What is the dream behind Nurturing My Nest?

Nurturing My Nest birthed from a dream to inspire families to create a home that grows, nourishes and cultivates all that is best in each of us. With practical ideas which develop routine and rhythms, Leah gently motivates action that strengthens home.

Whether you’re looking for ideas on raising children, homeschooling, domestic solutions, thoughts about being a wife or mother, this blog offers ideas for intentional living in your home. This place creates energizing images of what can materialize in your home. Dreams emerge into reality. May this place encourage you to create a safe haven, an open door and everyday joy in your own home.

Some time ago, my husband suggested that I write a book about home and family. While I appreciated his confidence in me, I couldn’t imagine when I would write. With five children to home school, a house to keep and a myriad of accompanying responsibilities to complete, I promptly dismissed the idea. 

With the idea circulating in my mind, I became aware of how often women approached me with questions about how to homeschool their children, how to clean their house, how to purge, how to sort and store children’s clothes seasonally, how to train their children to help with housework, how to find time for their husband amid so much work, how to save money on grocery shopping, how to organize a pantry, how to bulk cook, how to care for themselves while caring for their family, and so much more. While my journey as a young wife and mother is unique, so is yours. So many of the ideas that I write and speak about come from wisdom I gathered from my mother and other women who walked before me.

Nurturing My Nest is truly an effort to invite you for coffee in a comfy chair on my patio or a walk that turns into a day spent together. God urges us to community as we walk this life together. Join me on this journey to live our best life.

I love to write. I love to read. I love to inspire. As a wanderer on this God-breathed world, I meditate on how I can share the truths I have learned. Since I fell in love with Jesus as a four year old girl, I catch glimpses of Him all around. His soft wooing, His gentle pursuit and His benevolent gestures toward me daily replenish my soul.

Since the bulk of my hours involve mothering, schooling and domestic responsibilities, my aim is to live the daily routine with His truths applied. This is a journey.

One of my fondest activities includes reading to my children. While they all read independently now, we still spend hours around the fireplace or on a car trip reading out loud together. Sometime we read from books while at other times we listen to audio books. Reading together is like taking a vacation together. We have shared memories.

When they were quite young, all five children would pile up in my yellow chair to read books. Often they would pick out the books they wanted read and bring them to the yellow chair. One of our most loved books became Owl Babies. This relatively unknown children’s book holds particular endearment for us. Since there were three owl babies and three babies of mine when I started reading this book, I changed the names of the owl babies to match my “babies.” Thus began the reading of how three distinctively different owl babies searched for their missing owl mother. In the end, they pile back in the nest relieved to have their mother back. The especially timid one piped up with new-found confidence declaring that she always knew her mommy would come back.  This simple yet sweet story proved special because the children loved to hear their own names in the story along with its happy ending.

Contemplating a title for this blog and its intended journey, I immediately thought of this little story and the charm of the nest. The room with my yellow chair has often made me feel as if I am all alone in my little nest with my babies. Thus Nurturing My Nest seems the most fitting title for the countless ideas planned for this blog.

WHAT IS NURTURE?

According to my dictionary, nurturing means to care for, to bring up, to tend, to rear, to support, to cultivate, to grow, to tend, to encourage, to promote, to stimulate, to boost, to strengthen, to fuel, and to educate. Imagine all of these actions being carried out in our homes. My deepest desire as a wife and a mom is to nurture. Nurturing my home starts with cultivating my spiritual relationship with God. Nurturing my home emphasizes a strong relationship with my husband. (He LOVES being nurtured!) Nurturing my home also focuses on the needs of my children. Caring for my home means an ongoing effort to develop my domestic skills. My mom started me off strong, but growth and a need for efficiency continue. My best ideas come from networking with other moms who are both older and younger than me.

As each day offers a fresh start, a renewed opportunity and a host of moments to nurture YOUR nest, my prayer is that this place will encourage a lighter step, and inspire creativity with newfound joy.

In the months ahead, readers may expect thoughts on our faith journey, mothering, home schooling, domestic duties, money saving, family and more. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the common thread throughout my books, these blog posts, videos and resources.  Daily living is a faith journey as I pursue the goal of pleasing God through holy living. This search for truth and wisdom applies itself in everyday moments. Moments that require patience, a soft response and Godly reply instead of my natural reaction. 

Grab your coffee or tea as we explore ideas on how to live this life of nurturing our home and family.

Share your thoughts. We are all on this adventure together. 

Join me on this quest to nurture our nests.

Upcoming blogs include inspiration on home, family, cleaning, cooking and hospitality.