Home Environment

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Words & Photography
by Joanna Ballentine



"After all we are an art form...we produce
an environment other people have to live in.
We should be conscious of the fact that this environment
which we produce by our very 'being'
can affect the people who live with us."

- Edith Schaffer

We have big impact even in the most mundane choices. Like what our home looks like. I use to make it all about me...about what I liked and what made ME feel happy. In a time where the most important thing about your home is what it looks like, I didn’t truly take into account how guests would feel as they came in, or what the kids felt when they got up and walked into the main living space. Once I realized this, I completely changed the way I dressed my home.

I learned that plants make us all feel fresh and bright. So I added more. I learned that the kids love overtaking the main living area with our activities so I made spaces for them out there. I learned my husband loves to play games so I put the favorites in a place that encouraged us to play more. I learned our guest feel peace from the light in our home so I don’t have curtains on our west facing windows. I learned the kids pick up books more when they’re accessible so I got rid of pointless decorations and replaced them with books.
I started asking myself before every purchase if that specific item put value in adding peace to someone’s day. If it doesn’t, then I don’t believe it’s a good way to steward our money.
I started asking myself before every purchase if that specific item put value in adding peace to someone’s day. If it doesn’t, then I don’t believe it’s a good way to steward our money. It all comes down to having a kingdom-minded mentality in all things, including our home. We serve through our home because it was a gift and blessing, and gratitude makes serving a lot easier. I check in every so often and ask: is this house an environment that allows others to rest?

If you’re unhappy with your home, it’s probably because you need to reawaken its purpose of serving lives. Even it’s it’s just a house of one, invite souls to your home and serve them somehow and watch how it comes alive

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