STOP THE PRESSES! Urgent Blog Post. . . Obsession – Stop It!

I was just eating lunch at the hospital cafeteria and something really honked me off! There was this guy (middle aged man) and his lovely daughter (about 9 years old) sitting there after finishing lunch. He was playing his online video game (not sure which one as I am not a gamer) and totally ignoring her. She was obviously bored out of her mind.
Then when she spoke he hushed her. He did this several times! HOW RUDE! She just wanted his attention.

Here is my point. . . we (as a society) have got to put down the games (cell phones, i-pads-pods, etc.) and spend time with our kids! Our society is losing our children. . . because we care more about our games than we do them.

Here is my advice. . . STOP IT!

I feel bad that I didn’t say anything. . . next time I will. Let me know what you think.

30 Days Without Television – A Lesson in Control

Summer 2011 was hot, dry, and around my house. . . BORING!  Or so we thought.  Television was our entertainment. . . let’s back up a little and get to the beginning of the story.

Early this year (as discussed in an previous blog:  Hoarding, Collecting, and Stuff – Learning to let go!) we were impacted by how much stuff was controlling our lives.  We started sorting, selling, and pitching stuff.  As the clutter cleared away, I began to notice another object controlling our lives. . . the television.  I didn’t give it much thought. . . but the amount of time we spent in front of the television kept bugging me.

I got to my breaking point one sunny Saturday in August when all my kids wanted to do was sit in front of the television instead of playing outside like normal (maybe it isn’t normal anymore) kids do.  I approached my wife that evening about my plan to unplug the television for a month. . . I wanted to see how it impacted our family.  She agreed. . . and starting September 1st. . . the television was unplugged.  (a side note:  this included the television, all movies, and all video games.)

So today is September 30th. . . how did it go?  Well, the first week was filled with crying and upset kids who wanted to watch the television (TV withdrawal??).  The second week they continued to ask but it wasn’t as often.  The third week the kids found my stack of paint sticks and had a week long sword fight (paint sticks became swords).  I enjoyed watching them use their imagination.  This week no one really mentioned it. . . the television just sits in the corner as a sad reminder of the obsession that once controlled our lives.

So I asked my family what they thought about not having a television for a month and here is what my family said:

Brandon (me):  Well, I missed it. . . I work long hours and enjoyed coming home and vegging in front of the television. . . I did enjoy having to find other things to do to replace that time.  I actually slept more, started a Bible study, and picked up a new book.

Elizabeth: “TV isn’t everything, I am more productive without it.  It would be nice to sit down and watch television some night and just relax.”

Braydon:  “It is sad that I can’t watch TV because  I miss my favorite shows.  I can’t find anything I like to do better than watch TV.”

Sawyer:  “I don’t like to not watch TV.”

Isabelle:  “I miss Buzz Lightyear.”

So based on their responses, I might just leave it unplugged a little longer.  Maybe we’ll have a family movie night. . . and then unplug it again.  I think life is better without television!  Just think about it, if you watch one 2 hour movie once a month that is 24 hours of television a year!  It is crazy to think how much of our life we have wasted in front of that silly screen. . . Get up, get moving, use your imagination, and don’t look back!

Self Esteem – Reconnecting with our Creator

A Self-Esteem Declaration

            I am me.  I am made in the image of God, just a little lower than the angels.  I am unique.  In the entire world there is no one exactly like me.  That means that everything which comes out of me is important.  Nothing I say or do is meaningless.

Everything about me is important.  My body.  My mind.  My spirit.  My dreams.  My ideas and opinions.  My talents. My feelings (both positive and negative).  My words.  All my thoughts and actions are important, and they make a unique contribution to life.

I can accept myself because God accepts me.  I can love myself because God loves me.  I know I matter because God lived in Jesus Christ and through Him gave me the chance to live abundantly and eternally.  I do not have to be perfect to be loved, because God has loved me while I was imperfect.

This means that I am important even though I have “rough edges” in my life and when I make mistakes, even big ones.  I can fail.  I can stumble.  God still says, “I love you!”  I don’t have to have everything in the right order, or have everything cleaned up for God to accept me.”

Understanding and knowing that I can live with myself, I have hope that I can take all that I am, and all that I have to God (the good and the bad), and he will keep improving me.  I can be totally honest.  I have something to look forward to.  With His help and guidance I will be even more effective in living, loving, and serving than I have been.  Tomorrow will be better than today.

I am not afraid to keep at the task of enriching what is good in me and discarding what is not.  I can use God’s grace and all of my faculties to work at the task of self-improvement.  I am worth spending time on.

So I accept the fact that I am important.  I have eternal value.  I like myself.  It’s okay to be me.  God has said it, and I believe it!

Author Kept Anonymous

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