Treasure House Kids

Sexting..that's right I did not misspell it.  Sexting is a growing problem among our kids.  A problem that most of us are not even aware of.  What is sexting?  It is the sending of sexual messages and/or pictures via as text messages.  Now I know a lot of you breathed a sigh of relief saying my kid would never do that--but I implore you to rethink.  If your child has a cell phone I am willing to bet that they have received and in some cases sent sexts. 

Most parents take great efforts to monitor what their children watch on TV, we place parental controls on the internet and keep the computer in family room in full view, but when it comes to phones...well we seldom actually talk on them-- we text.  Unfortunately there are no parental controls on a cell phone.  Most all cell phones take pictures and believe me kids know how to hide history.  It is scary because sexting is considered pornography and against the law.  The sending and receiving a sexting can land you prison time and a life time charge as a sexual offender.  Just Google 'sexting', but beware of explicits photos!!!!  CNN and CBS has some good aritcles. 

So what are we to do?  Well for starters--does you child really need a cell phone?  In some cases such as blended families or if your child is traveling with someone else--a cell phone would be appropriate but not without strict guidelines. 

If you have decided to give your child a cell phone: 

                Set times when the phone can be used. 

                Make sure it is on the charger each night in plain view such as the kitchen

                or family room. 

               Check your child's contacts--if you don't recognize someone, call them, find

               out who they are. 

              Check your child's pictures often at least three times a week at random

               times. 

If you find something inappropriate, act immediately.  Confront the child and contact the other participants.  Be prepared, legal ramifications may occur to your child and others involved.  Then I would take the child's cell phone and internet privileges for at least 6 months.  Then when the phone is returned it would be a phone without camera capabilities, all texting would be blocked from sending and receiveing and it would have a number that the child is not allowed to give out for atleast another three months.

Sounds severe I know--but this is a major issue that we as parents can not afford to count as just a normal kid curiousity--sexting is a major SIN problem.  It is robbing our children of their purity and Satan is using it as a stepping stone to more explicit acts of sin sick lifestyles.  PARENTS WAKE UP AND BEWARE!!!!!!! 

Email me and I will send you a survery concerning Sex and Tech.  kim@polecreek.org

Hiding God's Word in your heart is essential not only for your kids but for you too.  I have memorized over 10 verses in a month using Verse Minder.  It only cost like $15 a year.  I love it.  Check it out:  http://awana.verseminder.com/

I just read the transcript of the President's speech and found it be an encouraging, challenging and uplilfting.  I know that most of us can not agree with our President at this time on several issues BUT THE WORD OF GOD says that we are to pray for our leaders.  I feel the best thing we can give to our children is the Word of God and teaching them to love our enemies, respect those in authority and gain the knowledge to know when we are being led astray.  To read the speech fo ryourself go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/  What do you think?

Rom 13:1-3

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

NIV

I like You Tube but sometimes what looks innocent turns into to be trash that doesn't need to be in your head.  At one time I posted a cute video of a little girl singing about God only to find that kids could then access the total YouTube.  Bummer....  But now I have discovered KidsTube.  Created by kids and monitored by adults.  I really enjoy "Elvis likes Waffles"  Check it out.

http://www.kidstube.com/

KidsTube.com - Monitored Video Sharing for Kids

What is KidsTube.com?

KidsTube.com is a monitored video sharing website designed for kids. All user-generated content on KidsTube is monitored by our staff to ensure a family-friendly experience for users of all ages. At KidsTube, our members are encouraged to explore their creativity and share their ideas with other kids from all over the world.

Let's face it we live in a techno world and kids are and need to be able to use the technology in a safe environment.  Email can be a great way of communication and as kids get older and progress in school--email is a main source of cmmunication.  Check this out and let me know what you think.

http://www.zilladog.com/  

Zilladog.com is a web site created by parents for kids. They can stay connected with friends and family with our FREE ZillaMail email service. Kids can play free online games that are parent approved. They can play games from their favorite web sites such as Club Penguin, Neopets, Cartoon Network, Pokemon, Nickelodeon, and play Sonic games with Sonic the Hedgehog. They can also log on to and access their Webkinz pet.

Taken in part from FamilyLife.com

In Psalm 127:4 children are compared to "arrows in the hand of warrior." Arrows are not designed to stay in the quiver. Arrows are created for flight. For God's target. For battle. And from the time you bring them home from the hospital, those little arrows must be shaped, sharpened, and honed for God's intended purpose.

Every archer worth his salt can tell you there is pain in launching an arrow. As the archer lets go, his left forearm can be painfully stung with the slap of the string. The same is true of a parent's heart. While the "arrow" is enjoying the flight he was made for, the heart of a parent feels the sting of the release.

Releasing is also scary. Will they fly straight? Will they be blown off course? Will they fall short of God's intended destination for their lives?

You'll never know if you don't release them. But they'll never grow up if you keep them safe in your quiver, away from the battlefield.

At some point, you will need to release your arrows and trust in God's plan for their lives, no matter where that plan takes them.

Recently I have been thinking that our greatest contribution to the cause of Christ may be through our children. They will be the messengers who carry the gospel to the next generation. May God's favor be upon you!

"Praise the Lord! How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed." Psalm 112:1-2.

STRAWBERRY QUICK--parent's I have heard about this before, but lately I have received several emails about this again. Take a note to the following email I received:

There is a very scary thing going on in the schools right now that we all need to be aware of. There is a type of crystal meth going around that looks like Strawberry pop rocks (the candy that sizzles and 'pops' in your mouth). It also smells like strawberry and it is being handed out to kids in School yards. They are calling it strawberry meth or strawberry quick. Kids are ingesting this thinking that it is candy and being rushed off to the hospital in dire condition. It also comes in chocolate, peanut butter, cola, cherry, grape and orange. Please instruct children not to accept candy from strangers and even not to accept candy that looks like this from a friend (who may have been given it and believed it is candy) and to take any that they may have to a teacher, principal, etc. immediately.

Recently I have heard lots of talk about 'avatar' and a web site 'imvu' [I'm not putting the actual site, email me and I will give it to you if you like]. Kids seem most impressed with this site and it is captivating. You build an 'avatar' icon, choose your clothes, hair, room, the works. However the site contains some very sexually explicit material and the language in the chat rooms is very inappropriate. Now would be a good time to check out your kids internet history.

The North Carolina Baptist Mission has a site on the dangers of the internet. Check it out at http://protecteverychild.org/

With all the recent talk of the choking game, I found this site helpful.

http://www.deadlygameschildrenplay.com