Honor

To all the U.S. Veterans, young and old, who have served in the military: Thank you. We are proud of you! We thank God for you. We support and honor you.

We especially thank the families of those who died, that we might live in freedom. You have given much.

We shall not forget.

Media and the Very Young, II

Last post I referred to a Kaiser Family Foundation study which makes clear that TV and media are over-used in most American homes, especially for very young children. More on that report today.

The research showed that an over-reliance on TV time is due in part to homes where TVs are on all the time, and homes that allow TVs in children's bedrooms.

But the report also said parents cite benefits of their young children watching programming. Parents told Kaiser that allowing TVs in the children's bedrooms lets kids watch their own programs; avoid fights with siblings; stay occupied so parents can do things around the house; and help fall asleep.

Parents also said they use TV to reward good behavior, and just more than half reported TV tends to calm their children down.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has urged no screen time at all for kids under 2, and no more than 2 hours a day for those 2 and older.

Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a psychiatrist who has written several books about children, warned that TV and media is wrong for youngsters and said...passive involvement with media is detrimental to children's development.

Application: Anecdotally it seems that our son's special needs and different way of learning is fed in a good way by select TV viewing. He finds some comfort and entertainment in repeatedly viewing appropriate kids videos. Truth be told, the big benefit of that TV time is for Mom! When he is watching those videos or shows she has a bit of a break. He is so very intense in his needs, and she finds a breather in that hour. She tends to the other kids in the family, or to the bills, or makes phone calls.

In our family - right now - we are relying on the TV more than we ever did for the older children. I don't feel guilty about it - until I read a report like this one. Yikes! Can I reconsider? Should I?

That said...at this stage in life, given the circumstances, allowing Little Man to watch a bit more on media seems appropriate, and as we DO monitor usage, not problematic.

And it does seem very, very necessary.

Media Overload For the Very Young, I

From an Advertising Age article about a recent KaiserFamily Foundation research project, some startling and disturbing stats about media use by the very young:

14% of children under 2 see two or more hours of screen media a day, 22% see one to two hours, and 25% less than an hour a day.

43% of children under 2 watch TV every day and 18% of children watch videos or DVDs every day.

All together, 14% of children under 2 see two or more hours of screen media a day, 22% see one to two hours, and 25% less than an hour a day.

19% of babies under a year old have a TV in their bedrooms and 29% of children 2 to 3 have one.

The study, one of the more extensive efforts yet to track how much time children under 6 spend with various screen media, also reports that 83% under age 6 spend time every day with TV or other screens, and those who watch do so for nearly two hours a day. Media use increases with age, with 90% of 4 to 6 year olds reporting watching or looking at screen media.

What in the world are today's parents THINKING? Or, are we thinking at all about what we're doing to the next generation?

(Thanks to "jwb's mom" for the pic)

(C) With Apologies to Tolkien

Unknown author, sent to me by a family member. For LOTR fans, for conservatives, for a smile.


MINAS TIRITH (Gondor News Network) - Thousands of peace activists took to
the streets of Minas Tirith and other cities of Middle Earth today to
protest what they termed a rush to war with Mordor.

"We need more time for diplomacy," said a key member of the Middle-Earth
Security Council, Saruman the White. "I am not convinced by the evidence
presented by my esteemed colleague, Gandalf the Grey, or that the Dark Lord
Sauron presents an imminent danger to the peoples of the West."

Many of the people protesting war in Mordor agreed with Saruman's remarks.
"Sauron says he's destroyed his Rings of Mass Destruction (RMD) and that's
good enough for me," said one fellow carrying a sign that said "Elrond is a
Balrog." Another demonstrator urged, "Give the RMD inspectors more time.
There's no reason to rush to any judgment just because Mount Doom is
belching lava, the Dark Tower is rebuilt, and Osgiliath has been decimated."
A third protester piped up, "I haven't heard a single bit of convincing
evidence connecting the Nazgul with Sauron. I think they destroyed Osgiliath
on their own initiative without any support from Sauron. Besides, it's
understandable they're angry with Gondor. We haven't done nearly as much for
the Orcs and Goblins and Easterlings as the Nazgul and Sauron have. It's
understandable they throw their support to them. It's our own fault really."

As the protesters continued their march through the city, they chanted, "No
blood for Mount Doom," voicing a common sentiment that the leaders of the
Western peoples are really seeking to get their hands on the powerful Mount
Doom, where the One Ring of Power was allegedly forged.

Gandalf the Grey was unavailable for comment. A spokesman said he was in an
undisclosed underground location, which sources have revealed is codenamed
"Moria."

Congrats to Theatre Team!

Congratulations to Dave Arnold and the entire Audio Resources crew for the recognition received by the audio industry last week! The 2006 Audie Awards were presented by the Audio Publishers Association on May 19 in Washington, D.C.

The Hiding Place, an adaptation of Corrie ten Boom's biography, won for Best Package Design.

Best Achievement in Production was given to our production of At the Back of the North Wind. At the Back of the North Wind was written by 19th century author George MacDonald. It is my personal all-time favorite Theatre production, and it is surely worthy of this award.

Well done, folks!

Narnia In Top 20

From the newswire:

Still going strong, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe brought its worldwide box office total up to $739.6 million in late April, and passed "The Matrix: Reloaded" to become the 20th highest grossing film of all time.

Internationally, according to Reuters, the film has now earned an estimated $448 million. Domestically, the film has earned $291.6 Million, moving ahead of "The Empire Strikes Back."

This is really encouraging, and shows the public interest in a good story, told well, with Truth woven throughout!

Spreading the Gospel

Be encouraged! Consider your work and the effectiveness of this ministry when you read this letter from one of the 1.5 Million who tune in daily to hear JCD:

To all Focus on the Family staff – past, present, and future: I became a father in February of 1989, and I was very unsure of how to be a good dad. I wasn’t a Christian at the time.

I don’t remember how I learned about your broadcast, but once I did I started listening as often as I could. Day after day, something became very clear to me – the people on the radio, who didn’t even know me, loved me immensely. They cared about who I was, where I was at in life and where I would spend eternity. The Savior they talked about – Jesus – was about to change me forever.

After a few months, one day I knelt by my workbench after your show and prayed the Sinner’s Prayer. Christ came into my heart and transformed my life. I will be eternally grateful to the Focus staff for leading me to the point of my salvation. You have no idea of the souls you have touched. God bless you all.

Shared this story at last week's Impact Update, and there was appreciation for it. I trust you'll be inspired to dedicate your day and work to the Lord in a fresh way, knowing He is using YOU and FOF for His glory!

KLOVE Connects Online

Congrats to our friends at KLOVE, who are reaching a sizeable audience online! Their webcasting effort has over 6,000 unique listeners at any given time. I suspect a lot of at-work listening goes on, and that their music brings encouragement to thousands in offices across the world.

We enjoy a good partnership with EMF/KLOVE, and look forward to ways to work more closely in reaching out with our message beyond the traditional Christian talk radio audience.

The Death of Tape

As noted on ImIn, as of June 30, 2006, we're no longer offering the daily broadcast in cassette format. This move is due to a variety of factors, notably decreasing demand and cost considerations.

In the event that a constituent specifically requests a cassette, our team will create one for them at a suggested donation of $9. Because of special handling, we will not be able to guarantee the normal 7-10 day delivery.

The death of tape has been writing on the wall for some time now. I wonder when CDs will go the same way?

Theatre Nominated For Audie Awards

Focus on the Family has been nominated for six awards at The 2006 Audie Awards, which will take place at the National Press Club (Washington, D.C.) on Friday, May 19.

One of the advantages of the nominations is AudioFile Magazine's reviews of our Radio Theatre releases. They praised many aspects of the productions as noted below and offered audio samples of each at their website.

At the Back of the North Wind - nominated for Best Audio Drama, Best Achievement in Production

"With energetic innocence and proficiency beyond his years, Pax Baldwin reads the role of the remarkable 7-year-old, while Juliet Stevenson portrays North Wind, a character who is at once beautiful and comforting while being haunting and ominous as Diamond's guide to the other side. With a full cast and Dolby sound, Focus on the Family brings MacDonald's classic to a new generation."

The Hiding Place - nominated for Best Audio Drama, Best Package Design, Best Achievement in Production

"This play, adapted from [Corrie ten Boom's] classic memoir, is staged expertly. Sound effects ground readers in space--a dog's yelp, the ticking of 10 watches--and guide emotional response. One can even tell each character's location in space and how he or she is interacting."

Traveling Home for Christmas - nominated for Best Short Stories Collection
"This is an outstanding dramatization... [and] includes 24 actors who do a remarkable job of tailoring their performances to the stories. The listener is transported into a performance-of-the-mind."

See the full 2006 Audie Awards preview here.

Kudos to the Theatre Production team, and may the Lord reward your passionate pursuit of excellence!

DaVinci

The DaVinci Code film comes out in a few weeks. While it is fiction, there is enough believable material here to "fool" well meaning but uninformed religious individuals. And that's why we should not see it, for by so doing we'll support the film's premise and encourage the studio to produce more films like it.

Here's a typical - and disturbing - response to the book, as noted by our CR folks:

To my amazement, yesterday morning after church, I heard one of our older ladies talking about a “Christian” book she was reading, and being an avid reader, I stopped to listen. She was telling two of our younger church members that she’d been reading the Da Vinci Code and how she doesn’t agree with everything in the book, but once she picked it up, she couldn’t put it down. It had captivated her and she was hooked on it.

This illustrates the problems with the movie and book - even mature Christians are falling for its "truth claims." It is one thing to know DaVinci is fiction, and to enjoy it on a somewhat artistic level. There is good writing, and no doubt the film is well made. It is another thing altogether, however, to read the book or see the film and buy it's propositions. That is, as the individual above noted, dangerous!

The trailers are impressively taut and the plotline is intriguing. The Christian community is torn - some are calling for boycotts, others are suggesting that this is a perfect opportunity to talk spiritually with the culture. That good people disagree is nothing new, nor is it alarming. This is not a biblical right/wrong matter, it is a matter of preference and strategy.

Still, I believe that we probably ought to stay away from this film. Still, we can - and should - engage others in about the movie. We have a responsibility to take advantage of a cultural discussion. Good suggestions for doing that are here.

Thursday, May 4

Today is the National Day of Prayer. It has been good to see some press - albeit tepid support from the mainstream media.

Here's how the President began his remarks at the White House this morning:

Welcome to the White House. I am really glad you're here. Thanks for coming. And I'm honored to join you for the National Day of Prayer. On this special day, we give thanks for the many ways that America has been blessed, and we acknowledge the Almighty, who is the source of these blessings.

I appreciate the Chairman of the National Day of Prayer, Shirley Dobson. I notice you brought your old husband with you, too. (Laughter.) Thank you for organizing this event here at the White House and around the nation...

...I want to thank the members of the Cabinet who are here. Thank you all for coming. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to be here to join...

...I thank Rebecca St. James for your beautiful music. We're proud you're here. I want to thank those who accompanied you. About the coat -- (laughter) -- your answer is, it's the voice that matters. (Laughter.) And the spirit behind the voice...

...America is a nation of prayer. It's impossible to tell the story of our nation without telling the story of people who pray. The first pilgrims came to this land with a yearning for freedom. They stepped boldly onto the shores of a new world, and many of them fell to their knees to give thanks.

At decisive moments in our history and in quiet times around family tables, we are a people humbled and strengthened and blessed by prayer. During the darkest days of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress and George Washington -- I call him the first George W. -- (laughter and applause) -- urged citizens to pray and to give thanks and to ask for God's protection.

More than two centuries since our first National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, we continue to ask for God's guidance in our own lives and in the life our nation. Each year, thousands of citizens write letters and send cards to the White House that mention their prayers for this nation and this office.

In my travels across the great land, a comment that I hear often from our fellow citizens is, "Mr. President, I pray for you and your family." It's amazing how many times a total stranger walks up and says that to me. You'd think they'd say, "How about the bridge?" Or, "How about filling the potholes?" (Laughter.) No, they say, "I've come to tell you I pray for you, Mr. President."

And the only thing I know to do is to look at them in the eye and say, that is the greatest gift that a fellow citizen can do for those of us who have been entrusted to lead our country. And for that -- (applause.) And so I thank thanks -- I say thanks to the millions of Americans who pray each day for our nation, our troops, and our elected leaders.

Thank You, Oh God, for a nation in which we can freely talk about and talk with You. Thank You for a leader who knows You. Thank You for this day.