These were the questions several of you were sweet and curious enough to ask after a recent Facebook post about "Issues." For those who did not see it, here's the post:
SOOOOO hard to let go of your children, even when you trust God and know God is in control!!! I know I have peers and younger ones on my Facebook, so I will say this to both:
Parent to Parent: PLEASE CHECK YOUR KIDS PHONES AND EMAILS AND FBK MESSAGES!!!! Yes, takes extra time and they may not like it, but it's important for them to know they are still under your accountability and authority and i
t's our responsibility to set boundaries and correct bad choices. Don't put your child's friend in the position to have to go tell a parent! Every Parent should already know!!! Be in their DIGITAL WORLD and ask about what they've seen and heard each day.
Grieves my heart to hear what goes on even in JUNIOR HIGH!!! Makes me struggle with "control" and letting them go. Phil 4:13, trusting He is in control!!!
Blogging about DIGITAL Parental Controls tomorrow!! Then hopefully Thursday, SPIRITUAL Parent Controls. Parents, we need each other!!! Where two or more are gathered...!
Teens: PLEASE REMEMBER THAT DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS ARE PERMANENT!!!! In these days, what you put out there can instantly be shared with all the world!!! Everything done in darkness will come to Light! If you want someone to tell you you're beautiful/handsome and worthy, give yourself to GOD, not immature boys/girls! You're value and image is reflected in Christ! Hold on to it and guard it!! You are wonderfully made and created for a purpose!!!!! You don't deserve anything less than what God has planned for you!!! If someone wants a piece of you, make them go through your Abba Daddy to get to you!!!! Christians, hold each other accountable!! Help each other be pure and strong!!! Where two or more are gathered....Honor your Father!!
Grieves my heart to hear what goes on even in JUNIOR HIGH!!! Makes me struggle with "control" and letting them go. Phil 4:13, trusting He is in control!!!
Blogging about DIGITAL Parental Controls tomorrow!! Then hopefully Thursday, SPIRITUAL Parent Controls. Parents, we need each other!!! Where two or more are gathered...!
Teens: PLEASE REMEMBER THAT DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS ARE PERMANENT!!!! In these days, what you put out there can instantly be shared with all the world!!! Everything done in darkness will come to Light! If you want someone to tell you you're beautiful/handsome and worthy, give yourself to GOD, not immature boys/girls! You're value and image is reflected in Christ! Hold on to it and guard it!! You are wonderfully made and created for a purpose!!!!! You don't deserve anything less than what God has planned for you!!! If someone wants a piece of you, make them go through your Abba Daddy to get to you!!!! Christians, hold each other accountable!! Help each other be pure and strong!!! Where two or more are gathered....Honor your Father!!
And there it is....yep, I was at the end of my rope with EVERYTHING!!! Ever have one of these kid of days...or weeks...inside-out and backwards!
Well, I was! No matter what I did right it only seemed that 2 things would go wrong. One step forward and two steps back, so it seemed. Just a "toss in the towel" week, or two actually.
Without getting into specifics about who and what, I will share my "issue." Bottom line is technology can be very dangerous. I cannot believe these words are about to come out of my mouth (I'm actually old enough to say it-wow), but BACK IN MY DAY, there weren't computers in the home that could access something called the internet and there weren't cell phone that not only will allow you to talk to anyone, anywhere and even via live stream but they can also access anything you could could possibly want in the world...any item, any information.
Just like anything, there is a choice...it is a choice you have to make cuz these things in of themselves are not evil but we choose to use them for good or evil. I receive inbox messages often from others thanking me for the encouraging words shared on Facebook while so many others spew hatred or junk out there. I choose to use my life and the resources God has given me to bless, not curse. Not bragging but sharing the strength and joy that comes from having a personal relationship with Christ and choosing to live a life, best as this sinner is able, to honor Him.
With the privileges we all have with things (fame, money, technology, etc) there comes with it responsibility to use it responsibly and for the Christian-respectfully and honoring Christ. We have the choice to use our things for good or evil, and it is our responsibility to set up whatever boundaries necessary to make sure we do. If we struggle with overeating, we should stay away from buffets. If we struggle with alcohol, we should stay away from environments or people who drink. If we gamble, we should stay away from money-pits. If we struggle with purity, we should have major filters on our "media." Whatever our vice, we need accountability and filters!
This brings me back to my post! DIGITAL Parental Controls! WE...THE PARENTS...MUST put them on EVERYTHING!!! I didn't even realize what was out there and what all my different gadgets could do. The Wii, PS3, Desktop and IPhones/Cells all have access to the internet. Unless you put up blocks or filters, they can look up anything!!!! Stuff you don't want them to see. While there is a ton of awesome uses for the internet, we need to set those guards up so our kids are only able to be in the "safety zone."
I am shocked at the things I see on the Internet with teens pictures! And it's not just the girls!!! Guys are flexing and showing undergarmets too, all talking about their weekend happenings. Are there really that many parties going on out there?!? And the things texted, wow! Conversations these days progress faster than "back in my day." I always wonder what the parent would do if they actually saw or read what their child had just posted or sent. When my kids come home and tell me what they've seen, I immediately say a prayer for the parent to please find out. I too want to know what my kids are up to. It should not be up to another child to report the misuse of media to their friend's parent. I doubt anyone would ever actually do that.
What if every parent were active in their own kids phones/computers? What if there were filters in place that prevented adult content to leak out into our kid's worlds, even for us adults who struggle with our own purity temptations. There is much that NO ONE needs to see. We shared a statistic in our SS Class a few weeks ago that the Pornography Industry profits more than all the Sporting Industries combined!! That's a LOT!! And we wonder why many marriages are being destroyed, sex-trafficking is on the rise and why it's so hard to find a show or movie that is void of sexual content!
So, I am a Mom on Mission to protect the Digital purity of my home, that includes my husband and I, our children, as well as any guests that come into our home. While we cannot protect them at every turn, and I wish I could force filters out to everyone under the age of 18, we have the responsibility and ability to do what we can. Filtering 75% is better than 0%. (Yes there are the legal warnings that you must be 18 or older, but what good is that if the child has the password!?!)
I am in the process of learning myself what our legal and moral consequences/responsibilities are, I hope to put together a little workshop for parents but I wanted to put a feeler out there and see if anyone would even be interested in digging in, getting the information and having accountability with it. If so, please email me.
Meanwhile...for you ITunes people...did you know that Apps and ITunes have ratings?!?! I had no clue! I have officially removed YouTube, ITunes and App Store from all the cells. If we want to see something on there, it can be done at home on the desktop where there is accountability and a history. If someone wants to make a purchase, it must go through Mom or Dad since only we know the password (for every device!!!) and all purchases can be seen on the ITunes desktop. Even if a purchase isn't made, scrolling aimlessly through the App store can be dangerous too, just reading about all the apps with MA ratings and seeing the promo pictures is too much for little eyes.
So, I challenge and encourage you to take charge for the DIGITAL purity in YOUR OWN home!!!! No, your kids will probably not like it cuz like we already established, there is some good and they may simply be having fun, but it only takes a spark to get a fire going! If you or your spouse are the ones who struggle with DIGITAL purity, then change the passwords, put on stricter filters, get accountability and counsel and pray, pray, pray!!!! There is nothing God cannot free you from.
I am eager to learn what I can to clean my home from the inside out!! Remember that it is your responsibility to clean yours!!!! To GOD be the glory in every digit of our world.
*EMAIL me if you'd want to take a class from me which would be basics on what I will have learned and implemented in my own home. SURFS UP!!!
Michele
happymomfour@comcast.net
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