Joy proves the point.

thought one:
Last weekend, I enjoyed a beautiful visit at the Jones Compound. Absolutely lovely. The entities there did me the grand pleasure of discussing a previous entry from none other than this very blog! I blushed. I also forgot the exact details of what I had written. But the illustrious Joy reminded me it had to do with cowboys. She was actually a little disgruntled because she felt I had done this breed an injustice by listing them with punk rockers. I meant no harm. I've meant some very nice punk rockers in my life. That's not the point. The point is that she said there ARE good cowboys.

Which means she does not fall in the catagory of "wishing" there were good cowboys. She is convinced they exist because she knows some. This is quite different from being persuaded there are no good men period so she might as well settle for a "good enough" cowboy.

Joy is a well-adjusted, healthy chica whom I admire very much precisely because she is not all fashionably affected with cynicism and self-damaging contentment. I also revere her parents for raising such a sane girl and exposing her to "good" cowboys. Now all the Jones clan has to do is make sure all those good cowboys stay AWAY until the BEST proves himself. I think they're up to it. Remind me to gush over them again sometime.

thought two:
I don't watch movies typically. Back in the day, a weekend didn't get any better than heading to a show on Friday night and filling my mind with absolute drivel that would not leave me for a very long time (not that I cared then.) Then I found out that the Kingdom is so much more intriguing than any of that stuff, and it honestly lost its appeal.

Since then, I've had literature assignments and this and that here and there that have made me need to think of a real-life definition of attention-worthy subjects. [wordiness!] I have put it off, being inherently lazy. But here it goes:

re: movies, literature, music, et cetera
QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEDIA

~Would I watch/read/hear/laugh at this with Jesus beside me? [Cause He oh-so-is] Would He find it as amusing as I do?

(oh dear, not "WWJD" again!!!)

~Do this seriously impair my ability to interact with eternity? Is it too big of a jump to switch to Kingdom-of-God-seeking after imbibing this? Does it make reality less real, less relevant? Does it make the reality of Jesus Christ less relevant?

~Could I straight up preach the Gospel to the person sitting beside me? Could I turn to a little one in the faith and tell credibly how God's been working in my life lately?

~Would I turn it off if/ die of embarassment were my mother to walk in and check it out?

~Is it worthwhile for this to be stuck in my head 30 years from now?

For me, it's INCREDIBLY difficult to disengage my mind from a subject once I've "clicked in," especially if something's funny. Literature is really bad for me because I get obsessed with stories and feel like I *have to* finish out the plot. Music I've pretty much built up an immunity to, but sometimes I do listen for curiosity sake ("what ARE kids these days listening to?!"); I'm usually pretty unimpressed pretty quickly.

All in all, one's got to decide beforehand: I will not shame my Savior, no matter how engaging or witty it is or how curious I am.

thought three:
"We clutch so tenaciously to our rights, hopes, ambitions, something to which God has perhaps said a plain no. If would-be comforters offer us consolation and sympathy, if they assist us to strengthen our grasp when it should be loosened, they do not love us as God loves us." ...

'Archbishop Fenelon wrote to the countess ofMontberon, "You want to die, but to die without any pain.... You must give all or nothing when God asks it. If you have not the courage to give at least let Him take.""
~E. Eliot

~Hebrews 12:7