{"id":190,"date":"2011-04-27T12:04:24","date_gmt":"2011-04-27T16:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=190"},"modified":"2011-05-01T05:24:18","modified_gmt":"2011-05-01T09:24:18","slug":"reality-tv-and-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/04\/reality-tv-and-my-life.html","title":{"rendered":"Reality TV and my life"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/234\/2011\/04\/Film-Star-by-\u25c4Halogen\u00b6\u255d.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-257\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/234\/2011\/04\/Film-Star-by-\u25c4Halogen\u00b6\u255d.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Wonderful, dreadful and insignificant, our lives are being recorded to be shown to every creature someday. \u00a0Is there a hidden camera waiting for us to stumble in order for someone\u00a0to place it on UTube? \u00a0Is this a government plot to enslave all of us?<\/p>\n<p>No. \u00a0This morning as my husband was watching Christian TV, I was reminded that every aspect of my life is being recorded. \u00a0Not for reality TV or UTube but where it really count, within the heavenly annals.<\/p>\n<p>In the Bible, we are clearly told that on God&#8217;s Judgment Day, the books of our lives will be opened and we must stand before the Lord to answer regarding every aspect of our lives. \u00a0As a child, Saturday movie matin\u00e9e at the Waylyn Theatre was a valued part of my childhood. \u00a0The $.14 entrance fee ushered me and a hundred other children into a wonder land visible on a screen so large that every aspect of my mind and brain was filled with the sights and sounds of an alternate universe.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, the recording of our lives never puzzled me because I knew God was more powerful than Hollywood. \u00a0I assumed that it was a supernatural thing that went on in those holy celestial halls. \u00a0However, now we see the lives of so many folks edited and shown in our living rooms. \u00a0It&#8217;s available every night of the week. \u00a0Reality TV has become common place. \u00a0&#8220;The Housewives&#8221; have taken over so much of what we see. \u00a0With 90,000 channels, there are only so many times that we can watch reruns of\u00a0<em>I Love Lucy. <\/em>A cheap way to fill the hours had to be devised. \u00a0As a result, reality TV was born.<\/p>\n<p>As some reality stars have found, filming every moment of your life is a two-edged sword. \u00a0It can make you a millionaire and give you public recognition. \u00a0Yet, \u00a0just as quickly, destroy your life.<\/p>\n<p>What about us? \u00a0Carlos, a member of Special Gathering, is a high-functioning man whose disability is within the autism spectrum. \u00a0He has held a full-time position at an electronics firm for decades. \u00a0He is well-respected because of his work ethic. \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/234\/2011\/04\/Garbage-collection-by-Rigib.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-258\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/234\/2011\/04\/Garbage-collection-by-Rigib.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"175\" \/><\/a>He is paid well by the firm who employs him. \u00a0Years ago, he began bringing a video camera to record my sermons.<\/p>\n<p>Then he would watch my sermons again and again. \u00a0It was a bit daunting because Carlos knew when I repeated a story; and he knew the exact date that I told the antidote. \u00a0He knew if I changed the facts a bit. \u00a0I could never slip in my devotion prep because Carlos was making a visual record of even my worst devotions. \u00a0Those days when he was recording probably made me a \u00a0better teacher.<\/p>\n<p>This morning, I wondered if my life skills have been honed because of the reality that God is recording my actions and reactions. \u00a0Will I one day have to look at the shameful day that I pushed my husband aside in anger and he lost his balance and fell? \u00a0Will I have to see the way I&#8217;ve treated others on the days I whine the excuse, &#8220;I just don&#8217;t feel good&#8221;?<\/p>\n<p>My life story will either bring glory to the Lord or eternal shame for me. \u00a0I praise God that the Bible also says that those missteps and sins that are forgiven have been edited from\u00a0<em>The Linda Howard Reality Story<\/em>. \u00a0As each of us stand before God&#8217;s judgment seat, we will receive rewards for our deeds. Nevertheless, because of the blood of Jesus our sins can be hidden from view.<\/p>\n<p>What is a time that you delighted in God&#8217;s forgiveness? \u00a0Will the recording of your life bring glory to the Savior? \u00a0What about your actions and reactions to your family, spouse or friends? \u00a0What is God&#8217;s reality show recording?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wonderful, dreadful and insignificant, our lives are being recorded to be shown to every creature someday. \u00a0Is there a hidden camera waiting for us to stumble in order for someone\u00a0to place it on UTube? \u00a0Is this a government plot to enslave all of us? No. \u00a0This morning as my husband was watching Christian TV, I&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,20,3,40,10,16,28,12,4,41],"tags":[690,21,688,696,7,18,699,701,13,19,689,60,6,700],"class_list":["post-190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism-spectrum","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faith","category-inspirational","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged","category-religion","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-discipleship","tag-faith","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disabilities","tag-mental-retardation","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-reality-tv","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Reality TV and my life - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reality TV and my life - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wonderful, dreadful and insignificant, our lives are being recorded to be shown to every creature someday. \u00a0Is there a hidden camera waiting for us to stumble in order for someone\u00a0to place it on UTube? \u00a0Is this a government plot to enslave all of us? 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Howard\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Reality TV and my life - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Reality TV and my life - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","og_description":"Wonderful, dreadful and insignificant, our lives are being recorded to be shown to every creature someday. \u00a0Is there a hidden camera waiting for us to stumble in order for someone\u00a0to place it on UTube? \u00a0Is this a government plot to enslave all of us? 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