Appropriate?

I'm feeling way under the weather, fever for two days, body aches, etc...so Hubby took the girls to church and I'm online since laying in bed hurts too much! While I'm beyond thankful that Andrew's on spring break for the next two weeks, I'm so annoyed that I'm sick. It seems like every break he has one of us gets sick right away! Yuck! The last week was so long, and so busy and so stressful and I think my body is just exhausted!

So all day yesterday I'm laying in bed, under the influence of Tylenol PM, drifting in and out of sleep. I had the t.v. on most of the day to distract myself from myself. Mostly it was on Bravo, re-runs of "Millionaire Matchmaker", and HGTV. Andrew would bring the girls in periodically to say hello and each time Chloe would point at the t.v. and ask me if what I was watching was "appopriate". I would cringe each time and say no, not appropriate for Chloe, but it's okay for Mommy.

I've been teaching her to look away from certain inappropriate things we see, whether it's a billboard, commercial or the huge old-school video game Mortal Combat in her gymnastics lobby.

Now my kids don't watch "real" t.v., only shows on On Demand, and even then there's a small portion of the menu screen that shows commercials and movie previews as you're clicking to get to your show. I absolutely cringe at this. Often they're showing previews of scary movies, movies with sexual innuendos etc. I've learned to mute the television for those 30 seconds it takes to get to PBS, but now I tell Chloe to cover her eyes as well.

Around Halloween we went to Sea World for the day and on the way there was a huge billboard for Knott's Scary Farm. This ad consisted of a bony skeleton face that was on fire. Holy inappropriateness. I would pray each and every time we passed it that Jesus would shield my kid's eyes.

There are so many things in this world I try to shield my kids' from. I want to shelter them from things that will pollute their minds and hearts. I hate how the term "sheltered" has such a negative connotation, when actually the Bible uses it so much, in a positive manner. God shelters us under his wing. We are to dwell in the shelter of the Most High.

Hearing inappropriate language, seeing those images on t.v. and out in public, watching that movie that may be a little too mature for her, Chloe has a tough battle ahead. But I'm determined to protect her innocence, whatever the cost. Whether it's the family member who tells me to get off my high horse when I ask him not to swear in front of my kids. Or the gymnastics teacher who laughs as Chloe tells her that the video game is not appropriate. Or the parent of another child who doesn't understand why I don't want my 3 year old watching a certain movie.

So this brings me to what I've been convicted with so much lately. If these things aren't appropriate for my kids, why are they okay for me? How can I justify watching certain shows, or commercials, listening to certain music that may contain things that are not glorifying to the Lord? Is it because I've seen all these things before? Do they pollute my mind any less now, than the first time they entered my thoughts? Isn't this a double standard of the values I'm trying to instill in my family?

I don't know the answers to these questions, and I'm not sure I want to. But the Lord keeps placing them on my heart.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy-keep thinking about these things. Phil. 4:8