For FHE yesterday we had a lesson on gratitude, specifically on gratitude to the Lord. I filled a brown paper bag with items from around the house (toy food, a picture of the scriptures, a toy animal, etc) and then had the girls pull out the items one at a time so we could discuss how it was a blessing in our lives and how we can show the Lord we're thankful for it.
We told them to close their eyes when they reached in the bag, which Miriam took very seriously. She pulled out the toy pear. We talked about how food helps our bodies grow and that we can thank our Heavenly Father for our food by praying before we eat so that we can say thank you but also by eating responsibly—for example, eating good things that actually nourish our bodies and not wasting food, that kind of thing.
I think it was also Miriam who pulled out the toy elephant.
"I am not thankful for elephants!" Rachel said at once—that day at the Cairo Zoo was a little traumatizing for her—"Remember that one time that elephant tried to eat my hair!?"
"What about animals in general?" I asked.
We talked about how cows give us milk and meat and chickens give us eggs and meat and we can ride horses and listen to birds sing and so forth.
At the end of our lesson we challenged the girls to be thankful for at least three things when they pray. Miriam offered to say the closing prayer.
"Dear Fadder," she said, "Bless a day. I'm thankful for three things. Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!"
We just about died laughing.
Then we had some BYU kids over for dinner. And then we put the girls to bed.
Miriam's bedtime prayer was much the same as her FHE prayer, though I was able to guide her into saying a few more things.
Rachel's prayer started out well and then her voice faltered and she said, "...and I'm thankful for elephants, too. I guess. And that's five things, so... AMEN!"
"Ummm, Rachel?" I said. "You know how to say a prayer and that's not how we end our prayers."
"Right," she said. "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
"Thanks," I said. "But what's with the five things?"
"Well, you said only three things but I thought you meant that for Miriam because she'll be turning three but because I'm almost five I thought maybe you just forgot to tell me to say five things in my prayer."
"Rachel, you can say as many things in your prayers as you want. We just challenged you to be grateful for at least three things before you start in asking for all sorts of blessings."
"Oh! I get it!"
And she did. Tonight's prayer went a lot smoother...for Rachel.
Miriam, on the other hand, simply said, "Dear Fadder, Bless a day! Name of Jesus. Amen! Oh...I forgot! Fadder, Thankful for three things! Name of Jesus! Amen!"
At least when she says it she says it with feeling. She is thankful for those three things, whatever they might be.
We told them to close their eyes when they reached in the bag, which Miriam took very seriously. She pulled out the toy pear. We talked about how food helps our bodies grow and that we can thank our Heavenly Father for our food by praying before we eat so that we can say thank you but also by eating responsibly—for example, eating good things that actually nourish our bodies and not wasting food, that kind of thing.
I think it was also Miriam who pulled out the toy elephant.
"I am not thankful for elephants!" Rachel said at once—that day at the Cairo Zoo was a little traumatizing for her—"Remember that one time that elephant tried to eat my hair!?"
"What about animals in general?" I asked.
We talked about how cows give us milk and meat and chickens give us eggs and meat and we can ride horses and listen to birds sing and so forth.
At the end of our lesson we challenged the girls to be thankful for at least three things when they pray. Miriam offered to say the closing prayer.
"Dear Fadder," she said, "Bless a day. I'm thankful for three things. Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!"
We just about died laughing.
Then we had some BYU kids over for dinner. And then we put the girls to bed.
Miriam's bedtime prayer was much the same as her FHE prayer, though I was able to guide her into saying a few more things.
Rachel's prayer started out well and then her voice faltered and she said, "...and I'm thankful for elephants, too. I guess. And that's five things, so... AMEN!"
"Ummm, Rachel?" I said. "You know how to say a prayer and that's not how we end our prayers."
"Right," she said. "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
"Thanks," I said. "But what's with the five things?"
"Well, you said only three things but I thought you meant that for Miriam because she'll be turning three but because I'm almost five I thought maybe you just forgot to tell me to say five things in my prayer."
"Rachel, you can say as many things in your prayers as you want. We just challenged you to be grateful for at least three things before you start in asking for all sorts of blessings."
"Oh! I get it!"
And she did. Tonight's prayer went a lot smoother...for Rachel.
Miriam, on the other hand, simply said, "Dear Fadder, Bless a day! Name of Jesus. Amen! Oh...I forgot! Fadder, Thankful for three things! Name of Jesus! Amen!"
At least when she says it she says it with feeling. She is thankful for those three things, whatever they might be.
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