(sāngk'chōō-ěr'ē)

I believe every woman needs a place in her home where she can go to unwind, find peace, and relax. I call it "the sanctuary." My theory about the sanctuary is that as long as a woman has that place and it is kept, well, almost sacred, meaning clean, uninterrupted, etc., then her life will not be overwhelming. When times get tough she can retreat to the sanctuary in her home and regroup. Some women use their bedrooms as their sanctuary, some their bathroom, some even use their kitchen, which I could never do. My sanctuary is my home office.



Here are my ground rules for the sanctuary:

1) MUST be cleaned first - I don't care what you have to get done today, you clean, vacuum and de-clutter your sanctuary first thing in the morning. If the sanctuary isn't clean and you have a melt down, you don't have anywhere to go where you can get back to good and therefore the rest of your day is screwed.

2) Must be organized - A room is never truly a peaceful atmosphere until it is fully and one-hundred percent organized. If you don't know where to find things in your sanctuary, it isn't going to be able to serve its purpose.

3) Keep it simple - Simplicity helps soothe the senses and is a balm for the wounded heart. Keep your sanctuary simple in tone, decor, and use.

4) Use it often - A sanctuary is truly sacred when it is loved. It should be used often to do the activities you love to do. The more time you spend in your sanctuary, the better your life will be for it. When you are familiar with the space and love every detail of it, it truly becomes a place to retreat to when the storms of life are making you miserable.

5) Share it - Invite others into your sanctuary. It's okay if a child makes a mess there, you're going to clean it up tomorrow. When you share the space with others, they too will sense the peace and harmony a true sanctuary can bring to a soul.

I LOVE my office. I spend quite a bit of time there. DA and Jake love it too. It isn't the center of our home, but it is a well-loved and well-used room.