I love the verse above! Just imagine the very first time we sit before a feast with Jesus! What a celebration it will be! Just imagine the love and joy you will feel.
Now, I want you to think about your own dinner table. What is the atmosphere like when your family sits down to eat? Do you regularly eat together around the table? Or does everyone grab a plate and run for the TV? Perhaps you find yourself to busy to cook and dinner on-the-go or fast food is the standard fare.
We have already discussed the importance of eating healthy, well-balanced meals. I want to encourage you to continue planning meals that your family will enjoy and meals that will provide the nutrition you need. I also want to encourage you to slow down and set aside the evening hours for family time if you have not already done so. Sports activities, extra-curricular activities are not always worth the time commitment they require. Children grown up sooo fast. Let your children be children, let them have free time after school for running and playing. And give yourself the treasure of being with your kids.
Children who eat at the dinner table with their parents on a regular basisare
less likely to get involved with drugs and alcohol
less likely to be overweight or struggle with self-esteem issues
There is a saying the kitchen is the heart of the home. I would say that the dinner table is where it really happens. Food brings a family together. Memories, priceless memories are created. And the family bond is strengthened.
When you sit down together, is your table filled with clutter pushed to the side? Do you avoid sitting together because of clutter? If so, today, I want you to make it your mission to clean up your dining area. If you have more than one area for eating (breakfast nook, dining room, etc.) clean up and clean out these spaces so that only items related to eating are present.
I love decorating my table with table cloths. I have a large stash of cloths for every season or occasion. I generally purchase my table cloths on clearance at the end of a season. This way, I never spend more than a few dollars on beautiful cloths. Otherwise, they can be very expensive!
Do you have a centerpiece? The options for centerpieces are endless. In my dining room, I currently have a large, beautiful bowl that my sister-in-law had made for me in Italy. It has a fruit theme, and the verse, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. In this bowl I have my collection of cloth napkins.
You could place a bowl filled with fresh fruit – green apples or lemons are especially pretty. You could place a potted plant in a basket, or pick flowers from your garden. Whatever you choose, make it pretty. Candles add a warm inviting feel to your table. You can change your centerpiece for the season, or for the occasion.
What about your dishes? Are they cheap and ugly? Do you serve the children on old plastic plates that are scratched and unsightly? Your family deserves the best you can give them! If you begin to collect tablecloths, don’t save them for special occasions for fear that they will be stained. Use them! Place mats can also provide a fun look to your table. Because place mats and tablecloths are often colorful, I like to use plain white or cream colored plates. You can purchase plain dinner size plates at import stores for only $2 – $3 a piece.
Instead of purchasing many sets of dishes, use the plain white dinner plates as your base and then purchase bowls, salad plates, and dessert dishes that you love! By placing a pretty salad plate on top of your white plate when setting the table, you can have an entirely new look without spending hundreds of dollars on new sets of dishes. Flea markets and antique stores are often good places to find vintage dishes that you can dress up your table with.
You may also want to consider using cloth napkins. You can make your own quite easily out of fabrics, find vintage napkins at flea markets, or shop the clearance racks frequently to find good deals.
Setting a pretty table is worth the extra effort it takes. And really, if you are able to enlist your children’s help, it shouldn’t take but a few minutes to make your dinner table look extra special. Your family will appreciate the thought and care that went into the planning, and your husband especially will feel like a king when he comes home every evening to a well-prepared, well-thought out dinner.
How do you set your table? What is one of your favorite memories from around the dinner table?
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Scripture Memory: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29
In the beginning when God created man, He intended for His people to eat a diet of fruits and vegetables. Since nutrition plays such an important role in our health and our overall health often determines how we feel during the day which in turn can either make or break the daily tasks. When we feel good and have lots of energy we work diligently and accomplish more than when we feel sluggish and sickly.
A diet full of healthy fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, and nuts will help you to prevent disease and illness. Living foods are always better than dead foods.
A vegetarian diet has been proven over and over again to promote long life. Concerns that a vegetarian does not meet nutritional requirements are raised by some, however, by eating a balanced diet and a wide variety of foods, a vegetarian meets the nutritional requirements suggested by ADA and provides numerous health benefits:
“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.” (1)
Not only is a vegetarian diet a healthy way to eat, it prepares us for the Kingdom to Come – we will not eat meat in heaven! And God will bless you with better health.
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
“And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
“Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse (2) to eat, and water to drink.
“Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
“And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.” Daniel 1:8-15
Here are five health benefits of a vegetarian diet:
It is not a sin to eat clean meats, however, you will feel healthier, look better, and will live longer by eating a vegetarian diet(3). If you can’t see yourself giving up meat entirely, I encourage you to plan meatless meals into your diet or incorporate Meatless Mondays (4) into your meal plans for your family’s health.
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Good morning, Ladies! How was your weekend? I have to say, I really enjoyed my weekend. The sun was shining – after days of thunderstorms. I spent Sunday afternoon getting the house cleaned and I even had time to shampoo my carpets which were in desperate need of attention. The house feels so clean this morning!
I’ve been trying to be more intentional about my homemaking and blessing my family at home. Want to share your intentional goals for this week? Join my Linky Party: Sundays at Home {a new blog hop}.
Is your home feeling fresher? Today’s lesson is all about laundry! Have fun!
What have you been working on?
P.S. I sure would appreciate it if you would pin one of these images to Pinterest or share on Facebook! Thanks so much for your help!
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