The movies

I don't have a TV in my room, so I only catch programs or movies a couple times a week either on my parents' TV or at a friend's house. Lately, there have been a couple occasions where I watched something that turned out making me feel far worse afterward and I probably should have tuned out in the midst of it. Please don't take this the wrong way, as if I am implying some legalistic standard of moral superiority. In fact, I am fully admitting that I do not monitor my thoughts when engaging in entertainment near to the degree that I should. However, this quote has provoked me to much thought this week:

"There are almost no movies that don't ask me to be entertained by attitudes, motives, and actions which Jesus died to eradicate. My heart will not allow me to be entertained by worldliness." (John Piper)

A dear friend

This photo is of a very special friend whom I have mentioned throughout the past six months on here from time to time. She was diagnosed with cancer last summer and has been through chemo and just recently had surgery. I traveled to NY last week to keep her company during her recovery and it was a very encouraging time for us. Seeing her radiant smile reminds me of this favorite quote from Phil Ryken speaking on the biblical woman:

"A woman is made beautiful by what she DOES. True beauty comes from nurturing the inward woman. Women need to remember that if nature has made them plain, grace can make them beautiful, and if nature has made them beautiful, good deeds can add to their beauty."

Home

This will be brief as I am exhausted from a long day of traveling back from the Northeast, visiting a good friend who is recovering from surgery as well as stopping in on my sister and her family for a couple extra days. As I was coming home this morning on the airplane ride, I did what I do every time. I began to reflect on this most recent journey, how fast time went by, what I did or didn't do that I wished I had, things I said wrong or didn't say at all...all this while listening to my favorite songs on my IPOD. I love to travel. I love to zone out on the plane in complete anonymity and just ponder the recent life circumstances. As I was listening, the song "Come, Lord Jesus" by Andrew Peterson began to play. I do this next thing almost every time I travel as well...a good song finds me, turns my attention to the Lord and just sinks into my heart and I cry. Not out of sadness or despair, but out of a longing to be freed from this world and to see others be freed from it as well, but all the while torn about the lost condition of so many who I would still desire to see come to Christ. It is always an especially meaningful time of prayer as I can then turn to the only possible comfort in my Savior. Our God is a faithful and merciful God, a God who restores the mind and heals the broken. His Words bring goodness and LIFE! Oh, how I want to speak and hear such beautiful words! Disappointments will always come, in myself and those around me, but there is a future filled with perfection. I came across this quote today on another blog I read from time to time, and was so encouraged:
"Jesus will make the world our perfect home again. We will no longer be living "east of Eden," always wandering and never arriving. We will come, and the Father will meet us and embrace us, and we will be brought into the feast" (Tim Keller, The Prodigal God).

The only merits toward salvation rest in the righteous fulfillments of Christ

"But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us...Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ...For He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved...'"
Titus 3:4,5; 2 Corinthians 5:18,21; Acts 16:30,31