Harry Potter Vs. The Wardrobe

Okay, let me start off by saying that I am promising to get here more often to blog, however my blog will be changing a bit. I tend to see the chance for ministry in most things and want to share how folks can get out and impact their community! So be on the look out for that! That being said, here goes another one of my ramblings that might entertain you! LOL I have been very convicted lately about things I watch and read not being of God. But were do we draw that line? Ok so from what I understand (and please know I haven't heard of this book until the other day) "50 Shades of Gray" is NOT something I would enjoy nor something I should even be reading, so this would be the complete opposite end of the spectrum I am dealing with here. Where I am confused is on the entirety of excluding books from our reading list. So many have issues with the Potter series. So that being said, that is the direction I am heading, mainly because that is just a point of reference for me. The Potter novels have been read by most in our home. My oldest has read them more than once and we have all seen the movies, ok my baby girl has not seen the last movie, it is a bit over the top for her. Here is how I see these books, fiction; based in a fantasy world; mythical creatures; good battling evil, good winning; promoting being yourself when you aren't accepted; promoting staying true to who you are created to be; written by a mom. Lets compare this to the Narnia Series: fiction; based in a fantasy world; mythical creatures; good battling evil, good winning; has a witch as a main character; promoting being yourself; based on the book of John, however not obvious to the nonbeliever; written by a Christian. So..maybe its just me I am not seeing much of a difference here other than the author's beliefs. However, time and time again as believers we are told that we shouldn't read the Potter books, my children have been taught this lesson multiple times. To be honest, I have read the entire Tolken series, The Di Vinci Code and other books that most would be appalled that as a Christian woman I read. Ok, so in the very distant past I have read some books that I can't believe I even read, but thank goodness for the past! My question here is where do we draw the line? Clearly there are some books that just should be out of the question for everyone, however it doesn't make you BAD for reading them. Sometimes getting a different perspective on things is a help. I can see where some novels can offend some folks, but should we completely weed whack our library to include only Christian authors? Clearly, CS Lewis and Rowling were on the same track with their writing. How do humans get an understanding of diverse cultures and beliefs without exposure to them or at least some knowledge of them? How do you effectively witness to others when you have no clue to what they BELIEVE to be true? At some point you have to know what is out in the world so you can be armed to explain why it is not Godly. Knowledge is power, reading gains knowledge. It is our job as parents and as children of God to recognize the difference between fact and fiction and to teach that. To limit our world to only certain elements would be a loss of knowledge. Some things are merely entertainment, lets not let self righteous, well meaning, thought patterns exclude us from learning what is going on outside our worlds. Let's use those things as tools to understanding humankind.

Bullying, Who's to Blame?

Ok so bullying is such a hot topic. Schools take time out of learning to talk about it. My experience with that, well not mine but my daughters, is that they aren't really DOING much about it. The bully has "rights" and "feelings" and they are asked to leave the other child alone, warned to stop, ect..however our solution was to contact the child's family directly. To our surprise they had NO clue anything was going on. The child left my daughter alone from then on out. Ahhh, but I digress from my point. So the root of bullying. Lets see, do you watch television? Like at any time, do you watch television, read magazines, listen to the radio. Bullying is all around you. Adults are bullied just like children in school. We aren't thin enough, pretty enough, our teeth aren't white enough. Our cars aren't fancy enough, houses aren't big enough, jobs aren't good enough. You get the point. Unless we are super thin, super rich, have the best vacation spot and a 401K you are dirt in the eyes of society. They market us pills, spas, gyms, you name it to make us "fit in". Who are we trying to fit in with and where do we fit? How do you stop bullying among children when we are all bullied daily. Our government has joined the bandwagon. If your community doesn't like something or thinks something just doesn't make them "appear" to be classy enough to fit society, they just pass an ordinance or a law to stop it. Now don't get me wrong some of these ARE actually for the greater good, but some are just flat out telling you that you live wrong. Oh and the kicker of all bullying is the health care bill, but that is another topic all alone. Still bullying, and by the same adults that are telling your school systems to teach against bullying! So if bullying is going to stop, the stopping has to start with adults. We have to set the example for our children to follow. We have to step up to the plate and let our children know that it is ok to be different. That is is ok not to have the best of everything, that those things don't make the person. That it is what is on the inside that counts. We as consumers need to stop the constant bullying we receive from marketing agencies selling products. If we want it to end it starts with us....all of us...banded together to tell the world that being imperfect is ok. That different is ok. Sadly I think this is a dream. Tomorrow someone will try to keep up with the Jones', get their "fake n bake" on, whiten their teeth, get lipo and a face lift, use the most expensive face cream to remove wrinkles, ect...all the while teaching their child that they are not perfect, never will be perfect, well until they follow their parents example and listen to the bullying!