Prayers

Sadie's prayer this morning: Thank you for my breakfast. Thank you that Carter could go to schoo. Thank you that Presty could go to schoo. Thank you that aw the kids could go to schoo, even Avie. Thank you that Sadie could not go to schoo. Thank you that Sadie can eat breakfast. Thank you that Mama can sweep in her bed. Thank you that Sadie can sweep, too. And that I can watch a show. Amen.

Do your kids watch Care Bears? Do you remember when they do the Care Bear Stare? Sadie does...

Sadie: Thank you, Heaveny Father. Care Bear Prayer! (She then shone her "belly badge" at the sky.)

The other morning, as the kids were getting ready for school, I felt that what we really needed to talk about for our morning devotional (We say a family prayer and read scriptures together and talk about important faith building things while bearing testimony to each other. At least, that is the goal.) was about being a friend to all people, especially those kids at school who don't have many friends or who are having a hard time. We were slow getting everyone ready on time, and we only had a couple of minutes before their ride was going to come. We said prayer first because it is more important, and I didn't want them to leave without praying together. As Carter began speaking, he said, "...Please bless us to work hard to make new friends, to seek out those people who are lonely or sad and to help them. Please bless us to listen to have the Spirit with us to guide us to those people who need our help the most. Please help us to focus on others and to serve them..." 

First of all, what eleven year old boy talks like that? Second, it strengthens my own testimony of God and of the gift of the Holy Ghost when he says a powerful prayer about things that I had already felt strongly about discussing with the kids, nearly word for word what I felt we should talk about. Third, all the other kids were actually quiet and listening to what he said. Fourth, I was able to just reinforce with a couple of sentences what I wanted them to think about and work on for the day, and they were able to get out the door just in time for their ride to school.