Well, prayer came to mind, and one (of the many) thing(s) that is SO cool about Annabelle is she loves to pray. You'll even get folded hands, eyes squished shut, and folded hands, with a precious "AMEN!" from Oliver (love that kid). In our family, we pray often. We pray when we hear someone is in need or ill. We pray when an aunt or friend is in labor with a baby. We pray at dinnertime and bedtime. We pray when passing car accidents and as ambulances go by. We pray and praise and pray!
So while watching a Smuckers All Natural Peanut Butter jar in the sink (we love that peanut butter - goes delish with Trader Joe's Social Crackers and Nutella- yummm...), an idea came to mind! A prayer jar! My dear friend Tina made me one of these ages ago (do you remember that Tina?). Its a jar with prayer requests in it.
So the Peanut Butter jar is now a Prayer Jar. Annabelle decorated it and we spent an hour writing names on popsicle sticks of family members, friend, neighbors, ballet, preschool and Sunday School teachers, members of our church family, and people we know who are in need of prayer. And then Oliver decorated the second jar in which the popsicle sticks go after we have prayed.
Annabelle picks a stick and Oliver picks a stick each evening at dinner and then we pray for those people. Its a fun way to teach your children to pray, and to notice how God is working in others lives! Its a reminder to pray for those who have a health concern, a move, a life change of some kind, or just pray for someone you love because you care for them and the Lord put them on your heart that day. I also think its cool to think we will have the joy of praying for about 60 people as a family in a month!
Easy, inexpensive, fun, and very do-able with young kids, plus eternal value as we cast our cares on Him - priceless!!
