birch & lily, 20 Things [& a little bit of philosophizing.]

20 Things [& a little bit of philosophizing.]

I’ll be starting a series of posts over the next little while called “20 Things”. It comes from a post via Hooked on Houses that posed a question that piqued my interest:

“In the book Simple Abundance, author Sarah Ban Breathnach asks, ‘If you moved into a completely new, empty house and started over–and money was no object–what are 20 specific things you’d consider ‘must haves,’ from architectural details to furniture and accessories?’”

My list is for building a house (not moving into an existing one), and I’d consider this more of a “wish list” than “must haves”. I think this will be a really fun series, and I’ve prepared a lot of great stuff that I’m sure many of you will like. However, I feel like I need to write a bit of a disclaimer before this series gets going:

This question piqued my interest because I love to imagine a beautiful dream house. I love pictures of beautiful homes. Obviously many of you who follow this blog feel the same way.

However, I also feel the need to balance the desire for a visually beautiful home with an understanding of what really matters. What really makes a home beautiful? Thankfulness for what you have. Contentment with simple things. People who love and serve the Lord with their hearts and lives. Families that care for each other. Sharing and generousity. An open door to others.

I truly believe that a “beautiful home” is far more than furniture or finishes, size or price. A home is made beautiful by the people in it living their lives God’s way, and using what He has given them for His glory.

That said, I also believe God has given us many beautiful things to enjoy. And that I, as a wife and mother can also make my home inviting and enjoyable for my family and guests, and bless them through that.

So it’s a balance. I can’t get caught up in always pining for more stuff, or coveting what others have, or being greedy and materialistic, or unwisely spending our money and time on “stuff”. But I can frugally and thoughtfully work to make my home aesthetically beautiful. I can find delight in looking at pictures of beautiful spaces. I can use the creativity that God gave me to design and imagine and work at making a great house.

So, that being said, enjoy some beautiful things with me, but also consider how you could make your home truly more beautiful, and be grateful for what you already have.

So, remembering that this is dreaming for fun, here are my “20 Things”: