Obsessed with Harry

Grace has a new obsession. Some kids her age are obsessed with Justin Beiber, some with clothes, some with shopping. Grace is obsessed with Harry Potter.

We can barely have a conversation without it somehow being linked back to Harry Potter.

I can remember the time that I was first introduced to Harry Potter. I was working at the library. The books had to be kept behind the circulation desk, so they would stop disappearing (being stolen). The chances of the book being returned, even checked out was slim. My supervisor asked one of us to read the series so we could give our opinion to parents about if it was age appropriate. I volunteered and quickly finished the first 3 books of the series.

I don't remember the number of families who said they were Christian who objected to the books. We heard many complaints and honestly ignored most of them. They hadn't read them and seemed to be just repeating what they heard. It actually warmed my heart that one of my favorite Christian families were huge fans of the series. My parents old pastor objected strongly to the book and even confronted my mom about letting her teenagers read the series. He later apologized to my mom and admitted that he had never read the series, was just repeating what he had heard and once he read the series, he realized it wasn't as bad as he thought.

As Grace picked up one book after another and read them, I really questioned if it was okay for her to be reading it. Since it has been 8 years since I read the series, I picked up the books and began reading them (Jon had listened to them all and gave his okay for her to read them--but I really wanted to know what they were talking about).

The books are amazingly written. The storyline is so smooth, the characters are so real and most so loveable. You pick the book up and don't want to put it down (could be that Harry Potter is to blame as much as Kate for my lack of sleep lately). The story comes alive.

I don't see anything unbiblical about the series and if I searched hard enough I could find somehow to make this series relate back to the bible.

the biggest problem I have with the series is that I so desire to have this same longing for the Bible. I want to sit down and read the bible and fall in love with the characters, want to act out the book, want everything in my life to link back to the bible. I want to sit up and loose sleep because I was so immersed in the word that I couldn't put it down.

I want a God obsession and more than that I want my kids to have a God obsession.