Entertaining Angels: Red Letter Words, The Hip Hostess, The Reluctant Entertainer GIVEAWAY!
I’m SO excited for this giveaway today! It’s amazing, and it’s all about hospitality, and my friends Dee and Debbie are joining me.
We live in a culture where most of us don’t have strangers coming to our door asking for food. During the Depression, however, my grandparents did have this happen. I remember my Grandma sharing stories with me of how she’d feed them, give them coffee, share God with them, and send them on their way. I will never forget how later in life when I’d read this verse (Heb. 13:2), I’d think of Grandma, but it would also get me thinking not only about my life, but our culture today.
Years ago when I started blogging about entertaining and hospitality, I asked readers what kind of people they entertained the most in their homes.
The popular answers were:
1. FAMILY
2. PEOPLE FROM CHURCH
It actually made me sad that we don’t reach out more to neighbors, people of different faiths, backgrounds, and cultures.
Why do we stuff hospitality into a box, making it so pretty, perfectly safe, and always predictable? (Many of us rarely even open up our homes!)
So today Dee from Red Letter Words and Debbie from The Hip Hostess and I are giving away 3 items to ONE LUCKY WINNER.
We want to challenge you to think about hospitality with FRESH EYES.
We want to encourage you to do something different, radical, and courageous when it comes to opening your home for a meal.
It’s up to you to decide what it will be.
The cool GIVEAWAY:
Red Letter Words
Hebrews 13:2 Entertaining Angels gallery wrapped canvas
12×12
Here’s how Dee’s work is mounted. Down-right classy!
(Read the “Design Story” behind “Entertaining Angels,” HERE. A must-read!)
The Hip Hostess
4 BRAND NEW spring prints (below) – the winner gets to CHOOSE ONE!
This is fun! Do you know any of these bloggers wearing HH Aprons?
BTW, the NEW Annual “Hurry Spring” Sale starts today!
Use this Promo Code: SPRING25 for 25% OFF thru Mar 31
The Reluctant Entertainer
ONE signed copy (Yes, I’m wearing a Hip Hostess apron in my book! The Nester took this picture, but I know she won’t mind me using it here.)
COMMENT TO WIN all 3 amazing gifts that will help you with hospitality!
How do you feel about hospitality and does Hebrews 13:2 challenge you?
Do you always have the same people over for dinner or have you branched out?
– Facebook this post or TWEET about it @SandyCoughlinRE and @TheHipHostess and @RedLetterArt and get extra entries.
– Did you know Reluctant Entertainer has its own Facebook page?
– If you’ve never been a follower of RE, sign up today. This means my updates will come straight to your email!
– Let me know for extra chances to win. Contest ends Thurs. night midnight 3/17. Winner announced on FRI. 3/18! (USA, only!)
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
We never entertain. I have a two year old and just worry too much about the jelly stained couch and the time of trying to get a meal together. Your website has helped me to hopefully change.
I love to entertain, but I live way out in the country. This means I have to actually host something for people to come over. I definately don’t get drop ins!
I too love this verse! It is interesting that it is so hard for us to open our doors to others. When my husband and I moved to a new area (no family around either) we I found it extremely hard to meet new people to actually hang out with. It seemed no one was willing to let strangers into their “circle”. 5 years later we have lots of friends and love having people over for dinner or appetizers and drinks ~ people from church, friends and neighbors. I love the challenge to have an open door ~ you never know when someone might need not only a cup of coffee, but a willing ear.
I admit I’ve been lazy about inviting new people to visit. Entertaining the usual family and friends is so easy. Thanks for the reminder that I must seek to widen the circle.
Darla
I totally feel like this would challenge me. My husband and I are both hombodies. We love being well, home! But we rarely have people in. That needs to change. I love to entertain, so the Red Letter Words print would certainly challenge me!
What a wonderful reminder, I needed this in-site today…. I often become so comfortable within our circle of friends that I miss an opportunity to develop new friendships. Would I even notice a stranger the Lord brought across my path? I hope I would. Thank You for this reminder to be watchful.
No no….not USA only! :((
I already follow RE. :)
I just ‘liked’ Reluctant Entertainer on Facebook.
On my 16th birthday, I was horrified to see the entire youth group from church pulling up in front of my house. My mother, always an amazing hostess, planned a surprise party for me. I ran to the bathroom and locked the door! I did come out and join the group…eventually. Hospitality has always been my mom’s gift – – I just assumed it wasn’t mine. But after moving to Alaska many years ago, I found there are always people with no where to go and no one to share a meal with, plus I was lonely. Hebrews 13:2 became an adventure for me as we collected people we met thru our children, church, work, volunteer organizations…and enjoyed getting to know them around our kitchen table. Kids are grown and gone and I’ve fallen off the wagon in recent years, but I stumbled upon your blog and book last month, Sandy. I’m excited to open up the door and invite people in again. My home is going thru some renovation, but according to your book I don’t need to worry about that! Thanks for the inspiration.
it challenges me to see God in everyone, not just the people i invite into my home. it causes me to look for jesus in every face i pass by, the homeless, those ordering coffee before me… it causes my hospitality to be quite intentional. :)
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I subscribe to RE via email.
I just liked RE on FB.
Hebrews 13:2 does speak deeply to me. I use to be better at hospitality and entertaining, and that bothers me. I want to be better at it now. I just had a discussion with a neighbor last weekend about being or not being invited into other neighbors homes. It made me very sad to see the way that so many have accepted as acceptable when it comes to hospitality. Last summer we had a wonderful evening over dinner with a friend from our church and her mother that was in town from Africa. Our church supports her orphanage and we had the best evening. Why do I not do this more often????
The truth is that I used to welcome people to our home often. Feeding them and sharing the gift of hospitality with them was a true delight.
We moved from old friends and shortly after, our house burned to the ground. I lost myself with everything else. It’s funny how our happy memories are tied up with “the bowl that belonged to my great-grandmother, her favorite for making oatmeal cookies” or “the pizza pans we used every week making create-your-own-home-made-pizzas” with our daughters friends. My daughters were away from home and everything was too new with no stories attached.
Bit by bit I’ve started to forge new paths of memories. I’m beginning to blossom again and share hospitality in small ways. It’s been a journey, a process of coming out of the ashes. Literally and figuratively. It’s a good thing.
I would love to win the gifts. That said, you gift me with every encouraging story of hospitality and joy. Thank you so very much.
I thank you so much for this wonderful reminder that we not only need to invite our family and church friends….but reach out to others. Thank you! You are an amazing inspiration to me.
Becky B.
http://www.organizingmadefun.blogspot.com
Organizing Made Fun
I love this verse! Years ago, I had a bit of an angel experience. The whole opportunity was one of those things God orchestrated to perfection. I learned a lot that day about being obedient to that still small voice.
I’ve also learned through the years that hospitality can happen wherever you are, not just in your home.
Nancy
I Like you on face book
This is a fantastic verse, and one my family doesn’t follow often enough, sadly. We love to entertain, but I often find that our current schedule doesn’t allow for nearly enough time to entertain others. We try to sneak it in once every two or three months right now, and being aspiring church planters, we’re praying that God allows us more opportunities to open our home to others more during our next adventure (which, we believe, is coming this summer). It doesn’t take much. You’re guests will likely forget the state of your furniture, how clean your house is, or whether that pie was homemade or store bought… What they’ll remember is the way you made them feel when you’re attention was focused purely on them.
Oh I love this giveaway!!!
We have entertained a variety of people from all areas of our lives just not the “box” Mainly because Hubby serves on a lot of “boards” and Meetings are easer to set up over dinner sometimes.
It is a bit out of my comfort zone when I do not know the people but it gets easier the more we do it
Yes, entertaining is a bit of a challenge for me. I want to do it, but it’s easy to find excuses not to do it. I’d love to do better!
How on earth can I get that sign…
Just “Liked” your Facebook page, too!
Tweeted this giveaway too!