On Watching the Super Bowl

Our family loves watching sports together on TV. Naturally, yesterday was a big day... as it was Super Bowl Sunday! {Side note: We were cheering for the Ravens. So happy they won!}

As Sunday approached, blog posts about people boycotting the Super Bowl begin to flood my Google reader. I learned for the first time the link between the increase of sex trafficking, especially involving children and the Super Bowl. I also started to read predictions about how much sexual content the commercials will have. Both of these information disturbed me. I wasn't sure what our response should be or would be as a family.

Sunday came and we settled in to watch the game. {Another side note: I am happy that my girl decided to skip a Super Bowl party that she was invited to because she said we always watch the Super Bowl as a family.} We decided to tune in to the Canadian broadcast which had "cleaner" commercials while still screening them as we watched. We also decided to turn the TV off during the half-time show, a decision I'm glad we made after reading reviews of Beyonce's performance this morning.

Young boys in our society today are bombarded and tempted enough by these sexual images everywhere they go. On the Internet, in the malls, on bus shelters, on billboards along the highway, even right in their own schools! Sometimes, no, many times unfortunately... it's out of our control.

So, when it's within our control... shouldn't we step in and take action?!?

What's a mother to do? 

We all know that this is not only every man's battle, it is every young man's battle as well. As a mother, I will fiercely fight this! Fighting for my son's purity is a battle that I can win, by God's grace. And I will fight... I will win!

As the game progressed, I was on Facebook and Twitter at the same time. It saddened me to read comments and tweets of young boys, entire youth groups even, watching the half-time show and perhaps, even the commercials! So, may I ask... since when did all this become acceptable material to watch?

I am not a perfect mother {far from... my imperfections become more and more evident with each passing day!} and I know that there isn't one right way to go about all this. All I know is that I want my son to have a firm understanding that these things are not acceptable to watch. Even when it's just once a year, even when it's the Super Bowl.

Then only will he know how to discern between right and wrong when he is confronted by these images in his daily life. For it is not a matter of if... it's a matter of when, if not already! Oh, help me, God!

This morning, I was happy to know that I'm not alone... 
I woke up to a blog post written by Lisa-Jo Baker entitled When Mama Ain't Happy. She writes about her anger because her sons were exposed to several sexually suggestive Super Bowl commercials. They were watching the game at someone else's home so there wasn't the option to turn off the TV or change channels.

Something broke wide open and angry when my five-year-old’s primary take away from the Super Bowl is a shocked recollection of several commercials I wish I could bleach clean out of his head. 

Dear God, when the world tries to claw at them, to break them, to smash the beauty in them, may our foundation hold true. May the lessons we’ve told, the truths we’ve lived, the life we’ve spoken into them come back easily, predictably, with courageous instinct.

We are the warriors who will battle for our children’s hearts, souls, attention, innocence, and memories.

~ Lisa-Jo Baker.

Fellow moms, to be warriors who will battle for our children's hearts, souls, attention, innocence, and memories --- this is why God made mothers, as Ann Voskamp writes today in her blog post!

That God had said I need somebody with a strong heart.

Strong enough for toddler tantrums and teenage testing, yet broken enough to fall on her knees and pray, pray, pray.

Someone who knows that in every hard place is exactly where you extend grace...

So God made a mother.

As I continue to count grace-gifts, with unending thanks... to The One who never fails to extend grace to me... these are the things I am thankful for these two weeks... #2834 - #2844:

:: The gift of being a mother.

:: My girl choosing family...

:: My boy's ability to discern between right and wrong... and the courage to seek restoration when he's wrong.

:: Birthday dinner with my girlfriend and chatting about marriage and motherhood.

:: The opportunity to help someone in need all the way in Slovakia.

:: My girl's great finish to her first semester in Grade 10.

:: Serving our homeless brothers and sisters at various "Out of the Cold" programs in the city.

:: A great church leadership team!

:: Fun family night watching the Super Bowl.

:: Medication and rest for when I don't feel well.

:: An understanding boss, telling me to take it easy today!

Happy Monday, friends!

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life.

~ Philippians 4:6-7, The Message.

Choosing to live a surrendered life... because Christ's love compels me... and giving thanks for everything that my good God so freely bestows, so lavishly gives and so extravagantly showers!

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!