If Only I Had a Green Nose

This is also being posted at Latter-Day Homeschooling but wanted it on here as well.  (sorry if it is a repeat for you)

One of my very favorite children's authors is Max Lucado. 

He writes some pretty amazing things in little books about a small wooden toy named Punchinello.  Punchinello has a creator that wants to help him if only he comes to visit, Eli. 

In this book (one of my favorites) Punchinello learns that having the latest style and newest thing is not always the most desirable.  The best thing is to be WHO you are.

Its OK to be different.  From the book, "Everyone wants to look like everyone else.  Sometimes it's square hats.  Sometimes it's tall shoes.  Why, last year the big thing was yellow ears.  Now it's green noses.  Everyone wants a green nose." 

Then later, said by Eli the creator, "They think they'll be happier if they look like everyone else.  But I made them different on purpose.  Freckles, long noses, bright eyes, dark eyes...these were my ideas.  Now they all want to look the same."

Eventually Punchinello decides to see a green nose up close and leaves Eli's workshop.  Eli's parting words to them are, "Just remember, I made you different on purpose."   As Punchinello is walking amongst his friends they finally persuade him to change his nose to a green color.  After many changes of styles, his nose is so covered in paint colors that he just wants his old color back, but doesn't know how.  He is so sad because all he wants is his regular nose.  Just then he is reminded about Eli and his love for him.  They ask Eli just to be normal again.

From the book, "'I'll always help you be who I made you to be.  ...But it's going to take some time.'  So Punchinello and friends followed their maker into his workshop where he spent the rest of the day removing paint.  It hurt to be sanded, but it was worth it to be normal again."

Now in this day and age there are so many different ways that we try to fit into the world.  Here are just a few (and keep in mind that I am not perfect...some of these I do myself and so know it is hard not to):

• TV watching.  How much TV do we watch, are we watching uplifting shows or are we watching the "latest thriller/sitcom/reality series"?  Do we watch it because it is somehow helping us, or are we just killing time?
• Movie Viewing.  We were asked by the prophet not to watch "R" rated movies, but is that enough now?  Do we need to re-evaluate our standards in what we will watch?  When my hubby and I got married we decided that we didn't want to have "kids" movies and "adult" movies.  We wanted our movies to be freely watched (within reason) by our children.  Since our children have grown our standards have GREATLY changed even more.  The differences in just a PG rating are enormous.
• Clothing choices.  Are we upholding the same standards in dress as our youth?  Do we follow them all the time or are there exceptions.  I have an example.  In another city that I lived there was a young mother I had met a few times.  When she was wearing a shirt with TINY sleeves I asked her how she wore her garment with them...she answered that hers were just bought really small so that they would fit with the styles of today.  I wondered out loud how she would feel if her daughter did that, she replied, "I would hate it.  She better wear it right!"  What examples are we setting for our children?  Do we just want to fit in with the rest of the world or are we respecting our covenants we have made?
• Music choices.  Do we listen to music with language/standards/ideas we would not allow our children to have?  Is it OK if it is sung on the radio or listened to in a members home?  Do we listen to things that invite the spirit or things that may not let him reside in our homes?
• Internet choices.  Do we spend every spare minute with our "internet family" or with our real family?  Do we view appropriate content on web pages?  Do we choose to read things that uplift, inspire and teach us or do we read things that do the opposite?  What are our choices with the internet.  We can use the internet to the benefit or disadvantage of our families.
• The food we eat.  Now in this day we eat very different than in the days gone by.  Some of those changes have been good, some not so much.  I am not going to preach about what you should and shouldn't eat, but I do believe that we should study it out and not wait for it to be "said over the pulpit" explicitly just for us.  If it feels wrong, don't do it.  For me, I have been studying the word of wisdom and feel that the meat we were eating was excessive.  We have since drastically changed the way we consume meat and our bodies feel so much better.  Is this for you?  I don't know, I just know what we were inspired to do with much study and prayer.

This list is by no means complete.  I am sure that we can add more to it, it was just a little bit to get us thinking.  How do we spend our time?  Do we try to fit in with what the world thinks is right?  Or do we go our own way, following the Lord's wants for us?