3 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack,

One of your new phrases that you’ve recently picked up is “oh my gosh.”

To some, that may not seem like a big deal. But for our family, it’s not something we take lightly.

“Oh my gosh” is lesser form of “oh my God,” which in my book, is a way of breaking one of the Ten Commandments: It’s referencing the Lord’s name in a trivial way; not in a reverent way.

I feel it’s my job to help you understand the difference in when it is and is not appropriate to use God’s name.

Here lately, you’re really getting curious about being more involved when our family prays together at dinner time.

Last night after I prayed while the three of us held hands before dinner, we all said “amen.” But you kept holding our hands, like you wanted to pray too.

So with Mommy’s encouragement, you paused, then simply said, “amen.” Hey, it’s a start- and I think that’s pretty cool of you to want to participate like that.

Whereas praying to God is the right way to use His name, randomly saying “oh my gosh” is a way to sort of indirectly tear down the holiness of God’s name.

It’s funny, because if you were 10 years-old and saying “oh my God,” I would be relieved for you to start saying “oh my gosh” instead.

But since you’re only 3, “what in the world?” is the phrase we are teaching you to say as a substitute for any form of “OMG.”

However, “oh my gosh” is everywhere.

It’s in kids’ movies and TV shows. You have friends who say it at school. I never thought much of it until it became a phrase I didn’t want you to say.

To be clear, I don’t find “OMG” to be offensive when others say it, because I don’t see how that personally concerns me.  I see it as an issue between an individual person and God in regards to how they use His name.

But for us, as a family, it’s a decision we have made, based on the teachings of our faith.

So while it might sound trivial, I’m going to steer you away from “OMG” and redirect you to “what in the world?”

Even if it’s normal and everyone else does it. Even Mater and Lightning McQueen.

Love,

Daddy

3 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack,

This is the third letter in a row I’ve written you that simply tells about some of the accidentally hilarious things you have said here recently.

It’s easy material for me, I have to be honest. I’m not making this stuff up… youare.

I mean, you’re asking good questions. In fact, I probably asked my dad similar questions when I was three.

At some point, someone had to set me straight on these facts. For you, this is beginning to be that point.

A few days ago on the drive home from school, you asked, “Daddy, does my name have a ’5′ in it?”

I explained to you that our names have letters in them, but not numbers.

So you immediately followed up with, “Daddy, what about ’1′? Does my name have a ’1″ in it?”

The first thing that came to mind was Star Wars characters, like C-3PO and R2-D2.

It wasn’t until this morning when you and I were playing in your bedroom with trains that I discovered what might have led to your confusion about numbers in our names.

You pressed the button on top of your talking Gordon train:

“I’m Gordon… I’m the Number 4 blue engine!”

Got it. Makes sense now.

Still though, I think you’re secretly hoping that you’re going to meet somone with a number in their name. I’m not saying it’s completely impossible.

Between some of the off-the-wall names I’ve been hearing parents name their kids (I won’t use examples, as to not come across as judgmental) and Russians (who use what looks like a 3 and a 4 as letters in their alphabet), you may one day meet someone with a number in their name.

For now, we can pretend your name has a number in it, if you want to.

Your “number name” is J5CK.

Love,

Daddy