... and repeat

Most evenings after dinner,

Tyler reads a few verses and we discuss them.

Recently, we spent about a week on Colossians 4:6.

One of our children, in particular,

really needs work in this area.

Several times a day, said child will hear,

"Is your conversation full of grace and seasoned with salt??"

to help him remember...

Last night,

there was an ugly altercation in the boys' room.

Josiah's feelings had been hurt

 and he wildly spewed out venomous words.

Before Tyler or I had a chance to intervene,

we overhead,

"Josiah! Your conversation sure isn't full of grace and salt!!

You know what it's full of?!

It's full of dirt!!"

~

Also last night,

we found some videos taken shortly after we moved here.

Apparently, we'd gone to Silver Dollar City

the day before one of the movies had been filmed,

because someone asked Jeremiah (then 2)

if he'd had a good time there.

That led to Jeremiah asking,

"Why don't we ever go to Silver Dollar City

or places like that anymore?"

....

We already knew it, of course,

but watching our big kids 

in those videos

 showed us 

how overly immature our youngest children are.

When we moved, Brandon was younger than Jeremiah is.

And wayyy more responsible

obedient

and helpful.

And delightful.

Our older children were expected to be contributors to the family.

And they were!

I could not run the household without their help

and they knew it.

These four?

These four are mess-makers.

And they do not contribute

 to the extent that they are/should be capable of.

They are selfish and disobedient.

Frankly - they wear. me. out.

I had the brilliant completely lame idea of hopping in the car

and chasing the sunset.

We were too late for the sunset,

but it was a good opportunity to tell the kids

why

we don't do things like 

go to SDC;

we hadn't been in the car 5 minutes

 and there'd already been all sorts of squabbles.

Tyler said, "Jeremiah, you asked earlier

why we don't go to Silver Dollar City.

This is why.

Your (meaning all of the littles) disobedience and selfish behavior...."

For the rest of the evening

and again today,

they've given us lots of opportunities to point out,

"this is why....."

I was fixing dinner when I overhead Lily

- who has no clue what SDC even is -

say to Lex,

"Lexi! This is why we don't go to Silver Dollar City!"

~

Yes, I know; we have a lot of work to do!