50 Reasons Not to Watch "50 Shades of Grey"

It seems like 50 Shades of Grey has gotten a lot of attention—both positive and negative—lately. I haven't seen it and don't intend to, but for some reason I felt compelled to write this post. Here are 50 reasons, in no particular order, why you should NOT see the movie (or read the book, for that matter)—though not all will apply to everyone:

1. You value beauty.
2. You are married, and you value that marriage enough to protect it.
3. You are single, and you value your sexuality enough to protect it.
4. You appreciate good literature. These are real lines from the novel: “Finally, my medulla oblongata recalls its purpose, I breathe.” and “My inner goddess is beside herself, hopping from foot to foot.” Really? Need I go on? Could we be more ridiculous?
5. It's pornographic. Don't think so? Here's a definition of pornography from Merriam-Webster: "movies, pictures, magazines, etc., that show or describe naked people or sex in a very open
   and direct way in order to cause sexual excitement"
6. You are a Christian.
7. "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." Phil 4:8
8. You believe our culture needs more good men—not fewer of them.
9. "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:28
10. Because there are better ways to spend that movie ticket money—like donating the money to a shelter for real-life abused women.
11. You could spend those two hours experiencing real, life-giving intimacy with your real, flesh-and-blood spouse.
12. You believe our culture needs more good women—not fewer of them.
13. You love your children and you want to set a good example for them.
14. You know you can't "un-see" things you've seen.
15. It blurs the lines about what real love is.
16. It blurs the lines on whether it's ok to have a "sex-without-love" mentality.
17. It glorifies and trivializes domestic abuse.
18. You are a feminist. Last time I checked, there's nothing empowering about a woman being abused.
19. Just because the story has been used for some good, this does not mean we should in any way endorse it. Just because God can take the broken (e.g. losing a home to a fire or a losing a loved one) and use it for good, doesn't mean we should try to make these things happen (e.g. arson or murder).
20. You are sexually hungry. Why try to satiate that desire with this disgusting film?
21. You are sexually satisfied. Why ruin that by watching this film?
22. You liked the Dove Men+Care Super Bowl commercial so much because you believe that what makes men, men: loving others, not abusing them.
23. "For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does." 1 Cor. 7:4
24. Because you are a woman and can't endorse something that glorifies a woman being treated in such a way.
25. Because you are a man and you can't stand men being portrayed so poorly.
26. Because you are a woman who is sometimes tempted to find a man who is broken and needs to be "fixed."
27. Because you are a man who is tempted to be domineering or violent.
28. Because you could spend that money to watch a movie, such as Fireproof, that portrays real love and grace and victory over sexual sin, instead.
29. Because, since when did it become ok to watch people having sex on a movie screen? Is that something we would ever watch in real life?
30. "Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love." Proverbs 5:15-19
31. Because marriage is hard enough without confusing ourselves about what real love is.
32. You don't want to confuse yourself about what real, God-endorsed sex should be like.
33. You could spend those two hours on a night out with friends.
34. Single? You could spend those two hours filling out an eHarmony profile and find a real single man out there who is not a tyrant. (Not trying to sound flippant here. I know it's much easier said than done!)
35. Because you want to follow Jesus.
36. "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." 1 Cor. 6:18
37. You could spend those two hours and that money on a dinner date with your spouse/significant other, where you can get to know each other's heart & soul better with these 50 date night questions.
38. You believe that we need to be reminded what real love is.
39. "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." 1 John 3:16
40. Because you are lonely. Don't fill that hole here.
41. Because you wouldn't know what to tell your child when they ask what the movie was about that you went to go see.
42. Because you could go out dancing with your spouse instead.
43. Because you fear God and you believe He is in authority.
44. Because you could take that time to befriend and counsel a real-life abused woman by volunteering at a women's shelter.
45. "Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray." Proverbs 5:20-23
46. Because you are young and impressionable.
47. Because you are old and don't think you're impressionable.
48. Because you care about yourself and want to protect yourself.
49. You could spend those two hours doing pretty much anything more useful. Here are some ideas: organize your basement, catch up on sleep, call an old friend, write a snail mail letter, write a list for your spouse of 50 reasons why you love them.
50. "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." 1 Cor. 13:4-8

There you go. 50 reasons not to watch "50 Shades." I thought it would be hard to make a list that long. It wasn't. What is your reason for not watching?

Our Ornament Tradition and our 2014 Ornament

Our Christmas Ornament Tradition

A few short months after our wedding, my husband and I celebrated our first Christmas together. 

We decided to start something that has now become a special tradition for our family. We decided that, each year, we will find or make an ornament that especially represents that year and add it to our tree (we're both big on ornaments that have stories and are not just decorative). 

In 2012, we put a picture from our honeymoon into this small frame. It represented a year of a new beginning—the year we got married!

In 2013, we made the tradition "official." We decided that, each year on our anniversary, we would take some time to write in our anniversary journal about what we decided to make for our ornament that year and why. Deciding our ornament on our anniversary has proven to be a good plan—that gives us time to find or create our ornament before Thanksgiving weekend, when we put up our tree each year.

For 2013, we got a small jar and put a poppyseed in it. We decided to make this our ornament last year because God had given us a baby—a baby who we called poppyseed up until she was born in early 2014.

Our 2014 Ornament

I'm really excited about our ornament this year—maybe because of the symbolism, or maybe because it took longest to make. This year, we decided to make a tree.

We decided on a tree partially because of the symbolism in this Andrew Peterson song and the story behind it.

2014, has, for us, been a year of growth, planting, putting down roots. There are three main reasons we decided a tree represents this year:

1. We have both been convicted this year about our need to pursue spiritual growth more fervently. This is something we are both, together, being more intentional about.
2. We had our baby girl this year! We "planted a new seed" and are cultivating her growth.
3. We've gotten more settled into our new home, our roles, and our routine. We are "putting down roots," so to speak.

The Making of the Tree

After we decided to make a tree, I set out looking for a tree ornament. But, the only ones I could find were Christmas trees. So, I decided to make a wire tree (which is significantly cheaper than buying one. About 10 times cheaper, in fact). I found this helpful (and silly) tutorial video about how to make gemstone trees.

I took some liberties and did my tree a bit differently... I added more "branches" (my tree has 11 of them). I also put crystal beads onto the loops so I didn't have to mess with gluing things. I also just curled the ends of my roots instead of gluing it to a rock since this tree will hang instead of standing. I added an extra little loop of wire and tied a green ribbon to it. With sale prices and a 40% off coupon, the materials for this project were only $2.50, and I still have at least half of the 26-gauge wire left over. I'm loving this tree and can't wait to hang it on our Christmas tree next week!

Homemade Mother's Day Gifts

Butterfly Footprint Flower Pots

For our baby's first Mother's Day, I decided she needed to make something cute with her footprints for her grandmas. I found an idea on Pinterest and decided I loved it! There were no directions for how to do it, but it seemed easy enough. So I made two butterfly footprint flower pots.

1. Paint the flower pots white with acrylic paint.

2. Mix your colors for the butterfly wings.

3. Find a baby. Carefully paint the baby's feet and make footprints to look like a butterfly. This is the hardest part. Also make sure the footprints are on opposite sides from how their feet are.

4. Paint bodies for the butterflies. Let dry. Then paint over the pot with matte finish Mod Podge. Let dry.

5. Label the bottom with a Sharpie. Add a pretty artificial flower arrangement (I do not recommend planting real flowers—water and soil may mess up the beautiful art). Voila! Project complete!

The Dry-Erase Calendar: A DIY Adventure

One day a few weeks ago, I was babysitting a sleeping baby boy named Joshua (given that he was sleeping, it was a pretty low-key task). On the table next to the couch, I found a book called Young House Love. And I pretty much devoured the whole thing (I had had big plans of bringing my Study Bible and finding out more about the confusing things I'd read that morning in 1 Timothy... but this book just drew me in). These Young House Love people also have a blog. Yes. Pinterest, here I come... if I ever have time to implement all of the fun Pinterest ideas.

Anyway, the book gave me a fun DIY idea: A homemade dry-erase calendar. So, here's a little walk through my project:

Step 1: Acquire a frame. It can be a more ornate, crazy frame than the one I got... I kept it simple. I didn't want to get too crazy with my first DIY home project :)

Step 2: Get/make a fun textured background. I cut the sleeve off of this Goodwill sweater from the $1.50 bin. Then I stapled it to the mossy-green cardboard background that was in the frame already.

Step 3: Make a calendar background. Make sure to flip it horizontally (so the words are backwards) before you print it out! This step is very important! Also, keep in mind you don't need a super-fancy/crazy font... when you paint on the calendar, it will look handwritten anyway.

Step 4: Print out your backwards calendar and put it under the glass from the frame. Tape down the edges so it stays in place.

Step 5: Paint your calendar onto the glass. You could also do this with a Sharpie. Or, you could also just print your calendar forwards-ways on patterned/textured paper and put it in the frame like a picture, too.

Step 6: Let the paint dry completely, put it all together, and voila! You have your dry erase calendar!

I also put a little basket there for the dry-erase pens.

Now I just need to get the dry erase pens! I plan to get these super-fine-tip ones (so I can write small in the calendar squares). And I also have a cool beans & chives picture that I can do something fun with in the kitchen, maybe.

And that is the story of my DIY calendar-making adventure.

Have you done any DIY projects? What were they? How did they go?

Behold the Lamb of God

Well, folks, yesterday was the day. The day to commence the listening of Christmas music. 

I always start the Christmas season each year with a listen to Andrew Peterson's album, Behold the Lamb of God. Take a listen here if you haven't heard it!

This album is a powerfully painted musical/lyrical portrait of the whole story of scripture, starting with the Old Testament and continuing on to share the story of how God became man in order to rescue His Beloved. 

I can never get enough. 

It embodies this idea: 
‎"No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything—to rescue the ones he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! It takes the whole Bible to tell this story. And at the center of the story, there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in the puzzle—the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture." -Sally Lloyd-Jones (from The Jesus Storybook Bible)

An original piece of art I made for Christmas a few years ago