14/07/2025
In the book, Aloha from Hell by Richard Kadrey, there’s a snippet that reads, “when you’re born into a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire. But it’s not.” And that really hit me! Our household vibe, the tone of our home, sets the standard of our thought baseline. Think about it; if we grow up with parents that yell a lot, we might not think twice about raising our voice at others. But if we've grown up in a home where loud voices were just for singing and shouts of joyful surprise, someone yelling at us might be a painful experience. We all have a different baseline. Let's think on what the vibe of our home was like growing up, and what we are doing now to set the tone of our home. Being a Catholic mother I have been given such a gift; I've got this not-so-secret weapon of a thing to help me; the Bible! It tells me to lavish love upon others, to be patient, to be kind, to forgive more than I ever thought imaginable. The Bible sets a standard of conduct for my home too; we aren't to steal, to be jealous of others, or take life, amongst other things. A deeper dive into Scripture and we can see that as a wife I am my husband's helper, I am the encourager of my children, I am a woman who needs to make time for my friends and family and support those around me. There's so much more... the Bible really can be the playbook on how to live and love in this life. And gosh I wish everyone could read it. It's such a privilege to read the Word of God. So, what are we doing to set a culture of love in our homes? Are we praising kindness over results? Are we practising forgiveness and offering words of encouragement? How are we setting the tone of our home? What are we flagging as important to those around us? Are we saying positive lovely things to each other in the morning and loving gentle things to each other at night? It’s the little moments that develop culture. Think about your home and make changes if required. The Bible can help direct you if you need. Check out the Beatitudes, the fruits of the Spirit and the Commandments for a baseline. You can set the tone of your home. Amen! - L