This actually freaks me out a little bit,

What would you remember...

...if reading the Bible were a crime?

seriously -- here I am, sitting in my downstairs basement area, and without moving, I can count 7 Bibles. SEVEN. That's not even counting the ones that are upstairs that we actually use on a frequent basis. And what do I have to show for it? How much of God's Word can I actually recite?

If someone charged into my house today with a court order to seize and dispose of all of my Bibles, what would I remember? Is his Word actually hidden in my heart or do I leave it on the page?

Thinking about this tonight reminded me of a story I read about a teenager who was executed for reading the Bible, just one of many such atrocities:

Girl
16 or 17 years old
Asia
1970s

The Communist soldiers had discovered their illegal Bible study.

As the pastor was reading from the Bible, men with guns suddenly broke into the home, terrorizing the believers who had gathered there to worship. The Communists shouted insults and threatened to kill the Christians. The leading officer pointed his gun at the pastor's head. "Hand me your Bible," he demanded.

Reluctantly, the pastor handed over his Bible, his prized possession. With a sneer on his face, the guard threw the Word of God on the floor at his feet.

He glared at the small congregation. "We will let you go," he growled, "but first, you must spit on this book of lies. Anyone who refuses will be shot." The believers had no choice but to obey the officer's order.

A soldier pointed his gun at one of the men. "You first."

The man slowly got up and knelt down by the Bible. Reluctantly, he spit on it, praying, "Father, please forgive me." He stood up and walked to the door. The soldiers stood back and allowed him to leave.

"Okay, you!" the soldier said, nudging a woman forward. In tears, she could barely do what the soldier demanded. She spat only a little, but it was enough. She too was allowed to leave.

Quietly, a young girl came forward. Overcome with love for her Lord, she knelt down and picked up the Bible. She wiped off the spit with her dress. "What have they done to Your Word? Please forgive them," she prayed.

The Communist soldier put his pistol to her head. Then he pulled the trigger.

We do NOT face this sort of persecution on a daily basis. And I know that this is something that we've all heard before, but think about it -- if someone confiscated your Bible, made you spit on it upon the threat of death, what would you remember?

Would you remember John 3.16? Maybe Gen. 1.1? Just vague paraphrases of the Christmas story? Scattered themes of sermons and homilies from our pastors and priests?

This has really convicted me and made me feel irresponsible for owning so many Bibles and not reading them and committing them to memory, hiding God's Word in my heart. I feel like a spoiled brat. Maybe I am.

My Grievances Against Blockbuster

okay, is this necessary...?

we go to blockbuster every single saturday. saturday is our movie night where we eat pizza rolls on a blanket in the living room and we let the girls pick out a movie for them, and rick and i get one for us. the girls take turns each week, and every week when we go there with whichever one, for MONTHS now, we have to pass this hideous poster:



seriously.... right under Thumbelina and Bolt. no joke.

shiloh always gets upset when we see it and i try to avoid it as best as i can, but they LOVE going to pick out their own movies! we've resorted to most times, just going straight to their kids' movie aisle and then to the checkout and then leaving, but then they don't get to look at any of the new kids' releases.

i hate this! and then, on the way to the checkout, they get to see this:


the latest issue of MAXIM! granted, it's not on the bottom shelf, but it's right next to the friggin M&Ms!!

i get that they have a lot of teenaged boys coming in to rent video games and that they're into this sort of thing. but would they be into it if it wasn't splashed all over the place?

do my kids have to see blood and gore and be afraid every time we want to go rent a new Dora movie? come on!!

*sigh*.... anyway. i'm gearing up to the point where i might complain or shop elsewhere.

and those are my grievances against blockbuster.