Our home altar

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

How precious is Your loving kindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men

put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

-Psalms 16;11;36;7-8

As I was kneeling at our new home altar my six year old Cooper came up and whispered

"can I pray with you." It was very touching to have him kneel down and put his hands together

and close his eyes beside me. As I was praying out loud in a small voice it was such a peaceful moment. Coop and I apparently both had the same prayer request to our Father and when he started to pray it was heart felt and unrehearsed. At the end of his prayer he said "Dear Lord my name is Cooper".

How often I feel like I need to add my name..Maybe he has forgotten me? Maybe he accidentaly got busy? Maybe it's been a few since I have had a second of alone time.

That's what I felt like yesterday. I was driving by myself no radio, no tears, no laughter,

or complaints from my busy back seats. Just the sound of the road. I wanted to retreat at first. Filling in the quietness with the noise of the radio or phone, but I didn't. I just let it in...

I have to admit it was not easy. When you have little ones you forget that there is quietness. You forget that in order to come before the Lord your soul needs to be quieted so you can hear Him. The first thing the Lord my Father revealed to me was that I needed more alone time with Him. Hence the altar..We used an old bench that I bought from a yard sale for 5.00 and turned it into one of the most beautiful pieces in my home. My New home Altar.

As I knelt I remembered Him. As I knelt my home became a more peaceful place.

The kids just seemed to know that I was kneeling before my Father's throne. I didn't have

to explain it or practice it it truly just happened. Quiet. Time to kneel and cry out to My Father and to show that my home was inviting him that I was reaching out and taking His hand and needing him to meet me here and He did.

Nothing fancy but My Father loved it because it drew me to Him. With a small lamp or candle it

is a inviting place even the kids want to go there. It draws you.It's a reminder that He is waiting for you to come and have some time to experience the quietness.

John Piper writes,
“…when we bought our first home, I built a prayer bench with a place for my elbows in a kneeling posture, and a place for my bible to lie, and a shelf underneath for the Bible or other books and a notepad… There the prayer bench welcomes me every morning and several times during the day. God alone knows the tears and songs that have mingled there. I urge you to think creatively.
Seriously consider building a place of prayer…”