T.V. Challenge Update

I started a book this weekend by Thomas Young called "Do you want to go to the mountain?". Young was at our church back in May while the girls and I were in New Mexico. Chad really liked him and was very challenged by the message he brought each night, so he bought this book. I've tried to start it several times but each time something else would come up and I would put it aside. Friday night I decided that I would start it again. Wow!! This is an incredible book. While it isn't a hard read, I find myself reading sections a couple of times to digest it. It's packed full of good stuff. (and I just finished chapter 3!!!)

Young touched on a thought that God has recently placed in my heart. He says, "Gradually, step by step as we hold His hand along the way, Jesus becomes all in all to us. And gradually, we take Him out of the segmented box of our spiritual lives and understand that He is to be worshiped in every part of our day and every choice we make."

This isn't something I didn't already know or understand. But recently, God has shown me that I tend to leave Him out of areas of my life. Like the t.v. thing I posted about here.

Let me tell you what God showed me over the weekend. I kept my T.V. Journal all weekend and was really surprised that we didn't watch as much t.v. as I thought we would. Friday night was the hardest, there just wasn't much on that even peaked our interest. So, after the kids were in bed, I read your blogs and Chad worked on some fundraising stuff for Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Team run. We had the t.v. on in the background and it wound up on a movie. This movie was rated PG. We didn't see this on the big screen and weren't really paying attention to it. However, the longer it was on, the more I became aware of the story line. I began to feel God tugging at my heart. This wasn't lining up with Phil. 4:8. What I would have once "overlooked" and ignored, now made my stomach sick.

Sunday afternoon during rest time, the girls wanted to watch a movie. Chloe had set the DVR to record a certain movie with a dancing Arctic animal featured as the main character. We first saw this movie last Thanksgiving. It's filled with all sorts of music that Chad and I grew up listening to. (most of which my parents didn't allow, so now they're going to read this and know that I listened to Lite Mix 105 and various other radio stations behind their backs! Let me just say that I NEVER listened to KZ 106. Just wanted to clear that one up before I see them again and get a talkin' to!!)

Back to this dancing Arctic animal movie. From the time we first saw it, Chad and I both agreed that we were shocked, and a bit offended, at the sexual undertones in this movie. We weren't that impressed with it. We have not watched it in over a year. Sunday afternoon, Chloe asked to watch it. I agreed to watch it with them. Maybe I was just being a prude about this movie the first time I saw it. Maybe I made more of it than was really there. This time, the girls fell asleep and I was so glad. God confirmed that my first impression was correct. This did not please Him. Nothing about it lined up with Phil. 4:8 and for our family, it's a no.

We want to bring glory to God in ALL things. That includes the things we allow to enter our home. That cute little movie with the catchy songs will take residence in the minds and hearts of my daughters. They will sing the songs, dance the dances, and act it out.

The word says in Psalms

"may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing and acceptable to you oh God."

As much as I want for, long for and pray for my daughters to have hearts and lives that bring glory to God, it isn't going to just happen. They have to see it. See it in my actions and hear it in my speech. There has to be a difference, a marked difference. Allowing them to watch this movie or others like it, tells them this behavior is okay.

God showed me Sunday that as entertaining and fun t.v./movies can be, He is more. He isn't asking me to give it up, disconnect cable and boycott movies. He's asking me to take a stand. To be very aware of what is on in our home and the amount of time it's on. I think I'll keep up the journal for awhile. There is some accountability there. Writing down and looking at what I'm watching in print is so eyeopening.

I'll leave you with this quote from John Piper. (It's in Young's book) It sorta goes along with what I'm saying here, and I really like it.

" God is glorified in his people by the way we experience him, not merely by the way we think about him. Indeed, the devil thinks more true thoughts about God in one day than a saint does in a lifetime, and God is not honored by it. The problem with the devil isn't his theology, it's his desires."

Are you experiencing God in your daily life? Let's change the way we think about Him and include Him in everypart of our life. As Young suggests, let's take Him out of that segmented box once and for all.