Conference moira::parenting_v3

    I found a short, sweet prayer in one of my son's nursery rhyme books.
    I liked it so much I painted a picture with the words next to it
    for his room.  I like it also because it's short, good for my 1 1/2
    year old.
    
    "I see the moon
     the moon see's me,
     God bless the moon
     and God bless me".
     They can add and bless so and so, etc.
    
      Nancy
    

    There is another version of "Now I lay me" but I'm not sure if this is 
    exactly right.  Maybe this will spark someone else's memory and he/she
    can let us know.
    
    Now I lay me down to sleep,
    I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
    Guide me safely through the night,
    And wake me with the morning light.
    
    God bless ...  Amen.
    
                                                    Tracy

    Now I lay me down to sleep
    I pray the Lord my soul to keep
    And watch me through the starry night
    And wake me when the sun is bright

    Now I lay me down to sleep
    I pray the Lord my soul to keep
    Wake me with the morning sun
    As yet another day's begun .... or something like that!

    There are four corners on my bed
    There are four angels at its head
    Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
    Please bless the bed
    that I lie on.
    

    From infancy we start our children with the "Our Father".  Everyone 
    participates to the level they can.  At two, the kids can interject a
    word at the end of each sentence.  By four they can pretty much recite
    the prayer.  At five they learn the meaning of the words they have been
    saying for the last 5 years.  Of course we also add the "God bless
    Mom, Dad, etc... so the kids are saying words they can understand.

    Thanks for all the prayer suggestions.  I think we'll go with the
    Our Father.
    
    Donna
    

    Here's one from my childhood that I say with James every night:
    
    Angel of God, my guardian dear,
    To whom God's love commits me here,
    Ever this night be at my side
    To light and guard and rule and guide.  Amen.
    
    You can also substitute "day" for "night" and say it together in
    the morning when you get your daughter up.

    As for the Our Father - one of my coworkers told me he finally found
    out God's name = his daughter says "Our Father, who art in heaven,
    Harold be thy name...."
    
    

    re .9,  I remember a cartoon in the Sunday paper from when I was a
    child, it was Hi and Lois I think.  Scenario is the family is shown in
    a church pew singing.  The words go "and he walks with me and he talks
    with me, and he tell me I am his own"....Suddenly the little boy turns
    to his parents and asks "who's ANDY?"  It's been something I'll never
    forget, and half expect AJ to comeup with something like that!
    
    Enjoy
    Lyn

    
    
    This is slightly aside, but I can't help myself.  
    
    Along the same vein as .9 about a story I read/heard some time ago.
    
    		
    		There as a group of children who were asked to
    		draw a picture about the Lord's prayer.  This one
    		child, a little girl, I believe, drew a picture 
    		which none of the adults could figure out.  One
    		of them finally asked her how the picture related 
    		to the Lord's Prayer.  
    
    		She replied:
    
     
    			"And lead a SNOT into temptation."
                                                          

    My mom always looked for "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear" in hymns...
    
    Adrienne
    

    If you're still game...here's one I remember from first grade!
    
    God gave me eyes so I could see,
    All the beauty round me of the trees,
    Of the lovely flowers that grow,
    In the meadow where I go.
    
    Amen