Hospitality

Hospitality happens when we are willing to give from what we have. Take a cozy home, a comfy couch, some tasty food, a friendly family, and you have all the ingredients for serving up hospitality. 1 Peter 4:9 tells us to offer hospitality without grumbling. The next time clutter keeps you from being hospitable- whether it's the clutter around your house or the  clutter in your life-try putting into practice what the Bible urges each of us to do...and I think you will be blessed!

Festive Napkins

Napkins can be paper or cloth and can  be a way to add color to your table.  If you have a white table cloth, try brightly colored napkins that match the colors of your centerpieces or dishes.  Obviously  paper napkins are less expensive than cloth napkins.  Dollar store bandanas can be used for napkins and add a festive touch to cookouts and Texas barbeques.

Napkin rings can be as simple as wired ribbon or raffia tied around gathered napkins or wooden drapery rings with a bow tied on the ring.  These can be personalized by using paint pens or markers and given to your guests as party favors.  You may wish to start a collection of napkin rings to be used for special occasions or holidays.

The festive napkins pictured here are a simple way of adding color to your table by bringing the outdoors in!

Drop-In Guests

A well stocked pantry will set you free to be ready for drop-in guests at anytime.  There are a few basic items that you can keep on hand.  You should have some beverages, special cookies, a quick dessert and ingredients to prepare an emergency dinner.

My children used to refer to my fancy Pepperidge Farm's cookies as "grown up cookies" that they knew not to touch.  I always had a package of something like this on hand so I was always ready to offer a surprise guest a cup of coffee or tea with a special treat.

For an emergency dinner, I keep a large sized frozen lasagna in my freezer as well as the ingredients to make spaghetti in my pantry.  Sometimes I freeze some browned ground beef or onions in a self-locking freezer bag in my freezer.  This can be used for the spaghetti or a lot of other quick dishes.  Frozen meatballs can be bought commercially and kept on hand for emergencies.

These simple steps will keep you prepared to entertain instantly!

Centerpieces

Quite often the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a centerpiece is a floral arrangement.  These can be costly or require a talent you may not have.  Check your yard to see what is available.  It may surprise you.  There's nothing wrong with dried arrangements during the winter or a couple of random daffodils in a bud vase.  Most grocery stores have some inexpensive flowers like mums or carnations.  If it's a special occasion, a cake may be all you need in the center of the table.  You could also fill a glass pedestal bowl with fresh fruit, some seasonal items, or something that goes with your theme.  Make sure your centerpiece is not too tall.  Guests should be able to see over it easily to make a conversation across the table.  Tie it into your them or the season of the year.

For fall, choose a small hallowed pumpkin or cut off the top of an artificial pumpkin and fill it with mums or dried flowers.  Sprinkle fall leaves on the table.  You could also fill a large Mason jar with candy corn and insert fall silk flowers in it.

Pumpkin Carving

Halloween is just around the corner and if you have children, I know you must be in the process of making plans.  Maybe you will dress your kids up and take them trick or treating, or perhaps you will take them to a fall festival at church.

Listen to this great story; a girl, recently having accepted Jesus into her life, was asked by a friend what it was like to "believe".  She replied, "It's like being a pumpkin: God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off you.  Then He cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff.  He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.  Then ... He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

This Halloween season, try this...

• Invite families to your home for a pumpkin carving party.
• Share this girl's story of what it is like to believe.
• Think of creative uses for pumpkin verses.  Print it on a card with pumpkin graphics from your computer or put a pumpkin sticker on the card with it.  This could be the beginnings of a stirring evangelistic talk and take home piece afterwards. 

What is in your fruit basket?

Right now apples are in abundance, and it is my favorite time of year to make Knobby Apple Cake.  This recipe is found in my book, Entertaining for Eternity with Heavenly Hospitality which can be found on my website, www.entertainingforeternity.com!  If you have already purchased the book, please note the correction for this recipe and be sure to add a teaspoon of baking soda.  It is a really easy and very yummy recipe, especially when it is served warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  I am getting hungry right now just writing about it!

Knobby Apple Cake
2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups apple chunks, peeled
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Cream together sugar and cooking oil.  Add in eggs.  Next add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and vanilla.  Finally, fold in apple chunks and nuts.  Pour into 9x13 pan and bake for 40-60 minutes.

Overnight Guests

There are many times you will have guests staying overnight in your home.  You may also be asked to keep guests overnight as a ministry to others in the faith.  The basics remain the same.  You don't have to recreate your favorite Bed and Breakfast; just think of the small touches that made you feel comfortable and welcome when away from your home.  Provide as many of these small touches as your time, space and budget will allow.

The question to ask is, "What would it be like to be a houseguest in my home?"  It's not a matter of having a room done by an interior decorator.  It's more a matter of being clean and comfortable.