Fun Activity This Week: Create a treasure hunt. In week 31, I suggested the same thing as an art project, so if you did this already, you can always reverse roles (the clue giver now becomes the seeker of treasure and vise versa), you could create a newly themed treasure hunt, or you can just find something else fun on your own! Here is what I wrote for week 31: “Create for your mate a treasure hunt where you are the treasure! I know other books may also offer this suggestion, but the end prize always costs money, or requires you to have two phones or two vehicles where one of you sends texts to the other that leads your mate in a chase all over town and ultimately to a restaurant and/or hotel. While this also sounds like a lot of fun, Mel and I have never had the money for two phones or two cars, so I created a much cheaper, but just as fun option (however, you can still do it the more costly way if you choose)... The idea is to send your partner all over the house from room to room (this even worked in our 1,100 square foot home) finding clues in obscure places. Think dryer drums, hampers, cat food container, refrigerator, a collectible item, piece of clothing, etc. The final clue should lead him/her to the bedroom where you have prepared a treasure of passion. Gifts are optional. P.S. For a little extra passionate fun, consider dressing like a sexy pirate to help him/her find his treasure!”
Week 39: Talk & Television
Talk: Time with your spouse should consist of more than just sitting side by side while you wordlessly watch television or spend time on the computer. Take the time to have meaningful conversations and learn to be comfortable talking about any subject under the sun.
You will read more about this in the below section, but Mel and I quit watching television in 2015. Since we quit watching, this leaves us much more time for each other. I know some of you groan or roll your eyes at this, but it has been great for us. We play board games more often, go for walks and drives more often, and read aloud together most nights. Of course, we do not spend every second together as we each maintain Facebook pages, write blogs, are working on books, and always developing more projects to build our ministry. I also love to do word and jigsaw puzzles, cross-stitch, draw, and play trumpet; Mel writes, chats with friends, or plans our future. Yet even when we are working on separate projects, we are still in constant communication. Truthfully, unless we are asleep or I am at work, we do not go more than two hours without talking. On the rare occasions we are not together, we continually communicate by phone call or text.
I am getting off subject, but my point is that when we spend more time in conversation and less time staring at mindless "entertainment" it enhances our marriage as we learn more and more about one another. Mel and I talk about things most people find embarrassing but no subject is off limits. We were even very open and honest with one another before we got married, which was why we fell in love so very quickly (we were married ninety-six days after we met). So, talk, laugh, share, have fun, and make your marriage more enjoyable and less avoidable.
Television (and Movies): Mel and I quit watching all television and movies in 2015 due to the over-sexualized nature, the constant use of God's name in vain as well as other swear words, the justification of violence, and occultism. We tried to limit ourselves to "Christian" movies but even many of them are full of scantily clad women and swearing and have very watered-down messages. Moreover, the “Biblical” movies are excessively violent not even accurate and just confuse those not familiar with what the Bible truly says. We really felt like God was calling us to separate ourselves from this form of entertainment. It really is not difficult when you think of it this way: would you still be watching your favorite programs if Jesus was sitting next to you?
Before I get into this subject a little deeper, I want to give you an assignment that will go beyond this week. Keep a television and movie viewing journal and record how you feel each time a sexy woman is on the screen. Wives, do you feel ugly and inadequate? Men, are you titillated (remember Matthew 5:28)? Do sex scenes and nudity make you feel dirty or stir up unhealthy temptations to cheat? How about when a violent scene is depicted. Are you experiencing unexplained bouts of anger or depression? What about programs that reverse gender roles? Do you experience dissention in your home? What about the shows glorifying witches, wizards, vampires, and other demons? Are you having nightmares? Are you or your children in rebellion? Feel like your prayers are blocked? Record it all. By the end of two weeks (or even go a full thirty days), read this chapter again, and you will see where I am coming from.
I am speaking out of experience. I too was once obsessed with television and movies (and books), filled with the occult, violence, and carnality. I was plagued with bad dreams, bad moods, and bad decisions. After marrying Mel, we have let go of a large amount of books, as well as giving up television and movies. God told Mel that when we were able to rid our home of all the open doors to Satan’s oppression, we would be healed physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
The below portion was written by my husband, Mel in 2014:
The Lord has been dealing me on the issue of television. I felt that if I were careful to what programs I watched, everything would be okay. I became aware that television was an idol to me, as well as a compromise to my Christian faith. Television is filled with extreme violence, fornication, adultery, occultism, profanity, swearing, etc. I was filling my eye gates and ear gates with the trash that Hollywood produces. For the eyes and the ears are gates to the soul. Should Christians be filling their souls up with darkness?
Even commercials have become X-rated. How much of this are we going to tolerate as Christians? Also, consider the heavy metal music played in the background of movies, shows, and commercials. Many claim that they would never allow this type of music to be played within their homes, but they are allowing it in their homes through television. After watching a show, how many times have you gone to bed and had undesirable music playing in your head? It has happened to me many times.
Also, consider how the family structure is perverted by Hollywood. The children are always fussing or cussing at their parents. Women are always in charge of their husbands and belittling them. Men are always cheating on their wives. The homosexual agenda has really taken over as well as many shows feature gay parents raising children. In an effort to desensitize the American public, homosexuals are featured in most programs today (even gay children are depicted). And this type of brainwashing is working.
Also, consider the occultism within television and movies today. Witchcraft, Satanism, Buddhism, New Ageism, Hinduism, channeling, ghosts, reincarnation, Ouija boards, etc.are all being promoted. Even children's cartoons are filled with occultism.
The Lord gave me some dreams, as well as words concerning television that reflects how serious this issue is to the Lord. The Lord said that I was cut off from Him due to compromise by watching television. The Lord showed me that watching television would prevent him from healing and blessing his children, as well as hinder a person's relationship with him. This is a very serious issue to the Lord. The Lord showed me that even supposedly innocent shows were still wicked to him because they are produced by Hollywood. Everything from Hollywood is accursed to God.
In a day and age when most people have television, these words may seem hard to believe, as they were for me at first. However, when God destroyed the earth with a flood, only Noah was found righteous in his eyes. So just because everybody else does it, does not make it right in God's eyes. God's standards do not change with our culture. God is still the “Ancient of Days.”
Marriage-Enhancing Ideas for the Week:
Talk: I know this will sound redundant compared to other weeks, but practice makes perfect! Make this a week of connecting through your words. Stay up until sunrise talking, and then have a romantic breakfast in bed together. Or stay up until sunset then take a hot bath together and go to sleep snuggled up all warm and toasty from the inside out!
Television (and Movies): I know there will be resistance here, but take the week off from television and movies. You can catch the news on the radio or Internet. But do not use the Internet as a substitute for television to get your worldly fix.
Art Project Option: Instead of an art project, I would like to see both of you continue keeping the journal I mentioned above. After a week with no Hollywood connection, reevaluate how you feel. Now that you have been television and movie-free for seven days, are you hearing God’s Voice more clearly? Connecting to your mate and kids better? Feeling more attractive now that the unhealthy looking women have been removed from your living room? After you realize you have not died from lack of immoral entertainment, and realize how much better you feel emotionally and especially spiritually, prayerfully consider letting television and movies go for good!
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