My siblings, parents and I would load our luggage, kitchen sink included, into the family van. We were excited to finally be on the road to visit Mom's side of the family in New York, which we did every so often. My Grammie has had a radio ever since I can remember, listening to it daily. The sound of the hymns and classical music would waft through the air like the scent of her freshly-baked cinnamon rolls, and I'm fairly certain the two would start waltzing. She has always been a huge role model for me, always thinking of what kind things she could do for others, and hardly ever watching television but for the local evening news.
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| He loves me. ;) |
Recently Joel
and I have been digging-in to our
goals. We have had to re-define,
re-negotiate, and keep each other honest. One of the things
that we have chosen to do is intentionally turn off the
majority of both social media and negative in-put. As we have done
so -and severely limited our overall dose of screen time in general-
we have been able to think much more clearly. We have been reaping
the benefits of choosing instead to intentionally fill our minds with
positivity. The results have been astounding, and it got me
thinking.
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| More family time; always a plus! |
It is no secret
that our family does not have a television set. Before we were
married, we each felt strongly about not bringing television
into our home. Some have asked us why. And as I have more recently
been reading for the purpose of personal growth, that conviction has
become even stronger. My point, and the crux of our decision, is
this: I
can either purposefully choose what to fill
my mind with, or I can
let others do it for me.
And
the same goes for our children, for whom I am responsible and for
whom I am a close example they constantly will follow after.
 |
| The men in my life :) |
It is worth noting that neither of
us have a problem with the occasional movie or show or what have you.
When we're sick, sometimes the laptop comes out for an
episode or two.
And, full disclosure, I am not always proud of the things I have
chosen to watch over the years. But as I see the difference it makes
in our lives to not watch, or
engage much with media in general,
the more I see the fruits of Philippians 4:4-9 in our lives:
"Finally,
brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever
is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable
-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."
My
husband and
I just bought a CD player, so that we have one less reason to have
our computer out all
the time for
no
good reason (because for us, social
programs and streaming services qualify
as “no good reason”). Now our laptop and phones can stay in the
office area for utility use, or a few minutes of Facebook just while
our
toddler
is sleeping. And we like that arrangement, because it works for us.
But you know what I love? I love that my
son
woke up this morning saying, “Pretty! Music! Please??”. He
runs out and points to
that humble radio from Walmart and thinks it's the best thing ever.
I
hope I am setting an example like my Grammie does; it is something I
aspire to. Sometimes simple things can set us up for success and
make our lives so much richer at the same time.
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