The Altar in Your Home

I feel bad combining this morning's awesome sermon with my new blouse, but it is Sunday, and I have to share with you an AMAZING sermon that I wish every single parent in America could hear again and again.

Do you know what the Altar IN YOUR HOME is?

I was a little surprised, but when Matthew said what it was, my heart lept in my chest, and I said to myself, "OF COURSE!"

And the fact is that in most every home -- at least, all the ones I know of -- this "altar" has been completely done away with.  Even Christian homes.  NOT in this one, however, because I will never quit the tradition of serving meals at the FAMILY TABLE where everybody in the house eats TOGETHER.  We discuss current events, our day's activities, our hopes and our dreams and whatever else comes to mind.

I cannot IMAGINE my husband coming into the kitchen, picking up his plate with the food on it that I have prepared, and going into another room to eat it.  I tell you the truth!  When he RETURNED to the kitchen, his wife would be G O N E !

When our girls were growing up, we had EVERY SINGLE NIGHTLY MEAL -- a home-cooked meal -- at our dinner table without a TV on.  Of course, there weren't cell phones yet.  Some nights we did go out to dinner, but we STILL sat at the same table, together.  Actually, that is the one thing my daughter speaks fondly of to this day.

Several years ago my granddaughter asked me if she could invite a friend to bring with her down here to our lake house.  I told her she could.  Her friend came up to me before she left, and she said, "I want to THANK YOU!"

I said, "What for?"

She said, "For having dinner at the table and all of us eating together."

I asked if she did that at her house.  She said her family NEVER, EVER ate at the table.  She said her brother seldom ever came out of his room.  And one of the saddest stories in the world is the state of that family today.

Jerry and I do sit at the bar in our kitchen with the nightly news on when we are alone, but if I want to TALK, I simply pick up the remote control and hit the OFF button.  If, however, company is here or family is here, the TV is not on.  We sit at the table.  Jerry or I say grace, and we continue talking and sharing and enjoying each other's company.

I totally AGREE with Matthew that the redemption of this nation's values HAS TO BEGIN AT HOME.  Families have to bond and be loyal to one another.  Parents have to TRAIN their children how to be respectful, responsible human beings -- how to be Godly parents -- how to be trustworthy, hard-working employees.  If parents don't LIVE IT and TEACH IT, how on earth can they expect their children ever to do it!?

And the "family altar", of course, is the DINNER TABLE.

So that is such an AWESOME sermon, I believe I will wait until tomorrow to tell you about my finalized COPY of "that blouse".  I have pictures to show you.

I'll be back then.

Hugs, Joy