Encouraging Reads

Not much today. Just a few thoughts. Regan had a good post yesterday. One that is very personal and real to me. It was about birth control, the lack of it and letting God plan your family. Maybe I'll post our testimony and how God led us into that another day. We've had a bit of a roller coaster ride.

I've debated for a few years about reading a book (Martyr of the Catacombs) to our children. I didn't know if they were ready for it. It's a book that was written in the 19^th century about a Roman soldier and the underground Christians and the persecution they went through back in the first or second century. It's a fictional book with what appears to be some historical inaccuracies, but a very good book none the less. It's a very small book of 143 pages. The first time I read it, I finished it in two sittings (which is unusual for me). The author is “an unknown Christian” The reason I debated reading it to my children is because it opens in the Roman Coliseum with gladiator fights and women and children being mauled by wild, hungry animals. Although it's not too awfully graphic, it might be disturbing to some. The reason I like it so much is the dialog that takes place between this Roman soldier (Marcellus) and his superior (Lucullus) and between Marcellus and Honorius, an old, wise Christian living in the Roman Catacombs. The book encourages me every time I read it. Similar to John Foxe's Book of Martyrs. I will admit, the first time I picked up John Foxe's book in high school, it was for the gore. After I read through a small portion of it, the gore factor faded and the inspiration and encouragement increased. What amazing testimonies these people have made for the Kingdom of God. Their faith and endurance. I don't know if we will ever see persecution like that in the United States. It appears right now, we are just persecuting innocent babies by removing them from their mothers' wombs and persecuting those who can't think as well as we do by removing their feeding tubes. The mercy God has bestowed on these people (the martyrs) to endure the pain, torture and suffering. I think books like this are a must for every family member to read, at an appropriate age. If you have not read them, I highly recommend it. In fact, I've been searching through the house for the past week looking for Foxe's Book of Martyrs. I couldn't find it anywhere. Then my wife tells me that I loaned it to someone. I asked her who. “I don't know” was all I got. We've lost so many good books that way. Oh, well. I hope whoever has it is being blessed by it. We'll pick up another copy.

One more thing I want to mention this morning. Our family doctor, Dr. Philip Chase, has a son (John) who is 14 or 15 years old. Early last year they found bone cancer in his knee. They amputated his leg from just above the knee on down. He went through chemo and they thought all was well. Last week they were doing a routine CT Scan on him as a follow up. They found spots in both lungs (a larger one in his right and a smaller spot in his left). He is scheduled to have the spot removed from his right lung on Good Friday. Please pray. Dr. chase is a home school dad of ten children and a very Godly man. Looking for another way to get encouraged and inspired? Go to this web-site (blog) with updates of John. If you are not moved to tears (or least get emotional) there may be something wrong with you. Their faith in a real and living God is a powerful thing. If you do nothing else today, read his blog. (If the link doesn't work, it's johnnychase.org).

God bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14