Emily Belle Freeman - The Christ-Centered Home: Inviting Jesus In

2016 Emily Belle Freeman.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Deseret Book Company (permissions@deseretbook.com), P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City Utah 84130. This work is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church or of Deseret Book. Deseret Book is a registered trademark of Deseret Book Company.

Art direction by Richard Erickson
Design by Sheryl Dickert Smith and Barry Hansen
Book design 2016 Ensign Peak

Cover image Annotee/Shutterstock.com
Border around interior door photos jadimages/Shutterstock.com
Interior door photos: page x Iryna_Kolesova/Shutterstock.com; page 8 villorejo/Shutterstock.com; page 18 HUANG Zheng/Shutterstock.com; page 34 Eugene Sergeev/Shutterstock.com; page 46 LacoKozyna/Shutterstock.com; page 60 maurizio/Shutterstock.com; page 74 Francesco Maltinti/Shutterstock.com; page 90 Byjeng/Shutterstock.com; page 102 Veronika Galkina/Shutterstock.com; page 114 Nuttawut Uttamaharad/Shutterstock.com; page 128 Romas_Photo/Shutterstock.com; page 140 Laborant/Shutterstock.com; page 152 mikhail/Shutterstock.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Freeman, Emily, 1969 author.
Title: The Christ-centered home : inviting Jesus in / Emily Belle Freeman.
Description: Salt Lake City, Utah : Ensign Peak, [2016] | ?2016 | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015037587 | ISBN 9781629721552 (paperbound)
Subjects: LCSH: Christian life.
Classification: LCC BV4501.3 .F73928 2016 | DDC 248.4dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015037587
Printed in the United States of America
Edwards Brothers Malloy, Ann Arbor, MI
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For

Caleb and Maria,

Josh and Janaye,

J.J. and Meg,

and Garett and Natalie,

... four weddings in less than one year...

this is my wish for you.

In every house,
they ceased not
to teach and preach
Jesus Christ.

Acts 5:42

What readers are saying about The Christ-Centered Home

This book is a game-changer. Anyone with the desire to make Christ the center of his or her life and home should start with this book. Youll find stories and ideas that are simple to follow and very applicable to everyday life. (Chauntelle B.)

Emilys words always speak to my soul, and Creating a Christ-Centered Home was no different. Emily has a way of understanding scriptures and conveying personal stories that allows the Spirit to open your heart and mind. I am ready for my family to take this journey so Christ can be the center of our home. (Amy C.)

Reading this book has given me motivation to change things in my home that would make the Savior feel more welcome if He were a guest. The questions posed throughout the book allowed me to measure where I am in my journey to have a more Christ-centered home and what changes need to be made. I look forward to reading this book over and over throughout the years! (Hailey W.)

I am so excited to implement the monthly ideas in my home each month. Emily Freemans ideas on creating a Christ-centered home can help my family and yours. (Laura R.)

Emily Freeman has selected several favorite stories of Jesus and organized them into a framework that will enable readers to readily place Him at the center of their homes. I look forward to returning to Emilys insights over the coming months to strengthen my relationships both with Jesus and with the members of my family. (Alison W.)

This book had me hooked from the introduction. As I read it, the warmth and light I felt was so palpable. I came away with a renewed desire that our home would always be a place where the Savior would be comfortable and that those who come and go would feel His love for them. (Connie G.)

Creating a Christ-Centered Home provides the perfect blueprint for achieving this vital goal. Whether your family consists of several members or you are single, the ideas and suggestions in this book will change your home! (Beth M.)

This book has the power to change lives. I look forward to applying the principles knowing that the atmosphere of our home will change and our hearts will be filled with Christ-like love. (Brittany A.)

In Creating a Christ-Centered Home, Emily Freeman helps us apply what we are learning about Christ by inviting us to take action. This book invites us to reach even more of our potential, live with intention, and create a fun learning environment along the way. (Marisa S.)

A n I ntroduction

Every so often, the whole sky comes crashing down. That was the case recently for a dear friend of mine who unexpectedly found out that his two-year-old daughter, Hope, had cancer. Life has a peculiar way of marching forward after a shattering moment like that. The sun still rises, breakfast still has to be served, and diapers still need to be changed.

Somewhere in the middle of chemotherapy and hospital stays and IV tubes, my friend and his daughter had a conversation familiar to everyone who has raised a young child. It had been a long day, and my friend held Hope in his arms as he read her a bedtime story. In his silliest voice he asked, What does the owl say?

Hope replied, Whoo, whoo! She giggled sweetly, and he couldnt help but notice how much hair she had lost in the past few days. Patchy and brittle, her remaining strawberry blonde wisps were a painful reminder of the reality of their situation.

My friend turned the page and asked, What does the cow say?

Moo, moo! Hope responded proudly and grinned from ear to ear. The little wisps of hair that had fallen in her lap as they were reading didnt seem to bother her at all. My friend looked up to read the next line, and suddenly the conversation took an unexpected turn. At that moment, a picture of Jesus on Hopes bedroom wall caught his attention, and he asked an unplanned question.

Hopie, he stammered, trying not to give away his emotion, What does Jesus say? It was a question he had never asked her before.

As he waited with anticipation, Hope snuggled into his shoulder, opened wide her big blue eyes, and whispered, Hold you. Jesus say, Hold you. My friend burst into tears. He gently pulled his daughters little body into his and hugged her as he sobbed deep, heavy sobs. A few minutes later, he held her up to the light switch so she could turn off her bedroom lamp. After Hope said good night to the trees in the front yard and a blue glass star that hung in her window, he set her gently into her crib with her blanket that had been soaked through with his tears. As he walked quietly out of her room, he reflected on the lesson he had just been taught and the gentle reminder he had been given that Jesus was holding their family in His loving arms.

On that unforgettable night, a picture of Jesus that had been hung on the wall of Hopes room prepared the way for a profound lesson to be taught. In a place where everyday routine collided with heavens truth, sweet peace filled up heavy hearts. Christ became the center of the conversation, and in that still moment, an added measure of strength was found, hearts were lifted, and courage was renewed.