TV Fast

In a couple days we are going to shut off our Satellite for a month or two. If it goes well we may leave it off for the summer. This has come about for a few reasons. First, our church is doing a fast in preparation for Easter. I don't believe a fast should necessarily be about just food. We have a play and a community Easter Egg Hunt that will take place all in the time period of a couple days. We strive to reach souls for Christ, and feel that if we aren't making a difference in our community, we aren't doing as Christ commands.
Next, I've had some real issues lately with the girls about just vegging in front of the TV. Chores aren't being done, schoolwork has slipped, and I am not real happy with all the things they are watching. I think it is time for a break to put some things in perspective.
Lastly, God has been impressing this on my heart for awhile. We are trying to save money to pay on other things. We want time to do family devotions. It seems like the TV is always on, always in the background. With warmer weather, I want my girls to go OUTSIDE and PLAY!
The Exception. Okay, the TV is not completely banned. We still have movies we can watch together. I still have preschool shows for Megan to watch, like Hermie, Veggie Tales, and Blue's Clues. To be honest, I haven't watched much television for awhile. We just have so much we are involved in that we don't focus on the television often.
I talked with our Pastor's wife yesterday at our women's meeting. Her home hasn't had television in years. She says her children enjoy watching it when they go to other peoples' homes, but they honestly don't know many of the characters that most children are obsessed with. Characters like Sponge Bob, Hannah Montana, and all the other shows that kids spend hours watching are not in their lives.
I liked that concept. I don't think our children, as christian children, should be totally obsessed with the things of this world. They don't have to sheltered from things, but there is a balance. It's common knowledge that children are spending hours in front of media. That includes TV, video games, computers, cell phones. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be much difference between children of christian parents and children of secular parents in these statistics. Shouldn't there be?
We have a computer (obviously) and our oldest has a cell phone. However, we don't have a game system. We all have shows we enjoy. However, if they are so important that we can't give them up for a bit, then they are too important in our lives.