.
I’ll explain what “GIGO” is later. Cute word though, huh?
.
Ladies, I wanted to share a few things in response to some questions I’ve gotten from some of you about what sorts of books and movies we should choose to read and watch. The “Twilight” craze is a big deal for many of you, and so we should have a Big-Sister-Little-Sister chat about this. =)
.
First of all, whether or not to read or watch “Twilight” is up to you and your parents. Your parents are very smart, and love you very much, so talk with them about this issue…and do whatever they say…with a sweet attitude. (I’m a daughter too, remember? And I’ve learned, over the years, the importance of honoring my parents. That “honoring” part refers to our attitudes, too. It makes me sad when girls complain about their parents.)
.
Whenever I’m thinking about what movies to watch, books to read, websites to visit, etc., there are several important facts that help me make my decision. I want to share them with you girls.
....
Think Aspertane and Sunburns
.
Do you know what “aspertane” is? It’s the chemical-y stuff (I’m definitely not a scientist!) in artificial sweeteners. It is in Sweet-N-Low, diet drinks, gum, etc. Apparently it can cause brain cancer! Yikes! I don’t know much about it, but from what I understand it is a very good reason to stay away from diet drinks and fake sweeteners. One Diet Dr. Pepper won’t kill you, but apparently letting aspertane build up in your system over time could be hazardous to your health!
.
Everyone knows that getting sunburned too many times can lead to skin cancer, right? Again, sun exposure is a gradual danger. I got a sunburn this summer when we all went to Schlitterbahn. If I don’t make a habit of being careful in the sun and using sunscreen consistently…..Hmm. Bad news for me down the road!
.
Have you ever thought about the fact that the stuff we expose our minds to, the stuff we fill our hearts with, might be like aspertane or sun damage? What if even small amounts of bad entertainment can have major, long-term affects on us? Stick with me for a second! You see, I belong to Jesus Christ. He “loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood.” (Rev. 1:6) And I’m ALL His. Forever. And you know what else? I’m learning more and more that He, my MAKER and Savior, is much smarter than me. Big time. And He knows a lot more about what’s good for me than I do. =) So when He says things like He does in these verses, I want to listen! (Don’t skip this part! Most important of all!)
.
“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2
.
These are just a few verses that tell me some VERY important things about life. About really, beautifully living. Apparently, (this is key! huge! very important!) there are things that I could be exposed to (movies, books, TV shows, music?) that could pollute my mind and heart and soul. Contaminate. Hinder me. Entangle me. And what should break my heart as a daughter of God and follower of Jesus: they could cause me to displease God my Savior. Yikes! I don’t want anything to make me less likely to love God, please God, or honor God. I owe Him everything, all I have to give, forever. I am His.
.
Especially as I’ve grown to understand more and more just how amazing God is, and how much we can trust Him and how beautiful it is to obey Him, I have tried to be very careful about what I let into my mind through my eyes or ears. But there have been a few books I’ve read or movies I’ve seen that, even though other Christians didn’t consider them “bad,” ended up causing my mind to think about and be drawn toward things that aren’t pleasing to our Maker and Savior. And that is a tragedy, because I so want to please Him with every thought I think, and every desire of my heart.
.
If I spend time focusing on and thinking about characters who don’t love God, who choose to reject the beauty of His design for us, or if I expose my mind to stories that have even hints of evil or demonic things, it may gradually erode my deep conviction that my Maker is good, and that obeying Him is beautiful. I may become slowly, gradually numb to His voice, or careless in my relationship with Him, or get so used to thinking about sin that it is no longer horrible to me. Oh girls….I pray you won’t let this happen to yourselves.
.
Think Hawaii.
.
Mmmm, Hawaii. Or the Swiss Alps. Or Disney World. Think of someplace that you’d really like to go, but that would be an expensive trip. When people are saving their money for something big and wonderful, they have to say “no” to other stuff, right? If I was saving for a trip to Hawaii, I might have to say “no” to buying Starbucks (which I love!) so that I could have something even better in the long run. Hmmm…. Something better. What if that is true of what we give our heart’s attention, our daydreams and thoughts, to?
.
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
.
“Turn my eyes away from worthless things.” Psalm 119:37 (I prayed this so many times during college!)
.
Sometimes, there are books and movies that don’t seem that bad to me. But my question for myself, and for you, is whether or not they are best? If my Maker says to only think about what is true, pure, and excellent, then I want to do that because I can trust Him. If there are “worthless things” that I should say no to, so that I can have the much “better” thing of pleasing the Lord with all my thoughts and daydreams and opinions, then I want to have the wisdom to do that.
.
It’s okay to be “clueless.”
.
People have told me that I am “clueless” my whole life. Although I try not to be, I am sometimes accidentally ditzy. Absent-minded. Clueless. That’s not exactly what I’m talking about here, though.
.
When it comes to things that everyone else seems to know about, even my very best friends, sometimes it is ok to be “clueless.” Sometimes, in fact, it’s very good for my mind and heart if there are some movies I haven’t seen, some books I haven’t read, some shows I haven’t watched. Check this out:
.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” I Peter 2:9
.
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2
.
Ephesians 5:1-16 – I hope you’ll go read these verses! They’re too long to put in this already-too-long blog entry, but here we’re told to think about our life in light of what is proper “for God’s holy people,” to “live as children of light…and find out what pleases the Lord,” and (drumroll! important!) to “be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
.
Soooo…wow. Maybe being His, belonging to Jesus, learning to live as “children of light,” might involve being “clueless” to things that all our friends know about. Maybe that’s part of what “not conforming” to the pattern of this world means. Maybe, instead of automatically reading and watching books and movies that seem cool, we should choose not to “conform” or be like everyone else.
.
The sad thing is that quite often movies and books are created by people who are “clueless” about some important things. They are “clueless” to the fact that there is a Maker who tells us how to live beautifully. They are “clueless” to the fact that we need a Savior, and that Jesus is that Savior, and that when we become His, He sets His seal of ownership on us and begins to radically transform us. They are “clueless” to the fact that thinking about and focusing on sin might lure us away from what is beautiful…from the things of God. I would rather be “clueless” about some books and movies, so that I’m not influenced by those who might, sadly, be “clueless” about the God who made us and loves us.
.
“GIGO” Defined
.
“G.I.G.O.” is an acronym for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” It’s actually a computer programming term, but is very helpful to our choices about our media “input!” We are more affected by the “garbage” that is found in some movies and books than we might think. Let me explain.
.
We are very mold-able. We are affected by the things that we spend time focusing on and thinking about. Did you know that a recent study has shown that teenage girls who watch certain T.V. shows, shows which focus on a version of romance that is not God’s design for us, are more likely to become pregnant as teenagers? Without even realizing what is happening to us, we can begin to act like our favorite characters on TV, or in books, or in movies. Reese Witherspoon is quoted in an awesome book (Lies Young Women Believe, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss), and she says this: “When you make a film you keep people captive for two hours and if you have nothing to say, or the wrong thing to say, it can have a really negative impact.” I wouldn’t recommend every movie that Reese has been in, but she makes a good point there! Because the things that we give our time and attention to are so likely to change and affect the way we look at life, we should be very wise and cautious. Sin is a big deal, and I want to allow God to protect me from it.
.
So here’s my GIGO challenge for us. Let’s put our minds and hearts on a diet. Let’s realize that there are some popular movies, or books, or TV shows, or websites that a girl-in-love-with-God decides to avoid, just like there are foods that a healthy girl chooses not to eat. Let’s trust God enough to think about whether or not filling our minds with a certain book or movie is “pleasing” to Him. Let’s get hard-core about this. We won’t regret it in the long run, girls, because what God has for us is truly beautiful. I’m learning that more each day and I want you to, also.
.
Ladies, I wanted to share a few things in response to some questions I’ve gotten from some of you about what sorts of books and movies we should choose to read and watch. The “Twilight” craze is a big deal for many of you, and so we should have a Big-Sister-Little-Sister chat about this. =)
.
First of all, whether or not to read or watch “Twilight” is up to you and your parents. Your parents are very smart, and love you very much, so talk with them about this issue…and do whatever they say…with a sweet attitude. (I’m a daughter too, remember? And I’ve learned, over the years, the importance of honoring my parents. That “honoring” part refers to our attitudes, too. It makes me sad when girls complain about their parents.)
.
Whenever I’m thinking about what movies to watch, books to read, websites to visit, etc., there are several important facts that help me make my decision. I want to share them with you girls.
....
Think Aspertane and Sunburns
.
Do you know what “aspertane” is? It’s the chemical-y stuff (I’m definitely not a scientist!) in artificial sweeteners. It is in Sweet-N-Low, diet drinks, gum, etc. Apparently it can cause brain cancer! Yikes! I don’t know much about it, but from what I understand it is a very good reason to stay away from diet drinks and fake sweeteners. One Diet Dr. Pepper won’t kill you, but apparently letting aspertane build up in your system over time could be hazardous to your health!
.
Everyone knows that getting sunburned too many times can lead to skin cancer, right? Again, sun exposure is a gradual danger. I got a sunburn this summer when we all went to Schlitterbahn. If I don’t make a habit of being careful in the sun and using sunscreen consistently…..Hmm. Bad news for me down the road!
.
Have you ever thought about the fact that the stuff we expose our minds to, the stuff we fill our hearts with, might be like aspertane or sun damage? What if even small amounts of bad entertainment can have major, long-term affects on us? Stick with me for a second! You see, I belong to Jesus Christ. He “loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood.” (Rev. 1:6) And I’m ALL His. Forever. And you know what else? I’m learning more and more that He, my MAKER and Savior, is much smarter than me. Big time. And He knows a lot more about what’s good for me than I do. =) So when He says things like He does in these verses, I want to listen! (Don’t skip this part! Most important of all!)
.
“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2
.
These are just a few verses that tell me some VERY important things about life. About really, beautifully living. Apparently, (this is key! huge! very important!) there are things that I could be exposed to (movies, books, TV shows, music?) that could pollute my mind and heart and soul. Contaminate. Hinder me. Entangle me. And what should break my heart as a daughter of God and follower of Jesus: they could cause me to displease God my Savior. Yikes! I don’t want anything to make me less likely to love God, please God, or honor God. I owe Him everything, all I have to give, forever. I am His.
.
Especially as I’ve grown to understand more and more just how amazing God is, and how much we can trust Him and how beautiful it is to obey Him, I have tried to be very careful about what I let into my mind through my eyes or ears. But there have been a few books I’ve read or movies I’ve seen that, even though other Christians didn’t consider them “bad,” ended up causing my mind to think about and be drawn toward things that aren’t pleasing to our Maker and Savior. And that is a tragedy, because I so want to please Him with every thought I think, and every desire of my heart.
.
If I spend time focusing on and thinking about characters who don’t love God, who choose to reject the beauty of His design for us, or if I expose my mind to stories that have even hints of evil or demonic things, it may gradually erode my deep conviction that my Maker is good, and that obeying Him is beautiful. I may become slowly, gradually numb to His voice, or careless in my relationship with Him, or get so used to thinking about sin that it is no longer horrible to me. Oh girls….I pray you won’t let this happen to yourselves.
.
Think Hawaii.
.
Mmmm, Hawaii. Or the Swiss Alps. Or Disney World. Think of someplace that you’d really like to go, but that would be an expensive trip. When people are saving their money for something big and wonderful, they have to say “no” to other stuff, right? If I was saving for a trip to Hawaii, I might have to say “no” to buying Starbucks (which I love!) so that I could have something even better in the long run. Hmmm…. Something better. What if that is true of what we give our heart’s attention, our daydreams and thoughts, to?
.
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
.
“Turn my eyes away from worthless things.” Psalm 119:37 (I prayed this so many times during college!)
.
Sometimes, there are books and movies that don’t seem that bad to me. But my question for myself, and for you, is whether or not they are best? If my Maker says to only think about what is true, pure, and excellent, then I want to do that because I can trust Him. If there are “worthless things” that I should say no to, so that I can have the much “better” thing of pleasing the Lord with all my thoughts and daydreams and opinions, then I want to have the wisdom to do that.
.
It’s okay to be “clueless.”
.
People have told me that I am “clueless” my whole life. Although I try not to be, I am sometimes accidentally ditzy. Absent-minded. Clueless. That’s not exactly what I’m talking about here, though.
.
When it comes to things that everyone else seems to know about, even my very best friends, sometimes it is ok to be “clueless.” Sometimes, in fact, it’s very good for my mind and heart if there are some movies I haven’t seen, some books I haven’t read, some shows I haven’t watched. Check this out:
.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” I Peter 2:9
.
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2
.
Ephesians 5:1-16 – I hope you’ll go read these verses! They’re too long to put in this already-too-long blog entry, but here we’re told to think about our life in light of what is proper “for God’s holy people,” to “live as children of light…and find out what pleases the Lord,” and (drumroll! important!) to “be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
.
Soooo…wow. Maybe being His, belonging to Jesus, learning to live as “children of light,” might involve being “clueless” to things that all our friends know about. Maybe that’s part of what “not conforming” to the pattern of this world means. Maybe, instead of automatically reading and watching books and movies that seem cool, we should choose not to “conform” or be like everyone else.
.
The sad thing is that quite often movies and books are created by people who are “clueless” about some important things. They are “clueless” to the fact that there is a Maker who tells us how to live beautifully. They are “clueless” to the fact that we need a Savior, and that Jesus is that Savior, and that when we become His, He sets His seal of ownership on us and begins to radically transform us. They are “clueless” to the fact that thinking about and focusing on sin might lure us away from what is beautiful…from the things of God. I would rather be “clueless” about some books and movies, so that I’m not influenced by those who might, sadly, be “clueless” about the God who made us and loves us.
.
“GIGO” Defined
.
“G.I.G.O.” is an acronym for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” It’s actually a computer programming term, but is very helpful to our choices about our media “input!” We are more affected by the “garbage” that is found in some movies and books than we might think. Let me explain.
.
We are very mold-able. We are affected by the things that we spend time focusing on and thinking about. Did you know that a recent study has shown that teenage girls who watch certain T.V. shows, shows which focus on a version of romance that is not God’s design for us, are more likely to become pregnant as teenagers? Without even realizing what is happening to us, we can begin to act like our favorite characters on TV, or in books, or in movies. Reese Witherspoon is quoted in an awesome book (Lies Young Women Believe, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss), and she says this: “When you make a film you keep people captive for two hours and if you have nothing to say, or the wrong thing to say, it can have a really negative impact.” I wouldn’t recommend every movie that Reese has been in, but she makes a good point there! Because the things that we give our time and attention to are so likely to change and affect the way we look at life, we should be very wise and cautious. Sin is a big deal, and I want to allow God to protect me from it.
.
So here’s my GIGO challenge for us. Let’s put our minds and hearts on a diet. Let’s realize that there are some popular movies, or books, or TV shows, or websites that a girl-in-love-with-God decides to avoid, just like there are foods that a healthy girl chooses not to eat. Let’s trust God enough to think about whether or not filling our minds with a certain book or movie is “pleasing” to Him. Let’s get hard-core about this. We won’t regret it in the long run, girls, because what God has for us is truly beautiful. I’m learning that more each day and I want you to, also.
