Grace at Home No. 511

Hello, friends! How many times have you winced or rolled your eyes when someone said, "The days are long, but the years are short"? Well, that may seem corny, but it seems like 2023 is just getting started, and here we are at the halfway point. Whew!

I'm truly grateful that you've taken a moment to visit me here. I'm proud to host this weekly gathering called Grace at Home, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty.

Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Do you love a good before-and-after? Then you should check out the dining room makeover from Diane at South House Designs.

Need a small project to brighten up these hot summer days? Julie from My Wee Abode shows you how to create a container garden.

Sometimes having the kids home all day every day can make a parent despair of trying to make a beautiful home. Kathryn from The Dedicated House has some tips for combining a child's needs and a parent's desire for a lovely space.

Looking for an easy and fun treat for July 4? Alea from Premeditated Leftovers has the solution!

Do you struggle with anxiety? In the wake of a global pandemic, I think many of us do. Maria from Krafty Planner has found help in Bible journaling, and she offers a great list of prompts to help with finding peace.

And now back to my introduction of how quickly the days go by. I think you'll find great food for thought in this post from Lisa: "How Are the Changing Times Changing You?"

Thank you to everyone for linking up!

Here are the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your life with truth, goodness, and beauty. For instance, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home or sphere of influence a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it. Here's what I ask of you. Please include the permalink to your post, not to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 510

Hello, friends! How thankful I am to say that today is a very special day in my life. Can you guess?

Yes, I was a June bride—38 years ago. It's amazing to me how quickly the years really do fly by! 

You know how the wedding vows include the promise to love "for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health"? Well, this year of our marriage has included some of the greatest challenges to those vows we've ever faced. So I'm really grateful to say that we've made it to another anniversary of those vows.

Now I'm glad to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. Here are some highlights I think you'll enjoy.

Want to decorate for July 4? Here are some ideas for you, and each post includes full instructions for making your own.

Sarah from Must Have Mom made these great utensil holders from canning jars.

Ann from The Apple Street Cottage fashioned giant "firecrackers" from paper tubes.

MaryJo from MasterPIECES of my Life created this cool ribbon flag.

Want to visit with someone who goes all out for holiday decorating? You'll love seeing everything at Debbie-Dabble.

I hope that this summer gives you a chance to get away from home for a vacation. If you'll be doing some hiking with kids, you'll appreciate these tips from Dave and Jamie at PhotoJeepers.

Looking for a fresh new recipe to try? Check out this Cucumber Caprese Salad from Ann at Ann's Entitled Life.

Some of us love the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer". . . and some of us find ourselves a bit discombobulated with the lack of routine. But you can develop good spiritual habits to keep yourself grounded, and Michele Morin has some great ideas for you.

Thank you to everyone for linking up!

Here are the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your life with truth, goodness, and beauty. For instance, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home or sphere of influence a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it. Here's what I ask of you. Please include the permalink to your post, not to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 509

Hello, friends! 

My goal in life is not to be "busy"—I'd rather cultivate a life of purposeful work and rest than try to be busy. But this past week I've been both! I just arrived home late last night after being away for eight jam-packed days. I'm grateful to say that I was with friends and colleagues in Colorado for a Renovaré conference and then for the annual retreat of the Renovaré Ministry Team, so it was a good trip! 

And let me show you something. . . during this week, the U.S. Navy has been running a Father's Day message which features my son and grandson! Here's a screenshot of the ad:

That photo was taken on the day my oldest son, a pilot, returned from his last deployment. The smiles on my son's and grandson's faces were shared by all of us who were so grateful for the squadron to have returned home safely to their families.

I'm so glad you're here for the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. Next week I'll be sure to share some features from two parties. For now, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home or sphere of influence a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it. Here's what I ask of you. Please include the permalink to your post, not to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 508

Just like that, it's June!

Oh, friends, I know that sometimes the days seem to drag on and on. . . but truly, the months fly by so quickly. That's why I am honored to host this little gathering each week—a brief pause to celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace.

Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Want to spruce up your home for summertime without breaking the bank? CoCo from the Crowned Goat has some budget-friendly ideas for you.

Niky from The House on Silverado shows you how to create this beautiful display that creates a summery vibe.

Need a jump-start to your budget-friendly summer decorating? You'll like this free printable from Carol at Comfort Spring.

If you need some ideas for kid-friendly summer activities, Natasha from Serenity You can help: check out her summertime bucket list.

Looking for some fresh recipes for summertime? MaryJo from MasterPIECES of My Life shares a bunch of salad recipes and ideas—your mouth will be watering from looking at the photos!

Summertime means travel for a lot of us. If you like to have books to read when you're traveling, you'll want to read Barbara Harper's post detailing the advantages of the Kindle app.

But if you're like me, you may need to think about just how much you're using your phone. For inspiration plus some practical ideas, read this post from Stacy at A Homemaker's Heart.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's party!

Here are the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your life with truth, goodness, and beauty. For instance, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home or sphere of influence a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it. Here's what I ask of you. Please include the permalink to your post, not to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter