Home.
Doesn't that word bring back so many memories? Hopefully good ones. For me, it's always been a sanctuary, a place where my family is, laughter, moments, and so much more. Maybe some of you grew up in a place that wasn't so, but that doesn't mean you can't create a place of your own.
I've been thinking a lot about my own home and how am I making it a sanctuary from the world. Not only for my family, but anyone who enters in. Have you ever been to a place that you just feel so comfortable and at peace. A place where the spirit dwells. You may have hardships and trials... A friend once told me "We all have to go through our own Gethsemane." Hopefully we are making our Homes a place where those trials are supported with love, encouragement, gospel discussion, prayer and scripture study and NOT criticism or belittlement.
So how do we create a place where peace, love, and the spirit are felt. First, it starts with you!!! Yes, you! It's called the domino affect. Sometimes we are always waiting on others to start the peace when in fact it should be us. Don't be the one who brings contention but helps bring the spirit.
Second, are we doing the ESSENTIAL gospel practices in our home individually and as a family. These include; daily prayer, scripture study, family discussion, FHE, keeping the Sabbath day Holy and Paying our tithing
Prayer: I can tell at the end of the day how my days go by the moment my knees hit the ground when I wake up OR if they don't hit the ground in prayer. It brings a spirit into the home because I am prepared and my family is prepared because we talked to our Heavenly Father asking for safety, peace, energy and patience to get through the day. Believe me.....it works! I have a 2 year old and an 8 month old and I need all the helping hands of Angels I can get...and I know they are there in my moments when calm and assurance comes and I know it wasn't from me.
- Also, pray as a couple. This not only brings you closer to God together but closer as a couple. It also helps us to forgive one another. There is power in prayer. You may start mad, but the longer you pray as a couple the more the spirit can work to soften your hearts and hopefully by Amen, it will end with a kiss of "I'm sorry."
-It guides you in the direction you as a family need to go. When you pray as a family you are praying with those whose decision it affects as well.
Daily Scripture Study: (Individually and as a family): "The Iron Rod is the WORD OF GOD, that will safely guide a through" Aka: Scriptures will safely guide us where we are to where we need to be as a family and individually. So, the more you read the more the guidance will come.....SO read on my friends, read on! Because we need ALL the help we can get!
Family Discussion/FHE: This helps create unity in the home as we learn together about one another, doctrine, plans, goals, and dreams as a family.
-Use this time to plan family outings and times that are spent together playing games, making food and just enjoying one anothers company.
Sabbath Day Observance: this is probably one of the MOST important ones. If we can't give one day to the Lord, then how can we expect to give the rest of the week and eventually our lives to him. Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy sets a tone for the rest of the week on have the spirit in our home. How you treat this day will ultimately affect the rest of the days that follow. So, put the sports away, the worldly music, the activities that can wait until tomorrow. Show yourself and your children that because the Lord is important to you that it should be important to them by keeping his Holy day, holy.
Paying your tithing. Your probably thinking how this has any affect on the Spirit of your home. When you pay a full tithe the Blessings of Heaven are poured upon you so much that there is not enough room to receive it...and those blessings go to you and your family which is, well, YOUR HOME! I have such a testimony of tithing. I look around my home and the Lord has blessed me with things to make my house a home for my family. Yes, some may be material matters, some may be the patience with children, some blessings come in forms of ideas, love, laughter, time, priorities, humbling moments and so much more. If you give some to the Lord (All he ask is 10%) Then he'll give you all you need and things you didn't even think you needed!!! He'll help you create a Loving Home...after all you are his child and he wants you to be happy.
Media. This can either make or break a home...and you are the ultimate decision to make that happen because YOU are the one that allows or brings it in. You can turn off the T.V, change a station, buy or NOT buy the movie. It is all up to you on whether you bring the spirit into your home or not.
-When I first got married me and my husband decided on what kind of media was or was not allowed in our house. We decided that if our children cannot watch it then we don't need to either. What we see and listen to affects the spirit in our home...even if the earphones are in and it's only on the tiny phone screen...the spirit cannot dwell where violence, graphic images, language, innuendos, immorality and pornography are happening. This also is the same with music.
Forgiveness: No one is perfect. Sometimes it is hard to forgive those who have wronged you especially those who are living in the same house. But give it to the Lord and use the atonement to it's fullest. This will allow the spirit into your life and into your home. A weight will be lifted off your shoulders and you will be happy.
Service: Serve those who are in your home. When you serve those you love the most you start to see them differently. You start to love them more and see them as God see's them. Service is the Charity: which is the PURE love of Christ. Wow, having the Pure Love of Christ in your home is something I hope we are all striving for. It allows us to forgive easier and to look over imperfections that we all have.
I hope we can all create an atmosphere in our home where people are loved; especially those who live there. Where the spirit can dwell and we are happy. May our homes always be filled with love and laughter and if they are not....let us make it that way.
From my house to yours
-Amy Horikami
