Family Prayer

As a requirement in my Master's program, I must attend a total of three Mini-courses over the next four semesters. This week I attended a linguistics mini-course.  That meant that I needed to attend a 2 1/2 hour class every night this week (Monday - Friday) from 5-7:30pm.  That doesn't seem too bad until you realize that these courses are taught more lecture style.  In all honesty, it wasn't all that bad, but it overlapped one of my courses I am already taking.  That plus the extra assignments for the week caused me to get behind on my other class assignments.  Thus, time to spend with the wife and kids was limited.  Even after the boys went to bed, it was back on the computer to work.

All in all, the mini-course was interesting. But it also, however, got me home at bedtime for the boys.  But there is one thing that didn't get pushed off by the way side this week, which I am incredibly grateful for.

I am so blessed to have a schedule that allows me to start my day with my family and end with them.  We say family prayer in the morning before anybody leaves and at night before bed. This is habit we've formed to keep God in our lives, our home, and our family.  I have the option of teaching courses at 8 am, which would cause me to leave the house at 7am.  This would make it incredibly difficult to get the boys and Whitney up and get out of the house on time.  However, I have made sure I don't teach those classes, and future semesters will probably result equally, so that we can calmly and faithfully say family prayers in the mornings before I leave.

We like to get the boys to bed at a decent hour.  Eight o'clock is bedtime, and we do our best, though it rarely happens by 8pm.  This means family prayer is again at 8ish.  The latest I get home this semester is at 7pm. With the mini-course this week, I was getting home at 8 everynight, perfect timing to kneel down with my family to speak to Heavenly Father as a family.

I have many faults as a man and as a father.  However, I feel that family prayer is one way I can show my kids my love and faith for God.  Thought schedules changes with our desires, prayer remains a constant as does God.  I pray my boys come to realize this on their own, which is why I must put forth the effort now.