Andy and Payton

Last night my brother Andy took Payton to the Ranger game. Payton had a blast. Anytime he goes anywhere with Andy you can tell he feels so cool. I think there is also a special thrill for Pate when he attends an event with someone who allows him to eat a bucket of fries, ice cream and a couple of Sprites for dinner. They sat right behind first base. Payton however did not mention one thing about baseball. He was mesmerized by the people, the volume, the food, and how cool Andy's truck is... What a great memory for him.

My parents have been DC this week enjoying life with the family and a big event at the DOD. It meant that they missed grandparents day at Payton's school (which was not a big deal...they have attended more events for our children than I have :)). Andy filled in for them and gave Payton the thrill of a lifetime.

Such a wonderful gift from the Lord to watch my children love my siblings...They thrill at phone calls from Sam and Kelly and practically rip the door off the hinges when they hear Andy outside. My brothers and my sister made my childhood a time of great laughter...its so fun to see them do the same for my children.

Quotable Pate

This has been a great week in many ways...as far as quotes from Payton go...this may have been the best week ever. People constantly ask me, "Do you write all of this down?" My answer, "not really..." so in an attempt to capture some moments in our week...

Here's Payton:

The boys and I started back to BSF this week. Part of their incredible children's program is a 10 minute quiet time in which their teacher allows them to think of their memory verse or pray. I asked Payton on the way home if he had talked to God during quiet time...He responded with, "Not today mom, I just layed there and thought of everything I have to do today." Tony and I have laughed about this a lot wondering what was on his list...1. get Buzz Lightyear...thrown him up in the air until I endanger myself or others. 2. Get every pillow off of the couch- jump on them. 3. Push Benjamin at least once...etc...

Last night over dinner, "Mom when I go to heaven, its very important I don't forget my cowboy hat...I think the Lord will love seeing me in it."

I have been trying to teach Payton that he can look for things on his own...he does not need me everytime...I need to be his last resort. Yesterday he asked for his viewmaster and I told him he might need to go dig through his toy box. He responded with, "Here is why that is not a good idea. Dad gets really frustrated when the dogs dig and I would not want to frustrate him...so why don't you come in here and help me find it."

Today as we were leaving the park I explained to the boys that I was not feeling well. Benjmain said he wanted to go to McDonalds. Payton said, "Benjamin that sounds great, but my priority right now is getting mom home and to bed. She needs a nice long nap."

I opened one of my talks last weekend with this story...It captures Payton as well as our hearts for him...

"Our 4 year old son Payton has a power issue…He thinks he has it and he does not- and its an issue. Payton is incredibly articulate. The other night as Tony and I were disciplining him we asked if he had anything to say…(we will never do this again).he responded with, “Well we would not even be sitting here if you two had not made the choices that you made. I am disappointed, frustrated, and wondering what to do…You need to obey, you need to do it now, and that’s all.” I believe Tony and I both had eyes wide as saucers by the time he was finished…Thankfully the Lord has given my husband the ability to progress in discipline with a straight face…We explained to Payton then and a few times since then that he is not the parent. We do not obey him…We respect him and want to hear his heart…but ultimately he is to obey his parents as they seek to obey God, the one who holds all of the power…"

Honestly

I read a lot. I love to read. Always have. Once on a family vacation I read a total of 7 books and came home with a journal full of notes. My brothers had all sorts of fun making nerd jokes. Now Tony makes them... (not really:)). This past week I read something that deeply touched me...still can't read it without tears. Something in these words made me realize something in me is broken and I have ached over them and yet longed for the truth in them to sink deeper into my heart.

Here are some thoughts that Ken Gire (one of my favorite authors) wrote in "The Reflective Life-Becoming More Spiritually Sensitive to the Everyday Moments of Life":

"Honestly, I want to be like Christ.

But honestly, I want to be like the Christ who turned water into wine, not the Christ who thirsted on the cross. I want to be the clothed Christ, not the one whose garment was stripped and gambled away. I want to be the Christ who fed the five thousand, not the one who hungered for forty days in the wilderness. I want to be the free Christ, walking through wheatfields with His disciples, not the imprisoned Christ who was deserted by them.

I want to be the Good Samaritan, not the man who fell among thieves.
But if the man had not fallen among thieves, been beaten, stripped, and left for dead, the good in the Samaritan would of never emerged.

This is the dark side of Christianity, the side we don't see when we sign up. That if we want to be like Christ, we have to embrace both sides of His life. What else could it mean when the Bible talks about "the fellowship of His suffering?" How could we enter that fellowship apart from His suffering? How could we truly know the man of sorrows aquainted with grief if we had not ourselves known grief and sorrow?

That is how Christ grows in us, both corporately as a body and individually as members of that body. It is also the way many people come to Christ. For some people, it is the only way. And perhaps that explains, at least partially, why bad things happen to good people.

For the sake of those around them.
That they might come to Christ.
That Christ might come to them, to live in them.
So that once again a Savior can be born into the world."