my blue castle

"to live a life that is artful and productive, we need a place to wind down, to be inspired, receive love and give it; to rest, to be creatively stimulated, to be cared for. a place to rest and a place to love. it's just a house if it's not a home."

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Warmth. Laughter. Comfort. Family. Color. Vibrancy. Peace in the stillness. Passion. These are the words I use to describe the house I've created in my mind. It's a small house, but big enough to host our friends and start our dreams. A porch to sit on in the twilight with a glass of wine. A living space to gather and dive deep in conversation. A table on which to set pots of chili and board games.

I imagine music being made in this house of dreams...moody, melodious piano music, sweet guitar magic that tugs on the heartstrings, voices raised in harmony and worship. Music that binds and sears and soothes. 

There's a nook in my mind, a place to be reflective and to write. Shadowy in the evening, but lit by natural sunshine in the afternoon. Perhaps the windowsill is adorned with coffee cups and spare pens. A wooden piano fits in a little awkwardly, marked by life and love and children. A place to curl up with fuzzy socks and books. Creativity. 

I think of the love that will grow and mature and be born within the walls of this house. I hope it is a safe place for that love to develop, for many people. 

Ah, the people...

The picture above has a very aesthetically pleasing vibe; nordic themes, with patterned rugs and blankets, stone fireplace, wood accents. It's beautiful, but that's not why I used the picture. It's that concept of the people, gathered together with music and warmth. I want my home to be a gathering place, where hospitality and welcome are second to breathing. I want Jesus to be known there. Worship, prayer, laughter, tears, to be shared there. May our loaves and fishes ever multiply, that we may share those too. Though we have little, I pray that our hearts would be big. 

I don't want a house that is constantly clean or perfectly decorated. I want a home, with the imperfections of human life that comes with it. The messy relationships, worn-out nights, and knees-to-floor prayers. 

Hosting friends and strangers is hard. Finding enough food for everyone is hard. Justifying the fun is hard. Upkeep and repairs are hard. Staying up all night with a baby and spending all day with 3 children is hard. Being a homemaker is hard. 

Loving sinful people is hard. 

But I'm sinful too. And God's grace is enough. 

Dreams. Hopes. A castle in the clouds. A blue castle in the clouds. 

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"If my heart was a house, you'd be home."

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book recommendation: The Blue Castle, by L. M. Montgomery. only one of my very favorites.

until next time, friends.

-tessa

all of the lovely pictures in this post were found on pinterest. all the rights to those they belong to.