The Ides of March!

Goooooood morning! It's a lovely, almost-spring day here in NC. Daylight Savings Time began yesterday so I'm trying to adjust to losing an hour of sleep and get used to the fact that it's already 8:17 AM when it feels so much like it's only a bit after 7! ;)

Thankfully I got over my anger after writing the post that I did yesterday about honor killings. It was one of those things I'd just read about (finished the book yesterday morning) and needed to "discuss." Someone said "I'm sorry you have to put up with this" and in reality, I don't have to put up with it! Those are not my people who are killing their own daughters. I don't know those women. I don't feel I am at risk of being murdered by a male member of my family. I could very easily do the American thing of not reading or caring about what goes on elsewhere in the world and never be troubled by what women are enduring at the hands of their own men. But I chose to read this book and in the process it boiled my blood when I dared to think and put myself in such a situation. I could have been born in Jordan or Pakistan or other places where men's honor are more important than a human being's life. As Andrew put it so well, "I can't even imagine cutting the throat of a stranger. These men have to be demonic in order to kill their own children."

Thank you, Andrew!

Yes, exactly! This is the influence of pure evil and these men are only following what Satan wants them to do. For sure, this is not the direction of God! In fact, I told Andrew I need to do a post on "What happens when land & your honor become your god." Because there is waaaaaaaaaay too much evil being done for the sake of land and the sake of honor. When land and honor - and might I add oil into the mix - become more important than humans, it's gone too far!

Andrew joked that I'd read another man-hater book, but I blamed him because the only reason I stopped at the library was to return two books he'd checked out. I've been avoiding the library this year since I have some of my own books that need reading, but I was lured in there and for some reason checked the section that has books on the Middle East and Islam. I can't help it that book jumped off the shelf into my hands and begged me, "Please take me home and read me!" Andrew said from now on he'd return his own books. :)



In other news, I'm now reading Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife by Francine Prose. The author shares many interesting tidbits about Anne's life and family and even ways her life and journal influenced world culture. She wrote, "[An] episode of 60 Minutes reported that North Korean schoolchildren were being assigned to read Anne's journal with instructions to think of George W. Bush as Hitler and of the Americans as the Nazis who wished to exterminate the North Koreans." (pg. 21) Also did you realize "Anne's diary is one of the texts most frequently read and studied by incarcerated men and women in prisons throughout the United States"? (pg. 19)

I didn't either.

Someone made an interesting comment yesterday about Jesus and dietary rules and why Christians reject the Jewish law regarding eating pork, shellfish and other things God forbade the children of Israel to eat. I think I'll write up a post at least sharing my own thoughts on it. Stay tuned for that if you're interested in such things.

Anything else I should discuss? Thanks to all who have contributed to the Matthew study thus far. I've enjoyed your feedback.

Better get a few other things done now. Have a wonderful Monday!