Freedom and security. These are two of the most sought after commodities. We hustle and strive so that we can be so that we can be “free and secure,” yet we find ourselves in an endless pursuit of them both. The price we pay is a steep one; we have lost ourselves and the result is that we are hopelessly unhappy.
For instance, when we reach a milestone, where we predicted we would find happiness, we find ourselves empty and regretful. Yet, we pick up where we left off and find something else shiny, catching our eye, and make that the new goal.
What if I told you that your heart longs for boundaries? Would you believe it? You may say, “Come on! What my heart longs for is freedom and independence-not boundaries!”
Let me point you to three truths to help you embrace the security available to you; so that you can live out of God’s love. These truths will ground and secure for you the identity of belovedness He bestows on you.
Find the rest of this Devotional including the three truths from Psalm 16 on the Dawn app under the resources tab, and the writers devotions tab. It is a beautiful tool, created by my friend Angie Gibbons . This app is key in helping me slow down and be present in prayer. Make sure to check out the Dawn App and download it for yourself, you will love it.
The rest of the this devotional can be found on the Dawn App Blog. Come and be inspired but most importantly- come feast on the word of God in Psalm 16.
“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 16:6-8, NIV
Gracefully,
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Runaway Imaginations Damper the True Vision of Hospitality
“This belief (or unbelief) frequently keeps me from opening up my home. Because it’s not perfect. It’s not how I imagine it to be. It’s not the way I *want* to host or prefer to host. It’s not the beautiful experience I so desperately wish I could offer.”
Early morning sunlight streams through the large windows in the kitchen and dining room. The windows are almost the length of the wall. We wanted our home to be bright when we were in the process of buying and thus, we even opted out of window treatments. Coffee is brewing, the diffuser is going, and I hear the sound of little feet upstairs. Our home is open concept so from my kitchen I can see the bar, the dining room, and the living room. The kitchen sink looks out over our property so I’ll be able to watch the kids play outside later this afternoon.
I start cracking eggs for breakfast that our chickens laid. My sister-in-law and her girls will be up soon. I’m so thankful we have a space to be able to host them. Our guest room is a beautiful bedroom with a Queen bed with the most comfortable linens, more big windows, and a huge fiddle leaf fig in the corner. Plus, it has its own bathroom. Plus, it’s got extra space for cots and we keep a crib in there as well. They came to play for a couple of days. We love hosting them. And the chance for our kids to be able to just play.
I stop for a minute and stare out in our home. My heart full of gratitude. My husband made our farmhouse table. I love that table. There are only five of us in our family but it seats twelve. We have a large extended family (by blood and by choice) and there are almost always people coming and going from our home and gathering at our table.
It’s easy for me to believe that this needs to be true in order to be a good host. My current kitchen has one small window over the sink, it faces the side of our neighbors house. The paint around the window is peeling. I don’t have a dishwasher or counter space. My house is divided by walls so I can’t see my children play in our living room or our dining room unless I physically turn around or walk out to see them (mostly because I’m always doing dishes). My husband works from home in our bedroom so space there is tight. Our middle two kiddos share a room and the baby gets his own space because he wakes easily. While we have a liveable third floor, the temperature isn’t regulated and if someone were to stay up there, I fear they’d wake the baby going up the creaky old stairs in our 106 year old home.
This belief (or unbelief) frequently keeps me from opening up my home. Because it’s not perfect. It’s not how I imagine it to be. It’s not the way I *want* to host or prefer to host. It’s not the beautiful experience I so desperately wish I could offer. Instead it’s a blow up mattress in our living room and metal folding chairs at our table to seat additional guests.
This weekend we actually hosted my brother and sister-in-law and their four children. It was not ideal, simply in that it’s not my ideal vision. But it’s ideal in the fact that my home does not dictate my hospitality. I read once that hosting is about you but hospitality is about them. And I can be (hope I was) incredibly hospitable in the home the Lord has given us now. Yes, it’s more work. But grabbing their favorite foods, leaving out glasses for water at night, having extra blankets and pillows, making them meals – none of that requires a big, beautiful farm house. It simply requires a heart that says “what’s mine is yours and you’re welcome here.”
…”none of that requires a big, beautiful farm house. It simply requires a heart that says “what’s mine is yours and you’re welcome here.”
Emma Carsey
With this renewed vision I will focus instead on what I can offer. I can offer a place to sit and gather around healthy food. I will let my creativity run wild in helping other busy moms put beautiful and affordable meals around their table so they can enjoy their loved ones. I will enjoy the sweet presence of Jesus in each one of the guests I welcome in, knowing that I would not have known that facet of God’s character but through them.Will you join me? Let’s embrace real life hospitality and remind our imaginations of the beauty that each interaction holds, set there especially for us.
About the Author: Emma Carsey is a wife and homeschool mom of 3. You can typically find her in the kitchen baking sourdough, cooking from an actual cookbook, or fetching snacks. She says, “If we were to grab dinner, I’d suggest tacos. We’d stay until closing and I’d ask you a ton of personal questions. I love drinks – all the drinks – red wine, black coffee, oat milk lattes, margaritas, white apple juice, ice water, mimosas, craft beer, hot tea, I love ‘em all! I’m just as much a breakfast enthusiast – breakfast burrito, waffles, frittata, grapefruit, donuts, oatmeal bake – yes, please! Also, a big fan of being outside, audiobooks, true crime, house slippers, hotels, Valentine’s Day, fleece pullovers, and of course, avocados.”
She is the master mind behind Avocado Meal Plans. At the heart of Avocado Meal Plans is coming together around the table. She believes that at tend of the day serving a healthy meal is a beautiful way to serve our loved ones. Emma knows that taking her passion and knowledge for planning affordable, healthy meals gives moms more time to gather around the table with their families. You will be glad you checked out her meal plans and find yourself having more time to savor the people around your table.
I hope you have enjoyed this encouraging story from my friend Emma. To make things even more exciting there will be a giveaway up on IG inviting you to savor life everyday! Gracefully,
“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery
I received this text from a dear friend who joined my family for dinner recently. She doesn’t have a family of her own to share meals with and her message reminded me to value something I typically take for granted. I’m fortunate to have nightly meals with my husband and two children. Around the table, we talk about our days, sometimes laughing, other times commiserating, but always sharing our lives together. While these meal times meet our physical needs, this table fellowship also meets our emotional and spiritual needs.Gathering around books has always been a natural and necessary part of my life. When I was little, my father read the newspaper to me after work while my mother cooked dinner. Before nap time, during long car rides, in doctor’s waiting room–even in the middle of the night with the chicken pox–my mother read whole books to us. Everywhere we went, she kept a book (usually atattered copy of one of Laura Ingalls’ Little House on the Prairie books) tucked under her arm. It didn’t matter where we’d left off last; she just opened the book and start reading.
I supposed you could say we were the original read-aloudrevival family!
As I got older, my parents and brother and I continued to read out loud, swap books, and talk about literature around the dinner table and everywhere else, but I rarely found other people who liked reading as much as I did—and certainly not the sweet, old-fashioned books I enjoyed. At school, I was the one with my nose in a book, the one who loved to dress up as favorite literary characters, the one who liked the “olden days.” In high school and college, I was the reader, the writer, and the English major. Everywhere I went, I always kept eyes peeled for “kindred spirits”—those who shared my love for beautiful books, charming characters, and heart-warming stories.
Perhaps that’s why I find it so enchanting to have found so many kindred spirits, in recent years, who love to gather online to talk about books. I kind of feel like Anne Shirley when she said, “Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” (Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery)
I used to think I just needed to grow up and let go of my quaint ideas about life and literature, but now I know that I just needed to find my people.
Thanks to the ability to gather online to discuss books, I now know I’m not the only one who loves old books and old-fashioned things. Other people love to read treasured classics over and over again, too! In fact, I found out that many people read for comfort, are “mood” readers like me, and love to discuss favorite books. Best of all, many of my bookish friends are also sisters in Christ, which means we get to fellowship together . . . and talk about books!
For those looking for ways to gather with others and foster genuine community around books, I think the best place to start is a buddy read (or group read-along). I’ll never forget readingLes Misérables in 2020 with a group of women from all around the world. That experience was epic in so many ways! I could have never slogged through it alone, but with my faithful reading buddies beside me, I knew I couldn’t give up. I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite books now, but I don’t know if I love Les Mis because it’s so good or because I have so many great memories attached to it. Gathering online like that for over six months was about so much more than just the challenge and victory of reading a really, really long novel; it was about grasping hands with other women across continents when the world was shut down and life was filled with heartache and unknowns.
‘Reading together creates community and friendship. It’s a way for women to connect with other women and do something that nourishes the mind and the soul. It’s a valuable investment for those who find deep connection with others through shared reading experiences.
Rachel Dodge
Since that first buddy read, I’ve continued to bond with awonderful group of bookish friends online. I’ve participated in buddy reads, launch teams, giveaways, and group chats. Many of the women I’ve met online have become my sister-friends and prayer partners. I have even met some them in person while traveling for vacations, events, and conferences!
Best of all, as an author of classics based devotional books, I also have the unique privilege of writing books that provide a space for women to gather together to talk about their favorite books and grow in their faith. I can’t imagine a more wonderful thing!
Books have provided a gathering place for me my whole life, and I’m so thankful. I honestly can’t imagine a life without books—or my bookish friends.
About the Author: Rachel Dodge is the bestselling author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Rachel’s newest book is The Secret Garden Devotional! Rachel teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for the popular Jane Austen’s World blog. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel enjoys books, bonnets, and ball gowns. You can find her online at www.RachelDodge.com.
I hope you have enjoyed this encouraging story from my friend Rachel. To make things even more exciting Rachel and I are so excited to partner for a Kindred Spirits Giveaway just in time for Galentine’s Day! Visit both of our IG communities and find how to enter there! Rachel’s IG
“Thank you for welcoming me to your table. I can’t remember the last time I shared a meal like this.”
I received this text from a dear friend who joined my family for dinner recently. She doesn’t have a family of her own to share meals with and her message reminded me to value something I typically take for granted. I’m fortunate to have nightly meals with my husband and two children. Around the table, we talk about our days, sometimes laughing, other times commiserating, but always sharing our lives together. While these meal times meet our physical needs, this table fellowship also meets our emotional and spiritual needs.
The value of sharing meals with people was modeled by Jesus. We read about Him reclining at tables and hosting dinner parties along the shoreline. He had intimate gatherings with seven for breakfast (John 21) and with twelve at the last supper (Matthew 26). He also held larger gatherings, feeding crowds of five thousand (Mark 6) and four thousand (Mark 8) with a few fish and bread that He had multiplied.
The early church practiced coming to the table together just as Jesus did during His earthly ministry. This is one of the simplest ways the gospel spread. We read about this in the book of Acts as well as in another ancient source called the Didache. This early church document, compiled between 50-70 CE and used during the time before the four Gospels became prevalent, served as a practical manual to teach early church members how to live as followers of Jesus. Interestingly enough, the second largest section of the Didache focused on what believers did when they ate together at a table.
A man by the name of Thomas O’Laughlin who studied the Didache said this: “What set this community (the early church) apart was the sharing of food cut across the social stratifications of the ancient world and its dining practice. The poor and the rich ate together, the slave shared a table with their master, women ate with men, the outcast with the religiously pure, the Gentile sat next to the Jew, and all prayed to the Father and thanked Him for sending His Son.”
Isn’t this a beautiful picture? I imagine it’s a little taste of what heaven will be like—where we are all invited to the feast God is preparing for the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9). Everyone is welcome at God’s table, just as the early church invited and embraced everyone at their tables too. But do we do the same?
Photo by: Echo Dearsman
Who sits around our tables? My prayer and challenge for us is to invite people beyond our biological families to gather with us because we are all family in God’s eyes. It’s exciting to think about how our gatherings could eventually even add to the number in God’s family as happened through table fellowship in the days of the early church (Acts 2:47).
‘And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.’
Acts 2:46-47
Our tables could be the places God does His best work. We don’t have to be gourmet cooks to make a meaningful impact. Store-bought dinner or restaurant takeout can be as impactful as homemade because the significance of the meal lies not in the food but in the people and conversations we have. Whether it’s simple or extravagant, a meal can go a long way toward growing bonds of love between family and friends.
How will your table become your ministry? Invite someone to break bread with you and see what God will do. Because where two or three gather, God promises to be there with them also (Matthew 18:20).
Rachel is a writer, podcast host, and true southern mama. When she is not mothering her two children or navigating living out of an RV (true story), She’s dreaming up ways of how to remind women like you that your life matters.
A chapter-by- chapter companion to the beloved Classic
Book Review in the Art of Gathering Series
Gathering Together Through Books
“I’m going to see everything grow here. I am going to grow here my self.”
Colin, The Secret Garden, Chapter 21
We all need a place to grow. I know you believe this too. It’s inherent in us and we know that the places where we grow healthy and strong are the places where we belong just for being there. We don’t have to prove ourselves or make others want us we simply are at rest and free to grow and become. Books were the first places to provide this knowledge for me. I began to grow in confidence believing that my story also belonged here with me. I was encouraged by stories like The Secret Garden, to believe that the past didn’t define my hope for a better future.
My friend Rachel has written a brilliant devotional companion to the this treasured story. She has a gift for writing Christ centered companion devotionals for our treasured reads. You can find my review for Little Women here and how it touched my heart as a young Mama. The timing of reading these devotionals has always amazed me, they have come into my life at a time when I needed a treasured story but also hope for the future amidst uncertainty. I know the pandemic is still fresh in our minds with all the uncertainty it held but the soothing balm of reading stories that ultimately point us to Jesus was a sweet gift. I first read through Anne of Green Gables and then through Little Women with our kiddos in our homeschool and I just smile at the cherished moments of togetherness and prayer.
Over the last few weeks I have been writing and inviting writers to share about their experience with gathering together in the good times and bad times. So, it just made me giddy to read that Chapter 21 in the devotional focused on the importance of gathering together and how it creates space for us to grow and thrive. I love how Rachel describes this, ” The secret garden in full bloom provides a picture the thriving Christian community God desires for each of us- a place where we can flourish and grow. the body of Christ isn’t trimmed and perfect; it’s full of variety and gifting and imperfections. It’s a place where weakness and growth coexist, burdens are shared, and hearts are tended…And where the family of God builds one another up and invites others in.” What a breath of fresh air, we are meant to be together for our benefit, the building of the Church, and for the glory of God.
‘And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.’
Acts 2:46-47
I urge you to pick up a copy of this gorgeous devotional as we head into the thick of winter. I know this sweet story along with the devotional will provide for you a lattice of hope on which to grow in endurance as you wait for spring. The deep roots that are built in community will not only tether you to truth but they will also nourish you in the dead of winter. Be encouraged Dear heart you are meant for belonging, community, and thriving.
Every Friday, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. Five Minute Friday is a great place to hone my writing practice and be encouraged by other writers as I write. I will set the timer for five minutes and then write. Here we go! I am excited to invite you in, welcome.
Daisy
Gathering Together Invites You to Witness Beauty
The way the flour gathers on the island, or perches on the four year old's lashes catches you by surprise-had it always looked like that? I have been experiencing moments like this more often, as I lead my soul to see the beauty strewn around just for my delight. Cookie baking becoming a time of diaphanous beauty, one in which I encounter His kingdom breaking in to the very mundane moments of my life.
Simple gatherings lead to simply paying attention to our lives. It is the richness of the people we have in our lives and how their presence imprints on us the joy of community. This leads us to reflect on the generations before us and how their creativity and desire to lead their family to beauty created beautiful traditions. This week on the blog by friend Courtney is sharing with us her grandmother's butter cookie recipe, but more importantly the togetherness it brings as her and her daughters carry on the tradition too!
I can not wait to try her recipe with my daughters, giving them part in a legacy of love and simplicity. Creating together is a simple way of inviting others to gather adding eternal beauty to the mundane everyday moments. Go over to the last blog post and read more about how Courtney has found this to be true with her family with invitation for your family to join in!
Every Friday, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. Five Minute Friday is a great place to hone my writing practice and be encouraged by other writers as I write. I will set the timer for five minutes and then write. Here we go! I am excited to invite you in, welcome.
Daisy
Simple Gathering Adds Beauty in the Mundane
Don't be distracted by the shiny and picture perfect table settings you see on Instagram. Instead look for the details that bring meaning to your table. Like that gorgeous china set you inherited but rarely use. Take out on Monday and set the table in your workout clothes. Maybe you don't have china but your favorite mugs came in a set and you add to your collection each year. Well, take them out and set up an impromptu hot chocolate bar for the ladies on your street, or even for your kids.
Simple gatherings happen out of the fullness of our heart. They come disguised in hikes, in coffee dates, and pizza nights. They come full of hope though, with light that breaks through the darkness of winter. They don't stop when everyone goes home, they bring and joy and contentment with each memory, with the leftovers the next morning, and the delicious aroma that will catch you by surprise again and again.
Come, you are invited to start where you are by inviting others to gather in simple ways and add eternal beauty to the mundane everyday moments.
Every Friday, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. Five Minute Friday is a great place to hone my writing practice and be encouraged by other writers as I write. I will set the timer for five minutes and then write. Here we go! I am excited to invite you in, welcome.
The Art of Gathering
I will extend an invitation to sit at table with others quickly. I don’t know exactly when this practice shifted for me from planned ahead invites to spontaneous ones. What I do know is that shift also shifted my life paradigm. I now can see the absolute treasure of having a table moment with others, and the richness it brings.
I don’t spend much time focusing on the state of my home or the lack of whatever ingredient. But I focus instead on the time together. We will get to be creative as we prepare our meal together. I remember that I will also catch a glimpse of Jesus as I spend time breaking bread together with my friend. I want to make time to see and taste the goodness of God the part that I can only find through the life of the person sitting at table with me.
So, once again the table is changing my life. I am passionate about gathering and I want to come alongside you and show the beautiful simplicity of practicing it. I want you know that gathering together does not have to be extreme instead its a beautiful practice that will change your life because of its simplicity.
This is really a little teaser! make sure you sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss the upcoming fun! A simple and beautiful gathering guide, a giveaway, and stories that will encourage us to shift our view of gathering around the table. I don’t want you to miss it!
Gracefully,
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The day could be described as mundane, an everyday kind of day. There was the bed to be made, books to be read, and kiddos to be fed. And if I hadn’t had the eyes of enthusiasm for new beginnings and new beauty. I would have missed the way the light streamed across the made bed, the beauty of discovering new encouragement in the book today, and the way the little ones with light dancing in their eyes fed me. I chose to look for the beauty placed strategically for me and participate in the good that was mine to do instead.
We face these choices day to day. Will we complain or bemoan what could have been using all of our energy there? Leading us then to miss the gift of the good works “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) I want to live slow enough to see that He establishes the work of my hands. All of the work of my hands, not just the big and public ones.
In this post you will be encouraged to look for the Lord in the mundane moments knowing that He will be found. I also Come and be inspired but most importantly- come see that He is good, you are called to goodness to live well.
Gracefully,
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“Jesus is always near, about our path by day and our bed by night; nearer then the light by which we see, or the air we breathe; nearer then we are to ourselves; so that not a thought, a sigh, or a tear escapes his notice.”
John Newton
I remember hearing this quote as tear indeed ran down my cheek, smiling because I knew Jesus was noticing it, even then. As my breath prayer practice cemented into my life, this quote became an anchor. To me breath prayer is a way that my soul breathes.
In this practice, we inhale and exhale the Spirit’s presence using a prayerful phrase. Noticing our breath grounds us and connects us as whole beings: soul, mind, and body. This tri-level connection is what I like to call “the stillness of breath prayer.” It is difficult to feel untethered when we are present to our bodies…
One of my favorite ways to practice this has been using the Dawn app. It is a beautiful tool, created by my friend Angie Gibbons ,. This app is key in helping me slow down and be present in prayer.
The rest of the this devotional can be found on the Dawn App Blog. Come and be inspired but most importantly- come see for yourself how implementing breath prayer into your prayer time can anchor you to His peace.
Gracefully,
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Daisy F. Dronen 