacks. Some ideas are strawberries, finger sandwiches, dark chocolates. You can find dainty tea cups at local thrift stores or antique malls for a reasonable cost or invite them to bring their own favorite tea cup :) Too much work? Go to a local antique mall that has a tea room.

Summertime Christmas: Don't wait until the end of the year to celebrate. Turn down the AC, bundle up on the couch and watch Christmas movies. Bake cookies, exchange encouraging cards...it's nice to have the Christmas Spirit and celebrate Christ even when the temperature is blaring hot.

Want more ideas? Check out this amazingly creative site: Girlfriend celebrations.com

The Company You Keep

Bust of Menander

Have you ever heard of Menander? He was a Greek poet and dramatist who was best-known as a representative of Athenian New Comedy. Actually, he was the author of more than a hundred comedies. Would you be surprised to learn that you might have read a quote of his? At least, this is true if you've read the book of 1 Corinthians. Paul quotes Menander when he says, "Bad company corrupts good character."

Ah, friends! It's so important to have good ones. They see you through "the good, the bad, and the ugly" of life. I have been pretty fortunate to have some really good friends, especially over the past few years, who are spiritual, devoted, and loving.

The company you keep is important and it does matter! This is an unchanging fact. Those we choose to give our time to will either lift us up or drag us down. This makes it very valuable to have spiritual friends because good company promotes good character! We need their encouragement and, truth be told, we need to have them call our bluff sometimes. A real friend can do that because they are good company. I have found them to be honest and kind, in their encouragement and in their criticism. For me, my truest friends have their own unique and personal relationships with God. These women, who love God first, tend to love me truest.

Don't get me wrong, I've made a lot of mistakes and chosen wrong friends in the past but I've learned and my life has grown to have some truly deep friendships. They tend to be all over the country now, because God moves them all around, but they are cherished by me just the same.

I guess this is on my heart because my best friend is moving on the 29th of this month to another state. My dear sister, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

I'm a better woman, daughter, and disciple of Jesus because of my precious friendships. Dear reader, I pray you'll strive to keep good company...work hard at it...it's worth both your time and energy. Maybe you've not talked to a dear friend lately or maybe it's been a while since you've encouraged your friend that's near...do it now :)

Never wait until life moves you forward.

God: Your anchor during changes...

Below is a story from one of my closest friends & spiritual sisters. Enjoy!   
_____________________________________________________________________
God: Your anchor during changes...

In less than a month, I'm packing up my belongings and driving 1,300 miles to start a new job. I have So Many Feelings. I'm excited to see God work in this way after months of praying and waiting for this opportunity. I'm sad about all the Good I'll be leaving behind. I'm nervous about the uncertainty that lies in a new place. Will I make good friends? Will I like my new job? With those thoughts, I turn to the Bible which has wisdom on many of life's adventures and challenges.

In the book of Deuteronomy, God gives the Israelites instructions on how to take possession of their promised land. They decide not to go, after hearing reports about the dangers along the path, even though God had already assured them they would not be defeated by the obvious obstacles. Their leader, Moses, says this in response:

"..Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you will fight for you, as he did in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son..." Deuteronomy 1:29-31 [NIV]

With fear in their hearts, the Israelites decided not to follow God's path. They wandered the desert for forty years, when the journey should have taken eleven days. Many of them died on the way. That is really... sad. And Moses had given them a simple solution to help them get over their worries: To remember that God would fight for them because he already had.

And that's what I'm going to do. And that's my advice to any one who is dealing with a Big Change or a Hard Time. I can trust that God will take care of me in this new land, because God has already carried me through so much more than this. So many of the good things in my life are not things I was initially pursuing when I started college. I wasn't planning to become a Christian, to do my current job, or to pursue a graduate degree in social work. And yet, I wouldn't change any of it. Some practicals that are helping me through this time are:

1) Taking the time to write down things God has provided for me;

    specifically things that I was not planning or expecting.

2) Praying and staying vulnerable with God and close friends about my fears

3) Being flexible and open to opportunities that appear,

    and trusting that 'my path' isn't the only way to go

3) Focusing on this: "This hope [Jesus, God's promises, God's love]

    is strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.." Hebrews 6:19 [NLT]

Everything is going to change quickly. The big things: my church family, my friends, my job -- and the small things: my furniture, my cute apartment, my local hangouts. I quickly imagine that the change of these Constants will rock my world. However, the truth is only God is strong enough to anchor my life. I already feel refreshed knowing I can cling to Him to keep sane during this time.

"You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head... I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!" -- Psalm 139:5, 7 [NLT]

God can not be contained in a box, so luckily, I don't have to figure out a way to fit him in the car.

Doxasoma® & Prayer Breathing

In my seemingly never-ending quest for better health, I have found that I really enjoy yoga. It calms me after a long day and stretches my muscles extremely well. Normally, when the instructor (usually on a video) would suggest visuals to 'see a golden bubble of light around you and in your core know that you are divine'...well, I'd just focus on the Spirit or pray.

But sometimes, don't you just get tired of filtering?!  I sure do. So I went searching for exercise programs that focused on the One True God. That's when I came across 'Doxasoma®.' Their website states that, "DoxaSoma® is a physical practice which incorporates elements of stretching and strength building with prayer, worship and reflection upon the Word of God. The word DoxaSoma® is comprised of 2 Greek words: Doxa, meaning "praise or honor" - Soma, meaning "body." DoxaSoma was developed in 2000 by Angela Doll Carlson, an ACE certified personal trainer."

YES! This was just what I was looking for...yoga type exercise with a focus on the Truth. I've also found some DVD's for walking at home with a Christian focus. It's been great to push myself in exercise and have scriptures pop up on screen. HA.

Anyway, it was during one of these work outs with a focus on God where I was first introduced to what I generally describe as prayer breathing. Basically, it's repeating silently some scripture or prayer in one full breath. For example:

Breathe in: " My help comes"

Breath out: "from the LORD"

or

Breathe in: "Jesus is the"

Breath out: "bread of my life."

or

Breathe in: "Be at rest"

Breath out: "O my soul."

I use prayer breathing a lot at work, or when I'm stressed, or even when I am sad and prayers of any sort of length escape me. A quote by an unknown author says, "When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace." I want God to own my breath and I want even my time of exercise to be a way to connect with Him. If you've found exercsie programs with a focus on God, please share...I'm always looking for more.

Tears Are Not Created Equal

Today I came across an article called, "How to Stop Yourself from Crying." It gave 31 different techniques to help you stuff your emotions when you feel like crying. As a repenting 'emotional stuffer'...well, I find this article extremely sad.

After becoming a Christian, I developed a bunch of questions to help myself get in touch. (You can find that post here) I very much desire to be soft hearted. God has given me great victory in this area since now I'm more apt to share my emotions and even my tears with others! Although, just last week, I found myself getting emotional while I was driving and I actually snapped my fingers and stopped crying. So, needless to say...I still have a long way to go in learning not to stuff.

Some of you have no problem crying...so this might seem an odd topic but I know there are other 'tough' girls who have somehow bought into the lie that crying is a weakness. In Psalm 56:8 it's written, "You [LORD] keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." So for you girls like me...go to biblegateway.com and look up the words, 'tears' to see who talks about their tears and how often they share them. It is OKAY to cry and show your emotions. This study has encouraged me so much in remembering God created me and he created you to be soft-hearted.

For the Geek:
Here's a bit of scientific information you might find cool. These articles show that not all tears are created equal: "Not all tears are of the emotional variety. In fact, three types of tears exist, all with different purposes. Basal tears are omnipresent in our eyes. These constant tears are what keep our eyes from drying out completely. The second type is reflex tears, which serve to protect the human eye from harsh irritants such as smoke, onions or even a very strong, dusty wind. The third type of tears are emotional tears. It all starts in the cerebrum where sadness is registered. The endocrine system is then triggered to release hormones to the ocular area, which then causes tears to form. In fact, one study collected both reflex tears and emotional tears (after peeling an onion and watching a sad movie, respectively). When scientists analyzed the content of the tears, they found each type was very different. Reflex tears are generally found to be about 98 percent water, whereas several chemicals are commonly present in emotional tears. [Article link here]

Another source expanded on this and said, "It's been shown that tears associated with emotion have higher levels of some proteins, and of manganese and potassium, and hormones, including prolactin than mere eye watering. Manganese is an essential nutrient, and too little can lead to slowed blood clotting, skin problems, and lowered cholesterol levels. Too much can also cause health problems. Potassium is involved in nerve working, muscle control and blood pressure. Prolactin is a hormone involved in stress and plays a role in the immune system and other body functions. Its involvement in tears may help to explain why women cry more than men." [Article link here]

Obviously, we NEED emotional tears for our health! When you are tempted to stuff your tears, remember they serve a purpose, one that God created and even keep us in continued good health!

Be a faucet, not a drain

This visual really helps me. I have to remind myself so often, "Hey, me....be a faucet not a drain." It can be so easy to be a complainer. This is something I really have to watch out for in my character. Sometimes I find myself complaining about negative things others have shared with me and then realize I've never even experienced it! Weird. Well, we all know what a drain does. Put simply, it empties but a faucet on the other hand...fills! 

Today I'm looking for ways to "fill" those around me? Would you take this challenge with me to find two people to encourage, inspire or cheer? Here are some scriptures & quotes for thought.

Everyone smiles in the same language. ~Author Unknown

Skipping gives the adult a well-deserved break and lets the inner child be in charge for a while. ~Opal Montagne

One filled with joy preaches without preaching. ~Mother Teresa

Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle

Jumping for joy is good exercise. ~Author Unknown

You're never too old to do goofy stuff. 

~From the television show Leave it to Beaver,

spoken by the character Ward Cleaver

Go ahead...smile alot at people today! Let your inner child & fun personality fill others with laughter! Today, I imagine that God has turned on the faucet handle full blast with the intention that I fill others up and refesh them. I hope you'll join me. 

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works."

Hebrews 10:24-25

“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Ephesians 4:29

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2