Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Living God from my desk overlooking the front porch as the sun was coming up with a hot cup of coffee, and a Bible, and I set the tone for a beautiful Time with my God. There wasn’t a whole lot of color at sunrise and at first, I was disappointed. But when I looked at this photo of the grey sky taken from my desk, I smiled at the precious reminders of my life…a welcoming porch…a few rockers…beautiful fields…flags to make a statement…and a Christmas tree filled with precious memories. Without saying a word, this one photo symbolizes who I am and how I live. Isn’t it just like God to use all those simple things to Remind us of the Beauty of Life?

They say that “home is where the heart is”, but the Heart can be seen in different ways in a home, and we can easily “lose” a part of us in the process if we aren’t careful. It can be so easy to focus on what the house looks like, especially this time of year. Some houses transform from the ordinary to a house worthy of the front cover of a magazine while they make a holiday statement to the world. Some people have a knack for decorating and the house is perfectly coordinated and decorated from room to room. Some people live in modest homes and they don’t have much to show in furnishings at all, but their heart can be seen when you settle in for a good conversation and a hot cup of coffee served up in a chipped mug. Some people have pictures of family members wall to wall, and some have fine art. Some have Christmas trees laced with ornaments that are museum-worthy and some have trees that are perfectly color-coordinated from top to bottom. It takes a lot to make a house a home, that’s for sure, but making a home that welcomes the world is an entirely different story. It’s one thing to show a stranger what your house looks like…it’s another thing to show them what a home should feel like instead. Getting the balance right is the difference between looking good to the world and feeling safe and warm.

When I look around this old farmhouse there are plenty of projects that need to be taken care of and plenty of things things that I’d like to alter one day. But there’s not much about this flawed farmhouse that I would change even if I could. This place reflects my heart from corner to corner and when strangers show up, they feel like they’re finally home. They kick their shoes off when they come in…not to protect my flooring…but to get comfortable instead- and before you know it they’ve got their feet up on the furniture and their hearts begin to overflow over a warm cup of coffee and a heartfelt conversation. I love them and they know it. They’re in a safe zone and it shows. There are no pretenses and no effort to impress and yet most of them ARE impressed by the way they feel when they’re here. They’re welcome here no matter how they’re dressed or where they come from and they feel it. This time of year they spend a little time looking at the Christmas tree filled with homemade ornaments that tell a story, and each one can lead the way to me sharing my Savior with them just in case they don’t know Him. Even the most affluent visitors living in homes that are magazine and museum-worthy comment on the warmth that they feel here… and sadly some wonder why they don’t have the same “feeling” at their house. Most visitors stay a little longer than they planned on staying and they can’t wait to come back again one day soon. Every visitor at this old farmhouse leaves with the same gift…they leave with a full heart because each one got a piece of mine in the process.

Plenty of people would love the chance to remodel this old farmhouse, but that would be over my dead body. This home is where my heart is and it has drawn a whole lot of hearts to it over the years with its charm. The flaws show its character the same way my flaws show mine, and we’re on this Journey together. My house is a home and my heart is ready and waiting to share with every single person that settles in for a visit. When you think about it that way, it’s like Christmas all year long…a focus on my Savior…the warmth of the season…a welcoming heart, a ready rocker, and lots of love. There is no greater Gift to offer friends, family, and total strangers as well, and it all begins with a flawed old farmhouse…my home…where my Heart is. It IS like Christmas all year long when you celebrate the Savior every single day and you open your heart AND your home wide enough to share Hope every day too. THAT’S the real charm that can’t be missed from this old farmhouse in Virginia all year long.

How about you?