June 2016 I stepped into the ring and started a Book Club. I invited six women to come to my home and sit at my table every week–yup, every week–to talk about the chapter we read and how it impacted us.  

It’s 5:55pm, I’m pulling into the school parking lot almost on 2 wheels. Parking Ollie, our trusty green SUV, I rush in before the clock strikes 6:00pm and I’m in daycare overtime = $$$. A quick sign out, hug the kiddo, and then we’re trampling out the front doors. Back in the car I hear from the backseat, “Mom, do you feel like cooking?” This is code for “Mom, are we going out to eat or is it cereal for dinner again?”

Some of my childhood memories consist of sharing meals with very important people as seen through the eyes of a child. Some of them were dignitaries, famous singers, and evangelist like T.L. Osborn and Daisy Osborn, who sat and shared a meal at our table in Hermosillo Sonora Mexico.

The kitchen table has always played an important role in our home. It has been a place for us to gather, share stories and meals, pray, cry, and laugh.  But when I think about the importance of coming together for meals with family or friends, to share traditions and good times, there is something more to it, an even deeper meaning.

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked pumpkin bars cooling on my kitchen counter.  For my family, this is the smell of Christmas…

Let’s begin with an admission.

For me, this whole “life happens around the table” idea doesn’t make sense. It never has.

That phrase doesn’t bring me a sense of peace or nostalgia. The table doesn't bring back memories of illuminating conversation and beautifully arranged complex carbohydrates. Nor does it represent warm, familial gatherings or life lessons learned over the pouring of gravy. Maybe you feel the same?

As I was reflecting on the years of life that happened around our table, it brought many great memories to mind that made me smile.  One memory, in particular, was when my husband Dave and I were sitting around our table with some friends, and we were discussing that we wanted to do something different for Thanksgiving.

When I think of Thanksgiving morning, I always remember waking up to the smell of pecan pies baking. Mamma would always bake the pies before the turkey to let them sit and cool. Secretly, I think she was trying to tempt our will power to see if we could save dessert for last. Meanwhile, the Macy's Day Parade would be on, and we would all squeal as our yearly favorite floats marched down 31st Street. The Radio City Rockets were always a highlight...as a child that is what I dreamed of doing, high kicking in the Big Apple. And when the fun paused for a commercial break, my siblings and I would eagerly flip through the Black Friday paper ads, writing our wish list for the midnight shopping spree.

My eight-year-old, Anna, came into my room in the morning and nuzzled my cheek, cuddling. She said softly, “I don’t know how to explain it, but when I’m with you, what I feel is love. One time when you were sleeping, I saw written here [moving her finger along my cheek], ‘love.’ It was like made out of light or something.”

A wise woman once said, "Life happens around the table!"  Boy oh boy is this true!   I have sincerely experienced and watched our family grow, laugh, and cry around our dinner table. Some of the memories we have are forever etched in our mind. 

Today, as I sit at my table, I am flooded with memories; pictures in my mind of family gatherings at Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays and pretty much any event in our lives that was noteworthy. My mother, while not a “fancy” cook (to use her words), was a domestic queen of five children.

As I sit in my prayer chair this morning and glance over at that simple black & white sign "choose Joy" it seems bigger than life.  I would like to say that I have mastered the art of having a happy heart but that would be a lie. Now, some moments are better than others, but what I do know is that its always a choice. I can choose to trust Jesus with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding and in the midst of trials I can have joy!

Have you ever got stuck on a scripture before? One of those God-breathed scriptures that Holy Spirit says “Hey, don’t go any further just yet . . . "

This morning as I was reading in my new devotional called, “Devotions from the Front Porch”, I found myself full of awe and wonder at God’s goodness and was reminded of a key principle God destined me and my family to live by.

Wow, moving always stirs all kinds of emotions and memories. Am I alone on this one? Didn't think so... Moving also always brings change. Whether it's just to a new neighborhood, city, or moving to the opposite side of the country like me, change is sure to follow. There are some things however, that don't change no matter where you go. For me, special traditions that are centered around the table are one of them. I'm excited to share one of those with you today. I pray you become inspired to carry on with one of your very own or start a new one today. Enjoy!

What is it about smells... it's more than a sense, a memory passport giving you the ability at any given moment to transport you back in time to experience a memory all over again! This time of the year always floods me with a gammit of memories, many of them evoked by the amazing aromas of my childhood... I'd love to share some of those with you today!

Close your eyes and picture your family table. Does it look like June Cleaver in an apron and pearls, Ward in a sweater and tie? Are the napkins linen or are there no napkins at all? Are the kids scrubbed and sitting quietly waiting for dad to say grace or do they come rushing in from all directions? Does the steam rise from the homemade, not from a box casserole? Are you envisioning a place where your family regularly comes together with joy and anticipation? 

It was during this season that the inspiration from the Supper Club began to unfold the vision for Life Happens Around the Table.  God revealed how much of my life was a training ground and that much of what we did as a family was really about what was occurring in the supernatural.