I hate spam: in a can, my email inbox or on my blog.

My questions are more rhetorical: do spammers really think that I would allow their spammy comments on my blog. Do they think any blogger in their right mind would not have spam control features in place to prevent their content from slipping through. And should their message get through – to what end do they think it would serve. Do they really think some naive sap is going to happen upon a blog post, read the very obvious spam in the comments and think – “Oooooo, I gotta get me some of that!!”, click the link and the spammer is then going to run off to the bank to cash in on their spammy riches.

Give me a break. Give yourselves a break. Get a life. Do some legitimate white-hat marketing. Stop spamming blogs. And certainly do not even waste your time trying to spam this blog. It won’t get through. Might I suggest you go to college and get training for a real job.

I am not a huge TV watcher. I don’t have time to sit and watch TV, and when I do, I find there’s precious little on actually worth watching. What I find particularly disturbing is reality TV. Most of it I find ridiculous and well, silly – at best, and often rude, crude and just plain stupid. Aside from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I have little use for any reality TV.

This past summer, I happened to be flipping channels one day, and I catch this show about a large family, and see advertisements for reality shows on other large families. There were a few of them. Mmmm? Curiosity gets the best of me, so I tune in to see what this was all about. I should have known that if it was on television, and labeled as reality TV, that I could be assured of two things:

1. It was not any reality that I could relate to, nor would I want to
2. The show would be more interested in ratings above all else.

These were not “help” or “how to” shows. This was for “rubber neckers” to gawk at large families who live day-to-day life badly. Unorganized. Chaotic. Falling apart at the seams. These families were not the Duggars, with their well-behaved children and an organized and well run home.

These families, from the episodes that I saw, were also not necessarily Christian, nor quiverful in their religious convictions or beliefs, so were not large families for religious reasons. One family was large because of multiple birth and another was a blended family (yours, mine and ours). I realize that not every family is “perfect” (none are), and I would not want, or expect, to see the Cleavers in a reality TV show; but the chaos, disorder and even the disrespect and tension between the spouses was certainly more than I cared to watch and not anything I wanted my children to watch.

I guess the TV producers are banking on human nature: the need to watch that which we know we shouldn’t. Not unlike those who just have to slow down and stare at car accidents to see what they can see; people seem to be drawn to this chaotic madness, the fighting, the whining, the stress level off the scale – I guess hoping to catch, on film, a parent really losing it either at a child or at their spouse. I guess that would be the ultimate in ratings draw. To me – it’s sick and discouraging.

There’s one show in particular that really bugs me. Perhaps for one episode, you can have sympathy for the mother with all those children. Yep, no doubt, that would be tough. But after about two or three episodes, you just want to go in there and tell her to get a grip and RELAX! Stop talking to your husband like he’s two years old and might I suggest she get some mentoring advice herself. The woman has issues. This is obvious. I’m not sure what’s going through the family’s mind when they agreed to let cameras come into their home.

• Are they wanting sympathy for their situation? They might get lots of sympathy; but they certainly do not shine the light on large families in a positive way.
• Do they think they have it all together and are going to help someone else and lead by example? They have said on the show, they are not perfect. This is obvious, but I think they could be the brunt of more jokes than not. Maybe they don’t care. There must be a reason for putting their family in the public spotlight.

Unlike the few Nanny themed shows that actually come in amidst chaos and create some order and help, even providing some useful tips that viewers can use (even if I don’t 100% agree with every tip and method used, it’s still not all bad); these big family shows are nothing really but a big side-show circus act. What’s worse, is that it will further the erroneous notion that large families are too much trouble and not feasible in today’s world. This of course, is not true!

There are thousands [hundreds of thousands most likely] of quiverful families in the United States alone, who I’m sure could do a much better job at showing the world what the average large family is like. Most large families don’t have multiples like the reality show family does, so day-to-day life for them will be very different. The reality TV that would be real, and helpful, would be a show on a large family that would show a bit more reality and perhaps offer some useful tips that families of any size could use.

The question is: would America watch, listen and learn. The Duggar’s certainly get their fair share of press, and America tunes in to watch – is there enough interest for more than that? I get a ton of hits every day on this web site alone for the search term “quiverful” or “large Christian families” or derivative of that; why is that, if folks are not seeking answers, or are at least curious. We may not get our own TV show, but as a large quiverful Christian family, we are still a witness to others. I have an article on this very topic: A Large Family as a Witness & Ministry.

Live, in person viewing of your family and how you really are; how your children really behave and how you respond to them. That’s reality that TV can’t come close to. Your impact on others, as a family, in Walmart or the grocery store is going to have more influence than a TV show. People are watching. Remember, it’s human nature to stare, gawk and rubber neck at what is perceived as different or unusual. Large families in today’s society are not the norm. Set out to be your own live version of “reality” (sans TV) and just by going to the store, as a family, you can be a witness for Christ.

Will your family be a good witness? I hope so. It takes child training. Practice drills to teach the children expected behavior in public, and as reminders before you leave home. Remember, “teach the children the way they should go…”, don’t get mad at Johnny for throwing a fit in Walmart, if you didn’t teach him by practicing and rehearsing expected behavior before you got to the door.

Okay – so train your children. Ready your family. Set out to provide your own dose of reality. Make it worthy of positive attention and Christ-like behavior that would draw others to you. You can be different and set apart just by being nice and having manners! Let your lights shine for Christ.

Today’s post on my friend Chocolatechic’s Blog really got me to thinking.   The gist of that post was that President Bush was not wrong to enter into the war on terror, his error was in thinking that America today was the same America from yesteryear who stood behind and supported it’s President, who were patriotic and would sacrifice for the cause.
American’s today are selfish, self-centered and care more about saving the whales, homeless animals or the planet than their own country.  Now hear me:  I care about whales, homeless animals and our planet too; but I love this country.  I love this planet.  I also love my freedom and the freedom that my forefathers fought so hard to give me and I don’t take that lightly.  Freedom is not free:  it was bought with a great price.  It was paid with blood.  Blood of soldiers for our freedoms here on this earth; and the blood of Jesus for our freedom from hell.

I hate that so many are trying to create new laws and regulations to strip us of our freedoms.  All because some folks don’t have a lick of common sense; and others have no morals at all and use their freedom in immoral ways.   I love this country.  I’m thankful for the freedom we do have.  But I hate to say, I’m bordering on no longer being proud to be an American.    This country, with it’s outspoken actors and big business leaders tossing around their clout and voicing their opinions as though they speak for the masses.  They do not speak for me!   It’s a sad thing when money is what gives you a voice.    At least with the internet – and this blog – my voice can be heard.

I stand for God.  I stand for my country.  I support our troops.  I stand for freedom.  Even if I don’t 100% agree with every decision made by the leaders of this country – I will still stand in support of them.  I will voice my opposition in the polls – not in the media.   That’s the American Way.