Office Christmas Party

The table is set with Christmas plates, green & white paper napkins,
and our everyday silverware. When I took this picture, I had not yet
put on glasses!

Hospitality is a gift. You can give it to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

It doesn't require a long & strenuous day of decorating & baking! All you need is to open up your home, and make people feel like family.

Every year, we try to have an Office Christmas party, and all my father's employees are invited, as well as their families & friends. It's just a way to say "Thank-you" to them.

Mom's sweet centerpiece~yes, those are marshmallows!!!
The cake stand is resting on a little silver tray, and the Bible is opened to the Nativity Story in the book of Luke.

This year, we had Spaghetti and Grandma's Special Spaghetti Sauce *recipe in upcoming post*, and everyone brought a salad, bread, or dessert. YUM! There was apple cider & sparkling cranberry punch to drink, as well as coffee to go with the brownies & ice cream Becky brought.

Everything was easy & simple, but the time we enjoyed was very precious. As people walked in the door, I realized that everyone who worked for my Dad felt at home in our house. They knew where everything was, could sit down & relax without feeling hesitant, & encouraged their children to join in the conversations.

This little drink buffet was sitting right beside the dinner table, so people could easily
refill their cups, and choose what they would like to drink! It helps eliminate some time & mess.

I am just beginning to figure out a very simple truth~ your home doesn't belong to you. It belongs to Christ, and through Him, it belongs to every single person who walks in your door. It's a Sacred Trust, a servant's gift to his Master, one never to be withheld.

Merry Christmas!!!

Grandma's House

If you were to ask us kids where our favorite home-away-from-home is, we probably wouldn't have to even think about the answer.

Our grandma & grandpa's house!

We usually call it Grandma's House. I'm not sure why it's her house, not Grandpa's. But we've called it Grandma's House since I was a toddler.


It is a beautiful white house with navy blue shutters, surrounded by tall trees, and with a large green lawn in front & back, where the boys love to play football. There are always daffodils & tulips in the spring, roses in the summer, a beautiful magnolia tree, & crab-apple trees for the finches.


We have a big family. A really BIG family. And this family loves to have get-togethers. Can you guess where these parties take place?


Yep. Grandma's House.


There's always a big delicious meal, bunches of hugs & kisses at the door, & something sweet to go along with a football game or opening birthday presents (usually both).


But most importantly, Jesus is the center of this home. His love & generosity is exemplified everywhere, and TRUE HOSPITALITY is an almost instinctive gift as soon as you walk in the door.


Stop by sometime.


You're always welcome, and there's plenty of room-- both in this house, and in these hearts.

~Gracy

Company's Coming!

"Company, company!!! Where would we be without company?!"

~Sir John Middleton, a truly hospitable heart in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility

Muddy, Messy Company!

Yesterday, my brother's best friends, Dan & Nate came over. I had been scrapbooking when they first arrived, but as I heard them playing upstairs, I began to feel... left out. ;) So I asked them to play football with me! And we had FUN. Here's some pictures of the game:

Dan making a touchdown!

The boys were pretty excited about this picture!

Although I get more excited about tea & a movie with my friends, or a fancy family dinner, I learned yesterday that hospitality consists of many different activities. Even football. Getting to enjoy your guests is a priceless gift that won't fade with time.

These boys are growing up before our eyes! It's a blessing to get to freeze that speeding clock, & watch them...

Have a lovely day!!!

~Gracy

Grandpa-Dad and Grandma-Mom

Our Grandpa and Great Grandpa (affectionately known as Grandpa-Dad) is 96, and as hospitable as ever, even though he has congestive heart failure, is on oxygen 24/7, and recently had a fall that left him battered and bruised. The more company he has, the brighter the twinkle in his eyes and the bigger his smile. His love for friends and family bubbles over continuously…an evidence of the Holy Spirit Who fills his heart and soul, and Who blesses the heart of every visitor, stranger and familiar, alike. In fact, he characterizes the New Testament definition of hospitality, “loving strangers”, beautifully.

Grandpa-Dad and Grandma-Mom have always been best known for their LOVE, and their gracious, open hearts and open home. They regularly invited other families to their home for dinner after church and often hosted visiting missionaries and pastors. They kept the guest room ready! Since Grandma-Mom went to be with the Lord, Grandpa-Dad has carried on faithfully, and has continued to welcome “folks” into his life at every turn. He shared Saturday that the nurses at the hospital he visits for blood transfusions have said they look forward to his “words of wisdom” every week. He quotes poetry and Bible verses from memory, and loves to share stories about family history and the “olden days”. What a treasure he is to us all. It is evident that his Treasure is in heaven, and this Treasure he gives away generously through his gift of hospitality.

This is a legacy of hospitality we thank God for…