Real Stories From AOL: I had been teaching my three-year-old daughter the Lord's Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she would repeat after me the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us some e-mail. Amen." One particular four-year-old prayed, "and forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

A little boy was overheard praying, "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, it's okay. I'm having a real good time like I am."

A Sunday school teacher asked her small pupils, as they were on the way to the church service, "Why should we be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, " Because people are sleeping."

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel microphone, and as he preached, he moved about the platform, jerking the mike cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again.

After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered, "If he gets loose will he hurt us?"

Six-year-old Angie and her four-year-old brother Joel were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his big sister had enough.

"You're not supposed to talk out loud in church."

"Why? Who's going to stop me?" Joel asked.

Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, "See those two men standing by the door? They're hushers."

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin (5) and Ryan (3). The boys began to argue over would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait."

Kevin turned to his younger brother and said. "Ryan, you can be Jesus!"

A Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments and were ready to discuss the last one. The teacher asked if anyone could tell her what it was. Susie raised her hand, stood tall, and quoted, "Thou shall not take the covers off thy neighbor's wife."

At Sunday school they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny, a kindergartner, seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created from one of Adam's ribs. Later in the week, his mother noticed him lying as though he was ill and asked, "Johnny, what's the matter?" Little Johnny responded, " I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife!"

And from a 3-year-old: "Our Father, who does art in heaven, Howard is his name...."

-- Susan in Northern Lower Penn Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), April 06, 2002

Answers

This reminds me of a story my parents always laugh about....

Starting when I was about 2 we had a college student living with us by the name of Shirley Goodman. She stayed with us a few years.

Later we moved away and in our new church we would sing the 23rd psalm ....."Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." Since I couldn't read yet, I listened to the lyrics and was horrified to learn that Shirley Goodman would be following me all the days of my life! ;)

-- heather (h.m.metheny@att.net), April 07, 2002.

Heather. I LOVED it. LOL. Aren't children wonderful? They take things so literally. We really need to be cautious when telling them anything. Keeping us honest I guess.

-- Susan in Northern Lower Penn Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), April 07, 2002.

Thank you both, that was hilarioius, and sooooo soooo true. You've been a Blessing to me this morning. Wishing you a Day in HIs Grace

-- Michaela (flhomestead@hotmail.com), April 07, 2002.

When my nephew was small, he once started a prayer with "Dear Lloyd". That was his grandpa's name!

-- Bonnie (stichart@plix.com), April 08, 2002.

When my sister prays with her grand-daughter she always says "and thank you for the many gifts that you have given us...", well her dad came in one night after listening to Cadie's prayer and asked my sister why she would pray for God to give her the presents! To a 2 year old the gifts that God gives are supposed to be presents!

-- Lynelle SOwestVA (X2ldp@aol.com), April 13, 2002.