About the Author

At (in)courage, we empower women to be like Jesus. Our writers share what’s going on in their life and how God’s right in the middle of it. They bring their joys & struggles so that you can feel less alone and be empowered by the hope Jesus gives.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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Comments

  1. Yes and amen!
    People just want to be seen and loved. They’re not looking for perfection in us or our homes. Thanks for this encouragement to fling the door open wide by faith.

      • Thank you so much for this today. I was always the odd one out at work. Everybody was ordering lunch from the menu, but I was never asked. Also at home, I am usually by myself on holidays. Friends are always with their families. You never know what one invite means to a person .

  2. Jen,
    So true….what if to every holiday dinner, we added just one more; to every invitation to study the Bible, we added just one more; to every back yard BBQ, we added just one more, to every party, coffee, birthday party, you name it, we added just one more? The “one more’s” add up. This post really challenges me to reach out beyond my comfort zone….in other words, don’t invite the usual people. Instead, take a leap of faith and invite those who challenge us a little and get us outside our homogeneous comfort zone. Thank you for a very poignant post and congrats, Jen, on the upcoming launch of your book!!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

  3. WOW! This is a really good reminder and lesson. It’s so true that we make excuses why we can’t, when in reality, it’s selfishness. Thank you for this!

  4. What a beautiful post! This made my day, and I cannot wait to begin adding one more no matter the occasion. <

    Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow! <

    Lara

  5. It is nice to be able to have people to dinner and neighbors with the bbq, looking forward to spring.

  6. Oh, this looks like a wonderful book! Can’t wait to read. I feel like this will be a perfect one to add to my summer-reading-on-the-porch agenda. 🙂 Congrats, Jen. 🙂

  7. Jenn,
    Thank-you for the wonderful post to start off a fresh new month, and for reminding us, that when we open our door, (“to make room for one more”), we are also opening our hearts.

    1 Peter 3.8.
    Be pitiful
    Be courteous

    Blessings to all,
    Penny
    Congratulations on your book, it looks amazing.

  8. Jen,

    You sound just like my pastor & his wife. Each holiday they invite those of us in the church who don’t have a plans. They also include a single friend they are trying to get to Jesus. When we all get there we bring food to share & loving hearts. I have been the “one more” on some occasions. We all want to be needed & wanted-especially at holidays. You can also invite foreign college students. They have no one & are definitely lonely at holidays. What a wealth of information you can learn from them. Let’s just open our doors & invite one more!

    Blessings 🙂

  9. I am so glad I read this post! Thank you for sharing, Jen! Hospitality does not have to be an extravagant meal, but it happens through just asking one person, just one, to come to the table. I love this! 🙂 Let’s start making space.

  10. I grew up in a family that had an open door policy. We usually had “extra” people at our table. We never knew how many would show up, but always welcomed whomever did. That has continued on in our current home. We have opened our doors and have even had “extra” people staying with us on a regular basis (some for a few weeks or months, some for as much as 5 years). They are all welcome and see them all as family. Has it been easy? No, not at all, but God has always faithfully provided what has been needed. It has been a blessing beyond belief.

  11. Beautiful story! Our church mission is, “As long as there is one more who needs the love of Christ, our mission is not complete”… And so I had invited to our church this Sunday, my best friend husband. She passed away this January and although our whole family had mixed feelings towards him, I knew if that was me, I would had wanted someone to love on me even if I am not deserving of it. He is not an Christian and she had never invited him to church for whatever fear she felt he will give her. I know that we are called to love and I pray that this Sunday, he will see a glimmer of God’s love for him. Thanks so much for sharing.

    • At 54 you would think by now I would not feel the hurt of people never including me. The seats next to me are always empty. I don’t smell. Is it my confidence or my appearance? Whether at church service or meeting including bible studies. Only when there are no seats left do they sit next to me. Making Christian Women’s Friendships are worse. So I decided the Holy Spirit sits next to me. But the isolation still hurts.