My kids still talk about the time I was the meanest mom ever. And around Christmas even. My daughters were just reaching their tween years and my son was about eight.
I had already proven myself to be a cruel mother by policing television programs, and limiting their TV and video time to two hours a day. I made them have reflective quiet times spent reading or writing in their journals. In the summer, I extended the TV-movie time to four hours, after much begging. We had a large supply of what I called clean movies. Any movie encouraging good morals, respect for parents, caring for others, and loving God, qualified.
But this time, I really outdid myself. I was “forcing” them to almost entirely go off TV and videos, cold turkey, for a month.
“It will be our Christmas present to Jesus. God gave us a part of Himself, in the best present ever: the baby Messiah in the manger. We give Christmas gifts to each other each year. This year, let’s give God a part of ourselves. The time we would spend watching TV or movies that exclude Him, let’s instead give to Him as a thank-you and birthday gift.” I said. Continue reading
said, “Wag more, bark less.” My dogs are happy dogs. Their joy is quite visible, they wag their tails more times a day than I can count. We all enjoy a dog’s expression of joy–that whirl of wags and wiggles. But, we become easily annoyed when the barking begins. It’s obvious that barking is also stressful for the barking dog. Though funny at first, the true meaning of that quote sunk in, and hit too close to home.
HIS EYE IS ON THIS SPARROW TOO Still Learning to Lean on God 