whatsoever things are...

it has kind of been an unspoken rule since anthony and i started dating that he would not mention when he thinks another woman is attractive - famous or otherwise. i don't know why it has been that way; i guess i may be a bit sensitive to such things. to be honest, i really just think he shouldn't be looking at other women to rate their attractiveness. i mean, hello!

at the same time, however, i don't give two thoughts to saying when i think another man isn't bad to look at. ant even jokes around about it occasionally referring to a certain actor as "your boy." i suppose this just displays the differences in men and women. and while i don't think it is a sin to say, "s/he is attractive," there is a point when it can become sinful - comparing your spouse to another person and/or fantasizing (sexually or not) about someone other than your spouse is sinful.

recently i've heard a few women (women who proclaim Christ as Savior) say they are looking forward to june 29th. channing tatum has a new movie coming out that day. maybe you've heard of it - magic mike. channing tatum is a handsome man. there is nothing wrong with saying that. this new movie, though, goes a bit beyond merely saying he's attractive. magic mike is a movie about male strippers. now, i don't know about you ladies but if my husband told me he was looking forward to seeing a movie about strippers i'd be a tad ticked. there is no need for my husband to see any other woman besides me naked or partially naked. the same is true for us. we have no business looking at any man other than our husbands in various states of undress.

you say, "my husband doesn't mind if i see the movie." well, he should, but even if he doesn't God does.

"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:28

that verse works both ways, girls, and it applies to the married and unmarried alike. while it is possible to notice a man's good looks without lusting after him, my guess is that when you watch channing tatum disrobing you won't be thinking, "he is such a handsome man. i bet he is sweet and kind and a great listener. i bet he loves Jesus." 

this flesh is sinful. this flesh wants to see muscle-y men taking their clothes off. this flesh and this world tell us that it is no big deal to go watch a movie about strippers - it's not hurting anyone; i'm not actually having an affair with another man. every single day is a fight against what pleases this flesh and what pleases God. if we feed the flesh we will get nothing but disappointment and heartache in return.

"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." Galatians 6:8

if we nurture our relationships with God, it will be oh so much easier to fight the flesh. of course, we will never reach sinlessness on this earth. but it should be our goal. we should strive to live a life pleasing to the One who saved our souls. we will fail, but we should keep trying. we know that there are things in this world that are not pleasing to God. we know that there are things we can do that may seem harmless but that will not be an accurate reflection of the Savior who lives in our hearts. 

what we do for entertainment affects not only our own relationships with God but the relationships others have/will have with God. it may not seem like watching a movie will really affect the salvation of someone else, but we are walking mirrors of the Savior. if we do something contrary to His character, it does affect how unbelievers view Him. when making decisions about books to read, music to listen to, or movies to watch the Lord has given us a great checklist to put everything through:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8

does magic mike make the cut after putting it through that checklist? i see decisions for entertainment i've made that do not pass the above test. i'm thankful for a Heavenly Father who doesn't leave us in our sin but points it out and helps us to not repeat it.

i hope that when you are deciding to see any movie or read any book or listen to any music you will think about a couple of things: 1) is it honoring to my husband if i do this 2) will unbelievers see an accurate reflection of Jesus if i do this and most importantly 3) is it honoring to my God if i do this?

the time traveler's wife

if you haven't seen the time traveler's wife and plan to, don't read this until you do!!! if you don't plan to ever see it you may still enjoy this post!

i had mentioned that my sister had been staying with us for a couple of weeks. we loved having her but me and honey bear really had no alone time. and then i was leaving to take her back to pa and would be away from honey bear all together. so we talked to my in laws and they agreed to keep bug and allow my sister to swim in their pool on the saturday before i left for pa. honey bear and i were going out! we decided to see the matinee showing of the time traveler's wife.



i have to admit that i was really really really looking forward to seeing this movie. the previews i had seen looked so good. i was definitely in the mood for some sappy movie watching with my sweetie. the movie was good but not as good as i had built it up to be in my head. but isn't it sometimes funny how God works? at the end of the movie He reminded me of His promises to us.

here i was wrapped up in this love story - the time traveling henry and the love of his life, clare, who has known the 40ish version of henry since she was 6 years old. they finally meet in the present and marry. they have a daughter. henry still time travels and they try to cope with his unpredictable absences. henry from another time has traveled into their present and is dying. they now know henry will die when their daughter is 5. we see their daughter's 5th birthday and know what is about to happen. years later henry time travels past his own life and is able to see his now 10 or so year old daughter and to hold his clare again. but then he travels right out of her arms and is gone.

it is at this point in the movie when the sobbing begins...clare and her daughter head back home. with smiles on their faces. this man who means so much to them has died but they know that because of this gift/curse henry will most likely come to them again. they can go on living their present lives because they have hope of seeing henry again. i easily start thinking of my own honey bear and how i dread the day that we will be parted by death. how horrible it will be; how we will not have the luxury of time travel to bring us together again. and then that Still Small Voice reminds me of His great promise!

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
first thessalonians 4:13-18

of course!!! we have trusted Jesus Christ - we will not be parted forever. no time travel ability required. clare may have had hope that henry would return to her at some point during her life - but she had no hope past her life. one day honey bear and i will be parted by death, and like clare we will be able to go on knowing at some point we will be reunited. but unlike clare, our reunion will not be for mere minutes but for eternity!

how great and merciful is our Lord - He has offered us a gift far above all gifts. the gift of eternal life. praise His name forever and ever!