What's On Your Mantle?

We have had the same picture hanging over our mantle for four years. In fact, I think it has hung in 3 different houses (which tells you a little about how often we have moved lately). Here it is...

I really do love this picture. I love the background and how all of our faces "pop". But there is something missing. HELLO! WE HAVE HAD ANOTHER CHILD FOR OVER TWO YEARS!!! So I thought it might be time for a change...

I absolutely love it! I think this trio of pics really captures both kids' personalities. I love that the frame matches my living room tables/TV cabinet and the matte matches the couch. It just looks like it was meant to be in that room. And it is so nice to have them BOTH up there looking back at me.

So, in the process of making that change, I started thinking about how we tend to elevate things that are important to us. We make the most important things the focal point, not just of our rooms, but of our lives. I like to think that loving God and loving others are the signature of who I am, but my life doesn't always look that way. It often looks like the only one I really love is myself. I have a long way to go when it comes to selflessness!

I think maybe we choose to display as a focal point in our homes what is important in our lives. My family is who I love and serve, day in and day out. With the kids, it is really a 24/7 endeavor. And there they are, the focal point of my living room. So, the question is, what's on your mantle?