A Welcoming Guest Room

 We've been so blessed to have several guests staying with us over the past six months. We love getting to meet new people as well as spend time with family and friends.

Our prophet's chamber downstairs is based on the verse from 2 Kings about the Shunammite couple who prepared a place for Elisha to stay whenever he came through the area.

There are many ways, even if you don't have a whole downstairs available, to make your guests feel right at home. Start with a bed, bedside tables, lamps and a clock. Air out the room, fluff the bedding in the dryer if necessary and have extra blankets on hand.

You can also have a sampling of books, magazines and local tourism information. We have a bookshelf in the other end of the room, along with a rocking chair for a reading nook.

Let them know your WiFi password so they can connect their phones and other devices. You might also consider chargers and power strips so they can recharge their electronics all in one place.

Clearing out the closet and some drawers will give them a place to unpack. No one likes living out a suitcase for days at a time, so even a suitcase stand or wooden chest will give them space. Keep a few extra hangers in the closet to help eliminate wrinkles, and have an iron handy. 

Keep a collection of toiletries handy in case they've left something important at home. It can be just a small basket on the bathroom vanity or in the closet, to you might put them under the sink or in a drawer. Just mention to them that they're there and they can help themselves as needed.

Make sure there are plenty of extra towels, tissues and toilet paper stocked. You'll also want a toilet brush and plunger for their bathroom. This eliminates embarrassing situations later if there's a problem.

A basket of snacks, some drinking water and even a small microwave or micro fridge will give them all the comforts of home.

If you will have many people coming through, like we hope to, you might want to start a guest book. Your visitors can write a brief note telling when they were there, what you did together and where they're headed next. This will be a priceless keepsake down the road.