Dilemma

Sarah:  Mom, I did something bad, and I know you're going to spank me.  I dropped a rock and got paint on the carpet.  I'm sorry.
Me: What rock? What paint? Where?
S: This rock (holding up a rock, wet with paint).  My new Christmas paints.  In the school room.
M (voice louder than it needs to be): Why are you painting rocks in the school room?!
S: I...um...don't know.
M: Are you supposed to have paint in that room?
S: No.
As I'm staring at her, 1 John 1:9 pops into my head. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  Which brought up the dilemma.  She knows that if she purposely does something she knows is wrong, she gets spanked.  But she did confess and apologize.  I mulled it over for a few seconds.
M: Do you remember what 1 John 1:9 says?
S: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
M: Good. I'm glad you confessed, instead of trying to cover it up or letting someone come along and step in it and make it worse.  I forgive you.  But you are going to get spanked, because you used paint where you know you weren't supposed to.  That's the purifying part.
S (wincing and putting her hand over her bottom) Ok.
M: It's going to be a light spank, because you don't deserve a hard one.
I gave her a little one that probably didn't even sting.  Fortunately, the paint was brown, and so is the carpet, and I was able to clean it up enough that it's not noticeable.  Unfortunately, Sarah did earn herself a good spanking later in the day for something else.  

Then when Mike got home, she backtalked him, and he threatened to send her to her room.  She continued to mouth off, which earned her a personal Daddy escort to her room.  I don't know what happened after that, but I'm betting he knocked Her Highness down a peg or two.  Suffice it to say that parenting her today has not been enjoyable.  I suppose from her perspective it hasn't been real fun being our kid today either.