"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." --- Galations 5:1
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So here's what I shared at Facebook:
Yesterday after I opened the mail, I took this to Tom, looked side to side then whispered, "Shhh... My evil contraband arrived. It's one of the banned books! Shhh...." We both laughed.
Bought it last week for a whopping $4.50 at Ebay. Checked there today and they're all $20 to $25,000. (Give me a break, People.)
Do you know what's wild? The cloak of darkness over people's eyes.
A couple (pleasant) Facebook pages celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday and his stories and while reading down the (many) comments, I agreed with those ridiculing the banning of six of his books. But other commenters insisted, "It's not censorship." Over and over, "It's not censorship."
Oh really? Here's the first definition of censorship I spied online:
Censorship: the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.
Dr. Seuss' own company stopped printing six of his books. I can no longer walk into a book store and buy them either at all or for a sane price nor (most likely) find them in libraries. They've been pulled, culled, deemed racist and not fit for me to read.
My right to decide and think for myself was snatched away. How is that not censorship?
2020 was a shocking year, yet what's shocked me most? The way tons of folks haven't minded being told how to live. What to do, to think. The way mature adults became afraid and appreciated being guided like 6-year-olds at a new school!
Frankly, it makes me sick. There, I said it.
This nearly 62-year-old lady has lived on this planet long enough to recognize censorship. Tyranny. Loss of freedom. Lies. Confinement. Cheating. Communism. Evil.
And will you find me hiding in my house waiting for the corruption to simply go away? No. Will I just say, "God's in control," put everything off on Him and then do nothing to push back darkness or expose it (Ephesians 5:11)? No again.
Instead, I'll continue doing what God asks of me to remind people He created them to be free--
--and to show them how to discover true, led-by-the-Spirit freedom found only in Him, the freedom Jesus died to give all of us even during our temporary stay upon Earth.
And no, this post is not just about Dr. Seuss. If that's all you gleaned, please reread it while asking for additional clarity.
"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him." --- 1 John 2:27
It's (past) time to begin acting like the grown-ups we are.
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Now, here are some folks who didn't put all responsibility upon God. They took Jesus seriously when He told us to go, teach, give, visit, heal, love, preach, pray, serve, work, sow, share, clothe, learn, feed, encourage, etc.
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Don't you love it when you open your egg carton and you see a Bible verse? I do.
See these?
Guess who finally ordered a couple from Etsy near Winter's end? Yep, me. The grey and blue ones. Love their warmth! I just might need to order two more.
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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15