Livin' in "The Bible Belt"

As most of you know we are adopting again and are officially, as they say in the adoption world, "Paper pregnant!" The mountain of paper work, references, physicals, financial forms, documentation, proof of this and that, fingerprints, classes, seminars, background checks and clearances of every kind is CRAZY!! And has gotten even worse and crazier since our first time around. And mind you for every little thing mentioned there is a fee attached.

Anyway... today we headed to Montgomery, Alabama, to get a required set of fingerprints done and on the way home on the freeway I saw this billboard:

This made me laugh.

While we were at our appointment I saw many state government offices with signs on their doors stating they were closed for observance of Good Friday. (Apparently there is no separation of Church and State in the Bible Belt!) What was even more remarkable to me is while we were at the counter at one Government office I noticed Bible passages framed and sitting on the counter and some taped to the counter itself for all to see. Boy...in Seattle the liberals would have had their lawyer's all over this!! But what took the cake for me is a commercial I saw on TV today for a church in Arkansas who is holding their Easter services in a local bar:

"An Arkansas church will see if distilled spirits can mix with the Holy Spirit this Easter weekend. A new Little Rock church called The River will hold both of its Easter services at The Rev Room, a bar and nightclub in the city's River Market.
Pastor SM told KLRT-TV that it's an effort to attract a new audience to his nondenominational ministry.
The church said it would also like to hold Mother's Day and Father's Day services at a bar."

Crazy!? I thought so... But I guess if they don't come to you, you pack up your church and go to them...? Right?

There are churches of every shape, size and color here in the "Bible Belt", several on every block. Some are grand and beautiful, some are small and unremarkable, some are shared by several faiths at one time, with one rule: no proselyting. The one thing you can count on when you meet someone here for the first time, and this is true for adults as well as the kids, is to be asked the question, "What church do you attend?"

Now I understand how a 14 year old boy could have been so confused by all these different religions so long ago... I am so grateful for him and the knowledge we have of the restored gospel here on the earth.

On a totally unrelated note...
On our way home from Montgomery today we encountered some windy conditions and hard rain that turned into hail. When we got home and turned on the news they said there was just tornado's spotted in the area we had just traveled! To say that timing is everything is an understatement!