Because Making A Difference Sometimes Means Throwing A Party

In our old house, H and I hosted a Holiday Cookie Party each year for our neighborhood. When we moved, we passed that torch to one of the families in our old neighborhood and thought we'd be able to close the door on that chapter of our lives. Besides, who wants to come to a cookie party being held in an 1100 square foot house?

But I've got this feeling it's not quite time to hang up our Holiday Cookie Party aprons. The idea keeps rising to the surface and I keep saying, "But where in the world....?" And the idea won't go away. So I'm reading back through some of my 31 Days To Smaller Living posts - especially the ones about not letting a smaller space keep me from practicing hospitality.


Our address isn't just a number on our doorpost or the information we report when we file our taxes. It's the exact spot in the whole entire world where God has placed us to make a difference. And sometimes that means throwing a party.

Crazy, huh? Maybe you chose your house or apartment or duplex because of the great school system, or the amenities, or its proximity to bike trails, or because it has an old oak tree in the back yard just perfect for a swing.

Or maybe God chose it for you. Maybe God knew the people who walk their dog across your front yard, or the man who works on his motorcycle in the middle of the night, or the woman who brings you your mail everyday would need someone in their life just like you. Maybe you're exactly where you are, at exactly this time in history, on purpose.

~~~

Honestly? The thought of hosting a neighborhood party in this little house was freaking me out just a bit. Then, I read my friend Mary Carver's new ebook, Plan A Fabulous Party {Without Losing Your Mind}. The woman is brilliant! And laugh-out-loud funny. The book is practical, it's got checklists (for those of you who like that sort of thing) and I read it in one day! The ebook goes on sale tomorrow, and you can read more about it here. Mary is generously donating proceeds from every sale of the book tomorrow directly to Operation Christmas Child!