I was recently asked to be Project Manager of the integration of our operating system. As I sat with the team last week I told them we have to get all the data in the current system as accurate as possible because when we migrate to the new system it’s simple: Junk Data In – Junk Out. Good Data In – Good Out. You can have the best operating system in the world, but if it’s not being used correctly, it will not provide the desired results.

Our brains are our control system. Too many are putting junk in and getting junk out and wondering why their beautifully designed mind and body is suffering from anxiety, fear and depression.

My husband is a mental health counselor… Mom walks in with son. Johnny is depressed, angry and disrespectful. Session goes like this…”Johnny, what’s going on?” “I don’t know…” “OK, Johnny, what do you like to do?” “I like to play video games.” “OK, how often do you play video games?” “About 5 or 6 hours a night..” — insert mom “Yeah, he just plays those things all the time.” — “What kind of video games do you play Johnny?” “Oh I really like Grand Theft Auto” … For those of you reading who are unaware it promotes killing, rape, breaking the law and shooting cops. Yeah, I can’t imagine why Johnny would be having those issues.

He had a 15 year old client recently and when they took his phone so he could sit through a session, he lied face down on the floor, pounded his fists and screamed for his phone. What?!?

I may watch TV like 3 or 4 times a year. To me time is more precious than gold so I have many things I would rather do than watch TV. When Tom and I were on vacation the TV came on in the restaurant. It was a pop video. Beautiful young woman – scantily dressed – singing about sex. In Gordmans the other day while shopping my ears tuned into the music… I won’t remember all the lyrics but the jest was “If you like to hook up in a hotel room and do bad things we shouldn’t do – I’m perfect for you.” Yep, a store. Where any child of any age can hear. Parents are handing children at the age of 2 a cell phone where they can easily get to inappropriate material. A friend told me she was at a family gathering where they handed the 3 year old a phone and let her get on the tik tok app. One swipe and she could have seen sexual content. We have desensitized ourselves to things that 50 years ago would never have been permissible. And rightly so if we want to maintain a moral compass.

We wonder what is wrong with this generation. Why kids are disrespectful. Why they are shooting up schools and so full of anxiety. Why young women have no self respect. Why there is no moral compass. It’s very simple – We allow them, permit them, and even promote them to put junk in. As a result? Here’s a generation putting junk out.

YOU HAVE THE POWER to turn it off! If you listen to a song and it makes you sad? TURN IT OFF. If you watch something on TV and it makes you sad or angry? TURN IT OFF. You are not helpless. You are not hopeless. Take control of what you put in your mind and watch how it changes what comes out.

“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 12:2