# A Home Is Where HIS Heart Is *Faith—the Foundation of Henington House*

There is so much I love about this photograph: the white flowers, the trailing greenery, the graceful ironwork, and the view beyond our porch into the gardens.

But the heart of this picture is the cross.

Standing among the flowers, crowned and lifted above them, it expresses what Randall and I want at the center of our home and our lives: Christ.

We delight in making things lovely. We enjoy growing, gathering, decorating, baking, and celebrating. But our faith gives purpose to those pleasures and guides how we share them.

Faith is the foundation of Henington House.

This historic house is our home—the place where we live our everyday lives, love our family, make plans, face challenges, and count our blessings. When we welcome guests for a tea, a celebration, or a workshop, we are sharing a meaningful part of that life.

Our prayer is that people experience more than a beautiful setting. We hope they feel cared for. That a conversation encourages them. That laughter comes easily. That they leave reminded of the goodness still waiting to be enjoyed and shared in their own lives.

To us, hospitality is a way to put our faith into action.

It begins long before anyone arrives, with the thought and care that go into preparing for them. It continues when we pause to listen, learn a name, or notice someone who needs to be drawn into the conversation.

A beautifully set table can express care. So can a warm cup of coffee and a few unhurried minutes together.

God has given each of us something we can share. Scripture reminds us to use our gifts to serve others—1 Peter 4:10. I find such encouragement in that, because it gives everyday interests a wonderful purpose.

If you love to garden, share a cutting or a handful of blooms. If you enjoy baking, take something homemade to a friend. If you have a gift for encouraging people, speak the kind words you are thinking.

What comes naturally to you may be exactly what someone else needs.

Share what you have, offer it with love, and let Him give it purpose.

The crown draws my attention, too. It reminds me that Christ deserves His place at the center of our decisions as surely as He holds the center of this arrangement.

That includes the ordinary, less photogenic parts of home life.

Faith shapes how we speak to each other when we are tired. How we respond when plans change. How we handle worry. How we ask forgiveness and offer it. How we choose gratitude when there is still plenty left on the to-do list.

There are unfinished projects and dishes in the sink at Henington House, too! We need His grace here every day.

A home founded on faith grows through those small, daily choices. We pray, we learn, and we begin again. We ask God to help us care well for the people and blessings He has entrusted to us.

And you can do the same in your own home.

You can ask Him to guide your words, your welcome, and the way you spend your days. You can create moments of beauty with what you already have. You can make room for fellowship and share the gifts He has placed within you.

A simple prayer is a wonderful beginning:

Lord, let Your love be felt in this home. Guide the way we live here. Help us care for one another and use what You have given us to bless others.

That is our desire for Henington House & Gardens.

Through every season, every gathering, and every ordinary day, may our faith guide what we do here. May the beauty we create point toward the Creator. May the welcome we offer reflect the love we have received.

And just as it does in this photograph, may the cross remain at the center of it all.

A home is where HIS heart is.

Photo credit: Nan Knight Creative

Catherine Strange

Henington House & Gardens

Historic Downtown Hattiesburg, Mississippi