What did God speak to you through last weeks questions? Were you able to create a safe place?

One of the things many people are longing for is a place of belonging, a family. When you provide hospitality in your home you invite your neighbors into family. I remember a thanksgiving meal at our house where we went around the table and had everyone share what they were thankful for and the answer was pretty much the same for everyone that came; the feeling of family around this table. When you open up your home and invite neighbors in it is different than if you go out to a restaurant, You invite people into your home and your family.  So hosting a dinner can change the perspective someone has about family. Some people might have never had a loving family, but now experience being loved. Some people might have never received an invitation to a home, but now they are sitting at the table eating dinner together. In Psalms it talks about that God will put the lonely into families and we can all have a part in that by offering hospitality. But its not just a great thing for the neighbor that joins you, its also a blessing for you. Our lives are so enriched by neighbors being family to us too. Home doesn’t end at our fence anymore but it spills over into many other houses around us!

Invite this week a neighbor over for dinner and with that invite them into your life!!

Hey our friend

4^th of July week already went by quickly. We had a wonderful time at the barbecue with lots of grilled goodness. It might not be the healthiest for your body, but let me tell it for sure is for your joy!! We are so glad God made us in a way that we have to eat food daily!! During the last week we also had a big worship event in the city where many people prayed and worshipped together. It was a wonderful time!

Remember this week to invite a neighbor over for dinner!!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

How did you remind yourself last week of the goodness of God? It so important like I said in the video last week. Make this a daily theme in your life to remind yourself of Gods goodness!!

This week we want to write about how hospitality can create a safe place for people to be open. Many times in our today’s society we talk bad about other people if they are not around. Proverbs 11.13 says that a gossip betrays a confidence but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. When you host dinners or brunches or other events at your home, make sure to stir the conversation away from the gossip of others. It might be hard first and feel awkward, but it then creates a safe place. People see your heart and see that you don’t talk bad about others so if they want to share something with you, they can because you won’t slander them either. So you created a safe place for everyone to be open and real. And that is true for yourself as well. You now have the opportunity to share as well because you also feel safe.

Remember the story of Zacchaeus we talked about 2 weeks ago?  Jesus came to his house and he made dinner. But the crowds outside started to gossip about Jesus why he would spend time with someone like Zacchaeus. But Jesus went to spend dinner with him anyway. Because Jesus did that and didn’t let his heart be stirred by the gossip, Zacchaeus totally changed his heart and through that probably the lives of many people he returned money too. Imagine someone ripped you off and comes back to you asks for forgiveness and gives you back more than he took, that might make you wonder about the heart change of that person.  So safe places can really change the lives of not just you but many people in your surroundings!

1. Start this week to check yourself and see if you gossip about others and if you do ask God for forgiveness and change.
2. Stir conversations away from Gossip. Instead of going along with gossip say something positive about the person that’s talked about.

Hey our friend

How was your week? 4^th of July is soon on us and with that another neighbor barbecue in our apartment. We are so excited!! Last week was a good week too. We had meeting with a good friend about some details for the website. Its such a blessing to have friends that are specialists in their fields.  We also had a wonderful neighbor brunch. As always it was a great time to connect! Being friends with the people right around you is such a blessing and it gives all of us community we long for!!

Remember this week the 2 questions that we posted!!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Last week we talked about hindrances. Were you able to address some in your life and then to start overcome them. It’s a process and it takes time but it’s worthied!!

This week and the next few weeks we want to talk about hospitality and the importance of it. So when we moved to our apartment one thing that was important for us was to get to know our neighbors. We started it off with a big birthday party to which about 40 people came. Our place was so full, but everyone had a great time and connected with each other. With that event we meet a lot of people which then after we invited over for dinner, because we really wanted to get to know them better. At the beginning we were worried that our place was too small or our food not fancy enough, but the reality was different. All people that came over felt blessed and were encouraged that we invited them. it didn’t matter that our place was small or our food was not like Michelin Star Grade, what mattered was that we had an open and inviting home. Out of all the hospitality we did over the years many wonderful friendships were formed by which we are really blessed.

I also get reminded of the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19.1-10) when Jesus asks him to come over to his house for dinner and how he instantly invited him in. There was no time for much preparation or doing big things. No, he just opened his home and was blessed. What about if Jesus wants to bless you through your neighbors and bless them through you just by opening your house for hospitality? Would it not be awesome to host a dinner and get a lifelong friendship out of it?

We want to challenge you to invite one of your neighbors over this week for dinner! You can do it!!!

Hey our friend

We hope you are doing really great!! Jen and I feel honored to know that you read our blog and hopefully it inspires and encourages you! Our week here in San Francisco was great. We hosted a game night at our house which was a blast. Often we don’t even get to play games and just end up socializing with each other. Our prayer is that every person that comes will feel the love of God through us and leave encouraged and hopeful. Often we see people leaving more hopeful.

Keep praying this week for your neighbors that they see hope and pray for your dinner that God will really encourage you and your neighbors through it!!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen