allume

real light living

Living in the “&”

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The world keeps telling me the benefits of a ‘balanced life’.  As if I can reach some measure of perfection, nirvana, and platitude of peace.

If I can just get the scales to even out in a straight line.

If I can just balance one more bean in the ‘don’t spill the beans’ game pot,

If I can just pull one more block from the Jenga tower,

If, if, if.

 

Or if the world isn’t telling me to balance they are telling me to choose. As if life is an either or proposition!

You can have a career or be a mom,

You can like country music or rock n roll,

You are either a sporty girl or a Barbie.

You can be outgoing or sensitive

You can be a Mary or a Martha

Or, or, or

 

But I know (and I know that you know), that life is messy and life can be, lived in the &.

It’s not about the perfection of a well-balanced life, it’s not about this or that, it’s about ‘&’!

 

I want to live in the &! Are you with me?  Why can’t I enjoy life as it comes, why do I have to choose?   After all, He is mercy & justice, grace & truth, beginning & end, the lion & the lamb…

 

We can be sporty one day & a Barbie the next, can’t we?

We can have a career & be a mom, can’t we?

We can be the life of the party & the quiet one, can’t we?

We can be passionate & compassionate, can’t we?

We can have beauty & depth, can’t we?

We can eat healthy & have a brownie, can’t we?

 

At Mary & Martha, we are all about LIVING IN THE ‘&’.

 

Entertaining can be meaningful & simple.

You can have a business & a ministry

faith & work!

You can prepare & listen

You can love God & love others.

You can engage in worship & service.

 

Women are Mary & Martha; there is no reason to choose.

Mary & Martha were better together.

 

We can hardly wait to meet you at Allume and share our deep desire to:

Radically reimagine what home is all about.

Transform homes where people are loved on

Shift homes from drive-thrus, (pick up what you need and go) to a place to stay

 

Take routines to meaningful steps

Shatter the illusion that it must be perfect

Remind ourselves and others that…

 

It’s not about a perfect home; it’s all about the people!

Blog Post logo

See what we’re all about…

 

 

We love this tray & mugs

& we know you will too,

& we want to give away one of these, so…

 

Mug&Tray

 

 

Leave a comment about how & when you would use this tray of mugs, & you just might find yourself the owner of a tray & six mugs!

 

We invite you to be our guest at the opening night party & receive a fun Mary & Martha somethin’- somethin’!

 Giveaway ends Friday, August 23rd at 11:59EST. U.S. residents only. 

See you at Allume!

Comments

  1. Beautiful line…I would love it all for my home! 🙂 I think that food, drink bonds people. Sitting around a table and sharing coffee or tea (or hot chocolate for me!!) ;)…stories get told, laughter is shared…so I would love this set just to help foster that community feel. All are welcome and have a place at my table!! Can’t wait to see you at Allume (I am a newbie and totally freaked about it all but can’t wait too!)

  2. How pretty! These mugs would be fun to serve guests with or just when it is me to unwind in the evenings with hot chocolate. My coffee mugs are mostly souvenirs and to have something pretty, feminine, and matching would be a nice treat. Be blessed:)

  3. Love these mugs–I actually love your whole catalog! I would use them to host a small group get together. Gather my girls together and celebrate a simple yet beautiful time of friendship (and coffee!)

  4. I loved the “living in the &” story when I first heard it at Dayspring, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. So glad to see you here today! I would invite my “bench friends” over for coffee – to curl up on the sofa with a warm cup, sitting beside sisters who “get” them, just to be themselves and have a conversation that includes complete sentences not interrupted by toddlers 🙂 Because we are friends AND mamas AND sisters….and…

  5. Wow! I really needed this today. Thank you! Honestly I love these mugs but no one comes to my house to drink coffee. BUT I am thinking about starting a Bible study for moms and meeting at my house once every couple of weeks and believe me we would use them then. And I would definitely use them every morning while I am drinking coffee at the table while my oldest son eats breakfast before he leaves for school.

  6. I love this living in the “&” – such a good reminder that it’s not always about one or the other… and the mugs and tray? Well now, that’s just pure beautiful right there. I love to entertain, whether it be our small group, friends on a Saturday night for board games or just a small dinner party… and I always make sure there is plenty of coffee on tap!! These mugs would be put to good use in my house!

  7. I would love to have this for coffee on our back deck that my husband built this summer. It’s starting to get colder here in Michigan so this would be great!

  8. My friends and I are coffee drinkers. We love to gather around the table and share life together and these mugs would only add to the beauty of our community!

  9. oh, how lovely! i would certainly host a tea (and coffee!) party for friends with these mugs, giving us a chance to slow down and savor some time with one another and a warm beverage as we head into the fall season!

  10. we drink coffee, my girlfriends and I, and we take it seriously. This would be beautiful on our outdoor table with the morning sun rising.
    Peace and good to one and all,
    Chelle

  12. I do a lot of “living life” ministry with college women and young married women. I love to serve them with beautiful things to make them feel special! These mugs are beautiful! I would love to be able to add them to my home!
    Grace to you!
    Gina
    keepinitrealgina.com

  14. I had never heard of you before, and cannot wait to hear more at Allume! I would use this every day! For friends, for family, for a quiet cup of something hot while the kiddos are resting. Beautiful work!

  15. how lovely! I enjoyed reading about mary & martha and can’t wait to see you at Allume! I married into a Russian family (and when you know one Russian family, you meet MANY MANY MORE) — they love fellowship and drink tea ALL.THE.TIME. This set would be perfect for such gatherings 🙂

  16. Ok very exciting! I have a hot water dispenser in my home and host many, many meetings and gatherings. My goodness would that set sparkle with my tea basket!

  17. I would LOVE these adorable mugs to serve guests coffee, hot chocolate, or tea! It would be an adorable way to deliver {present} guest with a cozy beverage this fall and winter!!!

  18. Oh so beautiful, I would invite my small group of girls ( in college now ) over and have tea with them and love on them!!

  19. I would use these mugs to serve hot chocolate to my kids, and I would feel very fancy while doing so 🙂 Lovely set.

  21. We have impromptu fellowship/crafty night at my house for our church ladies {and guests}. I generally promise coffee, tea, and cookies, and possibly a clean-ish house but not always. We throw the kids upstairs and craft and gab. Mostly gab. A chance to get past the clutter and go deeper, go intentional. Those mugs would look good in my not always sparkling kitchen for these wonderful ladies to chat over 🙂

  22. Such an awesome post…and vision. Thank you for sponsoring Allume & sharing your amazing ministry with us. And those mugs/tray…yes, please! I just gathered a group of local gals who blog about Jesus. We are going to meet once a month to plan/dream/encourage and this set-up would be perfect to invite them into the live & write life. Thank you!

  23. I love these! We have many new moms in our church and I would use these beautiful pieces to entertain them and give them a peaceful place to come and re- energize.

  24. Beautiful! I’d love to invite my closest friends over for coffee or tea and fellowship, and these mugs would be perfect!

  25. Eeek! So pretty! I would use it to entertain sweet friends and family in our farmhouse in progress. When our kitchen gets done. Eventually 🙂

  26. I really like this! I’m one that is often put in a box by others and by my own self in hopes of fitting somewhere and understanding how i’m wired. Though it can be helpful i find myself in the gray (a mesh of many) or some days one extreme and other days the other. Such freedom in “&”! The mugs are so nice – I would use every Monday morning for our ministry team meeting that is held in our home where our regional team comes together to pray and plan how to reach college students with the gospel in our scope. Would also be nice for Sunday fellowships after church my husband and I hope to start having at our home this fall! I’m sure these mugs will be a great blessing in whomever’s home they land in – a reminding symbol of sorts of hospitality for God’s glory.

  27. I have a house full of children so I’d keep these up high, but would enjoy having some women over to share in some tea/coffee and talk about God/life.

  29. I would enjoy using them during one of our Friday Bibles studies in my house, ladies only! 🙂

  30. Loveliness! These would work beautifully in my victorian home as I welcome family for Holidays, friends for playdates, or perfect strangers for next year’s (in)RL meetup. They would be loved for and prayed over plenty as I place them on my {very old} buffet.
    Thanks for the chance! I can’t wait to see more of Mary&Martha at Allume!

  31. Besides using them to make the everyday special, I would use them for my hot beverage bar in December that I setup at my annual It’s a Wonderful Life viewing party.

  32. So pretty! I would use these in the winter months to serve my children hot chocolate and make them feel super special!

  33. I’d use them for one of my Teaparties with Jesus. I have ladies bring old broken ugly mugs and give them new beautiful teacups as replacement. It illustrates how God takes our brokenness and gives us a new life. 🙂 http://ohbeloved.blogspot.com

  34. They are beautiful. I host a women’s bible group in my home and we are always looking for pretty things for this. They would be perfect to serve tea/coffee in for our group and work well with my current colors.

  35. Like everyone else here – I would use them as a centerpiece in serving girlfriends coffee and community and a laid back, let’s sip from these and linger long over conversations, atmosphere! Every Tuesday, I do that… (and sometimes more one on one on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and Saturdays too!) I love that they come in a tray… making serving easy! It’s nearing Fall and I am planning another Pinterest Party – so I’d have to find a Fall recipe to make something yummy to fill them up with! So pretty!

  36. I would love these for morning Bible study with my girlfriends! Bring on fall coffee flavors! Pumpkin spice is my favorite!

  37. If I won I would give these to my friend Alicia who leads a women’s prayer group at our church and uses a set of mugs and plates that she got from Mary & Martha (when they were Blessings Unlimited) at the group. I love how she lavishes on this group with REAL plates and mugs. It just adds a certain flare and fun to the group! Looking forward to the opening night party!!

  38. I would keep it out on my kitchen counter as a daily invitation to work for AND enjoy my family by sitting down to share life and something warm together.

  41. I host lots of people in my home – both as a small group leader and as a Christian Counselor. I’d love to talk with women about their hearts & lives while sipping from your delightful set. This would visually add beauty & grace to our conversations.

  42. Those mugs are GORGEOUS! I always host family events and I’ve hosted Bible Studies too. This would be great around my kitchen table for chit chat time before we got down and dirty in the Word!I have a great barr area that nothing ever looks right. This tray would be PERFECT! Love the or comparison too. I agree that you have to have both to be your best at either.

  43. I love the tray and mugs! Beautiful! As a family of coffee and tea lovers, we share ‘precious moments’ everyday over a mug of something hot. This set would just make the moment even more special 🙂

  44. I’m sharing this, as a way to say okay Abba, I’m listening:

    We’ve just moved here, from another state. Settling into our new church home. I feel a strong desire to invite others into my imperfect, cluttered and child toys everywhere home. Because I know I need community, friendships, another sword to sharpen myself against. Being a hostess, and having the heart of a servant doesn’t come easily to me, I find it all too easy to be at home and be a hermit, being social just through the screen. But I long for face to face friendships, the way God designed our hearts to love and share.

    So I post this here, for my heart and mind to see that I mean to reach out as He leads me, to walk up to those I don’t know, and open my mouth, without fear. And let Him do the rest.

  45. I would use this for my weekly girl’s night. A few cups we could gather our weary mama hearts around and drink in some Jesus along with the cups contents.

  46. I would use these for my book club. It’s the perfect number of mugs, and we love our coffee!

  47. I see these being filled with steamy cups of hot chocolate with piles of whipped cream on top… and maybe even using them to get the nerve to invite some ladies over to my house. (I live 20+ minutes out of town, so I’m afraid to invite, afraid it’s too much for them to come)

  48. I’d start with warm cider and a cinnamon stick for our family of 5 come September. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Then, hot cocoa and marshmallows come December. Repeat, repeat, repeat. There’s something so pure and lovely about white. These are gorgeous!! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. 🙂

  50. Well aren’t these just the prettiest things. And what a graceful reminder that we don’t have to pick on thing – I love the “and list.” I need to print that out. Of course I immediately thought of my Girlfriends group when I saw these. Looking ahead to the fall and winter seasons; thinking of our gatherings around warm fires and snuggly sofas. I love picturing us sipping something warm and sweet from these mugs, and just being in fellowship together and lifting each other up. And when not with them, you know I’m having a mini tea party with my daughter with these mugs!

  51. I have been very sick for a very long time and there is no meeting at Starbucks or Panera for me. I am dependent on others coming to my home to be tied together with the cords of love and fellowship. This would be so beautiful to share with the faithful ones who come wekk after week, year after year to me, one of the least of these.

  52. Living in a rural community where there are no coffee shops, I would love to win this set so that I could invite friends over for coffee, donuts, and fellowship. I could invite them over without it, of course, but this would be a beautiful addition to any gathering! Who wouldn’t want it? 🙂

  53. My Tuesday night Bible study ladies enjoy lattes at my home in the hodge podge of mugs in the cabinet. These lovelies would bring a bit of refinement to our evening of studying and growing together. This article on the meshing of Mary & Martha hearts is beautiful. We don’t have to be exclusive, something I think we tend to sort ourselves into one category or the other (at least I do) every time I read their story.

  55. These would the perfect reason to get to know my new neighbors in my new home. We’re all new here and someone has to break the ice. I think I’m just the gal for the job! 🙂

  56. My husband just accepted a pastoral position at our church. I would use these (beautiful) mugs to welcome others into our home, to invite conversation, and to comfort others in times of need.

  57. I love these!!!! I would use these to have picnic parties with my sons (hey boys need to feel special just as much as us girls) or when I have friends over for playdates to make give the mamas a bit of luxury while sipping tea or coffee:)

  58. oh to fill those with coffee and cream and spill hearts and tears and hope with other mommies and friends! Love this set and would love to bless others through them.

  59. I would use this tray of incredible Mary and Martha mugs daily ~ right on the table for anyone stopping in or for family to see.. I would use them to say “Welcome … pull up a chair… settle in for a few mins or an hour. Let me put on some, tea, coffee, or cocoa and let’s chat.. you are loved and welcome in my home!”
    Cathy B*****y palmbreezelife at yahoodotcom

  60. I would use these mugs to bring my children hot chocolate in the morning, to serve my small group coffee in the evening, and to share tea with a neighbor or friend, who may stop by in the afternoon. 🙂

  61. I would have a party and bust these out for a writer’s retreat I’m dreaming of hosting next spring.

  62. so beautiful!!! love pretty mugs and enjoy serving coffee or hot tea to guests who frequent our home regularly. would be perfect for our missional community of other couples when we meet together.

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