The Ever GROWING Tastelessness of Our World

My son looking out on Charleston's harbor at dusk

I will start this out by saying there are things and factors in this world that get me riled up, angry, heartsick..and anxious for our children and our families.

And for you.

I was going to write about our Edisto short day trip, but instead will jump up on the biggest soap box I have , and unburden my heart about the ever growing, ever polluting fact of tastelessness and crassness, crudeness that has invaded our lives through the media, television, movies, magazines, books , and of course the internet.


I do not like to watch TV, consider it boring ,a major growth-inhibitor in every way...but I had it turned on to listen to music on there the other day when I was cleaning upstairs..and what I saw when I flipped the channels..at 1 PM in the afternoon, was a naked woman with a thong on having computer sex with some guy on a murder mystery.
1 PM in the afternoon. Basic cable channel, no Playboy network, no HBO or Cinemax here. Right there on regular TV.
Acceptable now.
My son and his friend were in the next room playing dinosaurs.

I have also seen ads and commercials with extreme sexual suggestiveness and dress, or also very crude...in prime time and earlier...getting worse every year.
Right there when my son sits to go over the baseball scores or watch a cartoon.
All , smack in his young face.

Hyper-sexuality with it's accompanying images of what the porn industry , media, or music industry wants us to believe is what makes a woman beautiful or desirable ...is destroying the average beauty of a woman from outwardly to her very soul.
But that is another blog entry I will do.

I want you to also know about me, that I am very far from a Bible-thumping prude , Suzie-Q-Perfect Christian woman. I would fit closer to the chief of all sinners if there were categories. I am so far from perfect in my own behavior and past , that I almost feel disqualified for even broaching this subject.

But I will.
I ache inside over this.

It appears the new acceptable , and I seem to see this more accepted in the under 40 crowd, not all...please do not think I am saying all of the under 40...plenty of over 40 too. But I believe it is partially what that age group has grown up with as examples.

It seems to not faze many people to throw profanity ( sort of like a 11 year old peppering their conversation with curse words  to be cool ) , lewdness, crassness, sexual innuendo , sexy images...whatever...in their conversations at work, on their blogs, in their Twittering -facebooking-My spacing, out in public, and in their own homes with their children listening to every coarse or suggestive word they say.
Their children see them laugh or leer at images or dialogue on TV or in the movies.  At things that are in extreme poor taste.
Many people are oblivious to the impact they are making.

But I am not only writing about this for their sakes...your children, but for your very own sake.

We have 4 children, 3 grown..and one at home being a fun 9 year old.

I am MUCH more careful what I say in front of him, what I allow him to watch, than I was  with my first 3 who are 12 years older than him. I kept thinking, back then, that most of this ' stuff' is over their heads. They hear it at school, in the movies, on TV, but they will be OK.
We also had our own struggles at work and in our marriage...that I believe now caused me to be neglectful in that area.

I was wrong.

I have come to realize, that was an erroneous assumption on my part. Most likely laziness  and , and ignorance.

What we see, or allow in our vision..in our world...what we hear, what we listen to ...how we speak...can promote truth, true beauty, and goodness, righteousness.

Or we can promote more polluted homes, families, and souls.

Protect your children , stand up for what is wrong...stop allowing utter tastelessness to keep rearing it's very ugly head in your lives and speak up against it when you can.
Monitor what comes into your home or out of your mouth. Monitor your words and actions.

One person can make a difference, remember that.

I am also not of the leaning , " Well, a little bit of crudeness , a little bit of lewdness, etc..that's just how the world is. "

I'm also not excusing the sexes, men in particular, because that is their general leaning. The leaning toward their physical needs or desires overwhelms them. Riiiggghhhttt.  Boys will be boys is a cop-out excuse for what men do or say. Men need to be men... grow up and act honorable . Get carried away with your own wife and not images of others. Put your foot down about the language your children use, your own language, how they dress , what you allow to be watched in your home or work, etc. Men know what is right and what is wrong . I don't want to seem like this is strictly man-bashing time.  I am also not  excusing women for our own physical desires, our own emotions which carry us places we shouldn't go. Women need to know their value , stop doing wrong things to get attention or love. Stop being a stepping stone for further hyper-sexuality in our world by monitoring your words,  and your images. Stop allowing yourself to be used.




All the crass and lewd images  everywhere undermine our best intentions...and it is getting worse.  I sit and wonder, How much worse can this get ? It truly frightens me for my children and future generations. I am shocked and angered about what I see , and again...I really want you to know I am not an uptight Christian chick. I am very, very far off from that. I keep saying that as I want you to know I have not been perfect and do not want you to think you can not relate to what I am saying because I must be really good.
I am not really good..I struggle with being good. 
More than I like.

But I know I am right, and I know that you know I am.

We are all cheating ourselves, under-estimating our own discernment to think that is just they way things are...that we cannot do anything about it . Thinking like that, looking at tasteless images, or words cheats you of appreciating the really excellent , glorious things that are in this world.

The devil is having a hey-day with this.

Real beauty , real satisfaction is what you are missing.

What you are doing is denying yourself by settling for cheap imitations of everything.
Looking for a quick fix to sate you.
Problem is, crass, crude and lewd never , ever satisfy for long. It just makes people look for more and different versions of it . It will not, cannot satisfy you ...the deepest part of you inside. It is a surface distraction that will eat away at the best you can be .
Our world , our societies are inwardly combusting. We are sinking deeper in the mire.


We are living in an age of revolving , escalating tastelessness.

Selling art, and being an art lover...I know that taste in art is subjective. I also know that once you see enough of the truly authentic GOOD and GREAT art, that you will be unsatisfied with imitations and poor quality in artwork.

That is what has happened to me more, but it is God's presence in my life that has changed me concerning my outlook on life. When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit resides in you. He is pure and holy, set apart.

The tastes of this world become less appealing , less attractive...and He allows you to really SEE what beauty and goodness, and light are.
What happens is beauty in it's authentic form appeals to you...like a real woman compared to a surgically-enhanced  moaning actress young woman on the internet or in a movie.
Like when a good old-fashioned comedy comes on , compared to a crass, bathroom- humored, teen- sexuality comedy comes on.
Like when you turn off the TV, Internet, altogether...and go outside and see the beauty of nature.
When you look at your children and stand amazed at their beauty and purity. When you realize that your actions and words can pollute their lives or enrich them.
Step back into the light of reality and truth.

Light ALWAYS prevails over darkness.

It is stronger, it is more powerful...and I believe most souls lean towards the brightness of good.

No matter how much the dark entices them , the pull of goodness is the beacon towards an abundant life. 
It ultimately is more powerful , and it will illuminate your world to reveal true beauty . It will help you see what is excellent and not simply momentarily amusing or exciting .
Good taste in all things is never crude, crass, lewd , rude or showy.

 Me and my husband at dusk in Charleston at the harbor

I will jump down from my soapbox now..I am sure I have stepped on some people's toes , I may have made you think I am a ranting Christian-do-gooder woman.
You are partially right...I am a Christian , I do rant about topics sometimes...and I do want to do good.
That does not make me a better person than someone else, only one very concerned for a better moral atmosphere on this earth.
I know it's not sexy , hip or cool to admit that...don't care. I do care deeply about this topic.




Fight the good fight,


Gina

" Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them. For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked ! it shall be ill with him. " Isiah 3:10-11

What IMPRESSES You tells God Alot about YOU...and You About Yourself

I had an interesting experience, almost sad , as when I heard these words come out of a young teenager's mouth one evening...it made me realize what we are impressed by , reflects who we are, and where we are heading.
We were having a nice dinner out last week , and there were about 10 people there, and across from  me was a fun young teenager. His dad was two people down from me, and my husband was near him. The young teen was explaining, sort of out of the blue...but obviously it was top-of-the-mind-awareness...of how rich all his friends were. Stinking rich. Millions of dollars rich. He then went into great detail, what they had, how much money their dads made...on and on and ON.
I sat and mildly smiled at him, then looked up into my husband's eyes...and we spoke to each other , without words...about how far-off this young teen's values are. While the young teen was talking, his father was smiling and nodding in agreement...as money is apparently a big subject to them both, the whole family discusses it alot, and always has. They are very well -off , and money IMPRESSES them. Greatly.
I then interrupt the litany of riches he is going on and on about, and say,
" You mean rich in MATERIAL things, right ?" He looks at me like he has zero idea what I was saying.
Then I say, " Riches are not always material things, the richest...", and then I was interrupted by the young teen by him saying, " Oh, but they are so rich. "
My concept was foreign to him, he did not have a clue, not a clue what I was insinuating. 
My husband smiled at me with his eyes, and I looked over an the young teen's father, to see if he ' GOT' what I was saying. It actually looked like he vaguely understood...but what impressed him...impressed his son. 
So he gave me a slight annoyed look, and kept smiling at his son. 
Money is not the problem here, the LOVE of money is. 

 " For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." I Timothy 6 :10

I recalled that conversation while I was out walking early this morning . Walking for miles ,breathing deeply, watching the new sunlight dapple on the trees , hearing the birds sing to me.
I considered what impresses me. Kindness would surpass all, then someone who is peaceful...as that is a quality that has eluded me most of my life. Then in no apparent order, someone who is very good at what they do...be it a waitress or a managing director of a large company. Seeing someone who is physically fit, not buff to the max...not perfection in physique...that's a bit boring, to me. But someone who takes care of the ONLY body God will ever give you on the earth. And the older I get, that is even more important. Younger people always take their bodies for granted, I know I did....I used to push myself way too hard physically. Trying to be more gentle with myself these days.
 I also like to see a person dressed nicely. Not Sex and The City 2 ( GARBAGE values ) nicely, but just nice ...you know when they are at church or going out to dinner. Not all the time .
Someone who is an excellent artist impresses me , as I value art very much.
Intelligence has always impressed me, but not as much as it used to...as I have run into too many amazingly smart people who are condescending and arrogant, and who dismiss God as they have no evidence ( they think ),  to believe in Him.

I could go on and on, someone who is a great cook, someone who is very neat and tidy...that impresses me as I am behind in those areas.

I am challenging you to stop and think...what REALLY impresses you ? A job title ? Money ? a beautiful woman or handsome man ? A luxury automobile ? Expensive jewelry ? A big expensive home ?
What do you talk about at home, with the kids around even...what do you tell your spouse, what news seems to get you the most animated ? See if it revolves around money , the media , material possessions, romance, gossip ...whatever.
Listen to yourself.
God wants us to be impressed by the eternal things He has given us. Love, hope, peace, the beauty of nature and especially Himself and his Son , Jesus . More things too , but I know you get my direction.
If you stop and examine yourself, as God tells us to do...DAILY, we can see where we are heading...what direction, and I am not talking about Heaven or Hell...though that may be an eventual destination.  I am referring to what you teach those around you, and what impresses you...does it bring you closer to God ? Or does it push you further away ?
Final question is ask yourself:
"Would____ ( fill in the blank ) impress God ?"

That is something I will do more myself.


Bless you and yours today,
Gina


 " Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test ? " (2 Corinthians 13:5-6)