The fine line between reality & fantasy.

As a Christian parent it is my responsibility to teach my child (and myself) the fine line between reality and fantasy. 

In today's age of realistic digital movie graphics, video games, advanced technology and connection to media sources 24/7, that can pose some challenges. However, a thorough understanding of fiction versus real practices can help clarify the context of "questionable" books, video games, movies and television.

We need to teach our children that the fantasy in entertainment is not to be confused with the real evils of our world! 

Instead of sheltering ourselves and our children from the uneasiness of the world, we need to learn how to appropriately respond to the content in these forms of entertainment. 

I'm not saying that it's appropriate for a toddler to play violent video games or watch violent television, however, I personally see nothing wrong with allowing my son to watch "old-school" Looney Tunes cartoons, where Bugs Bunny tricks Taz into eating dynamite and other similar scenarios.

All of my 30-something friends & family grew up watching those same cartoons. And none of us... I repeat, none of us, turned out violent or were confused about appropriate behavior.

And, you know why? 

Because our parents were there! 

They were there teaching us about fantasy and reality. Teaching us that the actions in the cartoons were indeed fake. Telling us that no matter how amusing, they were not appropriate in real life and there were real consequences for those actions in the real world. Parents enforced these rules in homes on a regular basis. 

My parents also taught me about God, my salvation alone through my relationship with Jesus Christ, and that as a follower of Christ I should lead a life of love, kindness, acceptance, and hope. 

Of course, like any child, I had a rebellious phase - a time when I doubted God's existence; when I thought I knew better than my parents; when I didn't care. 

That changed after I was in a car accident when I was 19-years old. I flipped over my car, but miraculously walked away from the accident completely unharmed. Not a scratch. There were other events that day that both myself & other people witnessed, which could not be described by anything other than a Divine Power. God.

After that, all those things my parents taught me finally hit me. 

It all made sense. 

If I started living my life the way God wanted me to and trusting in Him completely, then things were pretty good. 

Or, at least He made the bad things a lot easier. 

My maturity as a Christian has come a long way since then. It has grown during every obstacle in my life. 

Surprisingly to me, I've had the most growth in my walk with Christ since 

I 

became 

a mom. 

My faith and conviction in Him is strong. It's real. And, nothing; nothing! can waiver it.

As followers of Christ, we cannot hide behind Christianity when things in the world scare us or make us uneasy. 

We need to recognize what is indeed reality and fantasy, and teach our children the difference - not shelter them from it. 

For example: pumpkins cannot be turned into horse-drawn coaches, wooden dolls cannot be turned into little boys, carpets cannot fly, Genies do not pop out of lamps when we rub them, beans do not grow into stalks that reach the sky, we cannot float in the air when we're happy or because we have an umbrella, tomatoes & cucumbers cannot really sing & talk, and there is not such thing as great and all-powerful lion from the Christian-endorsed movie Narnia! 

These are fantasies. 

Fake. 

Storytelling.

As a parent, I will not cower behind the Bible refusing to expose my child to things that some may consider evil. 

I feel these will be highly teachable moments - opportunities to teach him fake from real, wrong from right, and good from evil. 

These moments can lead to discussions about the Lord and what the Bible teaches us about being Christians and spreading the Good News to everyone. 

What if Jesus had avoided sinners, the drunk, fortune tellers, sorcerers, 

and adulterers? 

I guess my point is... don't avoid your own fears or hide from the world. Instead, 

Proclaim Jesus Christ in everything!