Best Books
In 2025, everyone is busy, especially parents. Working, raising children, and taking care of household tasks are never-ending. Though serving others is an important part of a faith-filled life, there’s often not enough time and energy to do everything. It can sometimes feel as if the time it takes to keep a home clean and organized is a waste of time that could be used in service for the Kingdom.
However, in Phylicia Masonheimer’s new book, Every Home a Foundation, she shares ways that women can serve through their homes to “love others well.” For years, Masonheimer had a career and ministry that involved a lot of travel. When her life changed to instead working at home, she found that “it was possible to be home a lot… yet not be home at all.”
“My mind was not content there. Each month had one or two speaking engagements or commitments to pull me out of the house; away from my young children, away from the repetitive work of dishes and laundry for the real, important work of ministry. I lived in the home, I even loved my home, but ultimately my attitude toward home was one of ingratitude.” She further elaborates on this idea in Chapter Six: “All to the Glory of God.”
“The work of the home might not be glamorous, but it is important; it blesses everyone it touches. By seeing our home rhythms as an act of service, we move outside ourselves to a selfless point of view.” This work includes thirteen chapters divided into two parts: A Theology of Home and A Liturgy of Home. Throughout the book, Masonheimer teaches how women to find purpose in their homes as well as practical tips on ways to use mundane tasks to make a home a place of belonging, connection, and service. At the end of the book is a bonus chapter with practical advice, “Hosting with Young Children.” In the epilogue, Masonheimer sums up how she feels about seeing home as a way to serve, not simply a series of tasks to be completed. “I want to be part of what God is doing in and through my home, and I believe the world will be transformed, not by more people on stages but by more people on mission, starting on the kitchen floor.” Learn more about Every Home a Foundation at www.phyliciamasonheimer.com.
-Tracy Riggs Frontz, Writer and Photographer
Owner of Novel Photos
