Sometimes you just know what's inside...

Lately I've been reading a LOT about a book called 50 Shades of Gray and a movie called Magic Mike. Seems a lot of people are watching or reading...and no, I have not. 

I heard about Magic Mike first - actually thought about going to see it with some girlfriends...then I thought, "How would I feel about it if my husband told me he and a bunch of his friends wanted to go see a movie about beautiful young girls who stripped?" Well, the answer is obvious on that one! So, if I wouldn't want my husband to do it, why would I think it was okay for me? 

Then, I started hearing about a book (which I think is being made into a movie) titled, 50 Shades of Grey. From what I have read about the content, I can readily say, this is also a book I will not read. Why? It simply does not fit into the criteria of "whatsoever things are good, honest, pure, of a good report" that the Bible tells me to think on.

Now before you go and call me a prude or close-minded or whatever, please hear me out. I recently had conversation with a colleague about the Twilight series - I said I did not read them simply because of the vampire content. My reasoning had to do with a book I read in high school about vampires that opened the door of my imagination to some very dark areas (which would be considered very MILD by today's standards.) I was "reprimanded" and told it is simply a love story and I shouldn't not decide until I had read it for myself. I had to wonder, if it's simply a love story, then why make them vampires?


The point is - I came away feeling ashamed that I had made a decision to NOT read the books. 

Then, my teen brought a movie home from Red box that he REALLY wanted to see. "Everyone had seen it and" ...well, you know the arguments. I let my guard down and didn't check reviews or watch it before hand. It was awful! Now those "jokes" and images are in my child's head because I made a compromise. (I only caught the last couple of minutes of the show - he'd already watched it....twice!) 

This incident reminded me of something that happened early in my marriage. My husband and I were returning some movies to the rental store (wow...hard to believe those will soon be a thing of the past!) and they were pretty mild by most standards. I think they were light comedy/horror. As we parked, my mind went to what other movie I would rent and immediately another thought entered in. "Why do you ask Me to station angels around your house and then walk right past them carrying the enemy and letting them in?" 

I knew what that meant. I was asking for God's protection over me and my household, but those angels would not stop ME from bringing it in. That wasn't their job. They were there to stop outside attacks and couldn't do a thing about my own stupidity!

It seems to me that a lot of the new books and movies are cloaked in "romance" or "comedy" or any number of other good "story lines", but in reality they are nothing more than the enemy coming into our lives via a Trojan horse!

All this has also reminded me of something that happened when I was a little girl. Once, when I was very young, I discovered some wonderful little sand "castles" in an area of my yard. I thought someone had come to play in my yard while I slept! With my bare foot, I played in the sand castles only to discover that cats make "sand castles" too. I will never forget that inside that pile was a load of yuck! 

So no, I haven't read 50 shades or watched any "Magic" movies. I'm not telling you what to do...I'm telling you WHY I choose not to. Sometimes you don't have to play in a pile to know what's inside.

Just my thoughts on things.

Ephesians 6:10-18

The Message (MSG)

A Fight to the Finish

 ^10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. ^13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Philippians 4:8

The Message (MSG)

 ^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.