House Blessing

"By wisdom a house is built. By understanding it is established. Through knowledge, it's rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Proverbs 24:3-4
This is the verse that Jim and Gwen Schnorrenberg (the Family Ministers from our church) wrote on the header piece of wood above our fireplace. It is a blessing for our family.
One of my good friends, Jen, had this really neat idea to " bless" our new home. Before the walls go on, before the flooring gets laid, when it's just the foundation and the bones of the house, the idea is to go in with sharpies and write all over the place, "blessing" the house and our family with scriptures, prayers, and personal blessings. I loved the idea. So we invited a few faithful friends and family, and we all got together this morning to bless our new home.

Alan, the kids, and I, arrived a little earlier than everyone else. We wanted just a little bit of time to let the kids do some " blessing" so we could savor the moments. Knowing when everyone else arrived, we might miss out on the kids. And I'm soooo glad we did! It was really neat. Right off the bat the girls went upstairs to their rooms.

Selah wrote on her floor some of the lyrics to one of her favorite songs:
"Come, and go with me, to my Father's house. Come, and go with me, to my Father's house. It's a big big house, with lots and lots of rooms. It's a big big table, with lots and lots of food. There's a big big yard, where we can play football. It's a big big house... It's my Father's house."

I liked that lot. She has her heart set already on the end goal in life. Being in heaven with God. Pleasure in worshipping and fellowshipping in heaven. And she wants those who are friends and family to go with her. It's evangelistic. I think its neat that those words and that song came to her heart and mind when thinking of blessing her room. Of blessing herself, and her friends and family that will spend time in her room with her during her years growing up. Awesome.


I walked downstairs and had to step around Bryson to make it all the way down. He was sitting at the bottom of the steps, writing on the third step going up.

As I looked over his shoulders, he was busy writing these words, also lyrics to one of his favorite songs:
"When I get down, He lifts me up"
That made my heart skip a beat. How profound are those words! And that he picked just those 8 words out from a song he really likes. It's a fun song with really fun actions that they sing in kids church. But that he understands tthe impact those few words can have on his life. And ours. Amazing.
I told him that I will forever remember that he wrote those words on that step. I wish I didn't have to cover them up. But they are there, and they are in my mind and heart. And for as long as we live in this house, when I go through times of feeling "down" or when we go through times of "defeat" or "hardships," I will remind myself and my family of those words that 7 year old Bryson blessed our home with. That God lifts us up.

I walked back upstairs and found Charis and Alan on the floor of her room. Charis was writing a note to God. It said:
"Keep everyone safe" with a big heart drawn underneath her note to God. Yes! That is one of the prayers I also pray frequently. I pray for safety, protection, and for His hand to be on these people that I so dearly love and care for. That was a good prayer and request to God. That He keeps us safe. Thank you Charis, for praying that prayer for us!

Soon after, everyone else arrived. We all spread out to whatever room we wanted and wrote various scriptures on the walls. The kids enjoyed writing on the walls alongside their good friends, the Lyness'. Jodie wrote a scripture the week before when she was here visiting, and Alan's mom sent 2 poems God laid on her heart to bless our home with.

After we were done writing our scriptures and words of blessings, we split up into various rooms and prayed over the house and our family. James and Lydia wanted to go upstairs to pray for the kids (awesome).

Jennifer and Kevin and their kids wanted to pray in the school room, for our years of education and learning (perfect).

Jim and Gwen went to the master bedroom to pray for Alan and I and our marriage. They said we should expect lots of good "blessings" now after their prayers (Ha! Ha! Ha!). The Lyness family prayed in the dining room (awwww).

And I wanted the kitchen . That's my spot. My heart. They say the kitchen is the heart of the house. Feeding my family is the heart of my life. Not only the joy of cooking for them, and from sitting and dining together as a family, but also feeding them the Word of the Lord. Feeding them knowledge and wisdom for life. I love being in the kitchen.


Alan, Bryson, and I prayed earnestly for our family. For the love that comes from being together. We prayed for connectedness and communication and our relationships. We prayed that God would use this kitchen to not only bless us, but for the opportunity to use this kitchen to bless others and be a witness to others in the same way.