Weekend Devo — A Picture Says It All

I went to visit a friend recently and as I left, I noticed this cluster of sattelite dishes on one of the buildings. I know each dish is for a residence but doesn't this say a lot about where are interests and focus lay in today's world? It really struck me as pertinent.

So, let's make a game of it. What caption would put with this picture? Let's get creative and witty. The winning caption will receive a special gift! Have fun!

Praying and believing,
Dineen 

Hey, Help Us Out

Hi Everyone,

My friends I hope you can help me out with two things.

1) Next week Dineen and her daughter will be visiting the Donovan Clan home once more. Lord have mercy on poor Dineen. She has to put up with my zaniness. Anyhoo, we will be taping our show, The Intentional Marriage, while she is here. 

We LOVE to answer questions from all of you. So, please today, ask us anything. Write your questions in the comments and we will answer them next Friday on our show. The last time we did this you all provided some fantastic questions. I'm wondering if you have questions about raising children, how to defend your faith, how you deal with other Christians who are well meaning yet don't understand what you are really dealing with. Okay, now it's your turn. Ask away and make them hard. *grin*

2) Dineen and I will have a book signing in the Temecula area next Saturday. Oh please, if you are anywhere near us, please stop in. We have prizes and treats and would love to hug your neck and get a photo.

Also, Dineen and I have been discussing a few topics which we are feeling led to write about beginning in May. Who wants to really understand "The Genesis Woman?" Also, I'm toying with some thoughts on how you can turn a bad day into a good day and uplift your soul. All kinds of stuff ahead.

Finally, I have been deeply touched by the emails and comments that arrived this past week from our single readers who are trying to live out their faith in the wild world of dating. Wow, do I ever esteem them and praise their efforts to submit to the Lord's teaching. I am thinking of writing more on that subject. Doing some research on it now.

LOTS ahead. So join the community. Leave a comment and let's really work out somethings in our lives. To bring us peace and joy. To bring salvation to unsaved spouses and mostly TO HONOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Hugs, Lynn

Glee and Other Thoughts - The Chronicles of the Donovan Clan

I hope you read the comments from my Monday post, Television and Our Kids. There are some very wise parents who offered their thoughts and reflect on some of their past interactions with regard to their children and the media.

I am deeply troubled over the direction television programing is headed. It is reflective of the fact that the return of Christ is imminent and near. But as we wait, we must continue to live in this world, to be the salt and light, especially to our kids and to our spouse.

AND THAT is the tricky part.

How?

So, I'm going out on a limb again today and share a peek into our life here with the Donovan Clan.

I know I can get riled up about Skins and two dozen or more other television programs I think should be cancelled yesterday. But, I will share with you that my daughter and I began watching the series, Glee on Fox when it premiered three years ago.

This is a show about a high school glee club. I recognize this show is highly controversial and is absolutely offensive. The episodes are scripted and deal with matters such as homosexuality, teen pregnancy, bullying, underage drinking and a few others I can't remember right now.

I asked my daughter, "Caitie, Glee includes content of teens drinking, having sex and homosexuality. How is this different than Skins."

"Mom, I haven't seen Skins but I can tell you that the way it's presented is very different. For example the most recent episode of Glee was about teen drinking. Mom, at the end of the program the teens learn something. They learned drinking wasn’t worth it and they signed a pledge to not drink. They always learn something."

So, here I am a parent, what do I do with this?

I will tell you that I have watched the episodes with my daughter and we have literally put the show on pause in the middle of the broadcast to have discussions about gay students in her school, we have talked about sex, the temptations, the curiosity of teens and every manner of morals and Biblical teaching with regard to abstinence. Glee actually opened up a wide door of communication about very real issues that are present in my daughter's life.

I will tell you that last year, as a freshman in high school, she saw a lot. A friend came to school high, one drunk, a girl hit on her in math class, bazaar clothing and every kind of tattoo and piercing, smoking, drinking...... And that was just the first month of school.

I want to shield my daughter from these things but I also realize that she will encounter them, almost daily, in her high school. Watching this program together with her has given me the chance to bring up the subject matters, provide her with solid thoughts on how she can make a decision today to do the right thing when she finds herself faced with temptation or what seems to be actually happening is that her friends are struggling and have little guidance from home. My daughter is often the voice of descent.

So, I'm trying to find the balance. I want her to feel safe to talk to me about these issues and to allow her some personal freedom of choice. I don't want to be so ridged that she feels she must rebel. Yet I want her to know the truth about what God says on these very real and controversial issues she and her friends face. I want her to choose to do the right thing not for my sake but for hers and mostly I want her to choose to do what God wants. It’s that kind of thinking that will stay with her for a lifetime long after my parenting influence is over.

My ultimate goal is that she chooses to honor God’s desires for her life.

I have more to say on this and more about how we balance television viewing with an unbelieving spouse.

I’m curious about how you find the balance and how you help your kids navigate the moral challenges they face in this lost and broken world. What has worked for you? Be blessed, Lynn

Next post: Do we have any influence over our spouse’s media choices??

Facebook Ruins Marriage

Facebook ruins marriage.

I’m sure you saw in the news a few weeks ago a Pastor in New Jersey gained national attention when he told his staff to close their Facbook accounts.

The gist of this requirement was his experience that in his marital counseling efforts, many marriages ended because of Facebook. A married spouse would find an old flame online, they began to chat and then ultimately began an affair.

Well this incident with the pastor opened up some fascinating and interesting conversation around our house, with my teen-daughter, my husband and a few of my friends.

So my question; Is Facebook a danger to marriages? Should we close down our account? Now don’t be shy, add your voice because I can tell you, this is a very real issue. We received many Google search hits on an article I wrote about this very issue a year ago.

So, what say you?

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Hugs, Lynn

Original Article: An affair? Facbook?