Hospitality & The Power of Invitation | Jen Schmidt | Dear Daughters 49
Jesus is the author of invitation. ~ Jen Schmidt
Jen Schmidt has spent the last decade encouraging, challenging and cheering on women to embrace both the beauty and bedlam of their everyday lives on her popular lifestyle blog, Beauty and Bedlam. She’s a wife, mother, and ‘accidental author’, as well as a fellow table person and thrifter.
Today we talk about how to get past some of the barriers that keep us from opening our homes, how to take hospitality on the go, and what you actually need to live a hospitable life. Can’t wait for you to meet her!
Here’s the interview on Dear Daughters Podcast Episode 49.
SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES
SHOW NOTES
- The sweetest video of my son’s wedding and his pledge for their marriage ~ Dear Daughters: The Goal of Marriage
- Jen’s forthcoming book, Just Open the Door: How One Invitation can Change a Generation (and Bible study coming in April).
- Banana Nut Muffins with Chocolate Chips, for your “getting over the awkward and inviting someone over” coffee date… and break room brownies for pursuing relationships with your co-workers.
- One of my very favorite antiquing spots ~ Round Top & Warrenton
- Jen’s conference (or “her blog in person”) here: The Become Conference: Creative, Frugal, Purposeful
- Sign up for my weekly-ish newsletter here.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION HERE.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
We’ve allowed social entertaining to hijack the heart of biblical hospitality. ~ Jen Schmidt
It starts with one person, that power of one invitation, life on life, just saying ‘let’s link arms, let’s do life together.’ When I think back on the most intentional relationships in my life, they have been with women who have done that with me. ~ Jen Schmidt
I’ve noticed in my efforts to invite people in, people want to find home and experience family, not just eat great food. When you offer someone a place around your table, you offer them that kind-of place. And it’s in that context, that God shows up. ~ Susie Davis
Being hospitable is being willing and available to use what you’ve got for the sake of the people around you.
When people are invited into your home, they’re coming in with a gracious and grateful heart. ~ Susie Davis
The more social media becomes a part of our life, the more lonely we get. We’ve substituted these online relationships, when there’s nothing more precious than doing life together in person. ~ Jen Schmidt
I’m so thankful that Jesus never stopped initiating. If you’re wanting to be an image-bearer and be more like Christ, you need to continue pursuing. ~ Jen Schmidt
When I wanted my table to look more like Jesus’ table, God changed it up and it became a picnic blanket on the sidelines of the football field! ~ Jen Schmidt
To live hospitably in a professional setting: Invite the people nearest you to lunch or bring brownies to work.
There’s hospitality in not having your phone on the table and making a commitment that, while I am with this person, I’m not going to look at my phone. I’m going to give that person my undivided attention the whole time I’m with them. ~ Susie Davis
God is able to tell you directly what He wants you to do. All He wants is an available heart. And then He’ll give you the eyes to see the people around you who want a home and a family, and the best news is because of the gift God is in our lives, we’re in a place to do that in a very small way, and to reveal a bit of Christ in us in that way. ~ Susie Davis
God wouldn’t give us this command to pursue hospitality if He didn’t equip us and give us everything that we needed to actually be able to do that. ~ Jen Schmidt
We can come just as we are with whatever He’s given us — with our unique personalities and passions and heartbeats and calling, and we can be faithful to the command to pursue hospitality by just initiating a small gesture of kindness and a small rhythm of welcome. We don’t have to change our lives before we start. ~ Jen Schmidt
… grateful, grateful for Davis sharing their music for the DD Podcast. :)