What it means to be King, and Quarrels

A great quote from "The Horse and his Boy" by C.S. Lewis:

"And that's truer than thy brother knows, Cor," said King Lune. "For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there's hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land."

May God help us to grow into the son-ship (and daughter-ship) he has called us to.

And another funny quote:

"Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarrelling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently."

Heehee.

Psalm 51

Psalm 51 is so nice :) In the times when I feel like I've failed time after time again, it's so hard to find the words to say to God. But praying alongside (King) David is so refreshing! Some of my favorites:

• "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions."
• "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."
• "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice."
• "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
• "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

Old Lightbulbs Need a Place to Belong, Too

This is a poem written by my sister, Jensine Lee!

burnt out, rundown,

you've been getting dim

you've lost that brand-new luster

your replacement's coming soon

i hear he's so much shinier

i hear he's got extra zing

i hear he's made of fancy stuff

that shimmers twice as long

where will you go, old lightbulb?

who needs you, wants you now?

with your smoky sheen and rusty rim

can you be useful still?

you're wondering 'bout a lightbulb heaven

but you think you won't belong

after all, it's for the very best

whose beams shone far and wide

but you, you always flicker

when the thunder's moving in

and there's that blackout of '92

you haven't quite yet lived down

oh, where will you go, old lightbulb?

who needs you, wants you now?

with your smoky sheen and rusty rim

can you be useful still?

is life so cruel, old lightbulb,

used up and then thrown out?

what was it for, old lightbulb?

what was it for?

somewhere there's a girl

with a bag of dusky bulbs

she'll take you home, wipe off the dust

paint a smile on your curve

she keeps them lined up on her windowsill

to remind her...