What Does God Think of Us?

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-01-001-abide-with-me?lang=eng

Who hasn't experienced a child who has the "gimmies". This child never has enough, doesn't appreciate what she has, and never even says, "thank you". She works on her never ending Christmas list year round. Though she doesn't even know what she has in her vast hoard, she is sure that she must possess more than anyone else has-- far more! 

How about the youth who packs up his car with all he can lay his hands on from home, then heads out to be on his own, ignoring his parents --until he needs help. Then after disregarding all his parent's advice and counsel, he expects them to come running to bail him out. Arrogantly, he expects his parents to always be there for him, endlessly supplying his all wants. If ever they refuse to indulge him, he poutingly declares, "You don't love me". 

Advantages of Getting Older

https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/mormon-channel-daily-quotes-meme-april-faith-1943084?lang=eng

Yes, there really are advantages to getting older. 

• I've lived long enough to see consequences of actions. Things that seemed to be bad at the moment have turned out to be good in the long run. For example, my poor health has helped my husband become very loving and supportive.

• I've learned whose advice I can follow. I've come to respect my husband's advice. I saw the counsel of the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints come true. They counseled for years to get out of debt, live within your means, avoid Home Equity Loans, and store food and necessities. Those that followed this advice were all right when the "Down-Turn" came. 

• I've learned not to worry if children do immature things. They are learning. Have faith in them. Give them time, love, a good example, good principles, lots of encouragement, and trust God to make up the difference. Children usually become great adults because of, and in spite of, our efforts as parents.

Does Obeying the Commandments of God take away my Freedom?

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-06-27-the-freedom-to?lang=eng

Some people have had enough of the immature and prideful accusations from people who use religion as a club. Beating upon others, they declare,"You did that. You are bad!", and, "I keep every rule, so I am better than you!" I almost expect next to hear the childish taunt of, "Na, na, Na, na, na", ending with, "I'm going to tell Mommy on you!"  Fed up, some people, understandably, want nothing more to do with the commandments of God.

Being a parent and grandparent has given me an interesting perspective on rules, yes, even commandments. When a child is young you can try and reason with them and try and convince them of the wisdom of doing as you have told them, but it doesn't work.

Spiritual Rattlesnakes

I wrote this in 2001 for a local newspaper of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Media is far worse now.

“Pornography, though billed by Satan as entertainment, is a deeply poisonous, deceptive snake that lies coiled up in magazines, the Internet, and the television.” warned Elder David E. Sorensen of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during last April’s General Conference. He further explained that it is more deadly to the spirit than a live rattlesnake since “pornography destroys self-esteem and weakens self-discipline.” Elder Sorensen urges us all to set up “fortifications” in the form of personal ground rules to protect our families.

We interviewed several families and found that they considered their major “fortification” against the evils in the world to be the Gospel. They felt that it was essential to begin teaching good values to your children at a very young age. Some use Family Home Evening as an opportunity to set family media rules, discuss things their child has seen and heard, and role play how to handle difficult situations their child may encounter such an inappropriate video at a friend’s home.

Monitoring Media

REASONS FOR MONITORING MEDIA
(TV, Videos, Magazines, Music) -- I wrote this in 1992 when we had children at home. There is far more need to monitor media now than there was then. There are more ways you can use technology to help you be in control of what you and your family see and hear.

1. Whatever we experience becomes a part of us- we must use our agency to choose the good and avoid the evil and harmful

2. Each choice we make affects other choices- we must use our time wisely; when we watch TV all evening we may have just eliminated the time we could have helped children with homework, talked with teens, played games, studies scriptures together, read good books together and individually, served others and time to build our relationship as husband and wife- building relationships within a family takes a great deal of time - doing things together and talking

3. By not making conscious choices, we steadily loose the ability to choose- few people can turn on a TV "just to see what is on" and not stand there watching for at least a few minutes even something they don't want to see or that they wouldn't choose to turn the TV on for;  we expose ourselves to sights, songs, messages that we wouldn't purposely choose just because it is there before us