It Opened Right To The Page - Honest

Have you ever had a burden on your heart? You pray about it.... talk about it.... and out of no where - God just puts the answers right there for you to see... He loves to use different avenues to get our attention too... He has answered my questions - through a friend or two or three on FaceBook.. Through a book I picked up to read, a magazine article, a soft voice in your heart, and a phone call from a friend I have not heard from in a while...
Today, my heart is burdened about a punishment I am giving my daughter regarding her sneaky behavior and her disobedience with the TV in her bedroom. For more details you can read my dilemma at I've Become My Mother .

A little while ago I picked up a book I have not completely read - haven't touched the book in months - maybe a year... It's called "A Mom after God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George... I cracked open the book and this is what I read...

Protection from TV - (folks I did not look for this - the book opened to this!) TV can become another violator of our children's mental health and moral purity. So again we go battle. Block questionable channels. Stand strong against the trend of putting a TV in each child's room; have everyone watch TV in the family room. We can also set limits on TV time and programs. Our children should have limited TV so that they learn to spend their time and minds on much more interesting activities.
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. Psalm 101:3... Be careful little eyes what you see; be careful little ears what you hear...

I have become one of those parents that did not monitor what my kid watched on TV in her room - she does not have access to movie channels but that did not stop her from sneaking "R" rated movies from my DVD collection... My kid has been asking me questions lately about stalkers, sex, and rape... I had no idea why... Now I just found out - her favorite channel is Lifetime TV for Women...... Now I know..... I think we both are learning a lesson here.. me to be more involved and her to stay away from grown up issues at least till she's a grown up....

Let Me Gossip In Your Ear..

One of the things I am having a difficult time teaching my daughter is the difference between gossip and conversation..... She was telling me the other day that she NEVER gossips... so I asked her about the time she told everyone that so and so's dad was a drug dealer... She tells me (this is just so classic) I did not tell EVERYONE..... I just told my friends!!

As a thirteen year old she is running across a lot of stories told to her by different friends... and my very naive daughter believes what people tell her... well everyone other than her parents that is... When I have given her examples of the damage gossip had done when I was a kid - her eyes glazed over... I have brought out numerous Bible verses and again that did not enlighten her... She's a teen and knows more than the Bible and her mom... that's just the way it is right now..... until.... the gossip is about her....

People can be mean... I was just going to say teenagers can be mean... but we live in a mean world where gossip is everywhere.... There's a line in one of my favorite movies - "Never Been Kissed" that comes to mind..... You hurt others because it makes you feel better... And that is so very true... When a gossip is tearing down someone it makes them feel better... makes them feel superior....some people thrive on this and look for opportunities to destroy others.. I tell my daughter to beware... not to confide in others unless she wants everyone to know what she is saying.... in the real world there are very few secrets... especially in the teenage world...

Many a friendship has been ruined over a misunderstanding that started with gossip.. people tend to believe the worst about others... no wonder the tabloids are huge money makers. Simply put gossip is repeating something one heard in confidence or saying something that can hurt or destroy someone.... Gossip is NEVER good...

Proverbs 22:23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles...