Awaken Delight: the art of making our home with God | with Christie Purifoy

To make a home is to practice the love and delight of God in tangible ways, to welcome others into the comfort we have received, and to see God’s presence in the beauty and mess of both everyday and exceptional moments. The spiritual discipline of hospitality can powerfully awaken our delight in God.

Stephanie Rousselle welcomes her friend Christie Purifoy, author of a stunning new book “A house to call home.” Christie has generously endorsed Stephanie’s new book, “Awaken Delight.” Together they unpack how making a home—whether grand or simple—is an overflow of God’s love and presence in us.

Listen here: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/412466/link/ 
Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice 

Ready to awaken your delight in God through "Awaken Delight" the book? Purchase it here: https://a.co/d/0625K1AZ 

True hospitality starts with receiving. The desire and ability to make others feel seen and cherished comes from first experiencing the love of God. Before hospitality can overflow onto others, we must learn to be at home with God, rooted in His delight in us. Christie says, “it starts with the home that we’re cultivating with God, in your own place, whatever that looks like for you. Start there and then let it be this fountain that flows.”

Hospitality is not about impressing people with perfection, but about making space for Christ to be present to ourselves and our guests. In that way, hosting is imitating Jesus, who makes His home in us and invites us to abide in Him. God’s beauty and comfort are received in tangible ways—through a cozy chair, a beautiful garden, or a shared meal for example.

Home is not made in isolation. Truly memorable gatherings are communal efforts. The most “heaven-on-earth” experiences in hospitality come not from doing everything alone, but by allowing others to contribute their unique gifts. Community is the body of Christ, where everyone offers and receives comfort, blessing, and meaning.

While it’s tempting to focus on making things look beautiful, genuine hospitality puts people, presence, and meaning above appearances. Christie says, “A pretty picture does not a home make...it’s got to be a place for life.” Prayer, listening, and time spent together matter more than an immaculate home. Hosting is about making the table a safe and restful space.

Hospitality thrives in daily routines. Baking pizza, sharing breakfast, or simply inviting someone to sit with us become sacred when it flows from a well-ordered life with God. As in the life of Jesus—who shared picnics and quiet moments—holiness is found in the ordinary when we are present to others.

Home is a place of comfort, even amidst hardship. Christie shares how a personal dream—a home library—became a deep source of God’s comfort during a family crisis. This illustrates the way God meets us in practical, physical spaces to remind us of His presence.

Just as parents rejoice when children enjoy their gifts, God delights in blessing us. Our ability to delight in homemaking, beauty, and hospitality is an earthly practice for the joy of heaven, mirroring God’s own hospitality.

Creating "home" is a spiritual practice deeply rooted in Christian hospitality, personal delight in God, and the beauty of ordinary life.

Some thoughts worth pondering

1. Hospitality Flows from the Home We Receive
2. Jesus as the Center of Hospitality
3. The Power of Community
4. Beauty and Meaning Over Perfection
5. Ordinary Moments as Sacred
6. Making Home in Suffering
7. God’s Delight in Us

Reflective Question:
How might you cultivate a deeper sense of “home” in your life with God—and let that overflow onto others?

MORE ABOUT “A HOUSE TO CALL HOME”

There’s a curious alchemy that transforms a house into a home over time. As we tend to our dwellings with love and intention, something unexpected happens: we discover that the homes we’ve been caring for now have the capacity to care for us.

Inspired by the life of the particular house she knows best, Christie Purifoy offers reflections and practical suggestions for anyone who longs to create a place for rest and healing, for wonder and welcome. Amid insights on the true meaning of comfort, you’ll find decor inspiration, thrifting tips, and homemaking traditions.

Your house can be a haven. It can grow into a sacred place. Care for it well, and year after year it will say, “Welcome home. Always.”

More at https://www.christiepurifoy.com/a-house-to-call-home/

MORE ABOUT CHRISTIE PURIFOY

Christie Purifoy is a writer, an avid gardener, and a grateful, self-proclaimed placemaker. Her books include A Home in Bloom, Garden Maker, and Seedtime and Harvest. Christie cultivates beauty for herself and for others at a Victorian farmhouse called Maplehurst in southeastern Pennsylvania.

More at https://www.christiepurifoy.com/