The journey of our table

....Our New Family Table.....

After two years of searching and praying about what kind of

family table we should invest in

we decided to give our family friend and neighbor (whom

our family has known for four generations) a call and

see what he could come up with.

He has an Amish type

shop in his back yard and he only works

with oak or cherry woods.

Our number one priority

was

that it be built strong enough to

pass down to generations to come.

I believe he delivered..

Our new family table is 12 ft long

and 4ft across.

It is made out of solid oak reclaimed wood.

It weighs about 250-300 lbs,

and

sits 18 with the benches.

Now that's a table!

This table will hold the most

valuable part of my life.

The feet that dangle under this

table will grow and give way to

my future son-in-laws,

daughter-in-laws, grandchildren,

and great- grandchildren.

So this table

had to be special,

it had to perfect...

We put alot of thought into

our family table. It will be

our main sitting area.

It will be the heart-beat of our home.

We will break bread and laugh

around this table.

We will make lots of family decisions

around this table.

We will cry many tears around this table I'm sure.

We will fill our hearts as well

as our stomachs around this table.

My children will feel accepted

and loved and cherished around this table.

My husband will be able to look down

his table and read from his bible

to his children and when our children look

back they will,

Lord willing,

remember our

family table the most!

They will remember a father and mothers love,

A Saviours love,

great food, great fellowship, and the knowledge that

there will always be room at our table for them.

The Family Table

The shared family meal fulfills more than the function of feeding the family. In the intimate sphere of the shared meal, children learned how to engage in conversation and how to enjoy the experience of hearing others talk. The family meal became the context for sharing the events of the day, for dealing with family crises, and for building the bonds that facilitate family intimacy. Parents taught children how to think about the issues of the day by making these a part of the conversation that was shared around the table. Gentle admonitions and direct correction taught children how to respect others while eating, instilling an understanding of the basic habits that encourage mutual respect and make civilization possible.


Something even more fundamental is at work here. Throughout human history, meals have been important opportunities for the establishment and maintenance of relationships--for the forging of bonds and the deepening of intimacies. The shared family meal--especially the shared supper--is one of the few opportunities when parents and children look each other in the face for a sustained amount of time and have the kind of contact, matched with conversation, that will build memories for a last time.

-Albert Mohler