Prayer Rocks

 A few weeks back I was released from Young Womens and put into Primary. Because our Primary is so small, it's divided up into three classes. I teach the Valiants, or children 8-12 years old. My last lesson was on Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray and I had the brilliant idea to make each child a prayer rock. So, I bundled Lydia up and we went out along the canal and picked out suitable rocks. Lydia had a blast, occasionally blurting out "rock" every few feet.

Next, we came home and washed each of the seventeen rocks we picked out (I know I went overboard but I just couldn't choose which one to throw out because I kept thinking, what if one of the kids loves this rock...who am I to deny them?). I think this was Lydia's favorite part because she was able to play in the water. She really didn't care about washing rocks and mostly just held her hand under the water, but the rocks got clean and we got soaked.

 The next step includes setting the rocks out on a paper towel to dry. We were experts at this step! We could be professional rock dryers.

 Here we see Lydia's wind-tossed-rock-collecting hair and the joy on her face of being able to help Mom with a project.

Next came all the tedious work of printing out the word "prayer" on green and orange paper (the only colors I had -luckily gender neutral), cutting it out and modge-podging it onto the rocks. I enlisted Brigham's help with the cutting -as a good wife does- and soon the rocks were drying and ready to go. 

To go with the prayer rocks, I printed out this poem on yellow cardstock:

I'm your little prayer rock, Here is what I'll do; 
I'll remind you that Heavenly Father likes to hear from you.

It isn't always easy to remember saying prayers and so...

Each morning when you make your bed on your pillow I will go.

At night if you forget to pray and climb into your bed,

You'll lay down on your pillow- and WHACK, you'll bump your head!

Then you will remember to kneel and say a prayer,

Then drop me out onto the floor, I promise I'll stay there.

When you wake up in the morning I'll still be on the floor,

CLUNK, you'll stub your toe on me and remember to pray once more.

If you let me be a special friend and use me every day,

Heavenly Father will be happy to know that you're learning to pray.

I sure felt good about my little project. When class started, only four kids were there. Four. Normally I have 7-10. Oh well, I thought, I'll just have lots of extras. Then, at the end of class, after they each excitedly picked out a rock, the children said, "Where's our treat?"... I was ticked I tell you. Ticked. I need to teach a lesson on gratitude.

Well, to help put to good use the remaining prayer rocks, Brigham handed some out at the family dinner that night. However, we still have some left. So if you would like one, you may pick from the pile above and let me know. You can have a prayer rock of your very own! (poem on yellow cardstock included)  Sure, you may be able to go pick up any old rock outside to use, but my bet is that it won't have a green or orange "prayer" on it, or be nearly as cool. Your choice :)