• Where did you live between ages 7 and 12?

• How was the house (or apartment etc.) heated?

• In or out of your house, who was the center of warmth?

• In your house now, what is one physical feature and one practice that makes your house feel like home?

Recently our staff had fun (with a few happy and sad tears) in conversation around these reflection questions. They are adapted from a Quaker tradition of “icebreaker” personal introductions—of a very meaningful sort. They could be seeds of a long evening together or even a retreat.

“Home” is the heart of Mile High Ministries’ work. At Joshua Station (and the future Clara Brown Commons) we provide housing. When we provide a roof, our work isn’t done—it has just begun.

“Oh my gosh it looks like home!” people exclaim when they first set eyes on their new residence unit at Joshua Station. Each room is freshly decorated with wall art, bedding, and themes to match their children’s ages and interests. Coming out of shelters and instability, it feels like a dream.

Ahhh, flopping down on the new beds. Snuggling with the plush bear. Home. Finally! But home has just begun. Where in the rooms will the center of warmth be? Mom’s bed? The table by the window?

Who will center the warmth? How will it be reflected and shared?

What practices and rhythms will make it home? They might be mundane or memorable.

“When I was a kid at Joshua Station, we would pile into mom’s bed every morning.”

“When it poured rain, we would always jump in the lake that formed by the Joshua Station parking lot drain.”

“All us kids used wait out front for the bus every morning. That’s how I first met my friend Jose.”

“Christmas was the best. I watched my dad go into the Christmas Store down the hall where I wasn’t allowed. Then seeing wrapped presents and waiting was killing me. But when the morning came, my sister and I were tearing into the packages and I got my first journal.”

Our families are making their homes. How are you making yours?