Grading Sister’s papers yesterday I came across this math question?

“Which would you rather have, 95 pennies or 9 dimes?”

Sister had very artistically circled the latter so I broke out my seldom used red teacher pen and marked “Really?” in the margin.  Today Sister reviewed her work and upon reading my note remarked, “Yes, really.  Who the heck wants to carry around 95 pennies just so they can have an extra 5 cents?”

Clearly the girl has a grasp on reality.

Brother asked to pray the prayer at supper this evening.

“Dear Lord, thank you for this food.  Thank you that we had a good day at school today. Help us to be sharable people and to love You most of all.  Amen”

So sweet.  I laughed a little to myself at the “sharable people” part but as I reflected upon it more I realized how inspired his request was. Tonight is not the first time this week such an idea has knocked at my door. 

Our church is reading the book Primal together.  I’m not certain where everyone else is but I’ve finally made it past Chapter 3 where the author talks about money.  “Where your treasure is there your heart will be also” and all that.  I am convicted.  Will and I have always been givers.  Since our marriage began we have never not tithed and I truly believe that simple decision is directly responsible for the blessing we experience now.  But I am convicted nonetheless because several years ago we discussed reaching what Mark Batterson calls a “income ceiling”.  We concluded that if our income ever reached what seemed at the time an unattainably high number that would be all we’d need.  Everything beyond it we would probably just give to missions or something.  I am convicted because our income is now almost twice that number but we don’t give half of it to “missions or something” … not even close.  To be fair, our family has more than doubled since our original discussion so, of course, expenses have increased but the real question is not about the logistics of the matter.  The real question is about my heart. Is it a sharable one? Really?  Because if a sharable heart is one that is chasing after God and His desires then I don’t want to just share.  I want to share outrageously.  And I’m not … yet. 

But my prayer tonight is this: that God will not only show me ways to cut our expenses so that money can be redirected to Kingdom causes but also to help me re-align my priorities to match His desires instead of my own.

Dear Lord, help me to be a sharable person and to love You most of all.  Amen

Brother:  What does “suffer” mean?

Me:  Well, if someone was going to “make you suffer” then they would make you hurt or maybe regret a decision.  Like if they held your arm behind your back until you couldn’t feel your fingers then you would be suffering.”

Brother:  Ok

***

Overheard moments later:

Sister:  So, what does it mean?

Brother: It’s when you can’t feel your fingers.

Forevermore (at least in our home) known as Chicken Flakes.

Me to the kids:  After you guys get dressed, come back downstairs: we are going to make cookies.

Sister: Okay. What are we making cookies for?

Me: Because I feel like a cookie.

Sister: Really?  What does a cookie feel like?

Me: Round and slightly chunky, I suppose.

Sister: I bet you do feel that way.

*As a side note, these are the cookies we made.  Delicious!

Brother:  I can’t eat the rest of my ice cream.

Me:  Give it to the cats, then.  They’ll like it.

Sister:  NO!  Don’t give it to the cats.  It will make them sick.

   Discussion ensues on cat health and cream during which Brother sits his remaining ice cream outside.  Just as Sister is about to make her final point ….

Brother:  Look!  They’re eating it and they’re not dying.

Case Closed.

Brother says - You know, Mom.  Pineapple is a kind of boy food.  It’s dusty and dirty on the outside but not on the inside.

Later talking about the cousin’s secret clubhouse~

Brother:  Where is it?

Sister: In the woods behind their house

Brother:  If I had a hideout I’d make it inside behind the couch.

Sister: Well, then it wouldn’t be a hide OUT.  It would be a hide IN.

*this post backdated for chronological reasons

Brother:  Where are you going, Mama?  Are you going to Target? (ie my favorite store in the whole world because I totally associate it with Lego’s and the getting of Lego’s which is my very favorite thing in the whole world.)

Me:  I don’t know where I’m going.  I just need a little mommy time.

(beat)

Brother:  Well, I could use a little Brother time.

*Brother opens the mailbox to find his much anticipated Lego magazine and comments in a deadpan way, “Now there’s something you don’t see everyday.”

*At the museum looking at a room re-created from the Old West Sister exclaims, “Oh look, they had a hidden air vent … *pause* … well, they probably didn’t have those.

Out for our evening walk we pass by a vacant house.  Unaware of it’s emptiness, some phone company employee has left a hefty directory sitting on the mailbox.

Sister asks, “What’s on that mailbox?”

“Hmm, it looks like a phone book.”

(pause)

“What’s a phone book?”