I got spanked yesterday!  Ok, not literally, though it wouldn’t have hurt any MORE if I had.

My husband came home with the mail in his hands … yep, he opened our Master Card bill!

Ok, before you start judging me or taking this in the wrong direction, let me explain.

When I was innocently finding our daughter some game applications to upload on iPad I discovered a little farm game.  It looked cute — you know, something a kindergarten aged child could enjoy.  Right?  WELL … little did I know that it was actually for adults.  I’ll stop here to say that though I am a Facebook lovin’ gal, I have NEVER opened the Pandora’s box called FARMVILLE!  Two reasons:  1.  I knew I would be obsessed with having a great looking farm.  2.  I didn’t like that every move made was published for everyone on Facebook.

So, in steps Farm Story.  Sweet looking little game.  It didn’t take long for me to discover that my daughter couldn’t “really” play it since she couldn’t read yet.   Since we had already started the farm, SOMEONE had to take it over.  Right?!?!?!

Since Christmas the “farmer” has been me.  Yes, each morning I harvest my crops and try to plant things that will only require my attention in the morning and evening.  After speaking with my friend Connie, I learned that Farm Story is indeed very similar to Farmville.  Sigh … I was hooked.

Ok, where does the Master Card come in to play?  Well … you can purchase these little things called “gems” … you get quite a good bundle of them for $19.99.  Well, since December I had to purchase enough to expand my farm and build a barn, some houses — you know — IMPORTANT STUFF!!!  What kind of farm would it be without a barn and some animals?  (This picture is not of my farm.  Mine is much nicer. Ha.)

Amazing how quickly $19.99 adds up when you do it a few times.  Ahem.  

Isn’t that just like sin?  It seems sort-of “fun” at the moment.  It may even seem like a LOT of fun.  Maybe it feels good to your senses, but it sure is sneaky.

James 1:15
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Desire is conceived because we entertain the thoughts before we act on them.  Desire then gives BIRTH to SIN.  It is a process that we could have stopped.  

Sin seems to take on a life of its own.

Romans 7:20
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Things that are against God’s Word may seem fun.  We may think that it can’t change our course in life, but Hebrews states that sin EASILY ENTANGLES us.  

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It doesn’t take much sin to work through our lives.  I often think of this scripture below.  It only takes a little yeast to work through a batch of dough.  Well, it only takes a little sin to grow into a major problem or addiction in our lives.

1 Corinthians 5:6
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?

Is playing Farm Story a sin?  No.  But, the way the cost really tip-toed around my good sense of reasoning made me think of this analogy.  Sin does the same thing.  

Maybe it feels good to talk about someone.


Maybe rebelling against authority and doing things that don’t honor God feel good.  Who would know, right?  Yeah — that is what satan wants us to think.

Romans 1:28-29
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.

The scriptures I just listed from Romans describe what happened after people continued to wallow in sinful ways.  God turned them over to a depraved mind SO THAT THEY DID WHAT OUGHT NOT TO BE DONE.  

Do we sin and sin until the Holy Spirit finally says, “Ok, you have turned your heart against My warnings.  Now, I will no longer convict you?”  


I pray none of us will harden our hearts to the scriptures and God’s Will for our lives.  It is a dangerous game to play.  Much more costly than a few “gems” here and there.

Oh, and don’t worry.  My husband wasn’t angry.  He just didn’t understand why we had so many charges to iTunes.  Sigh …

(Photos from HERE.)