When I was a senior in high school, I took College English. One of our early assignments in the fall was to define a word. We each drew a slip of paper from a bowl, and the word we saw was our writing prompt.
The word I drew was “home.”
As I worked to define that word, put new feeling and meaning into those simple four letters, I realized that home is more than just a place to live, a building with walls and doors and windows.
I realized that more importantly than a physical space to sleep and eat and watch TV, “home” was better defined as the place my heart felt at peace, the place my soul felt accepted and loved.
And because I was a teenager in luuuuuv, that meant one of the ways I defined “home” was by describing my boyfriend and the things that made me think of him.
Since I actually married that guy, I’d say it was a pretty good description, even though he’s since given up winterfresh gum, his Dodge Daytona and the Notre Dame football team.
In the decade and a half since writing that short essay, I’ve realized and developed many other definitions of home. And today, one more “home” is coming to life.
The women who have created (in)courage describe their new site like this: “When we asked ourselves what kind of place we were building, we finally came to see it as a bit like a beach house. You can put your sandy, dirty feet on the coffee table, laugh late into the night with friends, and also hear God’s voice clearer than perhaps anywhere else. Life just feels more vibrant and real, as if you’ve stumbled upon a glimpse of heaven and it’s nothing like you ever imagined but everything you’d always hoped.”
The site is live today, and I hope you’ll go check it out. And instead of describing the site all over again, I’m going to tell you about the other women working on the project. Because, seriously, they have done a better job explaining (in)courage than I could do right now. Check them out. And check out (in)courage. Do it.
- Sara Mae at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee
- Nester at Nesting Place
- Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy
- Kristen at We Are That Family
- Jennifer at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
- Jessica at The Mom Creative
- Angela at Becoming Me
- Melissa at The Inspired Room
- Jennifer at Studio JRU
- Andrea at Under Grace & Over Coffee
- Angie at Bring the Rain
- Anne at Flowerdust
- Ann at A Holy Experience
- Amber at The Run-a-Muck
- Emily at Chatting at the Sky
- Ginny at The Thoughts I Think
- Heather at Heather Gemmen Wilson
- Robin at Pensieve
- Sarah at The Best Days of My Life
- Lisa at It’s the Little Things
- Tsh at Simple Mom
- Annie at Annie Blogs
But wait! Before you start clicking around, tell us: How do you define home?
I'm so glad SOMEbody married their high school boyfriend. And REAL glad that it wasn't me.
I love your home definition. That's a toughy. I think home is anywhere my familiy is. We have made home in a hotel, at friends' homes and sometimes traveling on the side of the road. Most of the time it's here covered up in dishes and laundry. And I'm giving up on it all coming together and enjoying the mess.
Lovin' the tag line and lovin' you!
Hi, I'm a lurker on your site and I enjoy it very much. I was interested to read about (in)courage and especially the description. I want to hear God's voice clearer!
Home is my safety net, now more than ever. I am 6 months into a home dialysis journey, working towards a transplant, homeschooling my boys and creating a home full of love that they will remember more than interruptions and doctor's appointments!
I agree, home definitely has something to do with a soul at rest – whether it's with a group of friends or family, in a familiar and comfortable place, in the pages of a well-loved book or immersed in favorite scriptures – home is the place where at that moment you feel absolutely like you belong.
BEYOND excited about this!!!!
And home is safety, snuggles, peace, comfy hoodies & pj bottoms, sweet coffee, home made ice cream and acceptance – even with bed hair and yesterday's makeup!
Hello sweet Mary! Home is where we can all be real and who God made us to be. It's where we're bolstered to be courageous (at least in our home) and to make a difference in this world!
Have a beautiful day!
Mary, you don't love me? I'm not on your (in)courage list. :(
Oh my gosh, Annie!!! I just copied this from someone else's list – I am so sorry!!!! YES, I LOVE ANNIE!!
After our recent move, I'm learning home is defined as lots of things — comfy worn in sheets that smell like your childhood home, coffee from your favorite mug with the chip on the side, baby snuggles in the morning even when you have bad breath, the sunlight that hits a certain window just right, the sound of giggling kids in the backyard, that peaceful feeling that your right where you're supposed to be right in that moment.
I love your site….just adding it to my sidebar……Home is safe, home is fun, home is heaven.
(in)courage is a beautiful website! Very easy on the soul :-D
Home is where my husband is…plain and simple. I don't feel quite right unless he is nearby (not to say I'm dependent on him or anything…just where he is, I am comfortable–doesn't matter the state or the city or the house)
I would say that home is where God is since I don't feel comfortable unless I'm in fellowship with Him either…but God is everywhere so that would make home everywhere and that doesn't quite work… :-D
I am a military chaplain's wife and often friends have asked if I missed being home when we moved around the globe. "That was easy," I smiled. "Home was wherever my husband was." He included me in his 'business.' And I went just about everywhere he was stationed. We lived in many houses but they all became home whenever we were there together. There is a old slogan in military circles that says "Home is where the Army sends you." Well, actually, I know my "home is where Don is!" :o)