"...and be sure your sin will find you out." - Numbers 32:23 "Brenna, did you do all your chores this morning?" "Yessir" "The floor is awfully gritty feeling. Did you vacuum, also?" "Oh yeah!" "Really? Because I found the vacuum at the other end of the house and Jordan said she put it there for you to use. If you used it, why didn't you put it away?" "Well, I, uh...I forgot?" "Forgot to put it away or forgot to vacuum?" "I forgot to vacuum." This has become an unfortunately common type of conversation in my house lately with Brenna. Last week it came to our attention that she had kissed a boy at church and attempted to enlist her best friend in her effort to keep it a secret from Mom & Dad. Fortunately, the friend got pinned to the mat wrestling with her conscience and told the adults. This little episode resulted in the loss of all of her electronics and restriction from phone, tv, and computer use. As it was put, she could earn her things back when she could demonstrate trustworthiness. The kid looked like she had swallowed a banana sideways! Tonight, she has to write a paragraph -put together by her mom- one hundred times in the hope that it will kickstart the "honesty engine" in her head. In the meantime, my hope is she will realize two things: Honesty is always the best policy. "My parents know everything. Or will eventually find out." Maybe it'll make a difference. We're in the business of raising good citizens here.

How much is peace and quiet worth to me? I mean in a true "dollars and cents" way, how much is it worth? Or, rather, how much would I be willing to pay to get it? Let's break it down: If I equate my hourly gross pay with self-worth, then the Post Office says I'm worth $25.01 per hour. Currently, peace and quiet are available to me only between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., five days a week (usually). Assuming a 7% sales tax, a quality brand of Made in the USA peace and quiet should run about $134. How should I make out my check?