Boiling the Frog: Thoughts on the Nature of America's Movie Industry

"We can go see it; it's only PG -13." That is something I have caught myself and my friends saying about movies. Well, as much as I hate to admit it (because it limits my entertainment options) PG-13 has really changed. In fact, the movie culture as a whole has changed. Hollywood has boiled the proverbial frog in water by getting us accept that having sex with one's boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage, living with a member of the opposite sex, disrespecting one's parents, reversed gender roles, etc. are all right. Slowly these ideas have crept into movies and lowered the standard for movies whose ratings used to mean that they were acceptable to watch. There are a few major problems with the movie industry and it effects: what it does to people's minds, the ideas about romance, insensitivity to violence, inappropriate humor becoming acceptable, etc.

People are very visual, and once an image has entered into one's mind, it will be stuck there. It has become okay to watch movies with half-naked people in them. People actually get ideas about appropriate attire from these movies. In addition, directors try to visually include enough normalcies in the movie set, so that radical ideas become more readily acceptable. As much as we don't like to admit, beauty and familiarity are powerful tools in manipulating, and we have often succumbed to their powers.

I am like most girls, and I love my romantic comedies and chick flicks. But there are some things I have become willing to ignore, and I am afraid I am becoming insensitive to in order that I will be able to keep watching my movies. Things like premarital sex, living together, dressing immodestly to catch a guy, and more general moral failings like lying, cheating, etc. have been presented as normal in the films that I enjoy so much. I tell myself not to throw out the baby with bath water, and I swallow the whole thing - hook, line, and sinker. It is such a tendency with girls to also get the wrong impression about what kind of women they must be in order to get the guys that we're supposed to desire. This is so dangerous when it comes to thinking about one's own marriage, because people are not like the characters in the movies, and the shabby imitations that we come up with are disgusting, earn us the wrong kind of spouses, and often lead to divorce.

Another problem with the movie industry is its promotion of violence (and insensitivity to it) and revenge. I enjoy watching tense action movies, but I have started to just accept the bloodshed as nothing. I did not realize how detrimental this was, until I wondered why the "death" of so many people was not bothering me. Movies make death and murder impersonal. Revenge is also a common theme in movies, and is probably more of a struggle for people. Christians are steeped in a culture that says one’s natural impulses are reasonable guides for one’s actions. Revenge is one of those impulses. But the Bible says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) We are called to live supernatural lives – not natural lives.

Yet another prevalent issue in movie-watching is inappropriate humor. Bathroom humor, stereotypes that slander and misrepresent, sexual humor, etc. are all laced throughout the movies that keep coming out. Even children’s movies have hints at inappropriate humor; such that children are being taught at a young age to laugh at what is sacred or sinful. I have often sat in a movie theater and laughed at the funny parts of a movie, only to realize later how inappropriate that was.

Movies cater to people’s strongest emotions and desires: the desire to be loved, the desire to laugh, feelings of anger over injustice, etc. These are not sinful desires/ feelings; in fact, they are what make us human. Because the people in the movie industry are experts are experts in manipulating human emotions, we do not easily realize the moral issues with a movie, unless we really think about it. It is so difficult to find wholesome things to watch or entertain oneself with. But it is worth the effort to not contaminate one’s mind.

What If? Thoughts on Thankfulness

I was listening to K-Love today, and heard something that really convicted me. A K-Love listener had written something on the K-Love facebook page, and it went something like this: "What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday. What would you have?"  So I got to thinking...what would I have? When closely considering my prayer time yesterday, I saw that I did a lot of asking, complaining, and stating the obvious, but I did not thank God for anything in my morning prayer time. What about later? Surely I thanked Him later for my family, friends, possessions, and the spiritual blessing he has given me. Looking over my day, I realized that I thanked God for only my three meals.

You may think that allowing "What if" statements to make me think hard is silly, but I have discovered in various seasons of my life that I am most happy and content with what I have when I am most thankful. On this topic, Charles Spurgeon said, "You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled."  Gratitude and contentedness are closely related.

When I try to purge complaining out of my life, Satan tries to tempt me to think that I have a lot to complain about (which, by the way, I do not!). God handpicked my life for me to bring about his purposes in the world, and to bring him the most glory. Complaining is telling God that he did a bad job picking out the circumstances in my life.

A few years ago, I was struggling with similar discontent/ungrateful thoughts, and my mom showed me a video of an interaction between some sort of aid worker and some young Sudanese children. The aid worker happened upon what appeared to be an abandoned village (probably raided by some warring party). In the corner of the village, there was a little girl who was skin and bones. She may have been injured (I forget), but she greeted the aid worker and the camera man with a bright smile. They gave her some crackers, and instead of eating them, she went rapidly off...then returned carrying two small children- also skin and bones. Taking the crackers, she split the pack in half between what we later were told were her two younger siblings. The girl was only eight, and she already was facing such terrible hardships. That is why I have nothing to complain about.

Will not God, who created the whole universe and you, and who keeps the breath in your body, take care of you, giving you everything you need? Why complain or worry? Give thanks with joy, even if the Lord has allowed some hardship in your life. Maybe you do not see right now how whatever you are going through fits into his plan, but he has a purpose for you. However flippant that may sound to you who may be going through a trying time, realize that true peace, comfort, and security lies in being grateful for, content with, and trusting in God's plan for you life. Find ways to live as a grateful person.


Here's my challenge for you and myself: this month (July 20th until August 20th), every day this entire month, write down ten different things for which you are thankful, and read them at least three times that day. I think the forecast for this month is a change of attitude for me, and for whoever else tries this wholesome activity. And I am looking forward to having that change.

Nepal Trip Report

I recently returned from a trip to Nepal. It was an eye-opening experience for me, and I want to share some of the things God showed me, and some ways people can pray.

Throughout the trip, I felt God’s hand on me and I know he was really protecting and guiding our entire team. We started off the trip (after landing in Kathmandu) with a six-hour van ride. I remember passing thousands of people during that ride, and thinking about how few of them actually knew Jesus as their Savior. That thought was quite staggering.  It really helped my mindset for the trip. I had been wondering what good a two-week trip to Nepal would actually do, but God convicted me that he can use any words we say as seeds in the hearts of each person with whom we would share. It was up to him to provide the results, and I did not have to worry about anything but obeying his calling.

We trekked to some villages high in the mountains, and were able to talk to many people through translators. It struck me with how hospitable the people were. We could walk right into their courtyards and talk to them about the gospel (or whatever we wanted, for all they cared). Their receptivity was another story. Sadly, the ties of family, tradition, and social status kept even the most open and rapt listeners from believing in Christ and giving up their lives of Buddhism.

A few stories of conversations I experienced (either as a listener or a speaker) are as follows: in the first village to which we went, I went out sharing with a sub-group of our team (three people and a translator). I struck up a conversation with a woman who was open to hearing about Christianity. She listened politely, at first, but then she became more and more interested in hearing how she did not have to fear death. In the end, however, she said that she probably would not die soon, but she could not risk losing the respect of her family. We gave her a Bible on cd, and I am hoping that she will listen to it.

Another time, we went to a small restaurant to eat lunch (the same sub-group). It was taking a while, so we offered to help, just for fun. The owner taught us how to make momos (stuffed dumplings), at which we did a horrible job J After eating our lunch, we were able to talk with her about the gospel for a good while. Again we met with the same response: she was worried what her family would think. Her name is Tse-Ring, and she is a mother of two.

One of the most memorable conversations we had was in another village. We went to look for an internet café where we could write home. In the room with the computers, there was a man on the bed who obviously had some physical issues. While we were waiting for the very slow internet, H started talking to him. We found out the he was paralyzed from the middle of his back down because of a motorcycle accident. He was a teacher, but he was stuck to his bed now. In this conversation, which lasted for maybe an hour, we discovered that he was disillusioned with Buddhism, and was quite open to talking about Christianity. He invited the whole team back for dahl bot (the traditional lentil and rice fare of the Nepalis) the next day. So our entire team came for lunch, and we all shared with him. I wondered if it was overwhelming, but he never seemed annoyed or disinterested. He asked a few questions, but never said he believed. Again, the problem was his family. It was sad to pray so hard for his conversion, and to see his unbelief. But I know the Lord used us to plant the seed of the gospel inside him, and, if the Lord wills, it will be brought to fruition in the right time. His name was Shak-Ti.

The other memorable portion of the trip was the journey back. On the way up, we had taken a 20-minute plane flight that saved us days of trekking (though we still had to trek for two days after landing). But as we set out to return, the winds were too strong and it was too cloudy for flights. So, we set out by Jeep…for a while, that is. Then we came to a landslide through which the Jeep could not go. So we had to get out and walk through it to a bus that was purported to be waiting on the side. Someone told my dad and me to take our hiking boots off so they would not get muddy (the mud was up to our mid-calves). So we did – big mistake! Underneath the chocolate-looking mud there were vicious little sharp rocks waiting for our poor bare feet. In addition to the numerous cuts my dad and I both got on our feet, I got a rock stuck in my foot. Not fun! The next two days were filled with multiple landslides, treks, three-hour bus rides that lasted nine hours, falling boulders, crossing streams, leeches, staying in un-ideal places, rushing rivers with no guard-rails, and other such treacherous events. God got us through them all, and brought us safely back.

It was such a blessing to be able to be with H and see how God is using her, in addition to meeting Nepali believers. Although God did not choose to allow the salvation of anyone while we were there, I feel sure that the seeds we planted will be used by him. This trip really put a lot of things in my life in perspective, and showed me that my life (just like the life of every believer) is meant for serving God.

Here are some prayer requests:

·                    Pray for the woman who was afraid of death that I was able to share with               (I do not remember her name).

·                    Pray for Tse-Ring, the woman who taught our group how to make momos and to whom we talked for a while.

·                    Pray for Shak-Ti, the paralyzed man who listened so closely, but was held back by fears and    doubts.

·                    Pray for H and her partner, L, as they follow up with the contacts we made on this trek.

·                    Praise: a woman named Yankee (spelling?), down in Kathmandu, to whom many Christians had witnessed, became a believer while we were up in the villages. This is an answer to prayer for H and many others.

Afraid to Live

Fears of flying, heights, death, public speaking, and others are prevalent throughout our world. I am sure each of you can remember a time that you did not do something fun because fear held you back. Nothing is more restricting than fear. It can keep you from having fun, but most importantly, fear can keep Christians from effectiveness as tools in the hands of God. 

God calls us to step out in faith, as Christians, and we must listen to his call. We are not called to an easy life as Christians. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way:

              "The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is                     the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call." (The Cost of Discipleship, 99)

The cool thing is that we don't have to be afraid to die. We need not fear the death of our physical bodies, nor do we need to fear dying to ourselves everyday. We only have to entrust our lives to the one who loved us enough to shed his blood for us. By that standard, we do not have to fear anything because if God is going to put us in a situation, he will give us the grace to get through.

Are you afraid of being unsuccessful, running out of money, or not getting married? God has a plan for you. It sounds so flippant to say that, but it is the truth. We over-complicate the whole thing: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:22) You want something? Then ask God for it, and trust that he will give it to you if and when he wants to. It is comforting to have someone perfect running my life for me. 

But, you say, what about when I mess up and I am afraid of the consequences? Well, let us not forget that God "causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28) If you are a Christian, then God causes even your sin to work for his purposes in your life. Notice how the verse says "all things," not "everything except your sin." This is such a mystery to me, but I am so thankful for God's grace. We can just fold our hands and say, "I am not afraid of the future because I know that it is in God's hands. And God is so loving that he will work everything out."

Amen and praise the Lord. What's that on your face? A frown? Are you sad, depressed, angry, or discontent? Don't be. God has a great plan for you. And don't be afraid - God holds the future!

In Need of Prayer

I am going on a mission trip to an Asian country in the Himalayas from June 20- July 5. I am really excited about this trip, but I am needing some prayer right now. Our team has been told that we will have a good amount of hiking to do in order to reach our destination. I have been getting myself physically prepared for this, but a major road block has come up: my asthma has never been worse. I am coughing non-stop all day and night long, there are times when I cannot breathe, I am using my nebulizer 4-5 times a day, as well as being on numerous other medicines. I need prayer that my asthma will become controllable again. Honestly, it's somewhat scary when I can't breathe. Thank you for your prayers, they will be appreciated.

A Challenge

When I struggle with an area of sin, looking at God's word helps me to realize that I am not the only one who struggles with this. That being said, I know that some of you must struggle with discontent and complaining like I do. Here is a challenge. Wait a few seconds before you say anything, and if a complaint was about to come out of your mouth, turn it into a word of praise. I am going to try this. It may feel unnatural at first, but I have a feeling it will be rewarding. The Bible says we will be judged for each word we speak, why not replace complaining with praising the Lord?

Faith Like a Child

I have enjoyed being with my family more this past week, since I am on summer break. Even though I lived at home throughout the school year, I would not see my younger siblings as much because they would be almost ready for bed when I got home. I was surprised to see how much my five-year-old sister, Daphne, had matured.

Yesterday I had the privilege of taking Daphne on some errands. We were supposed to go to Walmart, but being the directionally-challenged person that I am, I got lost. (A word of advice: don't get directions from a five-year-old, as smart as he or she may be). I finally found my way back to church, and decided to take Daphne to Chickfila. She played for a little while and she got a balloon. She was all smiles when we went back to church. It was such a special time!

I was making my bed this morning, when she came in a smiled at me. "Did you know that yesterday was the best day of my life?" She said. "Actually it was the second best day," she continued. "The best day will be the day I die." I was blown away. I did not expect to hear that coming from Daphne's mouth. "Why?" I asked her. "Because that will be the day I got to Heaven and see Jesus. Don't cry or be sad when I die, Jenny. You'll see me soon. I love you!" Daphne then skipped off to play.

I sat on my bed and marveled at her faith. She knows with all of her heart that she will be with Jesus when she dies. I am so thankful that my Daphne loves Jesus so much. Her faith has really inspired me, even if she is only five.