Thursday, April 29, 2010

Unplugging

Last week I spent time away at a cabin with family and a few friends. The only way to get to it was by boat, and once there, we were cut off from Internet access and telephones. Cell phone signals were weak, and while we had a TV, it worked for DVDs only--if you happened to bring any.

I loved it.

We explored the tucked-away inlets of the lake by boat or kayaked across the quiet waters as far as we dared go. We played games, read, slept, ate, and celebrated a couple birthdays.

It was a tech-free time away.

When I returned, I settled into wrapping up preparations for a talk that I gave this morning—on quite the contrasting topic. Technology addiction.

Among the facts, research, and studies covered was one called 24 Hours Unplugged, with findings released just last week. 200 students from the University of Maryland participated. They were to abstain from technology and media for one day and then blog about their experience.

A few facts about the project:

It was led by Susan Moeller, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland and the director of the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda.

When the 24 hours was up, the students blogged 110,000 words—the same number of words as a 400-page novel. (Hmmm . . . this gives me an idea for how to finish my next book.)

What they seemed to write most strongly about was the lack of access to text messaging, instant messaging, phone calls, e-mail, and Facebook. Moeller said that “going without media meant, in their world, going without their friends and family.”

One said, “I felt quite alone and secluded from my life. Although I go to a school with thousands of students, the fact that I was not able to communicate with anyone via technology was almost unbearable.”

Many admitted they were “incredibly addicted” to media. Students wrote of how they felt while abstaining for the 24-hour period, using descriptions similar to those that go with drug and alcohol addictions: withdrawal, frantically craving, very anxious, extremely antsy, miserable, jittery, and crazy feeling
I bet those were freaky symptoms to discover. I wonder what they thought about that, what they decided about their technology lifestyle.

Some participants reported revelations and benefits of abstaining:
“I took better notes and was more focused.”
“It was actually a relief to step away from (my computer) and spend time doing other things.”
“I picked up on more details and things about people I live around that I had never
noticed before.”
“I realized how much media causes me to miss out on physical fitness and healthy eating habits.”
“I probably had more ‘thinking time’ that day than any day spent at college.”
“By not being able to listen to my iPod, I could hear natural sounds like birds chirping or people calling my name.”

Wow! I can relate to that last one when I think again about my recent time away. The call of an osprey flying overhead. The rhythm of raindrops on the roof. Water lapping against the kayaks and the splash of oars sliding in and out. Conversations and laughter of friends and family. Thoughts and prayers slipping through my mind as I watched the moon slide across the sky.

Wonderful sounds. Unforgettable experiences. God calling my name.

Jan

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Choose friends, or just take who comes along?


This is what friendship looks like in magazines, doesn't it? Or on Clean & Clear commercials. This is a snapshot of me and my friend Rachel, taken on Daytona Beach a couple years ago. I'm the one with my head thrown back, laughing like a hyena at who knows what. I remember there was a middle-aged guy in a G-string sunning himself not far from where we were, so maybe Rach had just pointed him out to me.

But I digress.

As a freshman in high school, my Uncle (who was a Pastor at the time) asked me to contribute to some magazine distributed to Southern Baptist teenagers. My topic was, "How should I choose friends?" I had about 200 words to respond.

I remembered thinking it should be easy. I've always been a girl who's fallen in with the "good crowd." And even on the occasion that I hung out with a few edgier friends, I somehow became the token good girl in the group. Like a mascot or something.

So I sat down to write my short article. Since it was for a religious publication, I figured I should make it Biblically based. I started off talking about how we should choose friends the way Jesus chose disciples. But then it occurred to me that Jesus wasn't exactly picking people for sleepovers and movie dates. He was picking disciples. People who would carry on his work after He was gone. Plus, He'd picked Judas. And surely He knew Judas would ultimately betray Him.

And then there's the pesky fact that Jesus often hung out with "sinners." Adulterers, tax collectors, and so on.

Basically, I wound up writing myself in a circle, saying something like, "Choose like-minded friends, but don't be afraid to hang out with people who aren't like-minded. Just make sure you're influencing them, not the other way around."

It was about 12 years ago when I attempted that article. Since that time, I've gone through 4 or 5 best friends. I've been betrayed and back stabbed. And I have betrayed and back stabbed.

Around age 20, I was finally blessed with my first close, Christian girl friend. I thought, "This is it. This is the friendship I'll have for the rest of my life." Five years later, even though we were both Christians, even though we both desired to live lives that honored God, we wound up in a nasty spat and our friendship disintegrated within an hour.

So I'm really not the best person to offer advice on friendship. (Boy advice I'm qualified to offer - my husband rocks!) But it occurred to me the other day that maybe there really isn't a proper way to pick who your friends are. Maybe the best way to do it is just love on the people God puts in your path, be the best friend to them that you know how to be, and not worry so much about if you have an appropriate balance of Christian and non-Christian friends.

But I'm still figuring all this out. What do you guys think?

Stephanie Morrill

www.StephanieMorrillBooks.com

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Teddy Grahams



Camy here! And yes, I realized I just posted about marshmallows and now I’m posting about Teddy Grahams. What can I say, I’m on a food kick.

(Come to think of it, when am I not on a food kick?)

Anyway, I hadn’t eaten Teddy Grahams in years, but my friend Dineen brought a box when she came over one day. Actually, I don’t think I had even eaten a graham cracker for a year or two up until that point.

I’d eaten Teddy Grahams before, so I knew what to expect. But somehow, it was like eating them for the first time. She brought the chocolate Teddy Grahams, and they tasted just like the chocolate cookie part of an Oreo!

I was pleasantly surprised. I like the cookie part better than the icing in the middle, so this was like eating the best part of an Oreo.

Anyway, it got me hooked. I went to the store and got me a box for myself, and I’ve been happily munching ever since.

What is it about these little Teddy Grahams? I mean, they’re only bear-shaped graham crackers. Why are they so good? And no, they do not have crack in them (I checked the ingredients label).

Bear-shaped cookies. And I love them. And I don’t know why. Maybe this is harking back to the disturbing psychological reasoning behind why I enjoy biting the heads off of marshmallow Peeps.

So are there any cookies that are, for whatever illogical reason, your downfall? ’Fess up. Confession is good for the soul.

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her humorous contemporary romance novel, Single Sashimi, and her romantic suspense, Deadly Intent. She also runs the Story Sensei critique service. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels and ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for giveways!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Tame Your Dragon



I finally saw How to Train Your Dragon last week and was pleasantly surprised. I expected a typical kids’ movie—sweet story, fun characters that would also inspire creative Happy Meal toys, great animation, and enough potty humor to make me groan, “Why do they always have to ruin movies? Now, Mom, my sisters, and I will spend the rest of the afternoon correcting the kids, when they start repeating all the butt jokes.”

Instead, I got caught up in the exciting plot, lovable characters, toilet-talk-free humor, and an unexpected messaged about the power of kindness.

In case you haven’t seen the movie yet, I won’t give too much away, other than that the main character, Hiccup, does not seem to have what it takes to be a Viking/Dragon killer. In a village that lives in fear of fire-breathing dragons, he is an embarrassment to his father and a joke among his friends. Hiccup is determined to prove himself by killing his first dragon. When he gets his chance, it becomes clear that he has a much more impressive gift than the ability to run a dragon through with his sword. He spends over half of the storyline trying to hide the evidence. A kind gentle spirit might come in handy when befriending one dragon, but it’ll only make life worse at home and among his fellow Vikings-in-training.

I really related to Hiccup. I have never been bold and was often criticized while growing up for being “too nice.” As an adult some friends called me “too sensitive.” I hated it! Why couldn’t I toughen up? But just as Hiccup discovered the strength that lurked behind his supposed weakness, God continues to teach me that being nice—even too nice—is hardly something to be ashamed of.

Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away rage, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” I have found this to be true many times. How about you? Think about it: when has anger helped solve a conflict? Then again, when have you seen kindness trigger surprising results? When have you been tempted to say “what needs to be said,” only to receive a nudge from God to back off and see Him use your willingness to be kind for good?

Today, see what happens if you try taming life’s dragon’s through a gentle approach instead of slaying them. Obviously this doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you or putting up with abuse. But what might happen if you refuse to respond to criticism with harsh comebacks, speak calmly when you’re tempted to chew someone out, or do something nice for someone who hasn’t been so nice to you? Compare the results with times when you let the tough Viking in you take over. I’d love to hear your stories.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

It's all about Relationship



Our son Thomas is a high school senior. Here's a picture of him last week on spring break. We went fishing in Florida. I almost didn't go on the boat with Thomas and his dad Saturday night. Part of me wanted to stay home and read, my favorite thing to do. I'm not much of a fisherwoman.

We climbed on the little boat and Thomas fixed up my rod and reel. Actually, he let me borrow one of his. I don't own fishing gear. While his dad drove the boat, Thomas showed me how to cast. He explained what to do if I caught a fish(I didn't). He had to untangle me a few times when I got my line hung in the weeds.

But I'm telling you the truth--I had the best time!

Here's the thing--when you care about someone, you want to make the relationship stronger. Sometimes you have to learn about the things they love. Tonight I'm going to a car show with my husband. :-0

Really, so much in life comes down to relationships with the people we love.

Can anybody relate?

Love,
Julie

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Bullies


Okay so we’re moving from marshmallows to bullying but hey, that’s what’s fun about being here. Every day is different:-)


I have to tell you that I’m still a bit heartbroken over the story of Phoebe Prince - the fifteen year old who was bullied so relentlessly that she went home and hung herself.


This article said:


Her books were routinely knocked out of her hands, items were flung at her, her face was scribbled out of photographs on the school walls, and threatening text messages were sent to her cell phone.


Scheibel said she had drawn the ire of the "Mean Girls" by briefly dating a popular senior football player in her first freshman weeks at the school. One student later said it felt like the whole school ganged up on her.


Then I read about these boys and their pink shirts, and it reminded that despite all the evil out there, there are kids willing to stand up and do what is right and good.




In response to Phoebe and the countless, nameless others who have been bullied and harassed, I joined YA Authors Against Bullying on Facebook. That page has many other links to stories of bullying and those who have stood up against it.


I think bullying is one of the hardest things to deal with - and it honestly never goes away. It’s not a high school issue - it’s a human issue.


Myra McEntire shared on her blog about a slew of verbal bullying that occurred on twitter just the other day. Grown up mean girls hiding behind their twitter names.


But it was this article in on Crosswalk that that seemed to put it in perspective. It’s a longer article, but well-worth the read.


When I went on The Tyra Banks Show (story here) a few years ago and shared about leaving my life as a witch and becoming a Christian, I got hate mail and threats for months afterwards. They were vicious and mean-spirited and accusatory. It was the first time I had ever experienced anything like that in my life. It was really hard, and surprisingly painful. But I had support, I had friends praying for me, and most of all, I knew that the attacks were coming because I had spoken the truth.


What happened to Phoebe and so many others is that they are targeted for simply existing. Nobody deserves that.


The bottom line is that the way Jesus teaches us to walk and to be is very different than the world’s way. We shouldn’t really be surprised at the evil humans are capable of. It’s why we need a Savior. But with God inside of us, we have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to stand up for those who are being abused. We can model what real love looks like, bestow kindness even when you're the only one. It’s not easy. But by saying nothing, we help it to continue.


Be strong and courageous. The God of the Universe is on your side.


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Marshmallows


Camy here with yet another really random and not very spiritual post. But you all love me anyway, right? Right???

Anyway, I’ve been on a marshmallow kick since Easter. It’s all the fault of those darn Peeps. I love them. I love biting their heads off. (There’s some deep psychological meaning behind that, but I’m going to ignore that.)

I’m dying for the chocolate caramel toffee marshmallow from Vosges Chocolate (the pic above). Doesn’t that look absolutely decadent?

There’s also supposed to be a really good homemade marshmallow recipe, but I don’t know what it is. Anybody know? Homemade marshmallows are supposed to be ten times better than store bought stuff, but I’m not sure why or how since I haven’t tried a homemade one yet.

Are you a marshmallow fan? I know not everyone likes the texture or consistency. I don’t know why I love them so much. My dentist hates it when I start eating more marshmallows. I want to make my dentist happy, but sometimes The Marshmallow Calls To Me.

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her humorous contemporary romance novel, Single Sashimi, and her romantic suspense, Deadly Intent. She also runs the Story Sensei critique service. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels and ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for giveways!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

A trick for boo-boos, both big and small




My daughter is 2 years old (see the above picture) and appears to have inherited my (lack of) coordination. In the summer, her legs are scuffed up messes, and we’ve yet to make it through a day without a bonked head or stubbed toe.

As a parent, there are few things more frustrating than when your child hurts and you can’t do a thing about it. Short of padding McKenna with bubble wrap, I can’t prevent every scrape and bruise.

But we’ve recently discovered a trick with McKenna that drastically shortens how long she frets over her new boo-boo. Here’s what it looks like in action:

We tailgated at a baseball game last week, a situation that sends you on high alert when you’ve got a toddler. Not only are you hanging out in a parking lot where plenty of cars are cruising by, but you’ve got a tiny-but-still-very-hot grill, and (if you’re with my brother-in-law) a washers game going. While I was busy making sure McKenna didn’t touch the grill that looked like a toy or get conked in the head with a metal disc, she climbed onto one of the rickety lawn chairs and the whole thing toppled over.

She was more scared than hurt, and after about 30 seconds of holding her while she cried and making sure she wasn’t bleeding anywhere, I said to her, “McKenna, should we check on the chair and make sure it’s okay too?”

The tears instantly vanished as McKenna went over to the chair, patted it, and declared it “okay too.” Then she scampered off to the bag of chips.

It occurred to me as I watched her that there’s tremendous healing power in turning our thoughts outward. When I’m feeling down or discouraged, one of the quickest ways to snap myself out of it is by finding someone else to serve. Or praying for someone else who’s in a similar situation. I see it demonstrated in McKenna daily—caring for others is far more satisfying, productive, and healing than obsessing over my own hurts and insecurities.

Have you found this to be true as well?



Stephanie Morrill




Friday, April 09, 2010

Recommended: Susie Magazine


Wow, I’m in the middle of taxes, and it’s a hard shift to get creative. I was about to resort to writing about the grapefruit I was eating, but that would have been torture for you.

So thankfully a glance around my office brought to my attention a magazine that you likely would be much more interested in than the fate of my grapefruit.

SUSIE Magazine

The magazine’s editor is Susie Shellenberger. Susie was the editor for Brio Magazine for 19 years. When Focus on the Family discontinued their teen ministry and publications, Susie wanted to keep the momentum going for the huge impact she and others were making on a generation of girls.

The site describes SUSIE Magazine as “a global sisterhood for teen girls” and says their purpose is “to lead girls into intimacy with Christ, guide them in developing healthy relationships, showcase positive entertainment choices, provide healthy role models, and teach positive self-image.”

The issues I’ve seen are engaging and enlightening, and the writers are honest and real about living out their faith in Christ. They talk about tough topics, teen questions, and how to make a strong global impact. They also include interviews and articles about favorite bands, movies, and reads (really encouraging you to think!). And they tackle the more everyday topics like prayer, family relationships, friendships with guys, and fixing a bad haircut. (Hey, I need to read that last one.)

SUSIE online goes way beyond the covers of its print magazine for the subscribers. Blogs and forums give “the sisterhood” an opportunity to interact. There’s even a page for parents, especially encouraging mom’s and daughters to interact together with the magazine's content.

Check it all out at SusieMagazine.com. Could be a great spring thing to do!


Jan

Thursday, April 08, 2010

What do you say when you talk to yourself?

No, I’m serious. What do you say?

Whether we know it or not, there is a continual dialogue going through our minds. The dialogue occurs in two ways:
1) Unscripted: Out-of-control, spontaneous, unanchored. It’s when your social calendar, the people around you, and whatever emotion of the day or hour takes over and rules your life.

2) Scripted: A solid plan. It’s something YOU create after thinking through situations, considering your plans and what you want, talking to God about your worries, cares, and your hopes. Then you actively determine how to handle life (with God’s help and strength). So even when everything feels whacked out, you have something solid to hold onto.

Unfortunately, during my teen years, I didn’t have any idea it was possible to script my thoughts. I learned quickly that how I thought, was what I believed. And what I believed, I lived. And living with my emotions just millime-ters from the surface didn’t always make a pretty picture.

How about you? What does your current, internal dialogue involve? Your thoughts will control your beliefs— which, in turn, will control your actions. This may not result in throwing punches . . . although that is a real possibility.

Believe it or not, you don’t have to leave your life (thoughts, beliefs, actions) to chance. You don’t have to be caught up in the drama, pulled along by every new character that pops into the scenes of your life (whether positively or negatively). Instead, you can realize you are the Star

Performer in your life story. You can write the script. Being the Star Performer of your world doesn’t mean you’re the center of the universe, but rather you understand that God—who is the center of the universe—created you with a role to play. Not only that, He’s provided His Word (the Script) and the Holy Spirit (the Internal Director) to guide you along the way.

To live life scripted means to allow God’s Word to guide your thoughts, actions, emotions, and desires before you throw yourself into the drama of life.

© Tricia Goyer

So. What ARE you saying to yourself?

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

A good foundation

Behind every queen is a prime minister. And behind every Victorian lady is … a bustle. Many of you know I'm a costumer, so Camy T. suggested I spend a couple of blog entries talking about sewing. With a number of steampunk events coming up this summer, and to get into the spirit of the steampunk YA novel I'm working on, I wanted to make a gown. However, you need a good foundation for clothes from the Victorian age, because they won’t hang properly otherwise. So the thing to do is to start with a corset (Period Corsets has good ones) and a bustle petticoat.

I got my petticoat pattern from Truly Victorian (pictured).

Then it was off to the fabric store for white cotton sheeting. I got 100% cotton, but girls, think about ironing 27 feet of ruffles. Not gonna happen. So the next time I make this up, I’ll use a 65/35 poly/cotton blend.

Lay out the pattern, cut out and mark the pieces, and you have a pile-o-stuff on your table.

The pieces are large and the instructions clear, so it doesn’t take long for this to go together. Even the boning channels are straightforward, and you can buy the bones--big honkin’ metal ones with plastic tips that won’t poke through your fabric--from Truly Victorian, already cut to size. I can’t tell you how much time and aggravation that saves.

Now, you’ll notice that the bones don’t look very bustle-y. That’s because we now have to put the bend in the bones. You sew strings into the seam allowance on each end of the bones, then pull them together over your, er, posterior and tie them, forming half-hoops.

Then it’s time for the ruffle overlay. Since the only person who can carry off the bony look successfully is Kate Moss, I don’t want the bones showing through my skirt. One must maintain the element of mystery, after all. So over the whole contraption goes a ruffled overlay to soften the lines of the bustle and hold the skirt off the bones a bit.

Ruffles. Oy. It took me a week to sew them--and since you lay them on top of the overlay pieces, you need to "finish" them or they’ll ravel with use. So that means sewing lace and ribbon on top of each one--meaning you sew all that acreage three times. Can you even imagine doing this in Victorian times, without a sewing machine?

But voila, the finished product is worth it--and now we have the foundation to build the rest of the costume on. More about that next time!

Shelley

Monday, April 05, 2010

Sticking to the Plan


The last time I wrote, I was preparing for a big writers’ conference and struggling to take my own advice when it came to pacing myself and setting myself up for discouragement. Well, guess what. I actually did it.

The day before the conference God allowed something to happen that not only slowed me down, but got me out of the house with a friend for a couple of hours. I accomplished things with her that I’d thought wouldn’t happen. Somehow this pointed me back in the right direction.

Once I arrived at the conference I stuck to the plan I’d made before leaving. I paced myself, let God open doors instead of giving into pressure to force them open (as if that ever works), and just enjoyed each day.

As a result, I had time to:
• Have new author photos taken
• Take a walk with a friend then sit for an hour catching up
• Be more available to those who were overwhelmed or attending the conference for the first timers
• Attend prayer and praise times
• Hear some new things from God
• Unwind after a stressful few weeks leading up to the conference

On top of that:
• I had less “low points” during the conference. Okay, I did cry once, but that had to do with life stuff, not conference-related discouragement or disappointment.
• I Appreciated a favorable response to one of my projects even more because I knew God had orchestrated it.
• I was more relaxed, enjoying each conversation, opportunity to learn, and surprise from God.
• The post-conference let down was much less intense.
• I went home eager to dive into new ideas and opportunities and actually had the energy to get started.

This reminded me how beneficial it is to make a plan and stick to it. What have you learned from similar experiences?

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Lay it Down



Saturday afternoon--day before Easter--a beautiful day in Georgia. I just took this picture. It's a cross beside our driveway my husband and son built a few years ago. We live way back in the woods and have a long gravel driveway. You can't see the cross from the road though sometimes I wish you could.

We were having the women from a local homeless shelter over to eat lunch one Thanksgiving. As I was busy fretting in the kitchen making sure everything was pretty and just so,my husband Rick and my son Thomas (then 14) were constructing the cross. When they finished Rick said, "We wanted the women to feel welcome." Ohhhh, how I remember--me busy worrying about making things perfect as real love was being shown.

Real Love. Authentic Love. Love not done for show but from the heart.

Today I stood at the foot of the cross and thought and prayed. It's been here for maybe four years and I've never done that.

Jesus, thank you. What You did for me covers it all, doesn't it? Forgive me, Lord. Your death covers my sin of worry, my fear, my lack of faith, and when I care more about pleasing others than pleasing You.

I thought about His blood. His pain. His forgiveness. I saw a flash of His agony in my mind, and I imagined the sounds of the crowd. It's not something I think about too often. It's not easy to think about.

One thing I know in my mind and want to understand in my heart--His death was enough. The cross welcomed the homeless women that Thanksgiving. It continues to welcome all of us--from the down-and-out to the up-and-out. Sometimes I choose to hang on to my guilt. But maybe that says to Jesus, "You're blood wasn't enough for me. Maybe for others, but not for my sin."

I think my attitude might be insulting to Him.

I'm laying it down now at the foot of the cross. Forgive me, Lord. Help me to be genuine in my love--more like You.

Julie

Thursday, April 01, 2010

The Trouble with Glee


So it’s April Fools Day and it might be nice to have come up with some clever and fun post for today, (Google is now Topeka? huh?) but seriously, I’m just not feeling very clever! But I did read a blog the other day that made me think about something I do want to talk about.


Glee.


So first, here’s the blog post that caught my interest: Movies, Books & Teen Sex


So what does this have to do with Glee?


Confession - I was a musical theater geek in high school (we didn’t have a glee club). I didn’t play sports. I couldn’t play an instrument. But I did every theatrical show possible throughout high school and into college. And I love musicals. So when Glee premiered I was deliriously happy.


Glee has a great cast of misfit characters

(we won’t talk about how most of them are not teens, but rather twenty-somethings.)


Glee has great music and choreography.


Glee can be utterly hilarious.

(Sue has some of the best one-liners on television).


I started watching it last year, eager for each and every week. I ignored the “yuck” of the show and concentrated on what I loved about it. But as time went on, the “yuck” side grew and grew - to the point that I decided to turn it off.


I was SO frustrated. There were parts of the show I just loved. Why did they include the junk? Why did they have to ruin it?


For me, part of the problem was that my 10 year old daughter was watching it with me. My “mom” ears are more sensitive to the messages and behavior that is being encouraged. But even my regular “Sarah” ears were bothered by what was happening in front of me. This wildly popular show among teens - what is it saying?


1. The President of the Chastity Club gets pregnant - making the idea of chastity a complete joke. Actually, sexual comments are all over the show, all the time. So much so, that it accounts for most of the “yuck”. Treating sex so lightly and casually - it's damaging to the way God wants us to view it.


2. Will is married to such a witch that viewers actually want him to commit adultery with the sweet doe-eyed Emma. This is by far the most troublesome one for me. Adultery made it into the list of 10 commandments for a reason. This just makes marriage look like something disposable. The idea that "I can do anything for love and it's not wrong". Marriage shouldn’t be disposable. Ever.


3. Bullying - the Glee kids are regularly bullied and harassed, but it’s never stopped. Granted, Slushie in the face isn’t dangerous. But it feeds into that idea that those who are on the outskirts of High school society should expect to be abused. they should expect to be tormented. And with so many troubling news reports about bullying that is taking lives, well, should we be laughing about it?


4. Many of the “adults” of the show are usually portrayed as either idiots or just ineffective. I realize that books and shows for teens want to portray the teens as smarter than the adults and able to make their own decisions - but - and this is a pretty big but, adults cannot just be dismissed from the equation. Scriptures are full of examples of how important it is for one generation to mentor the next generation.


5. The lying. Oh, the lying. Morality? Practically non-existent.


The trouble with Glee?


It teaches, supports and encourages things that are absolutely against Scripture. And no show-stopping musical number can really make me forget that fact. I know there are tons of people who continue to watch the show with great excitement every week. I totally get it, and I’m not judging you for it. Me, I wanted to turn it off to be a role model for my daughter. And maybe for you too.


All I want is for you to Be Wise. I don’t think we should ever ignore the messages that the media is throwing at us every day. Messages that make us deaf to the true messages. We have to be discerning. We have to be thoughtful. And we have to make sure that we don't give this world permission to change us in ways that move us farther from the One and Only.


Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8



So what do YOU think?


Blessings,

Sarah



Sarah Anne Sumpolec