Lately I have been feeling really 'blah'. I haven't been motivated to do much of anything. When I get this way I look for inspiration from either the scriptures or from a wonderful magazine that my church puts out called the 'Ensign'. I get to read what the apostles and prophets have to say on so many topics, and every now and then I'll find one that was meant just for me.
I've had this June issue of the 'Ensign' since, well...June. And I know I have skimmed through it then, but tonight when I picked it up there was a talk in there that really hit home. The article is entitled "Our Refined Heavenly Home" written by Elder Douglas L. Callister of the Seventy. He spoke of ways that we can make our homes reflect our heavenly home. He touched on the type of language we use, the literature we read, the music we listen to and the type of art we have hanging in our homes. Just by being more choosy in these areas we can make our homes a heavenly home.
I am the worst about having the television on. I don't even watch it half the time, I just like the noise. And I'll admit that I use it from time to time as a babysitter for the kids when I have chores around the house to do. I even used to say that my kids learned their numbers 1-5 because we have a 5 disc DVD changer. Pathetic, I know. In Elder Callister's talk he posed the question,
"Could our society today produce an Isaac Newton or a Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Can 85 channels and uncountable DVDs ever fill our insatiable appetite to be entertained? Do any unwisely become addicted to computer games or Internet surfing, thereby missing the richer experiences of great reading, converstaions, and enjoyment of music?"
I can tell you that in my house if I keep going the way we are going then there is no way a Newton or a Mozart could come out of here. I have had the feeling to get rid of the television, or at least scale back t.v. time for a long while now. I'm admitting it now that why I haven't done it is out of fear. I am afraid that I will not have anything to do with the kids once they have been snapped out of their digital comas. I read so many other blogs where mothers are having adventures with their little ones and I freeze up with the doubt that anyone would have any fun, or heaven forbid, I wouldn't have any fun.
Theo suggested reading more books and listening to music. I used to love listening to Classical music, and I still do. But there have been times when I want to play my music and all I get is gripe from the kids because it bores them. To lessen contention I usually back off and turn on "Yo Gabba Gabba". Elder Callister mentioned something that is making me change my mind and now I want to be more adamant about having the kids musical horizon broadened.
"If a young person grows up on a steady diet of hanburgers and french fries, he is not likely to become a gourmet. But the fault is not with fine food. He just grew up on something less. Some have grown up on a steady diet of musical french fries."
I love that! "Musical French Fries" Yes!!! Today is all about entertaining the masses with empty lyrics and mundane tunes. I like what Handel said after recieving a compliment after a performance of his famous
Messiah,
"My lord, I should be sorry if I only entertained them-I wish to make them better."
If only all performers and entertainers were like this, to make the listener a better person, not how popular they can become. And I am being the enabler by purchasing or listening to these 'musical french fries'.
I want and need to give more to my kids. Of course there will still be some fries on the side, just to keep it fun. But the main course should be hearty and thought provoking.
If you have any fun, educational, thought-inducing and imagination-building ideas I would love to hear any. Starting tomorrow the t.v. stays off.
