Jesus Came to Dinner

The invitations, handmade. The event? Saturday night pizza and watermelon at our house, followed by a tea party. With a honey pot, of course. Okay...that part I made up...just an excuse to put our good friend Pooh up there.

The guest of honor? Our new neighborhood friend, that Lexi girl--also known as Pipi Longstocking. (Because she makes up her own rules, just like Pipi.)

What better way to tell someone about the reason for your hope than to invite them for a meal? Jesus dwells here and we love Him. Won't you meet him here, too? Won't you, too, experience His hope?

But alas, the guest didn't show. When she told me on Friday that her mom said yes, I sensed lying eyes, but we prepared everything anyway. She appeared to be gone the whole day, so there must have been prior plans.

But anyway..the handmade invitation melted her heart. She felt loved. "You guys are the best," she said upon reading it.

Guess who did show up? Jesus! He never misses a chance to dine with us.

You've heard this? The family that prays together stays together.

I say: The family that prays and dines together, stays together.  

Whatever you plan as the manager of your home, and possibly of your schedule, don't forget these two things: family prayer time; family dining time  Each is a like a gift to unwrap. Gifts that keep on giving.

We had a blast, each doing a silly toast with our play tea cups.

~ Peter toasted the birds.

~ Paul toasted football on the first round, and basketball on the second round.

~ Beth toasted chocolate chips on the first round--clearly a child after my own semi-sweet heart--and going to the park on the second.

~ Mary toasted the bunnies.

There are many ways to make dining more meaningful. We like to ask a question and go around the table, giving each person a chance to reflect and answer. "What are you most thankful for today?" "What was your favorite part of the day?" "Tell me one thing you learned today."

You'll laugh together...you'll marvel at your kids...you'll look adoringly into your husband's eyes, so glad you married him and created a family together.

This time spent leisurely together, rather than rushing from here to there in the evenings? It cements you as a family unit. Your children will remember the lessons taught at the table...the discipling that went on there. You'll build their trust as you take time to really listen to them.

A lot of things will compete for this time, the enemy will assure that. Some of them, like sports and other extracurricular activities, will seem so beneficial and fun. Everyone's doing them and you don't want to be the odd family out.

But what is your family's mission? What does HE want from you? Maybe right now it is sports.

But have you asked Him?

If you've never sat down and crafted a family mission statement, look first to the greatest two commandments, and then at your spiritual gifts. They will point to a mission for you.

Matthew 22:36-40
 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Pooh found here