Monday, May 16, 2016

Why We're Doing the Hard Unpopular Parent Thing....And Why I'm Choosing to Write About It.


He brought home the note yesterday. 

They would be showing a movie to the entire 1st grade class to celebrate the end of a fabulous school year. #rockon

But the reason for the note revealed the reason the note was needed. Although school policy was to show only G-rated movies, as long as parents said it was ok........PG could be shown.

Ok, ok. I'm still in. After all, he's seen some PG movies.
We've TAKEN HIM to some PG movies. 
We're good.
But.
The picture.
The small faces of three chipmunks staring us dead in the face.
No.
No, no, no.
Of all the movies.....please not that one.

You see, months ago I caught an episode of the New & Improved "Alvin & The Chipmunks" cartoon that currently airs.
I was speechless. 
Ok, that's not exactly true. I had a lot to say. 
But I didn't.
Could I be overreacting? Am I being overly sensitive? Am I such a Jesus freak that I can't even watch a simple kids show without ripping it to moral shreds?
I quietly turned the channel the next time it appeared, and continued to bite my tongue. <ouch>

But then.
   A few days later.
        My husband.
Should you not know him, let me tell you that he speaks 1/100th the words of his female counterpart. Over the years, he has rarely injected his thoughts on the majority of media matters. (with the exception of "The Bachelor"...."my daughter is NOT going to be raised believing it is ok for a guy to claim to love her and then make out with no-less-than-a-handful of barely-dressed bods in a matter of a few hours and hope to be 'picked' as the winner) #rockondaddy

So said husband says to me one morning, "I watched the new Alvin & The Chipmunks" with Jack yesterday Tera........ummmm, ya....NO. In addition to some seriously crude humor, I can't take all those "shut up"s and their little talk-back attitudes to that Dave guy that I think is supposed to be like their....Dad?"

I knew right then and there that Alvin and his brothers would need to find a new home in which to showcase their stardom.
I also knew that God had seen to it that each of us had individually heard his message to us as mom and dad...loud and clear.

So we talked to our little man. 

We explained all of the reasons why we didn't like this particular tv show. We told him how we believe in the power of our words and the impact of our actions. We talked to him about respect and lack thereof, how what we watch and listen to can become the way we see and speak in and to this world, and we told him how much we loved him. 
And we meant every word.

But when I saw the note lying on the counter this morning, can I be all-out honest? 

My first reaction was "Ugh, ok, so it's not what I would have picked, but Jack is old enough to understand, we will just talk to him ahead of time, and explain it to him afterwards, I mean, we don't want him to get teased or miss out." #bikerodeofearsalloveragain

I dropped the kids off and returned home to finish getting ready for work.

God would NOT let it go.

Verses flooded my head.
 #FLOODED

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
 
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23

......To name a few.

Now..............before I start receiving hate mail, or messages telling me that I have no business condemning movies or schools or anyone's choices...........Hear me.
That is NOT the reason for this post.
And no, I don't believe that every child that sees this movie or any other like it is going to grow up to be alcoholic ax-murderer because they watched a smart-alec chipmunk shout "Buzzkill". (I watched the trailer)

<And I will also say that I believe that schools and teachers all around this world, including in my very own small town, are doing a seriously incredible job. They love our kids and they show it. And it's beyond admirable.>

Here IS why I share this story with you (and it goes far beyond one simple little rodents film)- 

Don't let the world decide what's best for you and those you love. 
 
Don't let the world convince you that you'll stand out <in a bad way>  if you don't fit in <according to their way>.

and

Don't let the world's voice be louder than the voice of the God who loves you best and loves you most.

I almost did this morning.

In an effort to save my first-grader alienation and embarrassment, I almost blatantly went against everything I knew and everything God was speaking to BOTH me and my husband....just to fit in...and I ain't just talkin' 'bout the first-grader.
<good gravy, forty-five years old and still too-often worried about pleasing and appeasing the world>

Can you imagine the message it would have sent to the small boy who knew it was something mommy and daddy did not agree with?
#ThanksfornotlettingitgoGod

The best part?

I told our little man Jack after school today that he wouldn't be seeing the movie with his class tomorrow. 
I braced myself for the tearful response, the small tantrum, the cries of "why mommy? why??"....

"Ya, I didn't think so. We've talked about that lots around here and I know you and daddy don't like that for me."

Rock on little man.
Rock on.



Saturday, March 26, 2016

Reese's Eggs & The Risen Savior.....We Love Both.



Let me first start out saying that the order used in this blog post title in no way indicates my greater love.

Friends,

In this house, we dye eggs. 
We hunt for them. 
We leave out baskets. 
We hunt for those too. (the benefit of being a middle-age mama is that you really do get to (ahem...need to) hunt for yourself)
The Easter Bunny visits during the night (ok, the wee hours of morn) and sometimes, our youngest even hears him leave (I beg of you, please don't tell him).

We, as in, every single person that resides in this home, as well as the one that ditched us for a higher education, love Reese's Eggs.  
I mean, we Looooove our Reese's Eggs. 

**Please let me interject here that if you haven't yet tried this amazing confection, you simply must run to your nearest retailer. They are, in fact, the precise and perfect ratio of creamy peanut butter and milk chocolate.

But I digress.

So to recap:

We dye and hunt for eggs.
We leave out baskets and await the big bunny.
We indulge in Reese's Eggs, without guilt, because after all; they do come but once a year.

Oh, and one more thing:

WE LOVE JESUS.

We adore Him. We praise Him. We worship Him. We follow Him. We strive to be like Him and walk with Him.......daily.

We know Him from His birth, and His death, and His resurrection.

We cry at the foot of the cross on Good Friday and we rejoice at the Empty Tomb on Easter Morning.

We seek Him.
(and unlike the eggs and baskets, we are sure to find Him when we do)

Oh, and we love Reese's eggs. 


                                           


His death was for life.
His resurrection was for hope.
His promise was for future.
His love..........is eternal. 

May you and yours enjoy a most beautiful and blessed Easter (she writes while licking the last residue of Reese's off her lips) ~

Love & Hugs,




Friday, March 18, 2016

Move In. Clean House.


When you move into a new place, the first thing you gotta do is......clean house. (At least that's what my mama taught me, how about you?)
We take possession, and then we grab the Ajax. The Endust. The Clorox bleach. (Oh how I hate that smell, just ask my mama)
Why do we do it?
Because it's important that we start fresh.
And clean. And free of cobwebs. (ewww spiders)
The land will be given to you, but if you don't force out the bad......you'll have trouble.
God's instructions to the Israelites.
Listen, I'm giving you the land, providing you with a new home, but when you arrive....you'll need to clean house.
Those cobwebs of your past?
They need to go.
That dirt of guilt and unforgiveness?
Get the broom.
Those streaks of shame and bitterness?
Break out the Windex.
Fear. Worry. Anxiety. Doubt. Resentment.
Seriously, they're taking up too much closet space. (and that's some sacred space, amen ladies?)
Move in. ----> He's given it.
Clean house. ----> And live free.
(Cuz sharp hooks and thorns really hurt...ever step on a Lego?)
Friends, God offers us a new home through His Son. Actually, He paid for it.
In full. (Hello, no mortgage)
Move in.
Clean house.
Live free.
(Ahhh....a girl can almost smell the Pine Sol...so much better than bleach)

{What I saw in Numbers 33:54-55 NCV this Friday morning, and I'm just so glad you're here}