Love Your Home Challenge

I have been so excited to share this post with you. My sweet friend, Melissa, has written a beautiful book that has truly touched me and I can’t wait to share it with you.  Melissa is the author of The Inspired Room and has been an inspiration to me for years. She just recently released her book, Love the Home You Have and it’s fantastic. I have to share this story with you.

Our bathroom floors were being torn up with a jack hammer. The noise was unbearable so I went outside and sat at a nearby picnic table. I was looking up at our little home and began reading Melissa’s book with a cup of coffee. It was a beautiful sunny day and perfect for being outside. First of all, Melissa cracks me up. I literally laughed out loud more than a couple of times. I love her voice. As I was reading, a lady was on her morning walk. I didn’t know her but looked up and smiled. She smiled back and asked what I was reading. When I told her, she asked if I had just moved into my home. I told her no and that my friend had just written this book. In a nutshell, I relayed the message of the book being that we should love the home we are in and not look around to see what we don’t have. That so much joy comes from finding contentment where we are. As soon as I said that, she replied while smiling, “I love that. That is straight from Philippians.” We chatted a bit and then we wished each other a nice day and she continued on her walk. Such a nice moment between strangers. I went back to reading. The very next page had the verse that the woman had just quoted from Philippians. It was one of those moments that you really pause and think. It was special and I couldn’t wait to share with Melissa that her book was already creating really special moments.

In the of the book, Melissa offers really simple challenges that can make an instant change in your perspective and contentment with the home you have. I chose #8 which challenged me to pamper myself. I am not the girl that takes time away from the home for just me. I always find ten other things that need to be attended to around the home or for my children. I took up Melissa’s challenge and scheduled a manicure. I know it sounds a little self indulgent and not much like a challenge. But for me, sitting still and doing nothing for even a brief amount of time is really hard for me. I forced myself to go do this and enjoy!

I sort of incorporated this with challenge #11 and #4. I had picked up fresh flowers from Trader Joes and I cleaned up our kitchen. It’s when I got back from getting my manicure that I had such a sense of peace. I turned on my favorite Pandora station and just sat. I flipped through a magazine. I just sat. It was so lovely and I looked around my home with pride rather than seeing it as a laundry list of what was not done. Or how I wish I could knock down a wall, etc. Melissa really puts on paper what we all know to be true. Contentment does not come from looking at what we do not have but appreciating that which we do have.

This really is a special book. I am planning to give it to some of my girlfriends. I think she touches on some really great topics that speak to us all. . . decorating with what you have, cleaning tips, finding a balance between mess and beauty. I am honored to be included with such wonderful bloggers below who also took on the challenge.

You can take the challenge, too, and share your projects with Melissa here. Hop on over to her blog to see more details and get the links to all of these other great bloggers.
My husband and I even decided to stop referring to our maybe one day future home as “our dream home.” Not that it isn’t wonderful to dream. I am a firm believer in that. But we are in our dream home now. It’s ours. It’s where life happens. It’s a good and happy place. Isn’t that what a dream home should be? Thank you, Melissa, for sharing such a a special book with us!
You can purchase a copy of Melissa’s book here.