Overcoming Hospitality Fears: Practical Steps to Invite Others In

Today's conversation is all about breaking down the barriers to hospitality and inviting others into our imperfect homes and lives. Host Heather Creekmore welcomes hospitality expert and author Abby Kuykendall to talk honestly about why so many of us fear having people over, how our obsession with perfection holds us back, and why biblical hospitality is an act of obedience, not perfection.

Abby shares personal stories, practical tips, and a refreshing perspective: God doesn’t ask for Pinterest-perfect homes or Martha Stewart-level parties—He asks for our willingness and intention. The conversation touches on the lies that keep us isolated, how hospitality and body image are linked by the pressure to be “enough,” and the surprising joy that comes from letting others see our real lives, mess and all.

You’ll walk away encouraged to stretch your “hospitality muscle,” start small, and remember that true community isn’t about impressing others—it’s about loving them well. Abby also shares insights and resources from her new book, Let the Biscuits Burn, packed with ways to undo perfectionism in hospitality and embrace the blessing of real connection.

Key Topics

• The barriers and fears around inviting others into our homes

• Cultural messages about self-care vs. the biblical call to hospitality

• The difference between entertaining and true hospitality

• Practical first steps to open your home when you feel intimidated

• Lies from the enemy that keep us from building community

• Why showing our real, imperfect lives builds deeper relationships

• Links between body image issues, isolation, and hospitality

• Abby Kuykendall’s new book and resources for becoming more hospitable

• Using tools (like ChatGPT!) to help break down conversational barriers

• Setting healthy boundaries in hospitality

Noteworthy Quotes

• “God doesn’t ask for perfection. He asks for that willingness and heart to be obedient.”

• “When you open yourselves up...this is my authentic, vulnerable self—that opens the door for others to feel comfortable being raw and intimate themselves.”

• “We think we want perfection, but that actually would isolate us from people even more.”

Resources

• Let the Biscuits Burn: Cultivating Real Life Hospitality in a World Craving Connection by Abby Kuykendall
  [Get it wherever books are sold! Includes hosting tips, conversation starters, and more.]

• Connect with Abby Kuykendall:

  • Instagram: @abbykuykendall

  • Website: abbykuykendall.com

  • [Podcast: Let the Biscuits Burn (available wherever you listen)]

• Learn about the In His Image Conference 2025 here: https://www.wonderfullymadenutritioncounseling.com/events/in-his-image-body-image-conference-for-teen-girls-and-women-2025

Connect with Heather

• www.improvebodyimage.com

• Instagram: @comparedtowho

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who needs encouragement to open their home and heart—imperfections and all.

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