Why I Stopped Sneaking Snacks Into Movies

Disclaimer: This post is not pointing fingers or judging anyone who sneaks snacks into the movie theater. This is my own personal conviction and I'm sharing it with you.

Like many of you, I grew up in a home where sneaking snacks into a movie theater was normal. My family would pack goodies we had hanging around the house or we’d hit up a local convenience store and purchase snacks at less than half the price you’d pay for them at the movie theater. We’d drop those yummy treats into our inconspicuous bags and off to the movies we went. I couldn’t wait for the lights to dim so I could whip out my snacks. The funny thing is - most times I wasn’t even hungry. I guess there was something thrilling about sneaking in snacks and getting away with it, scanning the aisles to see if an attendant was lurking in the shadows, and trying my darnedest to softly open a package of chips and not draw attention to myself.

My Story

Yeah, I was all about that sneaking snacks into the movie theater life - even when I had my own children. I remember preparing for the movies one time. I pulled together little juice boxes, mini bags of chips, nutri grain bars, and those cute lil Smuckers frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I stuffed those snacks for my family of four right into my big black coach bag. We arrive at the theater but were not able to sit together. We were separated by a huge aisle, so hubby had one kid and I had the other.

When the lights went down and the movie was about to start I whispered, "Give this to daddy." My daughter walks across the aisle, sticks her hand out and says, “Here daddy! Here's your peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” All loud! This child was born with a voice that carries... She doesn't know the concept of whispering. Anyways, Hubby quipped, "Go sit down!" I'm like, "Oops! My bad." At that time my baby was 6 years old and didn't realize we snuck these snacks in the theater. All my children knew was, mommy brings snacks from home in her big black bag.

Why I Stopped Sneaking Snacks Into Movies

Well, now my daughter Raji was about 7 years old. Our family was in the kitchen preparing for the movies. You know the routine. I'm tossing snacks in the big black bag and I see Raji whizz by me with a pink Disney characters back pack. I observed her as she grabbed chips, a strawberry shortcake pastry, and a juice box, and tossed them in her little pink back pack! I said, "Raji what are you doing?" She said, “I'm bringing my own bag of snacks to the movies.” That bothered me. Something about it seemed wrong. I saw myself in what she was doing. A strong conviction gripped my heart. I thought, what am I teaching my children? How to be deceitful, and sneaky? These characteristics cross over into other areas of life, so this did not sit well with me at all.

I'm not one of those “Do as I say not as I do parents.” If it's not good for the child - many times it's not good for the parent either. That very day my husband and I decided we would pay $1,000 for snacks at the concession stand or buy nothing at all! Desiring my children to be people of character (virtuous and honest) was why I stopped sneaking snacks into the theater. If my children are going to emulate what I do I better start doing a better job at following Gods standard of living.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” Romans 12:12

But Ty, it's not that serious...It's just snacks geesh... Everyone does it! As a Christian I don't want to do “everything” Keke n nem do or what Pastor so and so does… Listen, if I'm hungry and I happen to find a snickers bar in my bag that I completely forgot about... you know I'm gonna tear that candy bar up right then and there.. along with the $100 nachos I purchased at the concession stand. My point is, there's a difference between intentional and unintentional. God expects a higher standard of right living from us. I find that God challenges me in the most minute things to see how I respond. How else will I mature and reach a higher standard of living in Christ, if I'm not challenged to? If I respond the way He expects - then I move on to the bigger issues he wants to deal with me about. Hopefully, I respond by quickly making the necessary changes. That's how character is developed. I'm a work in progress folks - No perfection here!

 

 

Showcase Cinema de Lux Randolph, MA

I Believe in Sowing and Reaping

Movie theaters make their living off of the astronomically priced concession stand food. Why?  Because movie ticket sales "supposedly" go straight to the movie studios - not the theater. This is someones livelihood. "No outside food or drinks allowed" is the policy of these establishments. No, it may not be written in plain view for you to see in most theaters but the policy exists on most of their websites. Plus, why would we sneak snacks if it was ok to bring them?

You’re probably like, is this chic the “no sneaking snacks police?” Lol! No… But I have a small business, so I get there are rules and policies that customers are expected to adhere by. But I also wouldn't charge such outlandish prices for my services. My solution: Eat before I go or I'll just have to be prepared to fork over a good chunk of my paycheck to the concession stand business.

Sowing and reaping is a biblical/universal principle. I want to sow good seeds into my children, my business, and any other things i'm entrusted with - and I want to reap a blessing from them. Thanks to my daughter, I've been clean of sneaking snacks into movies for 4 years now. If I can do it - anybody can do it. Lol!

Food for thought: “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” Luke 6:31

Blessings,

Tytenisha

You Shall Love Your.....

"I was looking out of the living room window. I saw Mr. Jones (our next door neighbor) drive up in a police car. Mr. Jones got out of the car dressed as a Police officer! I never knew he was a police officer. Rain begins to pour down. Me and my daddy are now outside in the rain with Mr. Jones.

The three of us go into Mr. Jones' house. It looks exactly like my house. My Daddy and Mr. Jones are talking and laughing. There is a dark man with glasses standing behind them holding a black briefcase, then the man disappears.

Mommy is in the kitchen washing dishes. She hugs daddy and said, "who is that man? I'm not hugging him." She was talking about Mr. Jones. I hug daddy then I hug Mr. Jones. While I'm hugging Mr. Jones he turns into my sister Taraji!" - Takai's Dream

 

I'm not the only one who dreams in my home. My husband and children dream too. My son Takai was given this dream from the Lord. It's considered a correction dream. Not only was the Lord lovingly correcting my son He was making me aware of an issue I need to attend to. Let's take a look at what the symbols mean for this particular dream.

 

PROPHETIC SYMBOLS:

Window: Prophetic symbol of revelation and understanding

Living room: A current situation that is taking place in the dreamer's life that God wants to make him aware of

Mr. Jones as a Police Officer: Next door neighbor who represents a Biblical Law/Commandment

Daddy: God

Rain pouring down: The Holy Spirit (meaning this is a dream from the Lord)

Daddy and Mr. Jones talking and laughing: Represents agreement

Dark man with brief case: Represents Satan - Accuser of the brethren

Mommy washing dishes: Symbolizes me cleaning things up

Mommy hugged daddy and not Mr. Jones: I embraced the Lord but did not "recognize" that a biblical law/commandment was not being enforced

Takai hugged daddy and Mr. Jones who turned into his sister Taraji: Embracing the Lord and His Law/Commandment.

 

PROPHETIC MEANING:

The Lord is saying,

"Takai there is an issue that I want to make you aware of. Satan is looking for an opportunity to destroy a relationship within your family. Not only should you love and embrace Me (God) but also my commandment. The second greatest commandment is, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). In other words - YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR SISTER AS YOURSELF.

 

Takai and Taraji would fuss and argue every day. Sometimes their actions toward one another were mean. I would bring these things before the Lord because I was not sure if this was normal sibling behavior or something I should be concerned about. My children are familiar with the greatest and 2nd greatest commandments in scripture. What a powerful reminder from the Lord! My husband and I sat down with the children to discuss the message in the dream. Takai knew almost immediately the message was the second greatest commandment, and he was very receptive to God's word. It really touched my heart.

I believe the Lord brought this matter to our attention so that we don't allow the enemy a foothold in our children's relationship. If it was important enough for God to speak to us through a dream about this matter; it was certainly something to be concerned about. It also became my responsibility to consistently enforce love and respect between the children in my home and to remind them of God's word. We are working on this every day. 

God is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. His word never changes! Loving your neighbor as yourself is a command for every person who considers themselves a child of God. A neighbor is considered any person other than yourself. So, however you treat yourself (Hopefully it's good) or however you want to be treated - is how you are to treat others even when it's not reciprocated, ouch! It's definitely a challenge for all of us, but it's part of growing, maturing, and becoming like Christ. Thank you Lord for reminding us of the 2nd greatest commandment and it's importance to you. Oh! And in case you need a reminder of the greatest commandment, here it is: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your mind" (Matthew 22:36-37).

Blessings,

Tytenisha

Teach Your Children God's Commands

"And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up." 

- Deuteronomy 6:6-7 

 

In the scripture above, the Lord was speaking to the Israelites as they were preparing to enter the Promised Land. The nations surrounding the Israelites were wicked and perverse. God wanted his people to wholeheartedly follow His commands. He admonished the adults to repetitively instill the commandments into the children day and night. I believe He wanted to establish in their hearts what was right and what was wrong so they would not participate in the wickedness that surrounded them. If they obeyed the Lord, they would enjoy a long life. We the people of God should take note and incorporate this practice into our daily lives as well. 

As a parent, grandparent or guardian, you have the awesome responsibility of introducing your children to Jesus and teaching them God's commands from the bible. We are living in a world where greed, rebellion, hatred, perverse living and so much more are quickly becoming the norm and have influenced the lives of many people we know and love. As our country continues to remove anything that has to do with God from it, we are experiencing the presence of wickedness like never before and it's greatly affecting our children.

 

 

My Kiddos

My children are eight and ten years of age. When they were in my womb, and when they were born, prophetic words about their purpose were spoken to my husband and I. I'm sure many of you can identify and have experienced the same thing or something similar regarding your own children. Satan's job is to quickly rob you and your children of purpose and trust me, he WON'T BE NICE while trying. The enemy wants to stop every believers (Christians) purpose in the earth so he (satan) can have his wicked way in the world without interruption. When we move in our purpose, we disrupt the plans of the enemy. Our children have purpose NOW in their own generation to show other children (who may be lost, hurting, etc.) that there is a real God they can call on even in their young age. 

The World We Live In

Children are innocent and their minds are pure. They don’t know ANYTHING about life until you teach them. If you want your child to be a loving God-fearing person who lives righteously – teach them Gods word. It will help them understand right from wrong and prepare them for the realities of this crummy world that they live in. Over the summer, while in camp my children were exposed to inappropriate discussions and acts from other children. Such is life, right? I've been teaching my children the word of God since they were very young and now they're seeing and hearing what the world is talking about. I'm actually glad they had that experience because that is the world we live in. So, as a family, we sat down and openly discussed different topics and went to the bible to explain what God says about those different topics. We discussed what's appropriate and what's not. No question is off limits in my home. My kids are far from perfect but my husband and I try our best to teach them the ways of God. Remember, if you don’t teach your kids God’s commands the people of the world will waste no time teaching them theirs.

Be Their Example

As guardians, we have to live what we preach and teach our children. Do as I say not as I do, doesn't work! We are the example they are looking at. If you are consistently inconsistent they will doubt what you're teaching them. No parent is perfect but when you mess up, try not to make the same mistake over and over again. Children are easily influenced by the things they see and hear. My husband and I monitor and limit what our kids watch on TV. We monitor and limit the kinds of video games they play. We monitor the sites they visit on the computer, and they are not allowed to watch YouTube videos unless they ask so we can screen it first. YouTube is filled with wonderful videos as well as disturbing videos. One disturbing video leads to another and before you know it, the child has just been introduced to something that could become very damaging to their life. 

I'm not saying to keep your child in a bubble so that they never experience the real world. As a guardian, your job is to protect your children from the snares of the enemy. My kids are far from perfect, they're children and from time to time they say and do things that disappoint me. Because they have a purpose they've been spiritually attacked which caused me to pray and fast on their behalf. But my husband who is rarely moved by circumstances reminds me we are to teach, pray and correct and God will do the rest. The bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when they're old they won't depart from it.” This doesn’t mean having your child in “church” 24:7 is going to teach them God’s ways. YOU have to teach them from the word of God and be their example.

Feed Them God's Word 

Teach them the Ten Commandments. Read the bible to them and explain the stories you read. The bible says, "The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires" (Hebrews 4:12). The word of God is alive! When you read it, speak it and believe it, it changes your life and the way you think. It will do the same for your children. When those seeds of truth are constantly being planted in your child's heart and mind, they will begin to take root and grow and cause your child to make right choices according to the word of God. 

Often tell your children you love them, hug them, kiss them, and give them your undivided attention. Brag on them, encourage them when they're down, speak life into them and spend quality time with them. It makes such a difference in their little lives. Create a healthy balance of spirituality, education, after school activities and family fun time in their life. As guardians, we want to develop well-rounded leaders and warriors who can walk amongst the wickedness in the world and not be affected by it. Our children must walk in the purpose for which they were created.

Children's Bible Devotions

You may be wondering what is the best children's bible? Well, here are some of the resources and teaching tools I’ve found helpful on this journey to teaching my children God’s commands (click on picture):

 

The Preschooler's Bible age 3-5: Perfect for teaching the bible to preschoolers and for introducing children to biblical characters.

 

Children's Picture Bible age 5-9: I absolutely love this bible. It touches on the major stories in the bible and the visual artistry is wonderful. I highly recommend it.

 

NIV Adventure Bible age 9-12: This bible is just OK. The print is too small and does not have the red letter print. 

 

Keys for Kids has kid devotions online and more, for all ages: My kids and I read and listen to this devotion every morning as I drive them to school. Keys for kids also has a children's game site with fun activities and bible trivia. It's really cute. www.Itoadu.com  

 

Blessings,

Tytenisha

   

Train Up A Child in Prayer

My Prayer Warriors

"Train up a child in the way he (or she) should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

If you're a parent, guardian or caretaker of children, you have a great responsibility. The scripture above says to train up a child in the way he should go. You can train or instruct your child to do anything, but I pray its positive and beneficial for them in the long run. In addition to stressing how important a good education is, instilling respectful manners, and teaching them to be productive citizens; I believe the most important training we can give our children is a spiritual foundation in God. It won't hurt to be good examples before them either. Jesus said, "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea" Mark 9:42. Wow, Jesus is serious about his little ones. Hmmm. We probably should be too.

Children are a gift from God and we (adults) are responsible for raising them according to Gods instructions. God is not looking for perfection from us; just willing and obedient hearts to train up these precious children to know His ways. Can I encourage someone with a wayward child? If your child has veered off the path, and you've trained them in the ways of God to the best of your ability - pray for them, and love them right where they are. I'm sure the disappointment is overwhelming and the pain is great, maybe even unbearable; believe in faith that God will help them find their way back. For those who did not teach your children the ways of God for whatever reason, be the best example you can, NOW. Love your children, pray for them and trust God to put them on course. 
 
This post will be about training up a child in prayer. Most of us have taught our children the common bedtime prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep," or the popular grace, "God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food." Those prayers are cute, simple and perfect for getting children accustomed to praying. Those prayers are good for a time, but I want to challenge you not to limit your children to cutesy prayers. I believe children "can be" sensitive to spiritual things because their minds have not been tainted by everyday life. The purity in children allows them to have extraordinary faith, and as their prayer life develops, they will begin to see there is power in prayer.
 
Children should know "The Lord’s Prayer." This prayer encompasses our everyday living in the earth. It's a great template for basic prayer. If possible, explain to your child what each line in this prayer means so they'll have an understanding of what they're praying. A child's prayer is powerful because they simply believe that what they are praying for will come to pass. As parents, we have to nurture that simple faith.

Many times I purposely let my children see and hear me pray, so they'll be comfortable and accustomed to a lifestyle of prayer. My children are seven, nine, and sixteen years of age. I try to set aside time for prayer and bible study in my home, and I always let THEM open and close our study with prayer. In the mornings as I drive the kids to school, we have a short prayer session. Each day, a different child, will lead the prayer session which consists of The Lord's Prayer, Praise and Worship, and Intercessory prayer which teaches the children to pray for the needs of others. I teach my children to memorize bible scriptures because it’s important to couple prayer with the word of God. I feel scriptures add more weight and authority to our prayers.

Our children need to understand there is power in their prayers, and that prayer can actually change things! Cute little prayers for children are ok, but we can’t let them stay at that level. The world we live in is becoming increasingly scary. Our children, who are the next generation, need to know how to pray with power and authority with the word of God if they are going to see change in the world and in their own lives.

Let your child freestyle in his/her prayer by allowing them to pray whatever they want, or you can give them something to pray for. Correct them when you hear the prayer is a little off, they have to learn, right? When my seven year old was first learning to pray he would say, "Thank you for worshiping us Jesus." I would chuckle to myself then correct him by saying, "We love to worship you Jesus" lol!!

I hope you accept my challenge and teach your children to pray mature prayers so they'll start to develop a powerful, effective prayer life of their own. Teaching your children to pray establishes a strong foundation in communication with their heavenly Father, so when they grow old, they will never depart from it.

Blessings,
Tytenisha