Giving up on prayers

Yes, you read it right - My daughter, Madeleine is giving up on prayers - or so she says.

I don't think she means it in the profound way that I received the statement. I think she's just content to let someone else say prayers at meals and at bedtime - like me or her brother Wyatt.

Wyatt - is all about praying right now. I remember when Maddie loved to pray - sadly those days are absent for the moment.

Here's Wyatt's prayer: (with his arms folded across his chest like his role models Todd and Ryan Wendel..)

"Heavenly Father... Mimi.. Papa. Bless this food...strong and healthy...outside... play outside (cold or dark outside depending on the state of the weather outside). Amen"

My mom heard him pray last night and she got a little teary - I can say I feel the same way.

So I'm hoping my daughter won't "give up on prayers" for very long - even if she does - God still loves her.

"You never change, your love remains - Oh God I'm holding onto you!"

Train up a child...

The Message translation of the Bible has an interesting take on Proverbs 22:6 - you know the whole "train your child" verse...

"Point your kids in the right direction—
when they're old they won't be lost."

For us, that means grounding them solidly in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It's not just about going to church and Sunday school - but more than that - it's about a love for Jesus and wanting to live their lives for Him.

We do scriptures every night - and pray every night. Since starting Accountable Kids with Madeleine 2 weeks ago we're doing them with no excuses and no whining even...

We try to always kneel during prayer time - it doesn't matter if your hands are folded or arms crossed in our household - as long as you're being reverent. 

Tonight as Maddie and I were kneeling to say prayers after reading the scripture (or blessing is really what she calls it) I peeked at Wyatt who is always watching us - he kneeled down and put his head on the bed as we were praying and popped back up as soon as Maddie said Amen - and then added his own AMEN! It was cute and encouraging - that maybe all this hard work I've done to put these practices in place is starting to pay off and become routine.

I think of the future and the challenges that await for them as they venture out into the world and I want to hold them tight and keep them close. It's the daily scriptures and prayer - and the life lessons of accountability, honesty, integrity and all those other Christian morals and values we're trying to teach out kids - that I hope stay with them as they experience the world.

For now, it's a start that I hope stays with them a long time.