Lessons around the "family style" meal

Have you ever thought about the style of your family meals? Are they smorgasbord buffets where each individual picks their choice of foods from a variety of left overs or whatever is currently on the stove?
How about the "on the run" meals where everyone grabs something on the way out the door to their various commitments. Is that you?
Are they "up and down" affairs where there is a constant path back and forth from the table for each individual to satisfy their own desires for seconds and thirds?
Maybe you do not even have a "together" time for a meal but rather an "everyman for himself" type of meal service. Open the cupboard, open the box, open the microwave, heat and eat!
While "babysitting" three of our grandsons recently we discovered there were many lessons to be learned around the old fashioned "family style" meal. Remember the big bowls of food circulated around the farm table? My husband and I decided to resurrect that eating methodology for a short trial and have been pleased with the results for three grandsons.

Lessons to learn:

1. self-control-kids come to their place at the table facing an empty plate and quietly and patiently wait until everyone is seated, the prayer is said, and the food is passed to satisfy their hunger pangs

2. cooperation-kids learn to pass each bowl to their neighbor on their right ("littles" quickly learn the difference between right and left) after they dish up their portion as well as passing bowls during the meal at someone's request

3. conservation of food-kids learn to take ONLY what they can eat so as not to waste food and to allow everyone to enjoy each yummy dish

4. manners and healthy conversations-because everyone is seated around the table, not jumping up for various reasons, manners can be taught and conversations can be had that teach such concepts as waiting your turn to talk, listening and asking appropriate questions, being considerate of others

There is order at the table and a platform for fun conversation that has the ability to knit the family close together.
If you have not adopted this "eating pattern", especially with children in the house, try it. I think you will begin to reap the benefits.

What do you do well?

Once upon a time there where two newly weds honeymooning on a small lake in Nebraska in a quaint cabin complete with a sky boat. On the first day of their honeymoon the groom skied "circles" around the frustrated bride. On the second day of the honeymoon the groom bowled high scores while the bride threw gutter balls. This pattern of the groom "performing well" in most anything he attempted while the bride seemed always to fall short has continued for 40 plus years. The reality of this truth runs the gammit of all paddle sports, water activities, cards, board games, mind games,  even a recent attempt at darts!. God has gifted the groom with extreme coordination and logic and analytical skills that serve him well.
So where does that leave the bride? In a constant state of searching for what she does well. That search, spanning years, has unsuccessfully dipped into the "bins" of quilting and various sewing attempts, small crafts, such as card making and scrapbooking, playing musical instruments. Even time spent in the kitchen baking, which is fun, doesn't qualify as something she "does well" because most anyone can follow a recipe!
The phrase "doing something well" can be interpreted in a multitude of ways but for the bride it means winning at a game or two, or creating something to be admired, or just knowing you are "doing well" at a chosen activity-feeling a sense of accomplishment in meeting someone's needs, even if it is only your own.
After the last game of darts, which caused the bride to quit in frustration, she decided to take this "thorn in her flesh" to the Lord. Guess what He revealed-a prideful heart that needed confession but also something she could do well-prayer! That is something we can all do well. After all we are admonished in 1 Thessalonians 1:15 to "Pray without ceasing." When you do something unceasingly you will obviously improve. So now, when feelings of failure in "competition" creep up, she immediately defaults to prayer. In fact she has become more aware of the joy in praying at all times, learning to embrace who God has called her to be- not a champion "pickle ball competitor" but a prayer warrior!