Home > Author >
21 " The dangers of life are infinite, and among them is safety. — GOETHE "
― , The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful
22 " and realize that as long as we all choose to walk around clothed, the laundry will never really be finished. "
23 " I had braced myself for shock and sadness and guilt and hopelessness over Topiwo’s house. I knew his family had struggled to survive through drought until Compassion stepped in to help. But after visiting that beautiful dirt home, I didn’t feel sad about where Topiwo lives. Unlike most of the homes we had visited, Topiwo’s home was rich with love and community and joy and gracefulness. Richer than a lot of homes I see in our country. Rich with the contentment I want to have. It was, in a word, breathtaking. I had been welcomed into a true home. Topiwo knew. He knew what I so easily forget. "
24 " By allowing myself to add quirk, I was announcing to the world that — guess what? — I now have the confidence to put something in my home even though I know someone will think it’s ridiculous. Once you experince that kind of freedom in decorating, you’ll never go back, and your house will finally look the way you’ve always dreamed. "
25 " As women, we ache to believe that real beauty can be found in the midst of imperfection. We are crying out for permission to lower our standards. Let yourself know: permission granted. "
26 " The Art of Risk We don’t risk because it’s easy; we risk because of hope, because we see the promise of something better. "
27 " You can learn tips and tricks to help keep your home more put-together and beautiful. Or you can accept the fact that your home will be imperfect and that each season of your family’s life will bring different kinds of beautiful messes. "
28 " We can find rest in our less than perfect circumstances when we figure out that no amount of striving can create the perfect life we think we are looking for. True rest comes when we realize that we can’t get it from trying extra hard. We find rest when we give up. "
29 " The real question isn’t whether it’s right or wrong for me to live in a “big” house. The real question is, What am I doing with what I’ve been given? "
30 " Most of us simply need to learn to see the beauty in the imperfect. Because life is gloriously messy. We can find rest in our less than perfect circumstances when we figure out that no amount of striving can create the perfect life we think we are looking for. True rest comes when we realize that we can’t get it from trying extra hard. We find rest when we give up. "
31 " Instead of seeing imperfections as thorns in my decorating flesh, I want to open my eyes and see them as signs of life. These messes all stem from gifts in my life. I still clean the mud off shoes (or make my boys do it), but I also know that if a neighbor walked in and saw a trail of mud, I wouldn’t need to be embarrassed. It’s just proof of lives being lived, and houses are for living. My home is a reflection of our life, and life’s messes can be gloriously beautiful. "
32 " I don’t open my home because it’s finally done and presentable. I share it for the same reason I wear a bikini to the pool. It’s not because I think I look great in it. It’s because I’m finally okay that I don’t. It’s the same with our home. I don’t share it because it’s perfect; I share it because I’m finally okay that it’s not. "
33 " That is how it is with your home. The imperfections play an important role: they put people at ease. "
34 " But that day, I realized that when I apologize for my home, I’m declaring to all within earshot that I’m not content. "
35 " But that day, I realized that when I apologize for my home, I’m declaring to all within earshot that I’m not content. That I’m silently keeping score. That I put great importance on the appearance of my home and maybe, just maybe, I’m doing that when I visit your home too. "
36 " Don’t apologize for what you have. It makes guests feel uncomfortable, it encourages discontentment, and if you’re married and your husband hears you apologizing for what he’s provided, it could be hurtful. "
37 " Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. EPICURUS "
38 " I was suddenly aware of how strongly I disagreed that there is a threshold for sinning when it comes to the price of a pair of shoes. How much is too much? Is $80 okay to spend on shoes but not $280? What about $20? Is that wrong? What about $2,000? Is $2,000 too much to spend on shoes? Each circumstance is different. It’s not about a threshold but about the heart. "
39 " Buy a plant. If it dies, that’s okay. Buy another kind of plant until you find one that lives. "
40 " Because the irony is that giving up on perfection isn’t a failure. It’s a gift. "