Mourning to Dancing: July 2012

Monday, July 23, 2012

Lord,
How discontent have I been these last couple of days? Wickedly discontent.

Good timing for a lesson today about Psalm 90 and the importance of numbering my days and not wasting my life.

Nothing surprises You. You are sovereign. (I love the word "sovereign.")

You know the wickedness of our hearts, the secret darkness lurking in thoughts we would never willingly allow to escape.

The heart is deceitfully wicked. Who can know it?
Answer: You. You know it. I try to mask and pretend even around You that I'm not as awful as I am, but then I realize that I'm vainly striving to convince You of anything other than reality. And it is so much better, so much more freeing to just honestly and humbly confess the depravity of my thoughts and beg You to change me, to cause me to be grateful because in everything You have a great purpose: to cause me to be better and more like You, to help and comfort others who will later walk this same path, and for me to desire heaven more.

Change, comfort, fill me. You know me so well. I am so glad.

the truth about history

History is not a limited territory with defined borders that can be contained, conquered, and controlled. It is instead a vast and limitless ocean that can only be explored and charted. The farther you sail into the ocean of world history, the more you realize it is a journey with no end. However, you can drop anchor at any point and probe the depths of world history where you are, and those anchors can become permanent places in your children's minds. People, events and ideas are the anchors that will hold history in place for your children. Your goal is not to try to cover the entire ocean surface of world history, which would require a very fast and shallow trip, but rather to pick some specific routes, stop at the most interesting places, and out down as many historical anchors as you can. The more anchors you can create, the easier it will be for your children to begin to sort out and make sense of world history. The best way to create those anchors is through reading whole, living books that make history come alive.

~Clay & Sally Clarkson

Monday, July 16, 2012

less of me

Circumstances of life sure have a way of blindsiding you sometimes. And yet we know that God uses everything in a life to grow us so long as we respond appropriately.

I wonder sometimes how many weird, unpredictable, outrageous things can come into a life? How many times have I said: “Really?! Who does this happen to?!” The answer is me and others who don't want a plain old apathetic, complacent existence. And it's ok. I want radical. I want turn-the-world-upside-down-and-shake-it-up. I want to come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And I know that if I truly want to live for Him, then crazy stuff will flow my way.

Rejection happens.

Bad-decisions-turned-redemption-stories happen.

Miracles happen.

Love stories happen.

Crazy relatives happen.

Success happens.

Marginalization happens.

Slander happens.

How will I respond?

MORE of You, Jesus, and less, less, less of me.

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Insights from Brandon

"My brother is crazy because he drinks a lot of fruit juice." (7-5-10)

A phone call.

Dad: "Hey Brandon, do you miss me?"

Brandon: "Actually, Dad, I've been having such a good time, I haven't really thought about you."

While watching the Perseid Meteor Shower, Daddy put away the telescope. B says: "Well, we'll have to depend on our eyes now." (8-12-10)

Was watching AFV with B. I said, "I've never seen a cat do that." B looked at me and stated very matter-of-fact: "Well, now you have." (8/22/10)

B: "Mom, Si said he was mad at you and daddy because he couldn't go miniature golfing. I told him he should be mad at satan because satan made him be bad." Me: "Brandon, you know satan doesn't make us do anything. We all make our own decisions." B: "Oh! Thank you, Mom. I guess I don't know everything." (9/11/10)

"I can only find my sandals. If Jesus can wear 'em, I can wear 'em!" (11/15/10)

B: "Mom, instead of just buying milk at the store..."

Me: "...we should just get a cow?"

B: "Yes! Cows are my favorite animal."

Me: "Do you like cows because they make milk?"

B: "Yes! Milk is my favorite drink."

Me: "Yes, well, where would we keep it?" (1/12/11)

J: "Does anyone know what 'reproach' means?"

B: "Well, I think I sort of know. It's like when you first approach somebody and then you reproach them later." (1/17/11)

"I love me! I love myself! I'm a genius!" ...upon great success playing his math game. Don't worry, I reminded him of the Proverb: Let another man praise you and not your own lips. And then I praised him and told him he's a genius. (2/18/11)

"Mom! I didn't know I could have so much fun in one day!" Excitedly pronounced as we exited Circus Circus. (3/18/11)

B: "Mom, Si's having an otter pop. Can I have one?"

Me: "Yes."

B: "But, you said we couldn't have dessert."

Me: "Well, Daddy said yes."

B: "Oh! It doesn't matter what you say, Mom; it matters what Dad says!" (8/27/11)

B: "There's 2 reasons why I was in the bathroom for so long. I was going poo...that's number one..." Mommy: "Don't you mean that's number 2?" (2/15/12)

Me: "Brandon, I'm teaching Sunday School tomorrow and I need you to help me collect some Legos for a game we're playing."

B: "Wow, Mom! Thanks for telling me. I'm a Lego genius!"

Me: "Your brother likes being dirty."

B: "Yeah. Dirty's his favorite thing. I think he likes it more than his favorite color." (2/18/13)

At a memorial for our friend, Sharon Bergman:

Dutch (Sharon's husband) to B: "I'm really glad you guys came today. It really means a lot."

B: "Well, I really didn't have a choice." (6/1/13)

"One thing's for sure: I never get tired of going to church! (2014)

Silas speaks

"Mommy, Jesus was in my dream and He said, 'You should obey your mom and dad everyday.'" (4-5-10)

I got the ice cream out of the freezer and set it on the stove to dish some up for the boys and Silas says, "Don't warm it up, Mom! Then it won't be ice cream, it will just be cream." (6/4/10)

Silas: "Dad, why is the earth made of dirt?'

Daddy: "That's a strange question coming from a kid that should be asleep."

Silas: "But it's a good one." (6/6/10)

"I picked up Daddy's rubber band (the theraband Jamie is using for p.t. on his arm) and I looked around and no one was looking, but I knew God was looking so I put it back." (6/7/10)

We were having lunch at Calico's (a restaurant) and Silas says to the owner, "Brandon is sad because he likes the Fudge Factory better." (7/22/10)

B: "Grammy we got Twinkies at the Bottle Shop for an after-lunch treat."

Si: "Yeah, We had zucchinis...I mean, whatever-they're-called." (8/21/10)

B: "Mommy, I want to sleep with you."

Mommy: "That's nice, but you need to sleep in your own bed."

Si: "I want to sleep on the crouton." (He meant the futon in our room.) (8/22/10)

Me: "Si, what was your favorite part of Sunday School today." Si: "Saying my memory verse." Me: "Really? What was it?" Si: "I don't remember." (9/12/10)

I'm going through Madeline for our Five-In-A-Row lesson, and I asked the boys what tower is in Paris. Si shouts, "The Tower of Terror!" I guess the ride at Disneyland made an impression. (9/27/10)

Si & I were at the Miramar Air Show when a man sitting in front of us fell unconscious. By all observations, he was dead. So, I prayed and helped how I could. After a while, we walked away and I tried to explain to Si what had happened. I asked him if he'd like to pray for the man and his wife and he did. His prayer was beautiful and perfect. After praying, he said to me, "Mommy, when I was praying I thought my eyes were going to cry." I told him that those are the best prayers. (10/1/10)

We were talking about the Lamb's Book of Life during breakfast, and Si says, "Mom, I think we should pray right now that our names are in the Book." "Okay, honey," I said, "go ahead and we will all pray." About 3 minutes later, I continued to read the Bible story and I saw Si, head bowed, hands clasped. "Siley, are you praying again?" "Yes, mommy. I really want my name in that book." (11/30/10)

Watching the Charger game.

"The reason why they call him 'Rivers' is because his shirt is blue." (12/16/10)

Spoken as dramatically as you can comprehend: "I am the golden child!" (12/20/10)

Daddy: "Are you excited to see your great-grandmother tomorrow?"

Si: "I don't even know who she is."

Daddy: "She is Baba's mom."

Si: "I didn't know moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas have moms and dads."

Daddy: "Baba and Dadu are my mom and dad."

Si: "How do you know?"

Jamie went into a lengthy answer about living with them while he was young, etc., then Silas asked, "Well then, why did you leave them?" (12/21/10)

After writing the letter 'q'. "Wow! That's a great whatever-that-letter-is!" (1/17/11)

"I burped three times. Excuse me... Thrice!" (5/28/11)

Me: "Boys, who is your favorite hero and why?"

Si: "God. Because anytime He wants He can turn me into a chicken." (1/12/12)

Me: "Real life is way better than school." Si: "I'll tell you what's better than school...learning about heaven!" (2/6/12)

Grammy: "Si, wouldn't you want a million dollars?" Si: "No, because it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (7/15/14)

Si: "Mom, you know how Obamacare only really works for people who are old?" Me: "Yeah." Si: "Well, if I become a famous ball player, I can take care of you. It'll be Silas-care!" (10/21/14)

"I'm just a big blob of tissue right now. Standing here, talking, walking around, looking like a person. I'm just a big blob of tissue." (5/15/15)

Ganging up together...

B: "Silas, you know, when you drop one of my favorite things, your brain tells your bones to do it." To which Si responds: "Maybe that's it! My brain's being mean to me!!" (9/1/10)

B: "Hey! You killed me! Why'd you do that?"

Si: "Well, you ran in front of my gun...what do you expect?" (4/23/11)

The boys are coloring.

me: "Who is that?"

B: "Abraham Lincoln."

me: "What's he doing?

B: "Reading."

Me: "He's reading by the firelight. Everything he ever learned, he taught himself."

Si: "So did Yoda." (2-12-12 Happy Birthday, Abe.)

Si: "Mom, you know why I like being the youngest? It's like Jacob and Esau...'the oldest shall serve the youngest.'"

B: Laughing, "Yeah, this morning he asked if I would sell my birthright." (9-17-12)

Great Quotes

"Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." ~Abraham Lincoln

"In contemplating the political institutions of the United States, [if we remove the Bible from schools] I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them." ~Dr. Benjamin Rush, The Father of the Public Schools under the Constitution

"Those who have known freedom and lost it have never known it again." ~Ronald Reagan

"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." ~Mark Twain

"Act as though it's all up to you; Pray as though it's all up to Him." ~Glenn Beck

"God uses each of us within the limitations of our personalities. ...it is Him in me that will reach the world." ~Sally Clarkson

"If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind...for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Savior." ~Fanny Crosby (author of more than 8000 hymns)

"Cat food tastes so bad cats deserve it." ~Hank the Cowdog

Mourning to Dancing

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Monday, July 23, 2012

the truth about history

Monday, July 16, 2012

less of me

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