A Television-Lite Summer

When we moved, we got rid of our satellite contract.  We still have Netflix , Hulu, & Amazon Prime.   So... That's not really getting rid of TV.  In fact, between two smart TVs, IPods, my Nook, and the smartphones my husband and I have, we are NOT lacking in screen time.  These items have saved our poor, old PC from more overuse.  However, I am not wanting my life to be passively watching other people pretend to live.

Megan finished first grade today.  Laura & Jasmine are nearly done.  But... As much as I long for a break from school, I fear that all my children will want to do is watch TV.  We now live in an apartment.  I can't yell at them to go play in the yard. So... I find myself scrambling to find ways to cut back on their (and my) television time. 

Family game nights come to mind, but that won't fill their days and nights.  

Then I realized that it's not just them that needs to cut out all the TV viewing.  I seriously don't want, at the end of my life, to have to state that I frittered away large chunks of the time the Lord gave me watching TV (most of which is pretend lives) while playing Bejeweled on my smartphone. What kind of life is that?

So, instead, I am praying about what The Lord would have me doing instead.  Praying is actually the number one thing I can do INSTEAD of watching TV.  Also in this list is spending more time studying and meditating on the Word of God, planning next year's school (after a mommy mental health break), spending time with my children, canning, reading, learning more photography skills, and exercising.  

That should keep me busy, right?  I'm not sure, but I feel like we are wasting our lives sitting on front of screens, passively watching whatever Hollywood has dreamed up to show us.  It's not a surprise to me that the church has a tough time impacting culture and the world around them for Christ.  Everyone I know spends hours watching TV. 

Nielsen research showed the average American watched an average of 5.1 hours per day, or 153 hours of TV a month. That’s 1/3 of the time we are awake! 

Now... Not all TV is bad.  I have a couple programs I plan to watch.  But... For the most part, most of the programming is useless fluff written with an agenda of programming the American minds to whatever special interest currently has the most  power and popularity.  Most shows I see advertised are not Christian at all!  And yet, we put this stuff in our minds and hearts.  

And so, I am beginning an experiment this summer of VERY limited television viewing.  I'll be posting about how it goes, as well as where God leads.