EVERY ONSET OF THE SCHOOL YEAR I PRAY AND FOCUS ON HOW TO PREPARE MY LITTLE ONES TO ENTER THE 'REAL' WORLD. I ALWAYS HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME SENDING THEM BACK TO SCHOOL. I WANT THEM TO BE THERE AS GOOD EXAMPLES, UNSCATHED FROM EVERY EVIL AND PROTECTED FROM HARM OR DANGER.
(granted I am a weee bit overprotective)
WE HAVE DONE SEVERAL THINGS OVER THE YEARS. WE HAVE A FAMILY NIGHT BASED ON THIS IDEA, USUALLY USING "THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD" AS A SYMBOLIC CONCEPT. MARC ALWAYS GIVES EACH CHILD A PRIESTHOOD BLESSING. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH DIFFERENT YEARS OF SAYINGS, LIKE BEFORE THEY WALK OUT THE DOOR, LIKE, "REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE "....ETC
THIS YEAR I GOT OUR THEME FROM A CONVERSATION WE HAD READING THE BOOK OF MORMOM DURING THE SUMMER. WE DISCUSSED ALMA 'THE YOUNGER' AND I EXPLAINED TO THE KIDS HOW MUCH THE ADVERSARY WANTS TO TRICK THEM, TEMPT THEM AND CAUSE THEM TO FALL. I TOLD THEM THEY ARE LIKE LITTLE WARRIORS AGAINST EVIL. ENCOURAGED THEM TO BE ON GUARD FOR EVERY ATTEMPT TO TAKE THEM OFF THE RIGHT PATH.
I SAID YOU NEED TO KEEP "YOUR DUKES UP"
PUNCH 'him' OUT
GIVING SATAN A BLACK EYE AND A FAT LIP,
PROVERBIALLY SPEAKING ,
SO THIS YEAR AS THEY PREPARED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE I SAID,
"REMEMBER,....... DUKES UP"
