Matt and I are just beginning a new stage of our marriage… house buying.

This is a very exciting time for us. We are excited about getting out of an apartment… no more noisy connected neighbors, no more worrying about the dog running around, no more rent towards nothing, and no more carrying groceries up 3 flights of stairs. We will have a yard, we will be able to have more people over, we will have room to expand our family… I am a happy camper.

I do realize the downside to owning a house. Paying for all repairs, keeping it updated, taxes, lawn and the what not. Every good thing comes with it’s downfalls but we are excited for this next adventure.

The thing about buying a house, though, is that it is just a house. We could buy a two million dollar mansion or a $200 a month shack and it would be a house. We can fix it up real pretty or leave it a mess. We could live all by ourselves or we could have 19 children (and counting!). But in the end, it would just be a house.

So what is it that changes a house something more? What turns a house into a home?

Love is the answer, of course. It’s simple, but true. But I must argue that one can do more than just love in order to make a place of residence into a place of growth, warmth, and joy. Showing constant care towards one another, lifting one another up, SERVING one another are just a few of the key aspects that make a house a home. Part of a great marriage is your home life. In fact, you might argue that it is the most important part as that is most likely where you spend the most time together.

I can tell you that you should make your house into a loving home all day long but how do you actually go about this? I’d like to give you some tangible tips to make your shelter a place of joy. Below are a few ways that you can love and serve your spouse while making an amazing home at the same time. One that will bless not only your husband or wife, but your children and all those that enter your flourishing home as well.

•  Welcome them home. It may not seem like a big deal, but the difference between “HI HONEY!!” paired with a hug and “DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT BILL WENT?” paired with a frown can be huge. You may not even be asking this question in anger, but many times the stress from the day can be so overwhelming, that having even the slightest bit at home when one first walks in can send us over the edge. Create a loving atmosphere with loving words when your spouse enters that door.
• Always say goodbye. Very similar to the last but almost more important. I recently talked to one of my mom’s co-workers who’s husband was killed by a drunk driver on his way home from work several months ago. My heart broke as she told the story of my worst nightmare. One thing she said that will always stick with me is “Thank goodness he said goodbye that morning. It was the last time I saw him.” I’m not saying we should live in fear each day of losing those we love, but that hug and kiss can be incredibly important for both of you. It could not only be the last one you receive, but it also sets the tone for the rest of your/their day. Start it off on a good note. Not only that, but let your spouse long to come back to that loving house and those arms that he/she left.
• Welcome others. One of our favorite things to do is have others over. It is not only fun to be around those we love and care about, but it is a way to bless others with what we have been blessed with. Whether it is a dinner for another couple or a birthday party for a friend, hosting others in your house can really make your place a home. Use the resources God has given you to bring cheer and love to others. Their presence will bring love and cheer to your home in return!
• Keep it clean. *SHUDDER* Let me just say that this is not a point that I am at all good at myself. I am preaching to myself far more than to anyone else in this paragraph. Cleaning is not my friend, but I completely see the importance of it! Have you ever been in a rush to pack for a trip and left clothes all over the house, random bags that didn’t work on the floor, a full dryer to be unloaded, and dirty dishes from the week all in the sink? It’s not something you look forward to coming back to, it is? The suitcase returning with you, full of dirty clothes, doesn’t help either. That can be the same feeling your spouse  may have when they are returning from work. Of course, this is a joint effort. Each should lend a hand in picking up the house, but do your part! Let them look forward to coming home to YOU instead of dreading the mess that awaits them. If your job is to clean the dishes, have a clean sink ready for more dishes. If you vacuum, let not a crumb be on that floor when they walk in. It may be a small effort, it may be one thing you did, but do your part in keeping a clean house to honor their home. It takes a lot of motivation, diligence, and selflessness, but WE can do it!
• Turn it off. This is another area where we struggle. When your husband’s job is all about technology it can be a little difficult! But the benefits are huge. Turn off the T.V., turn off the iPhone, turn off the iPad, turn off the computer, turn off the laptop, turn off the game console, turn off the iPod, turn off the stereo, and… well, you get the point…TURN IT OFF! Even for just an hour. Have some silence, have some peace, have some time to look at one another instead of at a screen. Turn it ALL off and have some time with one another. Make your house a home, not a media center.
• Invite Christ. Allow the Lord into the place where you live. Pray there, worship there, read your Bible there. Feeling the love of Christ in your residence is one of the most effective ways you can make a true home out of the place you are living. Invite the Lord into your home and allow it as a place of ministry…for the broken, the hurting, the healing, the joyful, and the questioning. Allow him there to make a difference not only in your lives, but in the lives of others. Let others know that He is invited. While I in no way think that a “cross wall” makes you a Christian, a few decorations depicting His love can go a long way and make a statement about Who you serve. Allow him in and an amazing home HE will make!

Add to my list! What makes YOUR house a home?