I got this piggy bank from my Sunday school students a few years back as a birthday gift. This morning as I was following the book, "Mom's Little Book of Powerful Prayers" by Fern Nichols to bless my kids, I paused and noticed the piggy bank sitting on my bookshelf. Then I thought: if each prayer for our children is like a blessing saved up in the piggy bank, wouldn't it be nice to hand the filled piggy bank to them as a send-off college gift? You know, somewhat like a spiritual 529 account, one they can turn to time and again to retrieve energy and hope as they face the adversity in the real world.

Though this is somewhat a figurative speaking. But come to think of it, many parents are diligently saving up for college when the kids are still in preschool. We may have opened 529 accounts for them and routinely set aside a small lump sum, hoping the regular discipline would pay off when it comes to their college time. Do we do the same spiritually?

According to The Fuller Youth Institute, "roughly 50% of students walk away from the church after they graduate High School." I wonder if we can turn that tide if we consciously save up for our kids' college spiritually as we do so financially. As we begin this brand new year, I am hoping to build up the daily habit of blessing my kids with a prayer from Nichols' little booklet. Here is the quote from day 2 if you are interested.