instead of asking, "how far can I go?" ask "how close can I get?"
Holiness doesn't seek the most pleasure; it seeks the most perfection

Do you justify your actions? Do you base your limits on how far you can
go and still be called a Christian? Do you praise God and then shudder
at the thought of Him watching what you do with (or without your
friends). That's not a life lived for the pleasure of God. That's a
life lived for the pleasure of self.

I'm fighting a tough battle between the flesh and the spirit--pleasure
and perfection.

Holiness is seeking God's standards. All things are lawful but not all
things are profitable. I've had to say no to some movies I've wanted to
see recently, because when I'm honest with myself, my boredom is not an
excuse for exposing myself to something that not only doesn't profit,
but probably "de-profits" me. Haha. I had to make up that word.

Holiness asks, "is this pleasing to God. Will it draw me closer to
Him? Will it aid me in becoming more like Him?" And holiness will
choose that which will be a "yes" to those questions.

Now, I do believe it is a bit extreme to forsake anything un-christian.
We do live in this world, be we are not of this world. I read books
that tend to be scientific in nature. Reading about the pharmacy
technician certification exam isn't necessarily self-seeking. (Might I
add the other 5 books I'm reading are Christian books?)

Lately I've listened to very little secular music. Why not worship God
while I'm driving or cleaning my room?

I just thought of a song by Everybodyduck that I love:

Doug Eats Dirt

Doug is in the garden, it's his third time there today
With a napkin tucked under his chin, he bows his head to pray
"thank you's" said, he turns his full attention to the soft brown clay
and starts to scoop fistfuls of dirt into his mouth.

Well his family's quite perplexed
have done all they can think to do
No plate of decent food distracts Doug from the soil he's partial to
And he otherwise seems normal when his feeding times are through
still there's something not quite right with mud stained teeth

and while on one hand we're glad eating dirt's not something you die
from
when there's healthy food available it just seems sort of dumb

that

Doug eats dirt
lots of dirt
breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Doug only eats dirt
mud and clay and silt and sand
Doug just doesn't understand that it doesn't become good for you because
it doesn't hurt

sure if Doug was drinking poison there'd be much cause for alarm
but despite the brown ring round his mouth dirt can't do Doug much harm
so we tolerate his wallowing like pigs out on a farm
still it doesn't change the fact we wish he'd stop

'cause if he'd eat healthy food not only would it help him grow
it would help improve digestion which has become rather slow
it's a proven fact that dirt clods make it really hard to go
and that aside it'd really clean him up a lot

we've all got a choice between the neutral and the good
choosing death by drinking poison clearly no sane person would
still we don't choose that which grows us even though we know we should
we're satisfied with that which doesn't hurt or help

all things are permitted that don't contradict God's will
but not all things benefit us and we choose to do them still
and how can we ever hope to be like Jesus was until
we start refusing that which doesn't help us grow?