bringing Christ into our home

I want so much for our home to be Christ-centered.  I'm so grateful for how the gospel gives so many ideas to make that happen (family scriptures, family prayer, Family Home Evening, church services, etc.).  Aside from the practices we do as a family to remind us to put Christ in the center of our lives, I want to add more visual reminders around our home.

Because let's face it, we could all use more reminders about "soft answers" and patience to bring the spirit into our homes...or is that just me??

I have talked a lot about my deliberations about what we put on our walls (here, here, here).  As far as religious things, we have our picture of the temple (here), but only a single, small painting of Christ.

And I've wanted to change that for a while.

Growing up, my parents had multiple framed pictures of Christ that we had hanging in our bedrooms.  On Fast Sundays we would bring them all to the dinner table and switch around who got which painting hanging in their bedroom.  Their theory on this was that switching things up made us notice them more.

And they were right.  

My thoughts on Christ were renewed each month as I glanced at a different depiction of Him in my comings and goings from my bedroom.

All these years later I still remember that and have had a goal to incorporate that tradition into our family.

Yeah, it's been a goal for about five years.

That's how behind I am.

But now that we're going back home for a new year I'm thinking it's the perfect time to put my plan into action.  I'm going to give each of my children (and Dave and me too) a picture of Christ to hang on their bedroom walls for Christmas and we will switch them around every so often. (Kids, if you are reading this, please pretend that you didn't :)

I am super particular about art, especially religious art.  I don't want to hang the same pictures I have seen so many times.  I would love to find some really unique and different paitings/prints.  I know everyone has their own taste and it's kind of a personal thing.  I want my kids to have their own input on this, but I want to gather options for them.  If I just say "go pick out your favorite picture of Christ" the world of options is too big and they're too overwhelmed (I know because I've already tried that!).

I'd love any input from anyone out there who may have seen any really unique paintings of Christ to help narrow my search.

Some that I have found that I love so far:
Minerva Teichert is one of my favorite painters.  I love that her paintings leave a lot to the imagination and they are so beautiful.

I've mentioned before how much I love my friend Rose Dall's art.
I love that that's such a unique one, and oh my word it is so breathtakingly beautiful to me.

I adore this painting of the nativity by Brian Kershisnik so much.  
I could go on for a long time about how all those swarms of angels speak to me in so many ways.

This old-school one is probably my very favorite of Christ with children:

I think about it every time I try to get in gear more with my "holiness in mothering" ideas inspired by my friend (back HERE).  Whenever I'm frustrated with my kids I try to get on their level, cup their cheeks in my hands just like this, and see them how Christ sees them.  A little more difficult with Max who towers over me but even picturing this picture makes my will so much more malleable as to attending to their needs and hopes and dreams in a Christ-like way.

This one doesn't really fit with the others, but there's something joyous and so beautiful about it that draws me in and makes me so happy.