The Heart of Hospitality with MomCo
A message to young moms in the trenches
Recently, I had the joy of speaking to a room full of young moms — the beautiful, in-the-trenches kind. The kind who are packing lunches, wiping noses, running on little sleep, and wondering if they are doing enough.
It was extra special because I was speaking to the Atlanta chapter of MomCo at our daughter’s church where she’s attended MomCo for the past 3 years. AND she was able to share a devotional beforehand and introduce me. It was truly such a wonderful morning for us!!
I wanted to share with you some of the message of hospitality I shared with them; I hope you enjoy!
But first, here are a few fun pictures from the day, and a link to my Instagram reel with some additional pictures and even a video from the words I shared.
Before I began, I told them a little secret…
Even though I’ve spoken before, it still makes me a little uncomfortable. But I care so much about young moms and this message that I imagine we’re just sitting at my kitchen table together with a cup of coffee.
So let’s pretend we are doing that now.
Because if you are in this season of motherhood, I want you to hear this clearly:
Hospitality isn’t about perfection. It’s about making people feel cared for.
And that includes the people living under your own roof.
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You Are in a Beautiful and Busy Season
Most young moms wonder if they even have time to show hospitality. You are focused on your family — and rightly so. This season is sacred.
You don’t have to go far to live out hospitality. Your home can become your ministry.
How you treat your husband.
How you speak to your children.
How you greet people who enter your home.
These things ripple outward more than you know.
God will meet you right where you are — even in the carpool line or in the bathroom while little fingers are sliding notes under the door.
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. It will never happen.
You may have heard the phrase, “Perfect is the enemy of good.”
Start small. Do what you can.
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Make Your Home the Headquarters of Kindness
You can decide — today — that your home will be your Headquarters of Kindness.
But here’s the important part: Show hospitality to your family first.
Your children are always watching, so include them.
Ask them how they might show kindness. When our children were little, they colored pictures for people we met. Sometimes they reminded me to offer cold water to the men working in our yard.
Small things. Big impact.
You can make ordinary days feel special with almost no effort at all:
• Use a little food dye for Pink milk on Valentine’s Day
• Green milk on St. Patrick’s Day
• A toothbrush on top of a cake for a first lost tooth
• A back rub to gently wake a child
Anything can become a celebration.
Decide to be a fun mom!!
It doesn’t take a lot of money — just intention.
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Kindness Toward Your Husband Matters Deeply
When Scott and I were newlyweds, our pastor’s wife told me:
“How you greet your husband at the end of the day sets the tone for your evening.”
Forty-five years later, I still think about that when I hear the garage door open.
Simple habits matter:
• Walk them out when they leave.
• Say please and thank you.
• Apologize quickly.
• Celebrate small things.
Scott and I celebrate our monthly anniversary. It may sound silly, but we just never stopped after our first year. It’s fun. It keeps things tender. We just celebrated our 548 month anniversary 😉
Hospitality begins with honor inside the home.
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Sometimes Hospitality Means Being Brave
The MomCo theme this year is “Make It Awkward.” I love that!
Sometimes kindness requires courage.
Once, I met a woman in the elevator at my chiropractor’s office. She had just moved to town. I happened to have a Christmas cookie exchange invitation in my purse. From the second floor to the first floor, I invited her.
She came! :)
If I hadn’t been brave for thirty seconds, that friendship may never have begun.
The Bible says:
“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
— Proverbs 11:25
When you refresh others, something happens in your own heart.
Your world becomes richer.
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The Power of a Handwritten Note
One of the simplest and most meaningful acts of hospitality is a handwritten note.
“A handwritten note says: I see you. You matter. You are not alone.”
Keep a few cards with stamps in your purse. Write a card while waiting at an appointment. Slip a note into your child’s lunchbox. Leave one in your husband’s car.
You are your family’s historian.
Write in the margins of your cookbooks. Date things in your Bible. Jot notes in a journal. Trace your child’s handprint in a book.
Use the Notes app in your phone to jot down milestones or funny things your kids say, don’t make it harder than it needs to be!
Years from now, those small scribbles will mean more than you can imagine.
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Hospitality Doesn’t Have to Be Elaborate
Let me say this again:
Hospitality doesn’t have to be elaborate to be meaningful.
The smallest invitation can open the door to the biggest connection.
A smile at the same grocery clerk each week.
Using someone’s name.
Dropping off Campbell’s soup and Sprite when a family is sick.
Offering a bottle of water to workers or your Amazon/UPS delivery driver on a hot day.
Kindness is contagious. So find ways to spread it as often as you can.
Have you ever thought of having your child’s teacher over for dinner? We enjoyed doing this when our kids were little. Our son even got to practice his manners, by pulling out his teacher’s chair and greeting her at the door. Between dinner and dessert, his teacher got to read him a book and it was so special for us to get to know his teacher better and for her to get to know our family.
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Three Simple Things to Try This Month
If you feel overwhelmed, don’t be.
Just pick one thing that feels right.
Send a note or text of encouragement to your husband or sister.
Love your child in the way they receive it best.
Share a kind word or compliment with a teacher or neighbor — or invite someone new to dinner.
You don’t need to do all of these ideas.
Just start with one.
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A Dream That Took 25 Years
When I was a young mom, I loved reading books about marriage, parenting, and hospitality. I wanted to be the best wife to Scott and the best mother to our children.
For over 25 years, I carried that dream of writing a book.
There were seasons when it wasn’t time. My calling was clear — to be a godly wife and mother. But eventually, God gently made room for more.
If God has placed a dream in your heart, be patient. His timing is perfect.
And I am so glad I waited.
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Final Encouragement
If you are a young mom reading this:
You are doing holy work.
Your home matters.
Your kindness matters.
You do not need a perfect house, a large budget, or a formal dining room to practice hospitality.
You simply need a willing heart.
Start small.
Be brave.
Make your home a Headquarters of Kindness.
And remember — when you refresh others, you will be refreshed too.
And THANK YOU to the wonderful MomCo moms who I got to meet in Atlanta, if something I shared resonated with you or encourages you to spread kindness, I would be honored to hear from you! You can reach out to me here.