Psalm 128:1-4 'Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.'
The Creator has placed inside all of His creation, something that delights in a calm and cozy space. That is why the warm crackle of a fire draws man and creature alike, and candlelight around a table with those we love, paints memories in our mind. It is amazing how the smell of things baked with love, can immediately draw us back to another time.
I have found much joy over the past few years in pouring my heart and energy into creating a space in our home that welcomes others into it like a warm blanket, that nourishes bodies and hearts, and is a reflection of the peace I've found in Christ. I desire that my husband comes home from work and enters into a place of safety and calm, and that the furry and feathery creatures feel secure and loved. It's in my heart, that friends and family come and leave feeling better than before they reached our door.
I believe that the soul of calm and cozy homemaking begins with us. We as women, doing the work in our hearts that we are a soft and edifying presence that tackles the tasks of home with gratitude and whole heartedness. That as we pursue our own healing and growth in God's presence, that we are daily transformed into all He has purposed for us. As we become a calm and warm presence, our home will reflect the safety and softness within. Indeed, a home must not be large to be comfortable, it simply needs a depth of love.
Some of my favorite ways to bring coziness into autumn homemaking is adding in touches of earth tones, filling the house with warm and comforting scents, and keeping broths, soups, and ciders going on the stove. I enjoy filling our home with soft and soothing instrumental music and hymns, to set the tone in the morning and before bed at night. Candlelight and warm throw blankets on chairs gives off an inviting feeling to a room and a home cooked meal rests the heart of the weariest of travelers.