Last Sunday was our ward conference at church. So of course we had the Stake President and all of his counselors on the stand. We sat in our usual place. 3rd row, center section to the right of the pulpit. We made it through the first 20 minutes with reverent children. Upon the sacrament being passed Hallie started to act up. So I asked to her to sit with me. She refused, so I pulled her up on my lap.

I started whispering in her ear, “You need to be reverent now, it’s time to really think about Jesus.” In her fit of anger she quietly replied back, “I don’t want to think about Jesus.” She repeats a little louder so that everyone next to us can hear it, “I don’t want to think about Jesus.” One more time even louder, she starts the same phrase as my hand ever so gently covered her mouth. I took my hand off when I thought it was safe. Bad move. She screams, “You can’t make me think about Jesus.” By this point, Steve has picked her up and is walking out as the sacrament continues to pass. As he’s walking down the isle she repeats herself multiple times, making sure every one can hear her.

Of course our children know how to embarrass us the most. I turn red, and then make eye contact with a man on the stand who is chuckling. I then try my hardest to gain composure as tears of laughter are slowly rolling down my cheeks. She’s got spunk!

Hallie walks back into the meeting just a few minutes later, as reverent as can be and remained that way the rest of the meeting. (Clearly Steve must have threatened her with her life!)

That night, Steve was putting Hallie to bed when out of the blue she says, “Dad, the next church day, I’ll want to think about Jesus.” I’ll hold her to that!