Too Much Profanity In Some Young Adult Fiction

I like to read YA Fiction. Some of the stories have way too much profanity, even more these days than I've noticed before. So much that maybe there should be a rating on the cover. The F-Bomb. I don't like to hear it. I don't like to see it. It seems to me these authors are using this vulgar word and others as fillers. Or maybe they think profanity makes the story more believable? I know there are teens who use bad language, but how about this - don't include it, showing readers there is a better way of communicating.

Morning Thoughts

Why care so much about appearances
Inside is what matters most
She can't afford expensive clothes
But she has a heart of gold
Beautiful landscaping, house painted just right, a decorative knocker on a pretty red door
But there's lots of fussin' and fightin' in the place, nobody getting along, not one happy face
It's good to look our best,  not keeping things in such a mess
But why care too much about the outside
When what's inside needs to be fixed

Nick at Nite's Instant Mom Is A Good Family Comedy

                                           

Instant Mom is a family comedy starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict (Stephanie), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Maggie) and Michael Boatman (Charlie). The cast also includes three talented young people: Tylen Jacob Williams (James), Sydney Park (Gabby) and Damarr Calhoun (Aaron).

Stephanie is twenty-five. Her husband, Charlie, has been married before and he has three children. Stephanie knows very little about parenting, but she's doing her best to be a good stepmother. She's learning as she goes and when she doesn't get something quite right, her mother, Maggie, does not hesitate to lend a helping hand - if Stephanie wants to accept it or not.

I first heard about this sitcom while watching an episode of Tia and Tamera on The Style Network. Tia had decided not to return to BET's The Game. I could see it was a difficult choice for her to make and I felt for her. Not too long after, she received a call from her manager about this role. For a little while there it looked like Instant Mom wasn't going to happen for Tia, but she eventually got the good news. She was extremely happy, of course, and I was happy for her.

I usually add a pilot to my library because it's free ($2.99 isn't much to pay for a HD episode, but free is so much better:), but I paid for this one because I like Tia, and it's a nice family show. Tia is doing a good job as Stephanie, and Michael Boatman's performance is very good. It's a pleasure to watch Sheryl Lee Ralph (I like Maggie's humorous words of wisdom). I like Aaron (Damarr is a little cutie) and James (Tylen is as good an actor as his brother, Tyler, who played Chris in Chris Rock's sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris"). And Gabby (Sydney Park): I like that her presence is nothing like some other television shows; the ones with teens who show their parents no respect at all, the ones that make me say to the TV screen, "C'mon, now. Who's the adult and who's the child?"

Instant Mom entertains while putting important messages out there for the viewers. What happens between scenes reminds me of TBS's 2010 sitcom "Are We There Yet", so I was thinking it would be nice if something different, more original, was going on there. But that's a small thing. I like this show. I've watched this episode twice and I look forward to the remaining episodes of Season One

Valentine's Day: A Holiday That Celebrates Love

I Love You - These words are spoken to spouses, sons, daughters, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, girlfriends, boyfriends, friends, best friends... Some use the word 'love' like they know what it means, but it's obvious by their actions that they have no clue.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is not always easy. Love is serious business. Love takes work.

I look at 1 Corinthians 13 and confess that I have stuff to work on - the 'keeping no record of wrongs', in particular. Especially when the wrong doing didn't just anger me, but hurt me to my heart. How about you?

Christmas Angel (2012) starring Della Reese, Tamera Mowry-Housely, Teri Polo and Kevin Sorbo

Olivia Mead and her classmates have been given an assignment to give oral reports about their impossible Christmas wish. Olivia's wish is for someone else, and she also wants to help other children's wishes come true. Is the run down house in the neighborhood a wishing house? Is it occupied by an angel who will grant these wishes?


I've been in the mood to watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas music for a couple weeks now. I heard about this movie while watching Tia & Tamera's reality show on Style Network. I looked forward to seeing it for two reasons: It is a Christmas movie. And watching Tia & Tamera has shown me how hard Tamera has worked to be cast in a television show or movie. When she announced on her reality show that she got the part, I was very happy for her.

Christmas Angel cast: Teri Polo (Melinda Mead), Kevin Sorbo (Nathan Davis), Della Reese (Elsie), Tamera Mowry-Housley (Daphney Conroy), Jaiden Kaine (Jeb Conroy), Izabela Vidovic (Olivia Mead), Tyler Humphrey (Lucas Conroy), Lisa Arnold (Mrs. Bell), Rob Boltin (Mr. Brennan), Toby Nichols (Bully). It was nice to see Della Reese after so many years. And child actor Izabela Vidovic - this little lady is talented.

It seems most Christmas movies are about Santa and reindeer and elves and magical things. I'm okay with those; I like make believe. Wishes are granted in this movie, but not in any magical way (I'll leave it at that, don't want to tell too much). Christmas Angel is a film I really enjoyed more than most, because characters believed in God. It was nice to see praying at the dinner table and at bedtime and to hear Scripture quoted.

My favorite characters: Olivia (She was an intelligent little girl and she made me smile) and Elsie (Her story was interesting and she gave me things to think about).

My favorite line: Some things only God can do. Only God knows how to help.

Christmas Angel is a good family movie. Yes, there is one child bullying another; however, the way it was done I felt bad for the child being bullied, of course, but I also felt bad for the bully - the reason for his actions is clear. Also, there's a beautiful song playing during the closing credits - Mandisa is singing `Somebody's Angel'. I highly recommend this film!!

Goodbye, Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith died this morning at the age of 86. I am so saddened by this news. I know I didn't know Mr. Griffith personally, but that did not keep me from shedding tears when I found out he was gone. I loved his work - The Andy Griffith Show, Matlock and one of my most favorite movies, No Time For Sergeants (Don Knotts is also in this classic film, and I believe that's when he and Andy first met). I thank Andy Griffith for sharing his talent; he made me laugh quite often and I always appreciate a good laugh. May God comfort his family and friends and give them strength during this difficult time.

Soon after I heard the news, I had to watch Brad Paisley's music video, Waiting on a Woman, and I'd like to share it just in case you haven't seen it.

Christian Erotica?

I saw the words ‘Christian Erotica’ the other day and I have not been able to get those words out of my mind. I even took the time to Google these two words - that don’t go together at all, in my opinion – to find out what’s going on... who in the world came up with this? Of course, in searching the word ‘erotica’ nude photos appeared; I expected that. Why? Because – whether you put the word ‘Christian’ in front or not – erotica is pornography. The definition of erotica: books, pictures, etc. having to do with or intended to arouse sexual feelings or desires. The definition of pornography: writings, pictures, etc. intended primarily to arouse sexual desire.

What about this fiction called ‘Christian Erotica’? After a bit of research, moral erotica vs. immoral erotica is what it all boils down to. It seems those who write these stories want to give Christian married couples erotica they can enjoy reading. It seems they want to enrich the sexual lives of these Christian couples. So, writing a story detailing sex acts of a married couple makes erotica a good thing, because the characters are Christians and the story is aimed at Christians? Christian Erotica is considered moral, but these stories are intended primarily to arouse sexual desire, and, again, that is pornography. Actually, I came across the words Christ-centered porn, and I didn’t know what to think about that. I wonder what Jesus thinks about that? Some bring up the Song of Solomon to justify Christian Erotica. I’ve never read it, but I’ve read different interpretations that lead me to believe the meaning of those 117 verses in the Bible is much deeper than sexual love.

God gave us the gift of sex. His plan was not for people to engage in premarital sex, but for married couples – one man and one woman joined together in holy matrimony – to join together in this intimate (most private and personal, closely aquainted or associated) way. Intimate is key here. Some couples are okay with sexual aids, but my thinking is this: If a married couple, Christian or not, has to read erotica to aid in sexual arousal, then when their bodies join together are they making love (expressing a genuine love for each other) or just having sex for physical pleasure? I believe the latter is the case, and there is nothing intimate about that. Yes, there is physical pleasure in love making, but there should also be a real feeling of closeness, a connection that is not there when ONLY physical pleasure is being sought. Physical pleasure alone is usually about her or him (self-gratification), not him and her as ONE. Mark 10:8 and the two are united into one. Since they are no longer two but one, 9 let no one separate them, for God has joined them together (New Living Translation).

I don’t believe God intended for married couples to ‘have sex’ without intimacy, and intimacy begins outside of the bedroom:

1. Married couples need to talk to each other - not at each other - and they need to listen to each other. In other words, they need to communicate. Honest - speaking the truth in love - communication is necessary in marriage. Depending on the discussion, sometimes during communication a ‘moment’ happens that could lead to sexual intimacy.

2. Married couples need to spend time together; either doing things they both enjoy or one caring enough to do what the other wants and vice versa. Spending time together -having fun and enjoying each other - could lead to sexual intimacy.

3. Married couples need to respect each other, and each should appreciate the ‘good’ the other brings to the relationship. Taking time to focus on what’s ‘right’ instead of always thinking about what’s wrong with a spouse, could help one married person feel close to the other and this could lead to sexual intimacy.

I’m sure there are more ways for married couples to get to a place of closeness that could lead to sexual intimacy or ‘intimate love making’ without an outside influence like porn, whether it’s online, in a movie or a television show, or in a book.

As for books, we all have our different reading tastes and here is mine: I read mostly Christian Fiction, Young Adult Fiction (Christian Fiction or not), and I read secular novels, depending on the story. Recently I have decided to expand my horizons and read Paranormal; again, depending on the story. No Horror, no Gritty novels (there were times when I did not expect gritty, but got gritty), no stories about vampires or werewolves or monsters, and no Erotica – if the word ‘Christian’ is in front of it or not.