Under Satan's Yolk?

Consider this...in our world today, our modern society, are we so busy that our families are trapped under satan's yolk? Pause for a moment, and watch this short film.

Now that you have seen this film, and read the words of Satan--while granted they may not be directly quoting him, one must only look around our society to see for sure that such destructive measures are being taken by his minions--what will you do? What will your family do?

In our own home, we have come to realize that so many things in this world distract us from God and our time with God. Our minds are so busy throughout the day, that we even fail to pray. We have been convicted to make changes over the last two years. Here are a few of some of those changes, and perhaps some encouraging advice for each of you:

1. Cancel all game accounts (Restaurant City, Farmville, Ebony, etc.) - this might also include removing any Play Stations, Nintendos, or other game counsels from your home.

2. Limit time on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc. - for myself, I only get on Facebook early in the morning to check email and contacts real quickly. I usually spend a max of about 20 minutes the whole day, and I force myself not to check it again later. (Note: Removing these accounts is often times not an option for many, as this is the best way to contact family and friends overseas and around the country).

3. Conduct an Email Scan - When you first log on to your email, before opening any, scan the list and quickly determine what is a priority. Open those first, answer what needs to be answered right then (don't put it off till later, as it might hang over you). Get done first what needs to get done. Then, limit the remainder of your time to look at the junk, or emails that don't need a reply. Tell yourself "I'm only going to give myself 20 minutes to check my email," then be diligent with your time.

4. Praying for Others - Often times throughout our day, when in conversation with others, we often say "Oh, I'll pray for you." But then we fail to do so. We were convicted about this behavior in our own lives a few months ago. Why do we tell people we will pray for them and then never do? We decided to change this in two ways: (1) When we tell someone we will pray for them, we stop right then and there and pray for them, whether quietly in our own hearts, our out loud with the individual; (2) We add their names to a prayer list that remains as an open "Stickie" on our desktop. In this way, whenever we open our computer, we are consistently faced with the names of those that need our prayer.

5. Scheduling Intentional Bible Time - Instead of just assuming that we will have time to read the Bible later, we are convicted to set aside a time, during which nothing else can intrude. For me, as a busy mother and student, I take the time immediately after I put Sadie Rose down for her nap. As soon as I put her in my crib, I come into the living room, spend time in meditation and prayer, and read the Bible. Then, in the evenings, as soon as we put Sadie Rose to bed, Kris and I sit down for our couple's time of prayer and Bible study. Both of these times of the day are essential, and as we are diligent and faithful to the Lord in protecting these times, our minds are more reflective of Him and His work throughout the day. As you can imagine, reading the Bible together as a married couple also helps our marriage in a number of other ways as well. The benefits are numerous.

So, these are some of the changes we have made in our own home. What will you do? How will your family battle against Satan's attempts to pull you away from the Lord? To pull your family apart? Do not take Satan's work lightly. He is active. He is working. And we must be ready to fight.