Friday 22 February 2019

HIGHLIGHT REEL PART 1: CREATION- Catalyst Youth, Feb 22, 2019



This week, we kicked off a brand new series at CATALYST called "HIGHLIGHT REEL" where we're looking at some of the GREATEST MOMENTS, the highlights, in the Bible!

Kicking things off, we started right on the first page of the Bible looking at the CREATION story in Genesis.

We talked about how, in our culture today (including school) we're never really given the possibility that we were CREATED as even a potential option or possible theory. Instead, we're told that our existence is a result of some weird cosmic accident that happened billions of years ago, and over the process of time, that accident somehow produced a planet that’s perfectly suited to sustain life, and that the accident also created all of LIFE itself-- including creatures that evolved into living, intelligent and creative PEOPLE with distinct personalities, skills, and interests!

But the problem is that no textbook or scientific study has ever been able to explain HOW life started….how something came to exist out of nothing! It’s a big question mark even in the scientific community.

The reason why scientists, our textbook writers, and the people on the news choose to believe that life came about because of some random chance, as far-fetched as it might seem, is because they start off with the assumption that there is no God. Science is all about observing and reporting on those observations, and for the most part, it discounts the supernatural. Because of this, they are looking for any natural explanation for our existence. But tonight, we explored how-- if we have open minds, there is a A LOT more reason to believe in a creator than to believe that all of life and creation just happened by accident. When we try to explain life without factoring God or the supernatural into it, we’re left with a lot of big question marks--- because EVERYTHING coming from NOTHING is a pretty big miracle!

In the first few pages of the Bible—in the Book of Genesis, we’re given an alternate theory for all of us to consider--- what I think is a far more plausible reason why life exists and why this planet is perfectly suited for us! 



Now there are some Christians who interpret the Creation story very LITERALLY—where they believe that God created all of those things over a LITERAL period of 6 days…and that each of those days was a 24 hour period (which, I might add- is not impossible—because we’re talking about God here).

There are others who aren’t super nitpicky about the specific details of the Creation story, These people would suggest that it’s not really important whether or not this happened in 7 literal days---or whether it took a billion years--- or whether God sped up the growth process of our planet to make it appear older than it is, or whether or not there’s a million years between each day of creation, because this was never meant to be a scientific research paper-- it was something that was passed down from generation to generation and was told in a way that could be easily remembered and memorized so that people could learn and remember ONE IMPORTANT TRUTH.

The key takeaway from the Bible’s creation story, and one that ALL Christians agree on--- is that WE WERE CREATED. That, “IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS GOD…AND HE CREATED!”

If there is a CREATOR—than it means that we aren’t here by accident. It’s not random chance that our planet is the only one we’ve ever discovered that can sustain life and has life on it! The Bible tells us that our planet and humankind was CREATED with intention and purpose by a God who loves us.

John 1:3 says, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”.

Job 12:7-11- “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind”.

This isn’t saying that animals will LITERALLY take us to school and teach us stuff or that the earth has a mouth--- but it’s saying that by scientifically examining animals, the earth, plant life and all of the things we find in nature, the intricacy of those things lets us know that they couldn't have all appeared out of nothing by complete accident, rather, “the hand of the LORD has done this.”

I’ve used this example before, but if you were to walk in the woods and happened across a chair— you wouldn’t assume that it just grew out of the ground and naturally appeared that way--- you would ASSUME that it was CREATED and put there by somebody. By looking at it, you would see that it was sanded or painted, that pieces of wood were cut, that metal or plastic was melted down and poured into a mold—that someone shaped the materials and put it all together.

But here’s the thing--a chair, in comparison to humanity or what we see in nature, isn't really that complex. Look at our bodies—our eyes compete with some of the best cameras that technology can build! When we cut ourselves, our body has the ability to heal itself! Look at our minds—we can create and invent all kinds of amazing things, from a tablet to an amazing piece of artwork! Nature, our bodies and our minds are far more intricate and complex than a chair—and yet we say it’s OBVIOUS that someone made the chair, but it’s not OBVIOUS that someone created life? That life is a completely random occurrence!

Our textbooks always say that the first spark of life came from nothing. That a big bang happened (and again, there’s no answer to who might have caused that big bang), and somehow a spark of life occurred and it started as a plankton and it took billions of years for that plankton to slowly improve and eventually become a human being. Our textbooks say that the answer is in the "billions of years"—that somehow, when you add a long period of time to the equation- ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! But, that doesn’t make sense.

To use another of my favorite illustrations. I’m a fan of LEGO—I actually have a big collection of Star Wars Microfighters in my office. A LEGO set isn’t very complex. You can have a box with around a hundred pieces that contains ALL of the parts inside to build that exact model. But if I shook that box for billions of years, do you think at the end, a fully built LEGO set would be inside the box? No. If anything, the pieces would wear down and degrade over time! 

I'm a colossal failure when it comes to baking. Just a little while ago I made some homemade bread…but I accidentally had one ingredient wrong--- I used Baking Soda instead of Baking Powder. Let me tell you, the look on my kids faces said it all--- just one simple mistake and the bread turned into a doorstop! To say that a loaf of bread could be made out of nothing, with no intelligence, no creator, nobody stirring or mixing things together is completely ridiculous! I mean, BAKING is insanely complicated—you’re supposed to mix it--- but if you OVER-MIX it, you’ve ruined it! How a tree works (this living thing that grows from a seed, produces delicious fruit, and even creates oxygen) or how a baby is born is WAY more complex and miraculous than making a loaf of bread.

But, that’s what we’re being told is the most PLAUSIBLE explanation for our existence—that the building blocks of life (and remember, they can’t explain how those building blocks of life came to exist in the first place) somehow became something as complex and intricate as a human body over billions of years WITHOUT SOMEONE ACTUALLY CREATING IT OR CAUSING IT TO HAPPEN! Our bodies and minds are WAY more complex than a few pieces of shaped plastic! To say that we evolved over a process of billions of years with no intelligent designer or creator is a HUGE stretch of logic! It’s like saying that a simple LEGO model built itself! It's like saying that a loaf of bread made itself!

Psalm 19:1-4 says, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world”.

Here, the Bible isn’t saying that nature LITERALLY talks to us—but that everything in nature, is in a sense, SCREAMING out that it was created by a “craftsman”- by an intelligent designer! The evidence is ALL around us!

So what does that mean for you and me?

Well, if we agree that all of the complexity of life and this planet couldn’t have just happened by accident, then it leads us to ask some deep questions!

WHO CREATED US? CAN WE KNOW OUR CREATOR? DOES THIS CREATOR HAVE A PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES?  IS THERE AN ACTUAL RIGHT/WRONG WAY TO DO THIS THING CALLED LIFE?

Next week, we’re going to look at the story of Adam and Eve—and what it says about who God is and why we were created.

DISCUSSION FOR HOME

1. What are some reasons why people might disbelieve that God created all of life and creation?

2. This week we looked at how all of Creation bears God's signature (that creation tells us about God). By looking at life and creation, what are some clues that reveal that it isn't be accident-- that we were created?

3. If God is our creator, what do you think that means for our everyday life? Should it affect or change how we live?


Friday 8 February 2019

RELATIONSHIP STATUS- CATALYST YOUTH- Feb 8, 2019


Usually, around this time of year, when we’re getting close to LOVE DAY, we take at least one night to check out what the Bible has to say about dating and relationships in a series called RELATIONSHIP STATUS. While some teens haven’t even thought about dating yet, MOST of them will choose to date someone at some point and maybe even get married someday. Of course, the perfect time to get some relationship advice is BEFORE you actually need it. You don’t start driving a car BEFORE you take driving lessons or get your license, right?! All of the stuff you learn PREPARES you so that you won’t drive the car off the road!

If you’re looking to our culture for advice or guidance on dating and relationships, you might just find that you end up living with a lot of regret. Back in the day, people used to get relationship advice from people they knew and respected- people they considered to be wise- people who had been married for years and had managed to stay together and work at their relationship when others would have bailed.

Where do we get our relationship advice today? Are the people we listen to examples of "relationship success stories"? Probably not so much.

Maybe you’re getting advice from friends who might be lovely, well-meaning people, but are just as confused as everyone else? Maybe you’re learning about dating and relationships from media--- like those horrible magazines you find near the cash at the grocery store, song lyrics and music videos, Netflix shows or movies, or from celebrity culture? 

Most of the entertainment we watch/listen to doesn’t really depict what a real-life, healthy relationship is like. It’s usually depicted as super-glamorous (like something out of a fairy tale), where the couple sleeps together 5 minutes after meeting in a bar (which is actually super unwise and even dangerous) and then they go on to live happily ever after! The music and videos that are getting the most hits are usually full of content where women are depicted as objects and where women are lovingly called some pretty despicable names! Our celebrities (the people who our culture seems to idolize the most) jump from relationship to relationship with marriages barely ever lasting. While their lifestyle might look glamorous (and believe me, they WANT you to believe that), the reality is that they're not happy. We constantly see stories of celebs who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, who commit suicide, who are dealing with mental health issues, who have their hearts broken over and over again, who have kids and go through painful divorces, and who have the person they loved and trusted cheat on them.

Maybe, just maybe we’re learning about relationships from the wrong source? Maybe, just maybe, we need to look to what God has to say? After all—GOD INVENTED LOVE--- HE WAS THE VERY FIRST MATCHMAKER! HE CREATED US AND KNOWS AND WANTS THE BEST FOR US!

Tonight, we watched a clip from an online dating show called VERSUS 1. In it, a girl interviewed a bunch of guys without seeing them, and then eliminated them one-by-one until there was just one person left who seemed like the best match for them! What's really cool about that clip is that:

It actually stands out from what’s normal in our culture (where hotness and physical attractiveness is viewed as the most important thing in a relationship). IT’S A BLIND INTERVIEW! It’s completely different from shows like the BACHELOR where a guy chooses girls to date based on their looks and make-out abilities. The girl in the video clip isn’t making the choice based on superficial stuff—like how dreamy the guy’s hair is.  Now, that’s not saying that being physically attracted to someone isn’t important…but it’s not EVERYTHING. It's not what's MOST important. If you were dating and your boyfriend/girlfriend decided to leave you because you got a scar in an accident, wouldn’t that just seem insanely superficial and gross? Wouldn’t that be a horrifying reason to break up? I think we all know deep down inside that love, romance, and relationships has to be more than just physical attraction and hotness. There are, after all, a lot of people who are beautiful on the outside, but kind of ugly on the inside.

The second thing that I think is pretty cool about the dating show is that she’s putting some thought into the kinds of people she wants to date! There’s a bit of an interview process going on! It’s really important that you put a bit of thought and effort into who it is that you choose to date and why you want to date them. You should be picky! You should have some standards! A person being “into you” really isn’t a good enough reason to date them! You’re worth more than that!

Tonight, we focused on the MOST IMPORTANT THING we should consider before dating someone, and we did it, by looking at one of the biggest DATING DISASTERS in the Bible, focusing on the story of Samson.

The Bible tells us that Samson was strong, not because he was hit with a gamma ray and got superpowers, and not even because he had magical hair--but because God made him supernaturally strong for a special mission—to free the Israelites from captivity! Before Samson was born, God told his mom about this special purpose he had for her son and that as a symbol of that, he shouldn’t cut his hair (that’s where the hair thing comes from).

Just to give you a bit of backstory--the nation of Israel had been captured by a despicable group of people called the Philistines and they were basically being treated as slaves, being mistreated and abused for 40 years—so God chose Samson to be the person to help rescue his people!

One thing you might not know about Samson though, is that he ended up becoming one of the biggest CREEPS in the Bible. He really isn't a hero that we should look up to. He was super vain and conceited, and he CONSTANTLY chose to disobey God and do whatever he wanted instead. Part of that involved making HORRIBLE dating choices!

“Samson went down to Timnah. There he saw a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he spoke to his father and mother. He said, “I’ve seen a Philistine woman in Timnah. Get her for me. I want her to be my wife.” His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there one among any of our people? Do you have to go to the Philistines to get a wife? They aren’t God’s people!... But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” (Judges 14:1-3)

In these first few verses, we discover that Samson is kind of creepy. We also discover that he refused to listen to his parent’s advice. Because he didn't have high standards, he ended up getting engaged to this girl who didn’t share his faith and values…and I’m editing out some of the insane drama--- but she ended up running off with the best man at the wedding! It wasn't a great relationship.

Now, you might think that this would have taught Samson to make better choices when it came to who he became involved with….but you would be wrong. Just a chapter later we read that he went to visit a prostitute! After that, he fell in love with a woman that he didn't TRUST at all. In fact, she was deceiving him the whole time so that she could help the Philistines defeat him! Samson's relationship choices ended up costing him big time. Samson’s story ends pretty tragically. God had huge plans for him. God had chosen him to be the rescuer of his people….and yet Samson ended up blind and ultimately committing suicide. It's a really sad end to a life that had so much promise, and it all ended that way because he kept making terrible choices.

If there’s anything that Samson’s story tells us, it’s how important it is to make good dating choices!
Samson is one of the biggest creeps in the Bible….and part of his problem is that he wasn’t all that choosy when it came to who he chose to love! His parents even tried to be the voice of reason and reminded him that he should find a woman who shared his faith and values… but he totally ignored them! He was like a caveman! “Woman look good. Fetch her for me”. The guy didn’t have high standards at all—and because of that, he wasn’t just unhappy—but his life was a complete disaster!


WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT DATING SOMEONE, YOU SHOULD FIRST MAKE SURE THAT THEY SHARE YOUR FAITH AND VALUES.

That's one of the most important dating tips we find in the Bible! It's something that we rarely hear mentioned when we see relationships in music or movies.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (a false god)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?”

The first part of that verse talks about not being YOKED together with unbelievers. It has nothing to do with eggs—but it’s actually a farming metaphor (because in Bible times, everybody raised animals and farmed for a living--- they didn’t have grocery stores back then--- they needed to do it to survive)



A yoke is a farming tool that was used to help make it easier for animals to pull heavy loads and till the ground—for example--- in the above picture, there are two oxes who are yoked together. The yoke not only helps them distribute the weight of what they’re carrying better, but it helps them work together as a team! They’re headed in the same direction. They’ve got the same goal! So here, the Bible is saying that if one ox wants to go in a different direction and is fighting against the yoke, you've got some major problems!

To use a modern illustration—have you ever gone canoeing before? The secret to canoeing (when you’ve got two people in the boat) is that you have to work together with the other person so that you’re dipping the oar into the water at the same time, and you’re rowing in perfect timing. I shared about how my kids often play a video game that has them rowing in the same boat, and it's pretty hilarious to watch. They’re arguing and fighting the whole time! They row against each other! When one kid wants to go one way, the other is rowing in the opposite direction! Usually, they get stuck going around in circles or floating out-of-bounds because they haven’t realized that you can’t row on the same side of the boat! 



This is actually a pretty decent analogy for dating and relationships! It’s SUPER IMPORTANT that you’re in a relationship with someone who shares your values, and especially someone who shares YOUR FAITH IN GOD! You want to find someone who is your partner and teammate in life instead of someone who is trying to go in a different direction or has different values and priorities.

There are no guarantees in life that, after you use a lot of wisdom and are selective in choosing someone to date or marry, life will be a fairytale and it won’t end in failure. Dating and relationships is RISKY stuff. It means risking that you might get hurt! It means making yourself super vulnerable!
But all that said, your relationship has a FAR greater chance of success if you choose someone who loves and follows Jesus and who can encourage you and help you grow in your faith, so that you’re on the same team and heading in the same direction instead of steering each other in opposite directions! Statistically, couples who consider themselves to be happier, have less problems in marriage, and are less likely to go through divorce are ones who both consider themselves to be committed Christians and are a regular part of church community. Again, that’s not a guarantee—but dating/marrying someone who shares your faith and values gives you a far better chance at having a healthy and strong relationship!

For Samson, he wasn’t someone who really took following God all that seriously in the first place, but then he made some HUGE dating mistakes by choosing people based on their looks instead of who they were as people or whether or not they shared his values and faith in God--- and it ruined his life! God doesn’t want that for any of us! He wants us to find a real teammate—someone who is a real help and strength to us! So use wisdom! Be picky! Make it a priority to date someone who shares your values and your faith!

DISCUSSION FOR HOME

1. What are some important qualities that your teen feels are essential to someone they might date?

2. What are some potential problems that might result if you rush into a relationship without putting some thought into it or listening to wise advice?

3. Watch one of the shows/movies your teen likes with them (particularly if it focuses on relationships). Does it teach us anything about relationships? What are some of the positives/negatives to how it portrays relationships? 

Tuesday 5 February 2019

EYES AND EARS PART 2- CATALYST YOUTH- Feb 1, 2019



Last week, we started a new two-part series called EYES & EARS where we talked about making GOOD (OR RIGHT) choices when it comes to what we watch or what we listen to! This is a pretty important topic because technology has made it INCREDIBLY easy and convenient to watch or listen to whatever we want at the click of a button…and most of it is COMPLETELY FREE!

It has never been easier to watch porn, to watch movies full of graphic violence, disturbing images, or insane amounts of swearing. It’s never been easier to listen to music or watch videos that might be full of TERRIBLE messages! For most of us, we carry around the power to choose in our pockets!

1. MEDIA DOES INFLUENCE YOU
In 1 Corinthians 15:33, it contains a pretty famous saying, “BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD CHARACTER.” It means that when you hang out with the wrong kind of people, you’ll start being influenced to do the wrong kinds of things. That’s not just true when it comes to the friends we choose---but it’s the same with the stuff we choose to watch or listen to--- if we’re watching or listening to stuff that isn’t that good, it can CORRUPT US! It can affect us in negative ways! It can even lead us to sin (to make choices that are the opposite of what God wants for us) and distance us from God!

It’s amazing how the stuff we surround ourselves with can influence us! I shared a story of how when I worked at Canadian Tire in the parts department, everyday I dealt with customers who were angry and complaining because they had to buy parts to fix their car. And do you know what? After working there for awhile, I noticed that it started to affect my behaviour—where I was less patient and more angry and irritable--- where I would even snap at my friends! The attitudes of complete strangers were affecting me in bad ways just because I was around it all the time! 

 It's not just people-- the things we think about and spend our time with can also influence us! Now that doesn’t mean that if we watch violent movies, we might go out and kill somebody….but scientific studies HAVE proven that watching violent stuff can affect our outlook on life, our attitudes, and it can even desensitize us to real violence! If you watch stuff that’s full of swearing....you might find that seeping into your own language!  If you listen to music that’s misogynistic (which means that it has messages that treats women like objects, uses hateful language to describe women—a lot of rap/hiphop culture is full of it), that might influence how a guy treats girls or might teach girls that it's normal behaviour to expect from boys. If you spend your time reading and responding to ANGRY trollish comments online…eventually your comments will be more ANGRY!  If you watch porn, it can mess with your expectations of what a REAL relationship is like—and it can lead you to OBJECTIFY and DEHUMANIZE real people! Scientific studies are constantly coming out warning how dangerous it is!  If you’re listening to music that communicates the message that getting wasted, experimenting with drugs, or sleeping around is great, those ideas DO seep into your own values the more you immerse yourself in them! 

2. FREEDOM TO CHOOSE

In the Book of Corinthians, it says- “You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.”

What that verse is getting at is that God has given us the freedom to make our own choices in life! God doesn’t force anyone to follow him! He didn’t create robots programmed to do the right thing without any ability to choose! We all have the freedom and ability to do whatever we want! But that doesn’t meant that all of our choices are good and beneficial for us or others!  God wants us to seriously think about what we watch and what we listen to, and make the HARD choice to do what’s right!

To give you an example--- a friend of mine asked if I was watching a particular show on NETFLIX, and I told him that I heard that it was full of a lot of violence and swearing…and he said to me, “Well, you’re an adult! You can watch whatever you want!”. When he said that—the above verse just popped into my head--- “Yeah, I have the FREEDOM and ABILITY to watch whatever I want, but that doesn’t mean that it’s right or it’s a GOOD thing!”

EVERDAY you will face choices to press “play”, and you have the FREEDOM to do it! Nobody will stop you! But that doesn’t mean that it’s a good thing! That doesn’t mean that it’s something God will be super proud of! That doesn’t mean that it won’t influence you in a negative way! God has given us the FREEDOM to choose! He’s given us the FREEDOM to do whatever we want! But he’s also given us some directions in the Bible--- to help us make WISE and HEALTHY choices.

3. TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES

Making wise decisions about what you watch and listen to can be really hard. It means imposing limits on yourself! And doing that might make people think that you’re totally crazy and weird! You might stand out! People might make fun of you for it (just like my friend thought it was ridiculous that I wouldn’t watch a particular show on Netflix even though I’m old enough to watch it). Following Jesus and doing the right thing when nobody else really cares about God or shares your values can be super hard. Doing the right thing is usually never easy!

Here are some helpful tips that might help you make better media choices:

CHECK OUT THE LYRICS

I’ve made a habit of checking out the lyrics whenever I’m interested in listening/buying a song or an album…and you know what, when some of my FAVOURITE BANDS put out music, I’m really tempted to overlook what they say because it sounds so good…but I have to ask myself if it’s something I could sing along to if my kids were in the car, or if the message/values in the song conflicts with my own beliefs/values. That doesn’t mean that it has to be Christian music or worship music (although I’ve been listening to a lot more of that in the last few years), but just something that doesn’t conflict with my Christian faith! Like I said last week, the #1 song on iTunes WAS “7 Rings by Ariana Grande” (it’s now #3! Yay!) with the message that the most important thing in life is how hot and rich you are!

The current #1 is Lady Gaga’s SHALLOW—which actually has really cool lyrics about being tired of living an empty/meaningless life! As a Christian, parts of the song even sound like a prayer where she’s asking if there’s more to life than this!

There are some songs that have weird or perplexing lyrics where the message isn’t that straightforward—and you’ll have to make the call about whether it’s something worth listening to- for example-the #2 song is Billy Eilish’ “Bury a Friend”. There are parts of that song that seem really interesting and deep (where she seems to be questioning what happens when we die), but then OVER AND OVER again she sings, “I WANNA END ME”. Even if she’s making some deep statement, do you think it’s good if I’m singing “I WANNA END ME” over and over? Do you think that’s a good song for some of your friends to listen to? Probably not!

Check those lyrics out! Google has made it SUPER EASY!

VIEW THE RATINGS/CONTENT ADVISORY

In the same way—whenever I’m thinking of watching a movie, there’s a few things I do. First of all, I check out the movie rating. If it’s R or 18A, then the odds are that it’s NOT all that great to watch. Another tip is to visit a movie page on IMDB and click on VIEW CONTENT ADVISORY. It can sometimes be spoilery, so don’t read the details too closely, but it actually breaks down what the content is like in the movie! Each movie is separated into sections like "Sex/Nudity" and "Violence" and right underneath it will tell you if the content is mild, moderate, or extreme. If you’re seeing “EXTREME” or “HEAVY” in those sections, it might be a good idea to skip the movie!

USE RESTRICTIONS/PARENT CONTROLS

This is a super healthy tip. Tell your mom or dad that you want to make sure that what you’re watching/listening to is good, and get them to set up the RESTRICTIONS or PARENT CONTROLS on your phone or tablet! 

I realize that sounds completely crazy, because it means that you're WILLINGLY giving up your freedom and making it difficult to watch whatever you want, but it's a really smart thing to do when trying to navigate the minefield of the Internet- I mean, not even Google Image Search is safe! On pretty much all devices, you can filter the ratings of the music you’ll listen to, the apps you’ll use, or more importantly, the websites you visit! As a full-grown adult, my wife set up the restrictions on all of my devices (and it has a password that I don't know). Why? Because it helps me to avoid situations where I might click on something that isn’t right…AND it also shows my family that I want to be accountable for what I do online! On my computers, I even have accountability software installed, so if I were to visit a questionable website, it doesn't block it, but it sends the links in an email to my wife (who I've chosen as my accountability partner).

TIP FOR HOME

Parents, do you have filters, accountability software or parent controls set up on devices at home or ones that your teens use? If not, now is a pretty great time to start. (Email me if you want some recommendations). Talk to your teens about why it's helpful to have restrictions placed on what they view.