Habits for a Sacred Home: 9 Practices from History to Anchor and Restore Modern Families

By Jennifer Pepito

"Habits for a Sacred Home is destined to become a classic. . . . All women who long to follow God, and to be filled with courage, should read this book. . . . Excellent in every way."--SALLY CLARKSON, bestselling author of multiple books and host of the At Home with Sally podcast

Change the world by changing your home, one habit at a time

In a world as chaotic as it is right now, it can feel downright difficult to be raising kids. Our culture has come unhinged from Christian moorings and timeless values. But Jennifer Pepito wants you to know there is hope.

A mom of seven and a mentor to mothers around the world, Jennifer helps you establish nine restorative habits and practices in your home to foster peace, simplicity, and stability during turbulent times. Leaning on the practices of historic Christians--like Saint Benedict and Amy Carmichael--this book guides you toward habits of work, prayer, hospitality, and more to create the sacred home you long for. Learn how to:

· push back chaos by finding your own rhythm
· eliminate distractions so your home becomes a place of refuge
· foster a family culture of simplicity and stability

Don't fear the future. Create a home that brings life to future generations--and shines with hope and peace in these trying times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: May 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9781493446728

Jennifer Pepito

Jennifer Pepito is the host of the Restoration Home podcast, author of Mothering by the Book, and founder of ThePeacefulPress.com. Jennifer is on a mission to help moms overcome fear and live with wonder and purpose. Her resources help create joyful memories among families, which lead to deeper connections and lasting relationships. Jennifer lives with her beloved family in the mountains, where she enjoys reading aloud, working in her garden, and watching the sunset.

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"Habits for a Sacred Home is destined to become a classic. Deep, insightful thoughts that give clarity to a biblical vision for home, children, family, and mission are clearly defined in the pages of this perceptive book. Jennifer is a seasoned woman and has gleaned wisdom through many aspects of life. She writes with authority. All women who long to follow God, and to be filled with courage, should read this book. I was inspired and motivated to keep following hard after God in His calling on my own life. Excellent in every way."

—Sally Clarkson, author of many books, podcast host (At Home with Sally), mother of four adult children, and one who has sought to build a sacred home

Jennifer Pepito combines her love of learning with her passion for motherhood in this inspiring collection of anecdotes and insightful practices. A time-traveler’s guide to the saints and heroes of the faith, this book shows us practical ways to experience the sacred in the simple, everyday moments of life.

—Ainsley Arment, founder of Wild + Free

"Habits for a Sacred Home offers the hard-earned, compassionate wisdom our homes need right now. Drawing upon the rich, diverse histories of the Benedictines and other pillars of our faith, Jennifer Pepito challenges women to push back on the darkness and decay of this world by employing a few simple practices in our days."

—Jamie Erickson, author of Holy Hygge, co-host of the Mom to Mom Podcast

"In Habits for a Sacred Home, Jennifer Pepito invites us to explore the profound difference that life-giving rhythms can make in our homes and families. With powerful stories of inspiring women of faith and practical steps to determine your family values, this book will serve as a trusted guide to help you create and cultivate better habits that ultimately lead to a more peace-filled, purposeful home and life."

—Crystal Paine, New York Times bestselling author, mom of six, podcast host, and founder of MoneySavingMom.com

"In a world that often feels chaotic and demanding, Habits for a Sacred Home serves as a beacon of wisdom and solace. Jennifer Pepito’s words emphasize the importance of recognizing our limitations and surrendering to the love and goodness of God. This book is not just a read; it’s an invitation to create a space that nourishes our souls."

—Ginny Yurich, bestselling author, podcast host, and founder of 1000 Hours Outside

For every parent seeking a return to the basics, here’s your compass. By shedding light on nine tried-and-true habits formed in the homes of history’s most trailblazing women, Jennifer Pepito illuminates the way toward a simpler, truer life for us all—one that is void of current controversies and trend-driven assumptions, but instead unveils the rich and foundational depth that comes from prioritizing what matters most. 

—Erin Loechner, bestselling author of The Opt-Out Family and founder of Other Goose

"Jennifer Pepito’s voice is so needed in this generation—the voice of a seasoned mother who both admits her struggles and points us toward the source of hope and truth: Jesus. In Habits for a Sacred Home, Jennifer lays out helpful, practical, biblical principles, interwoven with her own stories of God’s grace, for recentering our homes around truth, beauty, and peace when the clamor of our culture threatens to overwhelm us."

—Abbie Halberstadt, mother, influencer, and author of M Is for Mama and Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad

"Habits for a Sacred Home intricately intertwines faith and family, tracing a journey from Benedict to Bethune. Through shared meals and ancient prayers, Jennifer Pepito creates a tapestry of joy, intentional living, and practical wisdom. Beyond being a compelling read, it serves as a guiding companion, enriching the sacred fabric of family life with transformative habits."

—Leah Boden, author of Modern Miss Mason

"Jennifer has such a gift for knowing what her readers need next. After sharing in her first book how she overcame many of the lies she was taught, the groundwork was set to begin cultivating the habits of restoration found in her newest book, Habits for a Sacred Home. Jennifer’s truth telling is loving, and her teaching style is hands-on, yet approachable for all to achieve."

—Kate Crocco, LCSW, author of Thinking Like a Boss and Drawing the Line and host of the Thinking Like a Boss Podcast

Jennifer Pepito’s elegant invitation to live well offers renewed hope for mothers. She captures long-held fears for our families and our world and covers them with truth. I’m more inspired than ever to follow the path of everyday women who have gone before me as hardworking, benevolent stewards and waymakers.

—Amber O’Neal Johnston, author of A Place to Belong and curator of HeritageMom.com

Books by Jennifer Pepito

Mothering by the Book

Habits for a Sacred Home

© 2024 by Jennifer Pepito

Published by Bethany House Publishers

Minneapolis, Minnesota

BethanyHouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Ebook edition created 2024

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-4672-8

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016

Scripture quotations labeled ASV are from the American Standard Version of the Bible

Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The recipes included in each chapter are from The Peaceful Press Cookbook: Recipes for a Living Education by Jennifer Pepito, © 2023 by The Peaceful Press. Used by permission.

Cover design by Micah Kandros Design

Cover Image: Creative Market, Rachel Kick

Author photo © Brooke Battle

Published in association with The Bindery Agency, www.TheBinderyAgency.com.

Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and postconsumer waste whenever possible.

To my mother, Rosalind, and my sisters

Jacqueline, Jody, Tammi, and LeeAnn

Your faithfulness to your families is an inspiration to the world. You are creating restoration homes.

Contents

ch-fig1

Endorsements    1

Half Title Page    3

Books by Jennifer Pepito    4

Title Page    5

Copyright Page    6

Dedication    7

1. The Need for Sacred Homes    11

2. Habits of Work: Edith Schaeffer    23

3. Habits of Stewardship: Mary McLeod Bethune    41

4. Habits of Prayer: Amy Carmichael    57

5. Habits of Order: Elisabeth Elliot    75

6. Habits of Simplicity: Sabina Wurmbrand    93

7. Habits of Stability: Ruth Bell Graham    111

8. Habits of Hospitality: Ella Mama Tweten    127

9. Habits of Community: Esther Jungreis    145

10. Habits of Balance: Madeleine L’Engle    161

Acknowledgments     177

Appendix: Your Rule of Life     181

Notes     185

About the Author    191

Back Cover    192

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1

The Need for Sacred Homes

Stand in the ways and see,

And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,

And walk in it;

Then you will find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV

I finished cleaning the kitchen after our family dinner and devotions and took a quick scroll through my phone while I got ready for bed. It had become a little routine to pick up my phone for a few minutes each evening before settling in with a book. Some of my end-of-the-day phone time was legitimate; a quick check-in with my community on Instagram and a text to my out-of-town son were essential communications for me. But this time I also snuck in a few minutes on Twitter, with a twinge of guilt as I entered the URL. I’d worked so hard to overcome fear, and I knew that looking at the bad news on Twitter was not going to help me stay fearless. The provocative posts could never kindle the hope that I needed to mother well.

I scanned the headlines with growing horror: a tech executive stabbed to death while walking home in San Francisco, vicious terror attacks in the Middle East, war in Europe, and toxic levels of aluminum in local rainwater. Although I had worked hard to overcome fear and wrote about that process in Mothering by the Book, the world felt frightening, and I was searching for wisdom to guide my family through rapidly changing times.

The state of the world was a frequent conversation with friends as well. Some, who believed the Lord was coming back any day, kept their normal routines in hopes of being raptured out. Other friends believed we were on the verge of the Great Tribulation, and moved their families closer to like-minded communities to strategize how they could grow enough food to supply themselves when everything fell apart. I also have friends whose eschatology points to the world getting better before the return of Christ, so they are going about their business, joining committees, leading mission trips, and not paying too much attention to the headlines.

I wasn’t holding my breath to be raptured out anytime soon, but I didn’t know what to believe. I’m a panmillennialist; I believe in the personal and physical return of Jesus Christ, but I don’t really know how it will all pan out. I don’t know if his return will be pre-tribulation or post-tribulation, or if we are in the millennium now. This lack of certainty about what is going on in the world was unsettling. When a string of fires destroyed food packing plants, I wondered if we should buy emergency food supplies. When prominent European banks collapsed, I wondered if we would lose our savings. I was on high alert trying to navigate a rapidly changing world and keep my children safe, and the more I consumed frightening news, the more uncomfortable I felt in my own skin. My fears weren’t baseless, but there had to be a better way to live.

A Better Way

In the midst of navigating my response to the news, I read a book called The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher. In it, Dreher highlights the life of Saint Benedict (AD 480–547) and the path he took when Roman civilization was falling around him. Instead of merely adapting to the culture and reshaping his beliefs to conform to new moral dilemmas, he separated himself from the culture to be with God. For three years he lived alone in a cave, nurturing his devotion to Jesus. He counted being in the presence of the Lord of greater worth than the pleasures of Rome. Reflecting on the saint’s life, Pope Gregory wrote that Benedict, desiring rather the miseries of the world than the praises of men, rather to be wearied with labour for God’s sake than to be exalted with transitory commendation, fled privily from his nurse, and went into a desert place called Subiaco.1

Because of his devotion, Benedict’s fame grew, and soon he had gathered a number of people around him who dwelled in similar dedication to God. They lived an orderly, balanced life of work and prayer, and when Roman civilization descended into chaos, they built a new community based on a biblical rule of life. Dreher points to a similar prescription for us today. Instead of continuing to fight against the culture or trying to save America, perhaps it is time to simply pursue a godly life and practice benevolent detachment, releasing the state of the world to God and living according to his Word despite what is happening around us. Dreher writes,

Today we can see that we’ve lost on every front and that the swift and relentless currents of secularism have overwhelmed our flimsy barriers. . . .

Could it be that the best way to fight the flood is to . . . stop fighting the flood? That is, to quit piling up sandbags and to build an ark in which to shelter until the water recedes and we can put our feet on dry land again? Rather than wasting energy and resources fighting unwinnable political battles, we should instead work on building communities, institutions, and networks of resistance that can outwit, outlast, and eventually overcome the occupation.2

I don’t agree with Dreher’s proposition that we simply drop out of politics, but what can we do when the cultural tide seems to be so opposed to values that matter to families? The cities I used to visit for field trips are no longer pleasant places to explore. In the past you could safely walk through San Francisco, but with homeless addicts now crowding the streets and laws that allow theft up to $900 without prosecution, cities like these feel threatening. Many families are choosing small towns or even rural areas to provide a safer environment for their children.

The Shift

I’ve been surprised at how fast the world has changed, but the cultural shifts we are facing have been a long time in the making. Family-friendly drag shows and gender reassignment surgeries for kids may seem dramatic, and homeless camps in the midst of high rises may be incongruous, but they are just symptoms of a world unmoored from its cultural roots. In A Christian Manifesto, published in 1981, Francis Schaeffer wrote,

The basic problem of the Christians in this country in the last eighty years or so, in regard to society and in regard to government, is that they have seen things in bits and pieces instead of totals.

They have gradually become disturbed over permissiveness, pornography, the public schools, the breakdown of the family, and finally abortion. But they have not seen this as a totality—each thing being a part, a symptom, of a much larger problem. They have failed to see that all of this has come about due to a shift in world view. . . . This shift has been away from a world view that was at least vaguely Christian in people’s memory (even if they were not individually Christian) toward something completely different.3

This post-Christian shift seemed to creep up gradually. Christians and non-Christians often want the same things. We want freedom to raise our families, to make a living, to have a happy life, and there has been a basic code of ethics toward that end. Don’t steal, be good parents, don’t litter. For the most part, we can agree that life has inherent dignity, that we should help the poor, and that childhood is worth protecting. Some of the new lessons we were learning as a culture in the last decades were good too, such as how to accept our imperfections and to live free from shame. Learning that our bad behavior as adults often stems from childhood trauma is another valuable lesson because it gives hope for change instead of simply deeming people bad or good based on their behavior.

However, I fear we have thrown out the baby of holiness with the