One Sunday I was decided it was story time and told the kids - mostly Superstar - that when I was his age I made my own breakfast every day and I didn't think it too much to ask that he fix his own sandwich if I handed him the ingredients. Yes, I'm that dad. I'm not him very often, but I am him.
Later that day I looked through Superstar's notebook. The kids each have a notebook we take to church. During the sacrament talks, they get out their notebooks to doodle, write, draw, or do whatever they want. I looked through Superstar's notebook, and this is what I found:
On several pages he wrote out the alphabet and then wrote words he heard during the talks that matched up and how often he heard them
"Blessings"
"Ordanace"
"Keep Sabath holy"
"Gift of the Holy Ghost"
"Jesus suffered for us"
He wrote out the books of the Book of Mormon to practice them. He made a list of activities that are Great, Good, OK, Bad, or Very bad. The Great thing? "Heping Mommy and Daddy". He wrote things like "Precept opon precept" and "stay away from Satan." "Keep the Sabath holy" appears on a LOT of pages.
He made some word ciphers (A=1, B=2, etc.) with phrases like Jesus: A God of Miracles and I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents.
He wrote out the schedule of what he thinks happens every Sunday during the three hour block of church.
...
And I thought about this. See, when I was Superstar's age, I was reconstructing pictures of Donald and Daisy, I was coloring random pictures, I was playing with any toy Pop and Grandma would let me play with, I was very happy when I could convince Pop to play a dots game with me, and occasionally I would play a Bible trivia game but that was as close as I got to something spiritual.
Son, when I was your age, I did not understand church or the Sabbath as well as you already do. You're a good man, Superstar. I love you, and I'm proud of you.
Later that day I looked through Superstar's notebook. The kids each have a notebook we take to church. During the sacrament talks, they get out their notebooks to doodle, write, draw, or do whatever they want. I looked through Superstar's notebook, and this is what I found:
On several pages he wrote out the alphabet and then wrote words he heard during the talks that matched up and how often he heard them
"Blessings"
"Ordanace"
"Keep Sabath holy"
"Gift of the Holy Ghost"
"Jesus suffered for us"
He wrote out the books of the Book of Mormon to practice them. He made a list of activities that are Great, Good, OK, Bad, or Very bad. The Great thing? "Heping Mommy and Daddy". He wrote things like "Precept opon precept" and "stay away from Satan." "Keep the Sabath holy" appears on a LOT of pages.
He made some word ciphers (A=1, B=2, etc.) with phrases like Jesus: A God of Miracles and I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents.
He wrote out the schedule of what he thinks happens every Sunday during the three hour block of church.
...
And I thought about this. See, when I was Superstar's age, I was reconstructing pictures of Donald and Daisy, I was coloring random pictures, I was playing with any toy Pop and Grandma would let me play with, I was very happy when I could convince Pop to play a dots game with me, and occasionally I would play a Bible trivia game but that was as close as I got to something spiritual.
Son, when I was your age, I did not understand church or the Sabbath as well as you already do. You're a good man, Superstar. I love you, and I'm proud of you.
