every house had one.

homemade wood carvings.

modern fonts on slick boards.

i realize i was in fairy tale town.

but it is a real place, not just in my imagination.

and all the houses had one thing in common.

they had a name.

on a weekend to carmel-by-the-sea, a 4 hour picturesque drive from my city,

i determined to seek solitude and renewal.

but among my many distractions, i was drawn to each name.

robin's nest.

dream catcher.

tucked in. {cute, huh?}

legacy by the sea.

treehouse.

what would we name our home if that was the norm? to name your home.

i began to think. then rational thinking turned into dreaming.

because who really gives up brain space to this? oh yes. someone who is retreating and not connected to every social media outlet and has space to wonder around in the head!

what do i long for my home to be used for?

what am i trying to build within the four walls that provide refuge and unity?

what do i want others to experience when they step into our home?

my thoughts for the intentionality of our home have already become a reality. we just needed signage!

dwell {a post about home}

His Word in your home {a post about practically praying Scripture over every room in your home}

so in the Scriptures, specifically Ezekiel, there is a strong visual. God tells His prophet Ezekiel to pick up two sticks and hold them in one hand to symbolically unite the family.

Ezekiel, the prophet, heard God say this to him, "My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people." {Ezekiel 37:27}

 

they shall be my people

they shall dwell

I will make a covenant of peace with them

My dwelling place will be with them

the three pieces of red wood were from the original fence in the backyard.

our neighbors, upon our first conversation, said they would go in 50/50 to replace the fence.

so in our first attempt to be a good neighbor, we agreed and did all the work from hiring to scheduling.

i kept three old pieces for this purpose.

 

my prayer for our new dwelling place:

{written december 2011}

may You, O God, dwell with us. may You make our home a haven, a refuge from the world. may You fill our home with joy and peace and Your presence. our family invites You in. may hospitality abound. may laughter fill the air. may each person that steps in know they are loved, safe, and at home. come and dwell. our home is not complete without You. amen.

if your home had a name and naming our homes was the norm, what would yours be called?