Does Your Home Reflect God?

When visiting or living in your home, is it "impossible to keep from thinking of God"? This is a question that is asked in Caorlyn Mahaney's book, Feminine Appeal, which discusses the 7 virtues of a Godly wife and mother, taken from Titus 2. (It is a great book!)
What a stirring, convicting, and inspiring question! Our homes should reflect Christ-likeness! This will benefit you, your husband, children and all who enter the doors of your home. In thinking of some practical ways this could be accomplished, an idea I had already been pondering, settled in my mind. My in-laws (Rick and Marilyn) speak often about "saturating" your home with Scripture. One neat way to do this is to 'display' Scripture verses in the rooms of your home. Consider a "theme" verse for each room of the house.
(Marilyn actually had this idea years ago for her own home, although, I did not even remember that at first! You can read about her take on this idea in a portion of Parenting from the Heart: click here to read)
For instance, here are some verses I am considering for my home:
Cassidy's Room: " Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised" Proverbs 31:30
Adam's Room: "The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy one is understanding" Proverbs 9:10
Bathroom: "I will thank you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works and my soul knows it very well" Psalm 139: 14
Kitchen: 1 Cor. 10:31. "Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God"
Living Room: "But As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15

Other great verses for your home:
Psalm 19:14- Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in they sight,O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer
Phil. 4:8- "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things"

Buy photo coasters and insert verses instead of photos, frame verses you've typed on the computer- print them out on pretty paper, there are many options- as cheap or as pricey as you wish. Just be creative!
(you can read "Hands on Character Building by Rick and Marilyn for more ideas they have used to incorporate Scripture in their home)

Allow your children to be involved in adding the verses to your rooms. Explain to them why you chose those specific verses for those specific rooms. Then, as you go to bed or as you sit in your living room, or as you give them their baths, read them, recite them, talk about them. If your children can read, they will see them throughout the day and will be constantly reminded of the truths the verses proclaim. Perhaps you could make this a project throughout your school year. Each month, make a different room of the house the project. By the end of the school year, your house will be well on it's way to being decorated with Scripture.

So, what are more ways we can create an atmosphere in our home where it is "impossible to keep from thinking of God"?

Here is another idea that was already on my heart, and then cemented into it when I read that question:

Memorize Scripture as a family. Choose a passage that you, your husband, and your children will memorize together. Work on it in your own quiet times with God, go over it with your children, write it on note cards and place them where you will see them frequently (for me it is the back-splash in my kitchen). Then, when you are all together as a family again (which hopefully is each day), maybe in the evenings after supper before you clear the dishes from the table, or whatever is best for you, recite the passage together. Be sure to explain the hard to understand words so that your memorizing is effective. Choose verses that will be helpful to your family, specifically- perhaps a passage about the tongue, if words are a problem, or maybe about forgiveness, if hard feelings are dominant. How exciting it will be to hear your whole family reciting passages of Scripture together!

Ask God to give you more ideas about how you can strive to make it "impossible to keep from thinking of God" in your home.

Kari