1. When a Pepsi can freezes solid inside a hotel refrigerator and explodes at 2 a.m., it sounds like a gun shot and has enough force to actually blow the fridge door open. (Scared me to death, too.)

2. If you tire out your kids enough, they can actually sleep through a pop can exploding inside a hotel room fridge. 

3. Megan is fearless. (Okay I already knew this one, but it got reinforced when she was jumping (wearing a floatie thing) into the hotel pool, without holding anyone’s hands. Crazy girl!)

4. When I don’t have internet for 3 days, I get lots of housework done.

5. AT&T has great customer service, once you get past the robo-operator. Robo-dude kept telling me to restart my computer when we actually had a broken wire in the outside AT&T box. So yeah, not helpful!

6. Assuming that one day we will get past it, I think I will look back on potty training in the same way I look back on junior high. Long frustrating years I’m so glad I’ll never have to do again. 

7. It doesn’t matter whether you actually like or understand a particular sport…when you watch it during the Olympics, you can’t help but be excited and cheer. 

8. I despise primetime coverage of the Olympics.

9. When my kids throw fits over stupid little things…it looks a lot like what happens when I throw a fit over a stupid little thing. Go figure. 

10. Our internet was down since Tuesday, and a friend/neighbor moved away this week. And I have been very lonely. I had no idea how much I relied on those two resources for connection and support. 

11. My body is not going to hold up as well with this pregnancy as it did with the previous two. I was really hurting yesterday.

12. Listening to my kids say their ABC verses to me (and to each other) is one of the sweetest things ever. 

13. “His divine power has provided all I need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him…” — in other words, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need” (NLT). 

So I am pretty much a scaredy cat. I have been since I was a little kid.

Before I was 7, I learned the song “Found a Peanut.” It was rotten, you know, and the person dies and goes to heaven. And I remember lying awake at night fretting over how I would know if a peanut was rotten just by looking at it. And, I kid you not, I did not eat peanuts for years afterwards because of it. Yep…scaredy cat. To this day, I can imagine all sorts of things coming out of the shadows at me (mummies scared me as a little kid, now it’s more like robbers in the house), and the shows or movies I watch have a huge effect on my ability or inability to get my rational side back in control when I wake up at 3 am.

And it turns out…my little dude has a mind that works just like mine in this area. 

He is very easily scared these days. He’s got a whole list of things that he calls “scary” and he will stubbornly refuse to function if one of those things interrupts his life. 

Like our neighbors’ halloween decorations. The primary offender is a couple of doors down – a white “scream” mask with a long black fabric “body” that they hang above their garage and it blows in the wind for the entire month of October. Bad enough, until I realized a few months ago (long after Halloween) that Alex was refusing to walk by their house when the garage door was open because it was hanging inside and you can see it. He was so scared of the seed pods in the honey locust tree (I think) next door that he wouldn’t walk down the sidewalk without me holding his hand. There was a large fan hanging on the wall of the shop at the farm (he would not go in until Eric took it off the wall). Then there were the two red lights that represented the dragon in his cave at VBS a couple of weeks ago (it never actually appeared) + its loud roar sent my son into a massive fit. And the sculpture outside of the swimming place was the most recent “scary thing” that was brought to my attention. 

I never know what or where something will strike him as scary. And while he often doesn’t freak out at the time, he tends to hold it in mind and dwell on it at bedtime. So he has trouble falling asleep, though once he’s out, he’s usually good for the night.

Then last night happened. For the first time ever, he was so scared by an early dream (at 9:30 he called me in to tell me his pillow was growing a big green “rumor weed”) that he couldn’t settle down to sleep. He was back up at 10:30 and then for the entire midnight hour, wanting me to sit with him because “everything in the house” was scary. His nightlight, the recliner in their room, the ceiling fan…all kept his little mind imagining things that weren’t there, and he could not get to sleep. 

So far, I’m only barely ahead of him. I know what works to get my mind out of scared mode, but translating those things down to a 3-year-old’s level is difficult. I don’t want to blow him off, but I don’t want to make it worse either. And at midnight when I just want to go back to sleep, it’s hard to think of how to help him.

Usually, we talk about our F verse (“Fear not, for I am with you.” ) and how Jesus is with us so we don’t have to be afraid. Then we pray about whatever is bothering him. That didn’t really work last night. I tried comforting, doing nothing, pointing out the reality instead of what he was imagining. Nothing worked (and it was midnight, remember). Finally, I tried a thankful approach. “Don’t be anxious, but in everything…with thanksgiving…” is sometimes the only way to get my mind off the freak-out track. So in a last-ditch effort, I started praying with him a long list of thank-you’s. I would say “Thank you, Jesus, for (something)”; then he would repeat it.  It took about 10 minutes, but he finally managed to drift off and slept the rest of the night. 

Still, I am not sure how else to help my little dude. So many things scare him. It’s a difficult reality to help him address. So seriously, if you’ve dealt with similar stuff, I’d love to hear some suggestions of what you’ve done with your little ones. 

Anyway, I guess that’s all for today. 

So…here’s a quick update of all the things we are currently done with or close to done with…

1. VBS

We finished VBS a couple of weeks ago. I’m finally starting to recover completely. But it was a good week, and I’m always grateful for the impact on my kids. Obviously, I love to see how the seeds of God’s Word are planted in their hearts. But I’m also always amazed at the totally different kids who come back to my house at the end of the week. They are more social, more interactive, more verbal (I swear Megan has been using full sentences since VBS), and they have learned to deal with the world a little bit more without my immediate presence – such a huge blessing! 

2. Sickness

Thankfully, we are finally back to full health around here. We picked up Hand Foot and Mouth either from VBS or something right before it. Either way, though, I just about died. For four straight days, one of my children felt great, one of them felt totally horrible, and one was somewhere in between. They just swapped roles every day. So it was a constant drain of trying to entertain the healthy one while simultaneously doctor the sick ones. Ugh! The primary result was that I got worn down and cranky (complete with epic mom fail on Wednesday night), so I am very, very happy that we are currently all healthy and happy and sleeping through the night (mostly). 

3. Farm fun

I was also so very, very happy that my MIL volunteered to take all 3 of my kids overnight on Friday. She picked them up that morning, and they hung at the farm all day and night. And boy do they love the farm!

Without them underfoot, I cleaned my house a lot, and we had a date on Friday night (dinner out and The Avengers – good times!) before heading out to join them on Saturday, coming home together on Sunday. Eric got some stuff done that he wanted to do. And I mostly did nothing of any value. Worked for me!

4. Swim Class

We are halfway through our first-ever foray into “taking a class,” and the twins are LOVING it. They are doing pretty well, though it’s so funny to watch what their little 3-year-old bodies just cannot do at the same time. Like today, they were teaching them the first steps towards a backstroke, but neither twin could move their arms AND kick their feet at the same time. But it was cute to watch them try. They still don’t want to put their faces in the water, though Erin will duck herself completely under sometimes. They love wearing pool noodles to dog-paddle after rubber ducks and jumping off the side to the instructors. The only one not having the time of her life is poor Meg, who asks me about every two minutes for the entire class “my turn?” or says, “I wanna swim in da pool now.” I think I’m going to have to sign her up for a parent/child class soon, poor kid!

5. Buying a Property

When we “bought” our piece of land at Sheriff’s sale in February, we were told it would take 30 days until confirmation of sale, then 30 days for us to pay the rest of our money. No problem, we thought. But that wasn’t exactly how it happened. They needed four and a half months to finalize the confirmation of sale. Definitely a long “30 days”! But anyway, if nothing else crazy happens, we should own 7 acres of land, right next to my in-laws dairy farm, by the end of July. Finally!

6. The Family

And last, but not least, for any of you who have not yet heard, we are also putting the finishing touches on our family. That’s right…we are expecting #4 (yes, only one, praise Jesus) around the turn of the year! We’re pretty excited about it, obviously. I’m about 12 weeks along this week (almost 13, I think). And just because I can, here are the 8 week ultrasound pictures of our little white blob. Hooray!

Anyway, I think that’s about all the at-an-end/almost-at-an-end events of our current crazy life. Check back soon for more updates (and eventually even more Soapbox musings on my part). Happy Tuesday!

The kids are sick. I’m tired. Makes for a fun combination, as I’m sure you can guess.

We are down with Hand Foot & Mouth this week. Megan got it first. She’s still covered in the little sores, but her fever broke last night and she’s starting on the upswing. Erin got a fever on Sunday morning (She was fine when I left to teach Sunday school, when I came back at 11, she had a 102 degree fever. Glad I kept them all home!). She’s got worse sores than Meg’s were, but she can express herself better so she’s not as irritable as poor Meg has been. And just tonight, Alex had a low-grade fever when he went to bed. So I suspect he’ll be down for the count tomorrow. 

So yeah…3 sick kiddos + one tired Momma + one unbelievably helpful Daddy + God’s strength and grace = survival. But needless to say, I will be glad to see the end of this virus as soon as possible!

(Though on the positive side…it’s not a stomach bug! ‘Cause that would be bad. Seriously. )

Anyway, I’ll be back again soon with happier stories to share. But until then…off to bed I go. 

Happy Monday!

We are definitely loving VBX (that’s what Erin calls it). The kids…seriously…are having a blast! I so appreciate the ladies who are working in the rooms with my kids – they are doing more good than they will ever know. 

Megan was moved to the 2-year VBS class because of space issues (she’s 20 months), and while she’s definitely not up to that level in some ways (they usually carry her places because she can’t follow along with the group), I know she’s having a blast. Our good friend is teaching the 2s this year, so that is a huge part of her success, I know. But still, it’s fun to hear her learn her verses (“belt oh trooff”! she says) and be so proud of her crafts. And oddly, by the time nap is over, I really miss her. She’s quite a character to have around, so being in a different room all morning, then going straight to naps when we get home, means I don’t get nearly my usual dose of Megan. Oh well…it’s good for all of us, I suspect.

As for me…I’m running a nursery room this week. Loving it is probably not the most accurate description, but the kids are cute, and it’s still the kind of “help” for VBS that I like to do. I have 3 teen girls helping me watch 11-13 kids, ages 10-22 months. There’s a roughly 8/4 boy-girl split, and my boys are the needy ones. At moments…a lot needy. And the poop factor…yikes! As I’m the only adult, I have to change every diaper. Again…yikes. But then again, their little faces just light up when you build towers for them to knock over. They love to have little books read to them, and they are all, for the most part, surviving the craziness very well.

I have one little guy with extreme allergies…and WOW has that been eye-opening. He’s so fun (just a great little personality) and I respect his momma like crazy. Having to be constantly vigilant about everything that comes near him (and trying to keep him away from every milk cup and snack the other kids are pulverizing into crumbs and dropping on the floor because he can’t have it), what an uphill battle all the time. Truly, I had no idea. So if your kids have allergies – wow – you rock! Because man, I didn’t even know how much I have to be thankful for that my kids are not allergic to anything. Just this little taste of her world is opening my eyes. Wow!

So, that’s where we are at the halfway point. We have two more days of VBS and then a day of birthday party/Father’s Day stuff, then church, then reality again. Sometime in there I need to get gifts/cards and actually look over my sunday school lesson for this week. I have to find a way to cover “God makes things grow” without wanting to beat my head against a wall. This is a lesson that doesn’t have a Bible story attached, just a Psalm that it’s “based on” – so it’s hard to connect it well to the kids without just going “…and flowers grow and kids grow and babies grow and everything grows – and God makes them grow!” See…gotta find a better in than that for sure!

Anyway, I guess that’s all I’ve got for now. Happy Wednesday!

We are in the middle of a whirlwind week. 

I spent most of last week prepping VBS stuff during nap time and whenever else I could. Set-up started at 3 in the afternoon on Sunday (yesterday), and I needed to get everything on my list done.

Then Eric announced that his grandparents 60th wedding anniversary was on Sunday and there would be a family dinner at the farm. Um…crap.

As there was no way I was going to get my stuff done by Friday night, I ended up sending my family off without me early on Saturday morning. I stayed home and knocked out the rest of my list, cleaned up the house a bit, packed some stuff, dropped off my VBS stuff at the church so it would be there when things got started on Sunday, and headed for the farm.

I hung out, went to church yesterday morning, and after dinner and cake and ice cream, I came back by myself, heading straight for the church. I got there about 4:30, checked in my with friend who was running our rooms until I got there, and then headed off to take on the two rooms she wasn’t working on yet. We worked and organized and decorated. The first time I looked up, it was 7:45. Yikes. I worked until just before 9:00 and headed home. The kids were in bed, but barely, so I got to say goodnight and let them know that VBS started in the morning (Erin’s been begging to go for about 10 days…she was more than stoked at my announcement). Then it was bed for me and Eric, too.

This morning, I got up early. I work the nursery for VBS, watching the workers’ kids so they can be free to help the actual VBS-ers. And we have to be there 15 minutes before everyone else so they can drop their kids off. Which means that on Day 1…we have to leave the house by 8:00 am. With three kids, 3 and under. Yeah…it’s crazy. But thankfully, we made it in great time today. It started to rain while we drove, stopped while we walked in and VBS got started and then poured all morning. But it was down to a light sprinkle by the time everything was done. VBS ends at noon, so after all the workers came for their kids, we cleaned up and headed home. 

Today we got home at 1:00. We had lunch and headed straight for naps. And thankfully, tomorrow, we don’t have to be there until 8:30. Those extra 15 minutes make a world of difference, let me tell you!

But it’s definitely a whirlwind week. And then we have a family birthday party/father’s day thing on Saturday. I teach Sunday School on Sunday. And then it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming (i.e., normal life!). 

Man…maybe I need to go take a nap, too!

Happy Monday!

This has been one of those weeks that’s left me feeling like an utter and complete failure. For everything one thing I’ve managed to do well, I’ve completely screwed up at least 3 others. At least that’s how it feels. 

My sister’s friend once commented that on those days when your kids are seemingly into everything and getting into trouble from wake up to bedtime…those are the days where they are really learning. The days when everything is easy are the days when they aren’t really learning anything at all. 

If she’s right, then this week has been one long learning opportunity after another. 

And I hate it.

I’m tired of feeling behind the eight ball.

I’m tired of being so far behind in every area of my life that I may never dig my way out. 

I’m tired of being on the verge of tears every other hour. 

I’m tired of realizing that I missed yet another opportunity, screwed up yet another interaction with a person, illustrated yet again what an unloving and ungrateful heart I have.

And right now, I don’t have any words of encouragement either. I’m empty. I’ve been reading Galatians all week, but I’m in such a fog that I don’t think a word of it has sunk in. I guess I should move on to Ephesians. Or Psalms. Or something that doesn’t remind me that I also don’t have the mental energy to consider something more complex than “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.” (Ps 23:1 NLT).

So that’s where I am this week. I guess I’ll just try to be honestly grateful for the lessons learned and keep seeking for Jesus in the minutes of my days. 

And I’ll happily accept prayers on my behalf, too. Thanks.

We are still…busy

The weekend was long and totally full, but we had a blast. Eric took an extra day off and we headed to the farm for Friday and Saturday. He got to play farmer, the kids played with Grandma and in the pool, and I sat around and did nothing (mostly due to the 90 degree weather and no air conditioning!). We came home on Saturday night, got up for church on Sunday, then Eric manned the crew while I headed to a friend’s house to help with VBS prep. We worked all day, Eric and the kids joined us and we shared a lovely dinner, and we got a ton of stuff done. Memorial Day was also incredibly busy. I got chores done (laundry, clean up the kitchen, clean bathrooms, run to the grocery, make strawberry jam), plus I worked on VBS stuff with my friend for a couple of hours and had my parents come for dinner that evening. 

Of course, we are back to normal life today which has involved going nowhere, trying to finish some chores from yesterday (ironing, putting away clean clothes, kitchen clean-up), and spending a good bit of time reading and hanging with the little ones. Eric put one of our tents up while I was gone on Monday morning (in the living room), which the kids just think is fabulous, so I filled it with our couch cushions today and they’ve been enjoying in indoor “playhouse” quite a bit. I’m pretty tired after the weekend, but we’ll hit our groove again soon…

We are still…married

Eight years ago today, Eric and I got married. We are probably going out for a family dinner tonight to celebrate, although neither one of us managed to get a card or gift for the other this time. Oops. Of course, 8th anniversary gifts are either bronze (traditional) or linens and lace (modern), so I’m not sure what play on that we would have come up with this year. And I am totally fine if Eric doesn’t buy me sheets for our anniversary!

Of course, there’s all the mushy stuff I could say about how much I love him (which I do), and how glad I am that we got married (which I am), or how he’s just amazing in every way (okay, most ways ). But mostly, I’m just really thankful for the man God dropped into my life. I wasn’t looking for him at the time. I remember telling Karen that “this” wasn’t what expected love to be like. But absolutely and for sure, I love my husband. He makes my days better. He still makes me laugh. He loves God and wants to honor Him with his life, and as a dad, no one can top him. I am so very glad to be celebrating 8 years with Eric today. 

We are still…surviving

Megan is still kicking my butt pretty much every day. She speaks in full sentences. She asks to go on the potty every couple of days (and does). She desperately wants to be taller so she can pedal like the twins. She loves the sandbox. She eats sidewalk chalk. She makes me laugh fifty times a day and frustrates me almost as often. She’s massively dramatic, launching herself to the ground when she throws a fit. Her temper and stubbornness is coming out in spades, but sixteen second after fit, she’s laughing again. She’s got the cutest little waddle, she loves shoes (especially Erin’s), and she’s got the cutest way of saying things – “Whyyyyyy?” or “‘Mon, Mommy” or “My turn!” Without a doubt she’s got a stronger personality than either twin, and I’m sure she’s gonna be a our strong-willed child for many years to come. But she’s definitely a fabulous little thing to have around. 

And speaking of difficult stages…3 is also turning into quite a challenge. Alex is slowly making progress on potty training (I suspect he and Megan will finish about the same time). Alex and Erin are coming into a new stage of imaginative play, wanting to sing songs from every “stage” (the front porch, my treadmill, the couch) while holding a “microphone” (hand weights, sticks, etc). Of course, I don’t know where they got that impulse… They also love to hear and tell stories. Alex announces to us that he is going to tell us a story – “Ont upon a time, Megan had a birtday.” There are two or three more sentences and he ends with, “And that is the end of my story about Megan’s birtday.” I guess I’ll have to work with him on “the end.” But as fun as all this stuff is, this new stage of play requires more of me, too. Preparing crafts, thinking of stories, stopping to play games…it’s a lot on top of normal life. 

And despite all the fun new developments (pedaling, climbing, eating on chairs without boosters), they are also testing every boundary they know. There are battles over obedience and speaking respectfully and helping Mommy. There is whining over turning off the TV to play more. There are meltdowns (some of them mine) and infinite conflicts over toys and whose-turn-it-is and who stole whose chair. There is a lot of whining. There are constant demands. There is drama and tattling and all sorts of wear-me-down battles over tiny little nothings. And I get that this is a season that someday I’ll forget was this difficult, but it’s still hard. Some days, it’s a few minutes and a lot of prayer before I can drag myself out of bed to face a day alone with all three. But I also know that it’s worth it. I know that the ground I’m claiming with them right now is about laying a foundation that will last the rest of their lives. I know the lessons they learn now are the lessons they don’t have to learn later (and in more painful circumstances). And I know that God gives all the grace necessary to navigate the crises, one day (or one minute) at a time. So we just keep on…

And mostly, we are still…here. And I’m grateful for that fact. I’m hoping to get back to more faithful blogging again; I’m hoping to figure out a workable summer schedule for us. I’m hoping to connect with some people again and survive VBS and keep my house clean (not gonna hold my breath for that one!). But for now…we are still here. And that is good. 

Happy Tuesday!

Okay, so you’ve heard the theoretical side of things and the practical side of my first soapbox. But it occurred to me that I need to get personal for a minute, too. 

Because I think you need to know what my personal goal for this blog series is NOT. 

My intention is NOT to get you to think like me or see things my way or use my personal criteria for judging what’s okay for me and mine as your personal criteria for what’s okay for you and yours.

So.not.the.goal. 

What I do want…is a little bigger than that. Honestly, I don’t care what conclusions you come to about media or arguments or politics or whatever. I DO care, very much, about HOW you come to those conclusions and whether you can articulate WHY you will or won’t watch something, participate in something, vote for someone, or whatever. 

Because, as much as I wish there were actually perfect and easy criteria for judging whatever area of life we might discuss…those criteria are actually hard to come by. 

For example, I heard recently the recommendation that, in regard to media consumption, we need to think, “Does this honor Jesus?” And that is certainly one good and important question to ask. But, on the other hand, it’s also very simplistic. Because which one honors Jesus more: the mediocre “Christian” film with a blatant message where someone gets “saved” during the plot…or a totally secular film that depicts, unknowingly, a beautiful and moving picture of God-style redemptive love? Which honors Jesus more? See…the question just got a little more complicated.

And the answer is…I’d love to have that discussion with you. I know my answer. Obviously, I’ve considered that question before. And yet…you may see things totally differently. And we can still both love Jesus. 

Because I have my own personal biases and issues that affect my media choices – I can’t watch horror movies or CSI-style crime dramas. The visual effects of those types of media feed my heart issues of fear and worry and I will lay awake at night running those images over and over in my mind, scaring myself silly over totally fake gunshot wounds and obviously theatrical masked villains. For whatever reason, those hit a nerve with me. On the other hand, I was surprised a couple of years ago to discover how much I like the Black Eyed Peas. Not all their songs, not all the lyrics to all their songs. But hey…I like their music. Does that mean you’re a bad person if you watch CSI because I don’t? Or a better person because you think the Black Eyed Peas are a waste of musical space? 

Of course, no. 

And that’s my point. This blog series is NOT about getting you to agree with me or validate my media choice. It’s about helping raise awareness and equip people, especially Christians, to interact with their world more adequately and effectively. It doesn’t matter whether we listen to the same music, watch the same movies or vote for the same candidates or issues. It does matter whether or not we have considered why we will or won’t do any of those things. And whether or not we can explain our conclusions to those with whom we interact.

And that is my goal…to encourage and equip you to turn your brains on…not turn you into another version of me.

Okay…now there they are – the theoretical, the practical, and the personal sides of Soapbox #1. I will roll out #2 in the near future, but for now, I encourage you to look this weekend for places and spaces to practice asking questions and intentionally thinking about the messages all around you.

And I’d love to hear from anyone willing to share their attempts, too! Let’s get started!

Okay…so my previous post was a theoretical rant. I am convinced it’s important. I’m convinced it’s missing from a lot of people’s lives. Seriously…a whole lot of people out there think they are immune. Yes, they know they need to be careful about what ideas they let into their minds. Yes, they know that most messages are not healthy or biblical. But they really don’t see the big deal. They really don’t think that those messages are getting in or making any difference in how they think or how they live. If you ask them directly whether they are affected by what they see and hear…they will tell you that they’re good. 

And I disagree.

No one is immune. We must learn how to turn our brains on in the most practical arenas of life. We have to protect ourselves. But really…how? How do we do this in the midst of our real lives where poopy bottoms have to wiped, homework has to be done, and busy family schedules mean we barely have time to tie our shoes, much less think about what we see and hear.

So, let me give you a couple of real-life examples and then some practical steps that you can do even while you do the thousand other things on your to-do list…here we go.

1. Song Lyrics

This is a huge area where we often get sucked into messages without meaning to. We fall in love with a beat, a sound, a catchy tune, and we casually ignore the lyrics as if the words aren’t burying themselves in our memories permanently (which they are…how many jingles from 10 years ago can you still sing?). Take Kenny Chesney’s song Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven where he’s throwing “extra” money in the offering plate to buy off God and go back to living the same old way. It’s upbeat, it’s fun, and it’s not a message we need to be absorbing. How many of the top ten dance hits of the last year are great to party to…and really horrible glorifications of sex and “fun”? Or what about Justin Beiber (and similar singers) whose lyrics are helping create our understanding (and our kids’ ideas) of what love really is? And don’t think for a second that Christian artists are “safe.” Have you listened to Mandisa’s song Stronger? Here are some of the lyrics: 

When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain’t gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me This is gonna make you stronger
Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger

Really? God uses difficult times in our lives to make us…stronger? At the end of an illness, a season of grief, a spiritual battle…God wants us to be stronger? That’s what the Bible teaches God is trying to do through our pain? Sure, she sings…

‘Cause if He started this work in your life
He will be faithful to complete it
If only you believe it
He knows how much it hurts
And I’m sure that He’s gonna help you get through this

Yes, God promises to complete in our lives the work He’s started. It’s a guarantee. But “if only we believe it”? Really? So if I don’t believe it, He won’t follow through? Is that really how God’s promises work?

This is what I’m talking about. I think Mandisa’s song is upbeat, fun to sing along with, and frankly, can be a great song of defiance – sort of an “I’m not going down without a fight” anthem. But even still…we can’t blow off the questionable things in the lyrics of the songs we hear every day. Because they do burrow down deep, and they do impact how we think. 

2. Advertising

Billboards, commercials, the pages and pages of ads in your most recent Parents, Cosmo, Sports Illustrated, or whatever. You do know that every single one of those pictures is a lie, right? Every last one. They are faked, photoshopped, falsified. They highlight the “good” stuff and hide the “bad” parts. That bowl of ice cream is probably a big old scoop of shortening. That Big Mac is sculpted out of stuff that will never see the inside of a McDonalds. And the models? Not one of them is the real deal. Not one. And we buy into the lie that this is what a product or a person looks like, the lie that this is what a product or person should look like. And whether we want to or not, when we aren’t thinking actively, we buy into it. We think that’s how the dress should look on me. And when it doesn’t…we feel bad about ourselves. Don’t believe me? Check out this post…scroll down to item #8 and compare the advertised picture of the dress with one of the real woman wearing it. She looks GREAT in it (and frankly, I want one). But the real life version is not even close to the image they “sold” in the ad for that dress. So which one is the truth…and which one is the lie? If we aren’t looking at the pictures sent our way with our brains turned on we will absorb lies about ourselves, other people, God, and the world around us without even realizing it. 

Of course, there are lots of areas of media and messages that we can talk about, but you probably get my point. So what can we do? Here are a few simple things…

1. Once a Day – especially if you have never really considered this idea, you can’t just dive in and try to think about everything in your life at once. It will overwhelm you. Pick one thing each day and intentionally stop and ask yourself questions about it. What is that song really saying? Do I agree? That article you read on Facebook…where did they get their information? What is that advertisement really selling? That news commentator who talked non-stop for 8 straight minutes, but what was his main point? Just once a day, every day, will build up the habit of turning your brain on faster than you would expect.

2. Work in Teams – I’ve never been a huge fan of group work, but for a lot of people, doing something with someone else makes all the difference. If you and a friend see movies together regularly or read books together or love the same type of music, commit to asking each other what’s going on, what messages you’re seeing, whether or not what you’re seeing and hearing is sound. Iron really does sharpen iron, and this is a good place to see the benefits of working together.

3. Add it to an established routine – Do you do family devotions? Bedtime prayers? Dinner conversations (everyone shares one good, one not-so-good thing about the day)? Add this in, too. Once a week (or for one family member each day), pose a question about a movie or song or sermon or school assignment that will get people thinking about what messages or ideas are lurking behind a “nice” facade. 

4. Pray about it. We need wisdom to wade through the muck and worldly wisdom that permeates our media and the messages that fill it. The best source of wisdom is, of course, the Holy Spirit. Pray about a book you’re reading, the movie you’re going to see, the lessons your kids are being taught in school, the magazine you’re about to flip through. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be aware of what you’re interacting with – what is good and what is less than good. Trust me, He is always happy to open our minds to Truth and protect our minds from lies. 

So there you go…some practical applications of a theoretical rant. What do you think? Am I on to something or totally off base? What have you tried? What do you wish you’d tried sooner? 

But whatever you else you do…start thinking. Turn your brain on and watch what comes your way!