Jul. 6, 2007 - Neil Postman on Cyberspace

A pastor at our church sent a link to this YouTube video featuring Neil Postman in 1995. Neil is the guy who wrote Amusing Ourselves to Death.  It's a short, 10 minute interview in which he discusses the potential impact that Cyberspace could have on our culture.  As I wrote, this was 1995.  You will be amazed at how much he predicted has come true, and provoked to thought as he asks, "What problem does this technology solve?" and "Is it MY problem?"  and "If not, what is the purpose of this technology?  Am I using the technology, or is it using me?"

I think it's something to seriously consider as we fight worldliness from grabbing hold of our children.  As you know from my earlier post, I love my iPod!  We have two computers in our home, plus a laptop that we use whenever the mood strikes, cell phones, an MP3 player, digital cameras, blah, blah, blah.  I have consistently been amazed at the draw all this technology has on our children.  They're like moths to the flame.  After all, my husband's cell phone has those cheesy Pac-Man and Basketball games on it, and the kids all love to talk to people on the cell phone.  Computers have games which they would spend hours and hours playing if my husband and I would let them.  First Son listens to the iPod while mowing, and all the kids love taking turns with the digital camera.  There's just so much that sometimes to me, who grew up in the 70's/80's, it seems as if I could easily slip into sensory overload.

This month we have turned off the t.v. in our house and already limit computer games and other technology, and in just the six days that we have experienced with no t.v., my husband and I are amazed at how the kids are interacting so much more with each other.  And we limited t.v. to the weekends!  As Neil Postman indicated in his interview, technology can isolate people....bring about a life dedicated to individual pursuits, which of course leads to selfish, me-first attitudes.  We all struggle with this problem without technology.  For  me, Neil's interview is a great reminder to be careful as we implement technology into our homes and guard the hearts of our children.

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Jun. 16, 2007 - A Nation Abandoned by God

That's the title of a sermon delivered by John MacArthur.  James Dobson featured this sermon on his show last week.  My husband and I just got the chance to sit down and listen to it tonight, and man, it's a heavy talk, and had us both speechless.  Here is the blurb about it:

The Bible records that, "because the Israelites forsook God and no longer served Him, He became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Amorites, who that year shattered and crushed them." Is modern-day America, which has forsaken godly principles in favor of rampant immorality, in danger of similar judgement? Will God abandon our nation as He did with Israel? He already has, says the Rev. John MacArthur. Well-known pastor and theologian makes a strong biblical case for his dramatic assertion. This thought-provoking message should move believers to pray for revival in our nation as never before.
"One of the most tragic scenes in the Bible ... is the scene of the strongest man who ever lived, a man by the name of Samson, finding out he had no strength ... He said, 'I will go out as at other times and shake myself free [of the Philistines].' ... But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. So the Philistines seized him." -- Rev. John MacArthur

Definitely take the time to listen if you can.  Go HERE for Part 1, and HERE for Part 2.  If for some reason you can't listen, you can find a transcript of the message HERE.

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Apr. 29, 2007 - We're Scaring Our Kids

I got this link from a pastor at our church.  It's an op-ed piece written by Peggy Noonan about how we're scaring our kids.  What she wrote is so right.  I know people who have the t.v. going constantly in the evening.  How much can our kids take?

When our oldest was five, we also had a two year old and a newborn.  After a long day, I enjoyed sitting down and watching the 30 minute news program.  It was relaxing to me, and I didn't really think the kids were paying attention.  I don't really remember tuning in Walter Cronkite when my parents watched him, but I may have listened more than I remember, I don't know.  Anyway, our son started having nightmares and being generally worried about life in general.  My husband and I were starting to wonder what was wrong with the boy when I read an article that said that our young ones should not be exposed to the news until they are 11 or 12ish.  So I stopped watching the news, and First Son began to relax and the bad dreams went away. 

Since then, we have sheltered our kids like nobody's business.  Our kids do not watch Saturday morning cartoons, a huge majority of movies that come out that LOOK LIKE kids movies, the news, magazines, newspapers, and they are not allowed to listen to the radio.  And ya know what?  Our kids are happy.  They enjoy their days, and I'm glad that my daughter is not all wrapped up in looking like the latest American Idol contestant.  Who thinks that American Idol is family-friendly????  First Son was told by a friend in the neighborhood that he liked playing with him because unlike the 11 year olds in his public school, First Son did not act "all cool."  There is really something to be said from sheltering our children from our very worldly popular culture.  As our pastor wrote in his email, it is so important to preserve the naivete and innocence of our children.  Why should we be embarrassed that our children are labeled "innocent", "naive", or "sheltered?"  Shouldn't we be glad when our kids don't understand jokes that are off-color?

Romans 16:19 says, "For the report of your obedience has reached all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil."

These are the things from which we do not shelter our children:

1) Life doesn't end when we die.  There's more to come, and they have a choice to make about what happens after this life.  They can either spend it in Heaven with God, or in Hell apart from God forever.

2)  There are Christians in the world who die for Christ.  They are tortured, ridiculed and killed because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We regularly read our kids stories about martyrs for the faith.  We talk about it.  We pray for those who are suffering today.  You may think this is just an adult problem, but what about the children whose parents are killed?  I would guess that it is certainly an issue for them.

hsmomof2 also wrote a post about how we scare our kids with global warming info.  Her blog entry, plus the article from our pastor, really got me going.  I pray that we would all protect our kid's innocence.  They are so precious. I like what Peggy Noonan wrote:

"[Our kids] need a stable platform on which to stand. From it they will be likely to step forward into steady adulthood. Without it, they will struggle; they will be less daring in their lives because life, they know, is frightful and discouraging."

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