My maiden name is “Maydwell.” As in, you “may dwell” here. Unique, huh? I’ve always been proud to carry the name Maydwell and the legacy attached it. I honestly don’t know the true origin of the surname Maydwell. I like to imagine it originated from an old English Inn for travelers. The inn was always open and the folk who hosted it were known as the Maydwells. Travelers were assured they had a comfortable place to dwell for good food, music and conversation at the Maydwell House Inn.
Pastor Herb Maydwell is my dad. He’s a retired minister and battles Parkinson’s daily with my mama, Judy, who cares for him. I’ve always wanted to carry on the legacy of their 40 years of ministry and the name “Maydwell” in some noble way. Maybe start a nonprofit for orphans, refuges, or for senior citizens called, “Maydwell House.” Something more noble and bigger than I can do but only God can make happen.
The theme Bible verse would be Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I ‘may dwell‘ in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” Wouldn’t this verse be lovely on a placard in a home for those in need?
However, in reality, noble nonprofits and legacies are tall orders! A girl can dream! But this girl, now maturish woman, has stalemated wondering how to get from A-Z in reality. During this Coronavirus self-quarantine, “May Dwell House” keeps coming to my mind and heart. How are we truly dwelling in this unforeseen downtime and global illness scare? Are we dwelling well physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? I know I’ve been guilty of binge watching a few series and not being more productive.
With that said, as an Enneagram 2 and 1, I want to write in ways that help make the world a better place by compassionately loving and caring for others. However, as an Enneagram 1 I’m also a perfectionist which keeps me from moving forward in that help. Because I want to be aesthetically pleasing and sound grammatically correct, I let fear of doing it wrong keep me from doing it at all.
One thing I’ve noticed about the Millennials close to me is they don’t worry about perfection. They just go for it with their talents and pursuits. It inspires me! So I thought I’d start small on my noble “May Dwell House” dreams and write a blog based on the theme of a home. From kitchen, to dining, to living, to bedroom, to the yard, etc. I may post a spiritual application, a practical application, decorative application, a delicious recipe application, or even a budding gardener application. It won’t look slick or sound grammatically perfect but it will be from my home to yours, helping to make our worlds a better place.
I also hope to have guest posts from those writers near and dear to me. I’ll see where this A leads to B, then C, and so on. Maybe I’ll reach the Z or zenith of my dreams one day.
Thank you for joining the May{Dwell} blog where we can learn to dwell well together!
Ellen Maydwell Humphries
May {Dwell} 