in-flu-ence (noun)
A power affecting a person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort:
What influences you?
Every day there are influencers (persons, places, things) that have an impact on how we think, how we act.
As young children, our parents or caregivers are the central influencers in our days. As we grow older we are faced with a much wider circle of people, places and things that grab our attention, make us think differently, and change how we decide, think and plan.
My summer has been one of recognizing the benefits of good influences on my days.
I spent the month of July working on renovations. First was the transformation of a small bedroom, previously occupied by our International student, into a cozy office for hubby. The next renovation was the transformation of a larger bedroom and bathroom. previously occupied by another International (and male) student, into a feminine space for our adult daughter.
The process of renovations meant that I was ‘stuck’ in one space for days at a time, as cleaning, patching, sanding, painting, and installing took place. To break the silence, I sought music.
Since I knew that my renovations were going to take many days (and, of course, they ended up taking many more days than I had planned) I was intentional with my choice of music … I chose a Christian music radio station to blast over the internet and into my ears.
There was a very real reason I chose as I did … I knew that what I would be hearing, for hours on end, would influence my thoughts.
Now I know that there are many (Christians) who would argue that Christian music is really bad quality (musically), and certainly is true some times. That said, anyone who has listened to any other genre of music would also have to admit that there are duds on every music channel (ever heard of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” song? Over 56million YouTube views, and critics have called it the worst song in music history).
Years ago, while driving kids here and there, I realized that I was returning home feeling differently about hubby than I had when I left the house hours earlier. Then the words of a song (I do not remember the song, but it’s theme was similar to “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore”) playing on the radio came into my conscious state, and I realized that they were creating a dissatisfaction within me, in my relationship with my guy.
All of a sudden a little ‘ditty’ from my childhood started to play in my memory …
“Be careful little ears what you hear …”
It does not mean that I only listen to Christian or spiritual music, nor does it mean that I shun other music genres (although when it comes to country music … 😉 ). I love a great variety of music and artists. But, when I know I am going to be listening for a significant amount of time, I want to be careful what I hear … because it can be a powerful influencer on my days, and relationships, and thoughts.
y took in a boy who needed a family, and made him fully part of theirs. They dealt with a fire, drought, poverty and Nelie Olsen! The show dealt with real life issues that are not relegated to the Prairie, such as death, poverty, alcoholism, thievery, adultery, illness, and single parenting, just to name a few.
as “The Waltons” who introduced me to another time in history. They also taught me about a family who loves each other. There lives were tough, and life did not always go as they would have liked. They lived in a multi-generational house, had a home business, and almost everyone under the roof was a type A, strong willed personality. The show dealt with real life issues, not relegated to the time of the Depression to WWII in the mountains of Virginia. They dealt with issues such as death, poverty, alcoholism, abuses, a house fire, and single parenting.
ng the viewer to tears from laughter as well as from touching scenes. They taught me about a family who loves each other. Although they were a family of means (he, an obstetrician and she, a lawyer), they still lived a life of issues that the typical family could face. They dealt with death, marital stress, teen alcohol use, two income family dynamics, and many child rearing issues.
Happy Days was another of our favorites. The music was so great, and the it had the bonus of dealing with everything from the serious to the absurd (sort of like my blog). The show taught me about a family who loves each other. They were an average middle class family dealing with the average middle class life issues. Issues such as death, marital problems, stealing, heartbreak, and various teen-related issues. It took us back to a day and time when the man brought home and bacon and the woman cooked it up. Don’t think that Marion Cunningham was a spineless woman though, because, although hubby Howard was the head of the family, Marion was definitely the neck that turned that head!
itsawonderfilledlife 