Rhythms, Routines, and Rituals | The Framework of a Lifegiving Home

Welcome to the Lifegiving Home Challenge January Edition! This year a group of us will be going through the book The Lifegiving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson. Each month has a section of the book dedicated to it and focuses on different aspects of homemaking. If you want to build a better home for yourself and your family then this is for you.

Being a homemaker is a complicated task. I’d have to ask, what is home to you? For me, it is a place of safety, comfort, and that one constant we can always depend on. In the 15 years of this calling, I have struggled with not always knowing exactly how to make my vision of home come to life in a tangible way. If you’re struggling to figure out how to build a home, especially in these trying times, this book and challenge are definitely for you.

I’m a little late to the party since I’m posting about the Lifegiving Home Challenge towards the end of January, but I hope I am still making a contribution to the part of the month that’s left.

Homemaking is a calling and a responsibility

When we were children we would often play “house”. Do you remember that? The common denominators were usually there was a mom and a dad and at least one baby. Someone had to do the laundry and the dishes and someone had to go to work. The roles are always different, but that’s not entirely important.

I chose to become a homemaker, but even in choosing it many times we don’t think too in-depth about the sheer weight of the role. And how we are responsible for our actions and words which influence the entire household in the way we steer the ship. It’s in our attitudes, our hearts, and how we live our convictions out in the daily grind.

So, what are we to do? And how do we define home, even more, when the world around us seems so unfamiliar and chaotic?

Where do we focus on building our home first?

January’s focus is all about establishing rhythms, routines, and rituals, creating a framework for home.

Sally talks about how they start the year off with a celebration. It’s so important to celebrate and weave that into your lives as a dependable aspect.

January is a new beginning with all sorts of new possibilities and promises we can rely on. How will we mark this and all the other occasions? Find reasons to celebrate and make it a habit.

It’s important to remember that though we focus on building our home it doesn’t mean that everyone always cooperates or follows our plans perfectly. “Sometimes, in fact, I used to wonder if the work of home building and investing in my children’s lives made any difference whatsoever.”

How do we get a clear vision for what home should be?

She talks about taking her day once a year to plan the entire year out. And some of the questions she asks herself each year are:

1. What daily rhythms will help me accomplish what needs to be done and enhance our relationships?
2. What chores need to be done each day? Who will do them, and how will I make sure they are done?
3. Am I doing something now that doesn’t need to be done?
4. What daily and weekly rituals will bring pleasure and mark important areas in which I can invest my moments?

While planning she mentions trying to identify ways she has missed her goals in the previous year and ways she wants to strengthen her commitments in major areas of life physical, emotional, and spiritual.

The best way to gain a clear perspective is to take the time to sit down and consider. Choose what are the most important things and try to imagine how you can grow them each day, week, month. A few things she talks about creating rhythms, rituals, and routines are:

• Planning for fun
• Establishing A Devotional Routine
• Mealtime Routines
• Household Routines
• The Reading Hour Routine
• Routines for Closing the Day

This challenge is exactly what I’ve been looking for as well as needed. Do you find you are more likely to follow a challenge if you’ve got friends joining you? I know I do. So, I’d like to invite you to join our Facebook Group 2022 Lifegiving Home Challenge. There are other bloggers who have joined with me to bring you monthly content as well as conversation and support.

If you’re in need of the book you can purchase it below with this link *The Lifegiving Home by Sally & Sarah Clarkson

Having a Home that tells a great story happens over time as we mature, refine, create, and love.

Sally Clarkson, The Lifegiving Home

For this month I have created a free Calendar to help you keep focused on the challenges each month. It has the chapter name as well as the quote they chose for each chapter. I hope it helps you create rhythms, routines, and rituals in your own home and makes planning your year a little bit more fun!

If you appreciate this content then you may also enjoy How to Downsize When You’re Overwhelmed.

These printables are available as a free download in the Wonderland Subscriber Library. By simply entering your email address and subscribing you get full access. Please remember these are for personal use only.