Is your Space darkness or Light?

I love you all so much!

So, did you know I have a "myspace.com" account? Bet many of you didn't. I find it funny that Jameson thinks it is weird Frank and I check out the "myspaces" of students in our youth group.

I am deeply disturbed and lately, I am reluctant to drill down into the verbal bantering, profanity often found in your messages back and forth with your "friends". It makes me very sad. And in some cases, very angry.

I haven't actively participated in my "space." Most of the spaces I've seen are too noisy, visually, for me. I like blogging better. Remember when we used to all eagerly read each other's blogs?

Frank and I have discussed putting links to all of your "myspaces"…but frankly, not a single one of you would meet the qualifications we stipulate for being a link on our Student Ministry blogspace page. A few of you might find that shocking to read.

Frank likes to tell the students, "show me your friends, and I'll tell you who you are." Y'all don't seem to like that statement very much. Well, if your list of "friends" on your "myspace" is a description of who you are, I can understand why you wouldn't like that statement very much.

I know some of you have been disturbed by some "myspaces." I challenge each of you to hold each other accountable. And, scrutinize your "myspace." Every word, every picture, every link is a description of you…and, you are to be a reflection of Christ. Please, argue this point with me. You "allow" everything that exists on your "myspace." Allowing an illicit picture, phrase or "friend", even though you didn't write it...is still your choice.

Before I get too comfortable on my soapbox…let's re-read what Paul has to say about believers, God-followers, co-heirs of Christ bought with His precious blood, beloved children of God….(the following is from "The Message").

Watch the way you talk.
Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth.
Say only what helps, each word a gift.
Don't grieve God. Don't break His heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for Himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.
Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk.
Be gentle with one another, sensitive.
Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:29-32 MSG)

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.
Mostly what God does is love you.
Keep company with Him and learn a life of love.
Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of Himself to us.
Love like that.
Don't allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed.
Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, Christians have better uses for language than that.
Don't talk dirty or silly.
That kind of talk doesn't fit our style.
Thanksgiving is our dialect.
You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them--the usual variations on idolatry--will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.
(Ephesians 5:1-5 MSG)

I love you all deeply.
Practice love towards one another.
Reflect Christ.