The One Incredible Truth You Don't Want to Forget this Week
As a mom of 4, learning what it means to be a 'Home of Glory' in a world competing for my heart, time and attention
Hello Glory Carriers!
On this week of (American) Thanksgiving, I welcome you to my very first official newsletter. Wahoo! I am very excited and I will aim to show up right here in your inbox every Monday. And for now, my content if free for all Subscribers.
As I thought about what to write about, I thought I’d share about one specific and incredible Truth of Scripture I have been pondering in my heart, which led to the creation of and inspiration for Homes of Glory. It is a Truth that can often escape us amidst our busy lives. The Truth is this: we have become the actual dwelling place of God.
Yes, the God of the universe, Maker of Heaven and Earth - and everything in it - lives and dwells and has His being within each believer. Within you, within me, right now. Take that in for a moment.
In case you need some convincing, check out a few of the verses that explain this incredible truth:
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (Ephesians 3:16-17)
“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:21-22)
“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
“But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house...” (Hebrews 3:6)
“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23)
Are you convinced yet? We are called to live all of life from this Truth that God is dwelling, each moment of every day, in our hearts. Go ahead and pause here, and greet the Lord in your heart right now…
“Hello, Author and Creator of my soul. Thank you for making your home in my heart - Father, through your Son and by your Spirit. I am so blessed You are there. Indeed, You are right here within me!”
We can talk about this Truth in our homes and teach it to our kids. But what does it mean, really? It is simple and yet it almost seems too big, too magnificent to comprehend.
Called to be Reflectors of His Glory
The knowledge that God lives and dwells in our hearts is just the beginning. We are then called to reflect His glory through the every day of our ordinary lives. As Paul says,
“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Reflecting His glory means His light and very life shine through us from our hearts, and by extension our homes, into the dark world who doesn’t know Him yet. Paul again says,
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, ”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”(2 Corinthians 4:6)
Friends, we are called to be Glory Carriers on earth as it is in Heaven. We are meant to represent and radiate the reality of God in and through our lives. We are meant to be Hearts and Homes of His Glory.
This all sounds good, right? Sounds lofty even! Our hearts may even burn as we read this, saying, “Yes, I want that!”
But then…life happens. And we live in this fallen world. We are overwhelmed. Overscheduled. Overextended. Anxious. Feeling distracted and disconnected. We may even be feeling like our marriage is crumbling beneath us. Or our relationships with our children are strained. Our hearts and homes, it turns out, do not look or feel any different from those around us.
Where are you Lord? Where is your glory?
You're not alone. It is not easy holding onto our deeply held values of faith and raising a family in this cultural moment - and its unique challenges - in which we find ourselves living. It can often feel like we are defeated even before we begin, going against the tide.
Believe me, I know. Because I am living it too. To be married, shepherding various ministries alongside my pastor husband, running a coaching business, parenting 4 children in a foreign land — it’s a full life. And it is so easy to get swept up in all the flurry of activity - in person and online - that we can easily lose our way from The Way our hearts and souls were designed for. The light of His glory is there, but it gets snuffed out by the chaos of our lives.
But all hope is not lost. You and I, our marriages, our families, our homes - and the unique and glory-filled stories He is weaving through them - matter too much to God to be left alone. He wants to invade our hearts (yes, yours!) and invade the very space of our homes (yes, yours!) - whether it that is a tiny condo in a large city or a large home in a tiny town - with His glory, so that we in turn may live as ‘glory carriers of Heaven’ in whatever we do and wherever we go. He is there waiting to help us do it. But what is our role to play?
The Need for Intentional Discipleship and Spiritual Formation in Our Homes
I don’t know about you, but as my 4 children grow, I realize more than ever how important discipleship and spiritual formation are in the home. It can feel weighty, and we can often wonder, Am I doing enough to help my children grow in their faith? In this ever-changing world with its ever-shifting values at every turn, we have a million and one decisions to make daily, weekly, monthly and yearly how we will choose to order our days for our family. So much of this really is practical. As the Psalmist said, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Our days with our children, while they are under our roof, are numbered. So how will we spend them?
Homes of Glory was created with this question in mind, among others, that arise in us amidst the daily grind (and joy!) of raising our children:
How will we address the various challenging topics arising in the culture?
How will we raise our children up with strong faith, and what is truly needed for such a time as this?
How can we keep faith formation at the center when so many other things are vying for our hearts, time and attention?
How do we create a strong home rooted in the gospel while also living it out by serving and engaging our community with love and compassion?
The Need for Rhythms and Habits that Shape Our Hearts and Homes
With the above questions in mind, my aim is not only to help families navigate living out their Christian values in a culture that clashes up against them, but also to help families to transform from strength to strength by intentionally and creatively choosing rhythms and habits to practice in their home that promote family togetherness, deep spiritual formation and yes, even fun! That we may act as hubs of God’s radiant glory, shining His light out into this dark world. I picture homes scattered around the globe, filled with God’s warmth and love and bursting with rays of light, drawing the outside world to Himself through these ordinary, yet extraordinary Homes of Glory. Wow.
That is the vision God is calling my family to live into in this season and I am inviting you along. Will you join me? I truly believe we are stronger going at it together, than alone.
There is a lot more to explore and unpack as to the ‘how’ of doing this, but for now, in this weekly newsletter, I aim to be a companion alongside you, my fellow Glory Carriers, to provide biblical inspiration and practical tools to support you and your family - and mine! - in staying grounded and growing in the deep, the real and the genuine things of God in a world competing for our hearts, our time and our attention. I’ll be writing more about:
The biblical basis and vision for Homes of Glory and what practical steps to take to start becoming one.
Practical rhythms and habits around worship, spiritual growth and formation, rest, play and learning that you can begin implementing in your home and family life right now.
Tips and tools to strengthen the relationships in your home - with God, your spouse and your children.
Exploring various cultural issues through a biblical lens and discovering what that means for how we ought to live and respond.
That is a start, and we’ll see how we go and how the Spirit leads. I look forward to getting acquainted with you, hearing your story, and journeying together in this vital mission to see our hearts and homes transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.
And as we enter into this week of (American ) Thanksgiving, I am thankful for you and your interest in joining this Homes of Glory community as we all learn what it means to live into our identity and calling as Glory Carriers of Heaven. I thank God for your precious family, and the glory-filled story He is writing through your life, however gradually, however imperfectly, right now.
No matter where you are right now - whether you are single or married, have one child or six, young children or already launched ones - know that God loves and is able to fill each humble heart and willing home at a time with the undeniable radiance of His glory. May He shine His light ever brighter through your heart and home as you start by making Him the center of it.
Before you go, I would like to pose a couple questions for reflection:
What does it mean to you that God has made His home in your heart?
How can you intentionally thank God and acknowledge Christ dwelling within you each day this week?
What challenges are you currently facing that prevent you and your family from being the Home of Glory you desire to be?
If you are willing to share, I would love to hear some of your answers in the comments below. And do pass along this publication if you know of a fellow Glory Carrier who would be blessed.
Until then, my friend, have a Happy, Blessed and Glory-Filled Thanksgiving! That is, if you are celebrating.:)
For His Glory From My Home to Yours,
Ali
PS I am including a free bonus resource for you to download: 5 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude in Your Home. Enjoy!
PPS Here is a recent fun photo of my little growing family, where we are seeking to become, one day at a time, a Home of Glory, radiating God’s light into the world. Kendal is 8, Cora is 6, Caswell is 4, and Oswald is 2!
