The Age of Reformation

(Alright...after two cups of coffee and a hefty vitamin that seems to be pumping adrenaline through the veins, I'm finding the energy for yet another post tonight! So here goes...)

I am ashamedly a TV addict.

It's true and very embarrassing to admit.

It's not that my television itinerary is altogether unwholesome (TV Guardian, DVR and Blockbuster Online have helped with that!) but it does consume a great deal of my evening hours.

I generally don't watch television during the day at all, but after supper or the bathing of the children, I'm hard pressed to keep it off.

A few weeks ago Josiah (5) drew pictures of himself with the whole family. In mine, he and I were watching TV together.

Hmmm...

I'm not looking to blame this character flaw on anyone but I have to attest as my own personal warning to myself that I was very much raised on TV. I can't say that I recall one children's book in my home much less a shelf of them. I think that not making reading a priority which develops a sincere love for it can very much be generational.

My husband has quite the opposite story. He was raised with many books and his most vivid memories are those times of being read to by his mother. It has made reading to our sons a thoughtful choice to him.

I, have to put it on my "to do" list.

We mutually believe, though, that television is the enemy to books. It draws us and our children into its stupor and sucks the minutes away that could be spent cultivating imagination and inspiration. It is the lazy man's entertainment and the downfall to our country.

So, how is a mom suppose to detox her children from television when she's totally addicted herself?

Ironically, it's not going to be too hard for my boys as I found out tonight...

My husband called a "family meeting" of sorts. This means that I was stuffing some form of cookie into my face while he and Sam chatted over the newest conviction...(okay, it's not so new for them) and Josiah played quietly somewhere in the back of the house!

Business at hand:

Television Strike.

What?

Do we get to vote?

Matt knows better than to call an all out war against the TV and that's where he's smart. I can remember so many times that my parents "turned over a new leaf" so-to-speak (no TV and daily family devotions) only to find that it was let slip in a few days. He also knows that my bad habit has to be broken in segments. One must learn good ways to replace bad behavior.

But what about my new favorite summer shows?

You see...we don't have babies anymore. Sam (8) is right around that tender age where you can lose him to anything else. Right now, "family" and "family time" is everything to him! He lives for us all to sit on the couch at the same time. He hates when he's forced to leave the room because even "that show" now has homosexual behavior on it or takes God's name in vain.

When he heard about the television strike, he was ecstatic. His exact words were, "This is going to be a great summer!"

Ouch.

Most kids would balk to know that four of the seven days the television would not be turned on for any moment....computer only one day a week.

Not my boys-they'd be happy if we got rid of it all together. To them, the television and computer prohibits us from reading endless hours of Tolkien to them or playing Clue and Crazy Eights.

So, the deal is that Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday-we will know longer be watching the television. This is with Matt's hope that by the school year, we will give up our TV (at least the digital, satellite part) altogether. Sunday afternoon, Sam may play a computer game.

Getting ready to face the first official day of our television fast, I have to ask myself...

Am I past the age of reformation? Is it too late for this child addict turned mom addict to give up her 8-11pm evenings of television viewing? I SOOO do love an evening cup of coffee and a desert with a good movie!

The part about my boys requires no question-I will do anything that is best for the saving of the innocence of my sons. I have made that choice very clear (even though it took me a little time in some years) throughout my mothering days. Some moms no longer have that chance but I still do and I will not waist it. I want to keep their love for their family constantly fresh, never growing dull. I want them to be shocked by the sinful and devastating realities of our culture and not calloused to them like I have become.

I want to become one of those weird families that sits around on a Friday and reads a great book together! (no offense...if you just did that!)

This desire closely followed by this discouragement-

"But that's not you, Charity! You're a stupid reality show-at best!"

Well, time will tell, I guess. The famous last words of any inspiring achiever is always, "If I could do it-then anyone could!"

So, let's see if I can...