Shamlessly Addicted to Karmin

(courtesy: karminmusic.com)

As if the dynamic duo of Karmin wasn't already on our list of ALL-TIME AWESOME, they dropped a new tasty morsel a couple weeks back and The Ranch couldn't be happier!  

Their stick-in-ya-head melody & clean lyrics, coupled with an eye-popping colorful video 

(not to mention cash money toast!) has got "Acapella" at the tip top of my personal 

 HAPPY MUSIC FAVES OF 2014 CHART! 

BONUS: If you actually listen to the lyrics, it packs a powerful message that I hope Mini-Me learns here in her early days of dating... 

Oh yeah, by the way, Mini-Me DID in fact turn 16 almost a month ago. Have been so busy with fastpitch lessons, birthday parties, holidays, my brother's wedding, basketball tournaments, family gatherings, sports camps (girls camp details to come eventually) & roadtrips that I failed to post it here ON her actual birthday.  But she did & we survived!  Rest assured she got her license & is still ticket-free --knock on wood-- and Mr LKP's taking applications from date-able candidates, LOL! 

UNDERLYING MESSAGE: BE STRONG IN YOURSELF.  

Falls right in line with what I admonish every time she leaves the house "Remember who you are and what you stand for." But even more so at this time in her life I hope she gains the strong foundation of an early realization that her own self-worth does not increase or diminish based on whether she's attached to someone or not.  I hope she realizes that it is MORE THAN OKAY to stand on her own two feet *without* a less than worthy companion, rather than to be stifled by the wrong relationship.  Hard lesson to learn for many, as it was for myself in my youth, but hopefully she gets it now before a great deal of heartache & doubt can enter the picture.  

So, thank you Karmin, from this grateful mama.  And to everybody else?  Crank that "Acapella" up!

Grateful for... (What I Believe: A Long-Overdue Stance)

"ANY BUG CAN HIT A WINDSHIELD, BUT IT TAKES GUTS TO STICK!" ~UNKNOWN

On many blogs lately, there was been a YouTube trailer featured, linked to, or embedded in a multitude of different posts.  The trailer is for a documentary called "Miss Representation."  The film discusses the negative affects today's media has on the young women and young girls of the world, which is deteriorating our girls' self-esteem, personal body-images, how they talk to & treat others, and the legacy of strength intended to be passed on to the next generation.  The discussion includes interviews with teenagers (guys & girls alike), successful women of accomplishment, women & men of scholarship, women & men in leadership & government positions, as well as women & men who work in mainstream media.  

I agree that society/the world/the media have gotten away with moral travesties!  I agree that it should stop.  I agree that the tipping point or paradigm shift can only happen if we demand accountability on the media's part & demand better for our kids.  We must be our children's champions.

If you'd like to see the trailer for yourself, please go here.  Though I agree with the position of the documentary, I do not want some of the images, shown as proof of what we already know to be true, to have a home here in my family's blog.

The first blog I heard of this from was a dear friend of mine.  Her blog did not feature the video either, instead she chose to link to her friends' blog where it was viewable.  Rather than leave my lengthy comment on this poor-gal-who-doesn't-know-me's blog, instead I decided to post my comment here.  Once you've seen the video, you'll understand where I'm coming from.  Since this had originally been intended to be just a comment, please excuse the lack of capitalization.  Thank you.

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"i'm here via SIF's blog.  what this video/trailer addresses are daily concerns of mine.

being the mother of a 14 year old HS freshman, i'm constantly guarding against the negative outside-influences in my kid's life.  i don't agree with the media out there doing its thing but, it DOES feel like i can't stop those in the media from continuing further down the path.  what i HAVE found we can do is educate our daughters.  

solid ground rules/expectations (in regards to dressing modestly, using clean language, having self-respect & respecting others, etc.) are set & continuously maintained within our family & home.

"no other success can compensate for failure in the home." ~david o. mckay

 

we encourage & foster a good relationship with our daughter where we can openly communicate and discuss questions she may have.  also, we CAN limit the media's influence here in our home & family.  as vile as the media's offerings are, we are not victims.  we do not have to welcome any of it in.

also, in our family, we are very careful about the music we listen to.  when a degrading song comes on the radio, the channel is changed and the floor is then opened for educating our daughter as to why it's degrading, the extent of damage such lyrics & artists cause, and -despite the catchy beat- what elements are most offensive so we can avoid the unseen destruction from future songs or artists' tactics. 

in addition, we don't watch TV.  no MTV and no network programming here.  (not only do too many shows lack a conscience any more, i definitely cannot trust what additional smut or filth enters the home via simple movie trailers and other commercials in between.  so we've been TV-free for 7 years now.)  we DO have an extensive DVD collection that we enjoy, where the titles selected and in our library have gone through meticulous evaluation on our parts as the parents.  that's.our.job. 

we also have netflix and a wii.... but with both of those, we most definitely rely on the parental controls to help police all content viewed there.  some old movies that were released prior to the movie ratings system aren't even able to be viewed.  books are also scoured to be sure content is appropriate.  our family library consists of many classic pieces of literature, material from trusted authors, and books that educate, uplift & teach us how to become better in various aspects or skills of our lives.  no romance or graphic novels are allowed in our home.  we also do not take magazines in the mail, with the exception of perhaps 2 (one for adults & one for teens) each month, both from our church.  we've taken protecting our daughter so far as not even allowing victoria's secret catalogs come in our mail or into our house.

we have one functioning computer and it is centrally located in the house, where anyone can see the content being viewed.  passwords are in place so that computer time can be closely monitored.  internet time is limited in our home as well.  the internet is not used as an entertainment source, but as a resource for school projects & correspondence (via email, and online journaling on our blogs).  therefore, there simply are ZERO hours wasted on youtube, and our daughter does not have a facebook account. we feel its better to be safe now than sorry later.

please keep in mind, however, that just because we discipline ourselves, that doesn't mean we live under a rock or are socially inept in any way. 

since there is so much that we cannot control when she walks out the front door, we have to keep ourselves involved & relevant in her life.  we do this by getting to know all of her friends & their parents.  we are highly involved with school committees & supporting the sports teams she plays on, as well as her class activities.  we do not allow her to spend the night at anyone's house other than family.  however, we DO allow "late nights," where she is picked up from others' homes by 11pm at the latest.  also, we DO allow her friends to stay the night at our house, as we know what movies will be viewed, where the girls are at at all times, and what will be consumed.  when her friends are our guests, they're treated as extensions of our family.  going to a movie, playing board games, or going bowling is a family event and we do enjoy those things together.  this allows for my home to be a refuge from the negative, outside influences of the world/society/media.  not just for my daughter, but for her friends as well. 

countering the negative influences of media/society/the world doesn't happen successfully by only removing the bad.  if that's all anyone did, there would be a vacuum effect that would follow.  when something bad is extracted, and the void is not actively & vigilantly filled with positive, then the void most often is filled with worse & more shocking influences.  influences lead to thoughts/attitudes.  thoughts/attitudes lead to actions.  actions (even if swift & fleeting) lead to permanent consequences. 

so why not start the whole process with positive, uplifting influences in the first place?

for this purpose, not only do we have our set of values by which our family is successfully kept in check but, we keep our daughter involved with good, positive friends who share & are raised with similar rules/beliefs.  this is why she is actively involved in church & youth group activities & attends wholesome dances on a regular basis.  this is why we encourage her to fill her time playing HS sports.  through sports, not only is she gaining new skills, but she is learning how to get along with various personality-types.  she's learning how to problem-solve in a very real & tangible way.  she's learning how to lift-up those around her, how to be dependable, and how to be a team player.  she's learning to stay healthy, both physically & mentally.  she's increasing her skills & talents, thus building her confidence & sense of self-worth in what she can accomplish and not in the labels she wears, the amount of skin she shows off, or what boy's paying attention to her.  not to mention, she's learning to busy herself with worthwhile endeavors.

for eons there have been proverbs & scriptures that teach us idle hands are the devil's playthings, and that idle minds are the devil's workshop.  same with idle time.  idle time = empty brains.  too much "nothing" time leads to something... something that is less than virtuous.   frankly, anything less than virtuous is not good enough for my daughter.  anything less than virtuous is also not good enough for my future grandchildren. 

"who can find a virtuous woman?   for her price is far above rubies."  ~proverbs 31:10

so what am i trying to get at? 

yes, the media's out of control. 
yes, we should be ashamed of what the media is promoting. 

however, no matter what's going on outside of our home, we have a duty as parents to put our foot down, and be anxiously engaged in placing boundaries to protect our children.  we must be hard-nosed about this.  we must not be consumed with fear of what others might think of us.  we must not worry about being popular with the under-developed intellects of our children & their peers.  we must be the sounding voice, demanding that schools enforce their codes of conduct, their dress codes, and that they police not only drugs & alcohol consumption, but even the lyrics of songs allowed at school dances & school sporting events. 

here's a perfect example: volleyball this year. 

it's disheartening to hear the majority of play-lists for many of the teams as varsity girls warm-up.  track after track is degrading to women.  they mention an array of sexual acts women are expected to perform, disrespectful names women are referred to as, illegal drug use, graphic violence, etc. 

• why are our young women representing their communities to music that negates their validity in this life?  
• why are our young women singing these songs, word-for-word, as they warm up for tax-payer-funded, school-sponsored sporting events?  
• more importantly, why are they ALLOWED to step foot onto a court with these horrific lyrics as their teams' theme songs?  
• where are the coaches & where are the rest of the parents at?  
• why aren't the adults paying attention?!

do our kids have a choice?  heck yes. 

what they do have their choice in is whether to obey or disobey.  what they do not have, however, is the choice of consequences that follow their decisions. 

we must be firm.  that is how lessons of are learned & decency is perpetuated.

adults: we are the adults for a reason.  to set the boundaries.  to teach self-discipline.  to set the bar for the next generation.  if we are irresponsible with the children we are stewards over, and we neglect to protect them & fail to demand better for them, then i am afraid that the world/society/the media will do nothing but continue to be a degenerative force that will soon annihilate our children's future. (i say children, because these influences teach our boys evil & degrading things as well.  the boys see or hear something they think is "cool" because its in a song or movie or magazine or online, and then they start to subscribe to that mentality as well.  again, thoughts lead to actions.  actions lead to consequences.  often those consequences are hurtful or violent, and always permanent.)

we absolutely cannot afford to be passive.  we cannot afford to stand idly by and just expect the state of the world to heal itself.  won't.happen.  nothing comes from nothing... put in nothing, and you'll get nothing in return. 

society's back-sliding has to stop somewhere, and that somewhere is in the family, in the home, with the parents. 

"without hard work, nothing grows but weeds." ~gordon b. hinckley

set your mind now.  set your precedences now.  set your rules now. 

be strong & don't back down.  children need boundaries, so that there's never room for doubt as to where you stand.  so they know they're loved.  so they know they're worth your invested time & attention.  so they know they are not alone.  so they see you follow-through, and so they learn what integrity & virtue are all about."

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Thanks guys & gals for hanging in here until the end...  

Now, thoughts are wonderful.  Actions produce change.  

"ABUNDANCE IS FROM ACTIVITY." ~TURKISH PROVERB

Funny Thing About Pop Culture

Its a strange thing growing up, then looking back on the things that influence our decisions on everything from why we chose to scrunch 2-3 pairs of colorful socks all at once (or our hair with Aussie Sprunch Spray for that matter), or why we wanted our ears double-pierced, or why we wore various headbands & hair bands in the most hideous styles, or sang the "Babysitting Blues," or why we wanted to kiss a boy so badly(since it was always momentous, magical & safe on TV)...or why we wanted to try different careers out...
Maybe I'm the only one who was somewhat molded by the sitcoms I grew up with, but while revisiting some old scenes from "The Facts of Life," "WKRP," "Punky Brewster," "Blossom," "Out of This World," "Solid Gold," and favorites from TGIF like "Just the Ten of Us" I realized what an impact media had on my life. I wouldn't say my parents allowed the TV to babysit me, or raise me, but it was a tool which was occasionally used to spur conversations with my parents. Other times it seemed simply for entertainment, but subconciously TV helped me make my mind up along the way as well. For instance, below are 3 parts to a single episode of "Just the Ten of Us" that started something big for me:



After seeing the conclusion of that episode I specifically remember for some reason or another thinking, "If Cindy can do that, so can I. I can sound intelligent & I wish I could connect with people the same way. Someday I want to be a radio DJ." That thought was quietly placed somewhere in the back of my mind, not to surface until again for a decade in my life when I stumbled into a career in radio. It was a fun experience in my life, but what if I'd never seen the episode? Would I have ever thought it was REALLY a possibility in my own life? Perhaps yes, but quite possibly not. On the same note, had I not seen Blossom sporting some cRaZy bucket hats & double-piercings, would I have ever tried to pull 'em off too?
Another realization I had was that as I cruised from one series' episodes to another, what a shame how the quality of sitcoms deteriorated in the last few years. I have memories that dated clear back to "Full House" when my mom used to tell me not to be a brat like DJ Tanner. At the time I thought she was the cat's meow and she was in NO WAY a brat like my mom thought. Funny thing is, she TOTALLY was. I can see that now. There were PLENTY of things that slipped past me back then, but did wind up affecting me in the end. As parents we have to remember that kids will be influenced by things outside our control as they grow up, and we can insert our counsel over and over, but it won't be until many years later that our children will look back and recognize the truth in our words.
I loved my childhood. I love my parents. But I wish my daughter could know what I know without having to repeat this pattern to gain that education (especially NOW when TV, radio, & the rest of the media world is SO MUCH SLEAZIER)! Think of how "innocent" sitcoms seemed 10-15 years ago. The edgiest TV appeared to get for kids was with ABC Afterschool Specials or CBS Schoolbreak Specials cause they taught lessons with morals (and snazzy 80's dance numbers). Sitcoms then wouldn't have DREAMED of using the vernacular found on the air today, let alone the immodesty & immorality. Even beyond that, not far in the distance were the syndicated reruns of classic sitcoms on Nick @ Nite & TVLand. However if you go back and revisit those things that seemed so harmless back then from your point of view today, you may be surprised to realize there were some inappropriate gems which were more evident than we remember.
Perhaps this all sounds like a whiny diatribe, but I know without a doubt that these are truly the Last Days. The decline of our society has escalated before our eyes. But the questions remain, are we recognizing what we're witnessing for what it really is? Are we preparing ourselves & our families for what's to come? Are we protecting them & our homes from what has been designed by the Adversary to ultimately destroy us & our hopes of obtaining our Salvation?
Satan's slick; undetectable even. Would I have ever thought double-piercings glorified in my mind by my hero Blossom would've ever opened wide a door to the idea of a naval piercing down the road (which is disrespectful to my body which is a temple & a gift from God)? I tell ya, no way. Didn't see it back then, but it's plain as day now, in looking back. Plenty of things I remember thinking were just plain funny, directly opened similar doors which I would later walk through. There were topics presented & ideas that had no business being in my head to begin with, let alone at such a young, impressionable age when it all seemed glamorous cause my favorite characters were experimenting & going through them---and they all seemed to come through it unscathed. This same lesson stands especially true for all of our children today when things are so much worse! Despite what I thought, most of the time I didn't know what was best for me back then, and children today most definitely don't know what's best either. Simply put, children are children for a reason, to learn & be taught by those who are wiser in their lives. You can't drive the car safely & obtain a license without the hours of proper instruction beforehand.
Today I take a firmer stand, to not only teach my child, but to protect her from dangerous, & intentionally evil designs (even more vigorously than my parents did).
We already do not watch TV in our home, but I pledge to be even more selective of the movies she sees. The pressing need for better choices of movie experiences comes on the heels of seeing "My Sister's Keeper" earlier this week. Sure it was a touching story, however the language was appalling! In addition, just because you go to the theater to see a heartfelt, family story, that DOES NOT mean the trailers for other movies are for the same types of movies! There's no controlling that. While waiting for our movie, a trailer for a gruesome horror film (toted to be more terrifying than the Exorcist---which I never saw---or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre---which I also never saw), about cannibalism came on. One cannot shut their eyes or plug their ears tight enough to overcome the spiritual assault that trailer was! So, from here on out...there will be a lot of renting & previewing of movies on my part instead of trusting theaters to have our best moral interests in mind. And as for rented movies, we won't even be merely trusting our viewing to ClearPlay. Anyone ever heard of "guilty by association" and "avoiding the appearance of evil?" For a studio to earn my money, their product will have to be virutous on its own, not altered to virtuous by some device. I don't want my family or my Heavenly Father to think for an instant that I've let my guard or my standards down. IT'S NOT WORTH IT.
Moral of the story: Be extremely careful. Follow the promptings of the Spirit, even if it means leaving a theater before the feature presentation even starts (because of a trailer for a different movie). If the Spirit is ignored and offended, then the Spirit cannot remain, therefore it cannot help us in our decisions. The absence of the Spirit is a powerful message which we should not take lightly.
Anyone else been feeling this way, especially lately?
Excuse me while I go back through our family's DVD collection with a fine-toothed comb!