I learned in church today

[TheBYUGuy]

Then he said "Of course this goes without saying, but when you are fasting you are abstaining from anything that makes the body feel good which obviously includes sex." Being 23-24 and having a big mouth, before I could even think I said "Does that include pooping? Sometimes it feels really good to poop." He was very angry with me and said that wasn't the kind of thing we talked about in church and then ignored me the rest of the class.

[TheBYUGuy]

I forgot about this one. As some of you know, we've had very little rain in Texas this year. In the Houston area, we've had 1 or maybe 2 decent rainfalls in the last 6 months.

Closing prayer in sacrament meeting (from a man whose livelihood depends on agriculture): "Dear God, thanks for the little bit of rain you sent yesterday, but really, if you could we need about 15 more inches in the next 30 days to help our parched land. We've been praying and fasting for it, and we feel like we're worthy and doing what we should, so please send more rain. Amen."

It then rained pretty much all night on Sunday night, probably 2-3 inches.

[Pheidippides]

I forgot about this one. As some of you know, we've had very little rain in Texas this year. In the Houston area, we've had 1 or maybe 2 decent rainfalls in the last 6 months.

Closing prayer in sacrament meeting (from a man whose livelihood depends on agriculture): "Dear God, thanks for the little bit of rain you sent yesterday, but really, if you could we need about 15 more inches in the next 30 days to help our parched land. We've been praying and fasting for it, and we feel like we're worthy and doing what we should, so please send more rain. Amen."

It then rained pretty much all night on Sunday night, probably 2-3 inches.

It was the best birthday present ever.

[TripletDaddy]

The woman speaking right now said that she and her husband set a family goal to not watch TV or listen to the radio () for the entire year. At home, they read books or play games. In the car, books on tape.

No problem if families set those goals for themselves, although they are not for me.

But what I find interesting is that her little kids have played at our house several times and they always want to watch movies, play xbox, play on the iPad, etc. I never thought anything of it and the mom has never told us to avoid those activities while the kids are at our house.

Has anyone else tried a similar goal for your home? Do you know any of the "no TV except for general conference" families? I wonder how faithful these folks really are or if the husband is sneaking off to watch some tube somewhere, maybe even on his mobile device.

Seems like a good goal in principle (reduce TV and video game consumption, increase reading time, etc) but with an impractical execution....in this age itnis very radical to eliminate media from our lives. Even the Church uses tech to disseminate info to its members.

[Surfah]

The woman speaking right now said that she and her husband set a family goal to not watch TV or listen to the radio () for the entire year. At home, they read books or play games. In the car, books on tape.

No problem if families set those goals for themselves, although they are not for me.

But what I find interesting is that her little kids have played at our house several times and they always want to watch movies, play xbox, play on the iPad, etc. I never thought anything of it and the mom has never told us to avoid those activities while the kids are at our house.

Has anyone else tried a similar goal for your home? Do you know any of the "no TV except for general conference" families? I wonder how faithful these folks really are or if the husband is sneaking off to watch some tube somewhere, maybe even on his mobile device.

Seems like a good goal in principle (reduce TV and video game consumption, increase reading time, etc) but with an impractical execution....in this age itnis very radical to eliminate media from our lives. Even the Church uses tech to disseminate info to its members.

There was a family like that growing up I knew. They were limited to G-rated videos and even some of those weren't allowed. For example, The Little Mermaid was banned in their house because Ariel talks back to her father. No lie. The funny thing is their oldest son used to babysit for my high school girlfriend's oldest sister. They said no matter when or what he would always babysit for them because they had cable and he'd sit there and watch HBO the entire time.

[Slim]

My parents took our tv away for six months when we were kids. I think they brought it back out of storage when they got sick of looking for other ways to distract us.

[FMCoug]

There was a family like that growing up I knew. They were limited to G-rated videos and even some of those weren't allowed. For example, The Little Mermaid was banned in their house because Ariel talks back to her father. No lie. The funny thing is their oldest son used to babysit for my high school girlfriend's oldest sister. They said no matter when or what he would always babysit for them because they had cable and he'd sit there and watch HBO the entire time.

My daughter has a friend who couldn't watch Aladdin because he was shirtless. The restriction was lifted when she turned 16.

[Devildog]

The woman speaking right now said that she and her husband set a family goal to not watch TV or listen to the radio () for the entire year.

At my house we are doing the same thing right now. We haven't determined a time frame, but we turned off the cable a couple months ago.

We did it as part of a punishment due to some poor choices my teenage boys were making.

I think it has been as much a punishment for me as it has for them.

I also took away their cellphones, their stereos, their game stations, and they were grounded.

The results so far have been very positive. They are doing their homework, their chores, keeping their rooms clean, and practicing their sports on their own. Probably because they are bored and don't have anything better to do.

They have since been able to earn back their cellphones, stereos, and get to go out with friends on a case by case basis. If they can keep the balance up, and stay up on their homework and chores I will give back their game stations on a limited basis.

I haven't even considered bringing back the TV yet.

When the football games we have to see are on TV, the boys and I load up in the truck and go over to my parents house and watch it with my parents.

We have made quite a few of those trips so far this year, and actually everyone seems to love it. My parents enjoy having their grand-kids over for the game and the kids love going over there.

It is surprising to me how much time was wasted watching TV. I still miss it, but I never realized what else I could accomplish without it.

I don't know how long this experiment will last, but it has definitely made me think about all the time I have spent staring at the TV.

[NorthwestUteFan]

We were talking with the primary kids today about temples, eternal families, etc. One comment from the class: "I have a special family because I have THREE dads. I just HAD to hear the explanation for that one.

"Because I have my dad, Heavenly Father, and Jesus. They are my three dads. "

[TripletDaddy]

At my house we are doing the same thing right now. We haven't determined a time frame, but we turned off the cable a couple months ago.

We did it as part of a punishment due to some poor choices my teenage boys were making.

I think it has been as much a punishment for me as it has for them.

I also took away their cellphones, their stereos, their game stations, and they were grounded.

The results so far have been very positive. They are doing their homework, their chores, keeping their rooms clean, and practicing their sports on their own. Probably because they are bored and don't have anything better to do.

They have since been able to earn back their cellphones, stereos, and get to go out with friends on a case by case basis. If they can keep the balance up, and stay up on their homework and chores I will give back their game stations on a limited basis.

I haven't even considered bringing back the TV yet.

When the football games we have to see are on TV, the boys and I load up in the truck and go over to my parents house and watch it with my parents.

We have made quite a few of those trips so far this year, and actually everyone seems to love it. My parents enjoy having their grand-kids over for the game and the kids love going over there.

It is surprising to me how much time was wasted watching TV. I still miss it, but I never realized what else I could accomplish without it.

I don't know how long this experiment will last, but it has definitely made me think about all the time I have spent staring at the TV.

This is what I am talking about, though. Good idea, wrong execution. You haven't given up TV at all. You actually drive now to go watch it.

[CardiacCoug]

This is what I am talking about, though. Good idea, wrong execution. You haven't given up TV at all. You actually drive now to go watch it.

That's not a bad strategy for people who want to cut back, though. Get it out of your home and it's harder to use it excessively. Makes sense to me.

I know a few people with drinking problems who don't keep alcohol in their homes (too easy to drink excessively) but will have a drink or two at a restaurant. Same idea.

[SeattleUte]

This is what I am talking about, though. Good idea, wrong execution. You haven't given up TV at all. You actually drive now to go watch it.

Jeez leweez you're a tough guy to please. I was impressed reading all of the features of DD's crackdown, and the disciplined way he imposed the sanctions. Cardiac is right in that the main evil of TV is that it becomes a habit, constant background noise that supplants reading, and/or an electronic baby sitter. If he goes to his parents' house to watch a game it's not the same thing at all. Also, he visits his parents.

[FMCoug]

Jeez leweez you're a tough guy to please. I was impressed reading all of the features of DD's crackdown, and the disciplined way he imposed the sanctions. Cardiac is right in that the main evil of TV is that it becomes a habit, constant background noise that supplants reading, and/or an electronic baby sitter. If he goes to his parents' house to watch a game it's not the same thing at all. Also, he visits his parents.

Agreed. DD's approach is very different than the whack job "tv is evil except for general conference" types. And I'm pretty sure the stuff is boy's got in trouble for wasn't the Little Mermaid or Aladdin.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Our YW Pres followed the missionaries testastory by saying that she finds the missionaries so handsome that she tries to line them up with her YW and "I've become a pretty good matchmaker."

[TripletDaddy]

Jeez leweez you're a tough guy to please. I was impressed reading all of the features of DD's crackdown, and the disciplined way he imposed the sanctions. Cardiac is right in that the main evil of TV is that it becomes a habit, constant background noise that supplants reading, and/or an electronic baby sitter. If he goes to his parents' house to watch a game it's not the same thing at all. Also, he visits his parents.

My initial skepticism was whether these media fasts are genuine over extended periods of time. I pointed out that the stated goal is admirable. The time frame mentioned today was one year. DevilDog said that they initiated a media fast basically 8 weeks ago and already the kids have their cell phones and stereos back and that when they really want to watch TV, they drive somewhere to watch it. That isn't anywhere near the 1 year that the woman in my ward was talking about today.

So my observation was accurate. People profess media fasts but rarely stick to them. It is almost impossible.

I don't care if people watch or don't watch. That isn't what my post was about.