I thought I ruined my bible. There is nothing like a new Bible. It smells good, feels good, and looks good. The pages are perfectly flat and clean. This morning, while reading my Bible, my new Bible, I spilled coffee on it. It is no longer perfect. I thought I ruined it, but Bibles are not meant to be perfect. They are not museum pieces, nor are they meant for the china cabinet. They are tools that grow us closer to God. Tools get dirty, used, and abused. You know how to ruin a Bible? Never use it. Keep it perfect. Make sure the pages are always flat and clean. The best Bibles are broken in, stained, torn and tattered. Don’t be afraid to dirty your Bible. Write in it. Make notes. Spill a little coffee on it. It’s ok.

I am building a fence right now. The fence is not just for privacy, it is for safety, too. The fence is meant to keep my kids and dog safely within the yard. It will also deter the wrong type of person from getting in my yard. Building a fence takes a lot of time, energy, and resources, but it is worth it. Why? My children are worth it. I wonder, are we setting up a fence around our children in other ways? Are we protecting them from the wrong kinds of videos, shows, music, etc.? They are much more likely to be harmed like this than playing in the backyard. Intruders, and the enemy, are after our families every waking moment. What are we doing to protect them? At the least, we must pray. We also must use wisdom and discernment in what are children are exposed to. Shouldn’t we set up a fence around our hearts, too? It takes a lot of time, energy, and resources. But, it’s worth it.