Excellent Entertainment

 

 

“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

Hopefully you’ve been thinking about ways that you can rev up your thoughts to make them more Christ-like and God glorifying. Entertainment is one of the biggest glory suckers when it comes to our thoughts. Garbage in means sewage seeping through our minds.

 

Now, before you close your browser window because you think I’m about to bash your favorite TV show, rest assured that this isn’t about to be some angry rant about modern day media. Instead, I’d like to list some honorable, lovely, excellent things that aren’t necessarily Christian but will surely help transform some of those things that you are thinking about.

 

TV

This is one of the hardest things, I think, to fine redeemable in our culture. So many shows are filled with very un-Christian and totally not kick butt morals. But here are a few that I think you could watch proudly even if Jesus was sitting right beside you:

-       The Food Network: I love this channel! It’s more than cooking shows. It’s creativity and competition and fun!

-       Nineteen Kids and Counting: How amazing is it to see this family who keeps family and God at the center of all they do?

-       The Amazing Race, The Biggest Looser, Undercover Boss, Extreme Home Makeover: These reality shows are less about drama and more about people working hard, lifting each other up, and painting people in the best kind of light.

-       Disney Channel and Nickelodeon Shows: It’s always amazing to me when a high school girl confesses, somewhat embarrassed, that they still watch these shows. Why? There’s no sex, no cussing, and none of the terrible things that are glorified on so many other channels. I say go for it!

-       Shows on DVD: Once upon a time, sitcoms were clean and family friendly. The Cosby Show, Full House, The Wonder Years, I Love Lucy just to name a few.

 

Books

Have you noticed how many YA books either are extremely dark or have premarital sex? The last thing you need is a glorification of the things that drive you crazy about your high school. Instead of books, here are some authors to check out.

-       Ally Carter: Her Gallagher Girls Series is a super fun tale of girls going to school to learn to be spies. They’re secular yet clean and really positive.

-       Scott Westerfeld: His Uglies trilogy is one of those crazy looks at the future. Kind of science fictiony and apocalyptic, it isn’t unnecessarily dark and dreary.

-       Melody Carlson: She’s the Christian YA guru with more titles than I can count. She’s not afraid to deal with hard topics, but does an amazing job having realistic resolutions that still glorify the Lord.

-       Jenny B. Jones: A hilarious Christian YA writer whose books will keep you laughing!

 

Music

If I’m afraid to blast my music for the anyone in the world to hear, then I probably shouldn’t be listening to it. Some of my favorites (Christian and secular):

Switchfoot (duh), Alicia Keys, Owl City, Plain White T’s, David Crowder Band, Jars of Clay, We The Kings, Motown (classic!), Superchick, Cademon’s Call, Coldplay, and U2.

 

Movies

How hard is it these days to go out to the movies and not get bombarded with sex, divorce, violence, and immorality painted in a humorous way? Sometimes, it’s better to stay in than go out. I love romantic comedies! Here’s some that you could watch with your best friend or your grandmother and not feel embarrassed: You’ve Got Mail, Return To Me, Penelope, Miss Congeniality, While You Were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle.

Anything that you could add to any of the categories that helps keep trashy thoughts and images from filling your mind?