A Father's Love Letter

This movie is pretty awesome too, and it's only 6 minutes out of your time!!! Meaning, WATCH IT!!! And, guess where I got it from! Yeah, I watched this one at Journey to the Heart too.

Knowing God.

So I'm reading this book, The God You Can Know, by Dan DeHaan, which I don't really know anything about, except that it used to be my Grandmas. Anyways, it is all about knowing God! (Surprise surprise.) According to the book, there are 10 by-products of knowing God.
1. Character development
2. Freedom from intimidation
3. Passion for the lost
4. Energy in serving the Lord
5. Renewed thoughts of God
6. True satisfaction in God.
7. Boldness for God
8. Worship keeps us from putting Christianity into situational compartments (sacred and secular)
9. The cure for situational ethics (Which means they think that all rules have exceptions)
10. Knowing the difference between repentance and remorse

Anyways, at the end, it asks you if you can say that "these ten areas are clearly lived" in your life, and which ones are the weaker ones. Well, I can't even say that one of them is clearly lived. I don't think I have any of these. That's sort of sad eh? Plus, I really really really want to know God.

I just deleted my other blog.

Yeah, the title sort of says it all. The beauty blog. Basically, I was feeling like focusing on beauty was not what God wanted me doing, (I know I already told you all this) and it was going to take a lot of time looking up information and I don't have that kind of time. Plus, I gave my time to God and I don't think He would want me spending His time on that kind of thing. But I'll show you my first introduction blog, and the pictures blog, just because I like the pictures and I want to show you some of my opinions on beauty.

Well, first of all, I am no beautician. If you are looking for something solid, this is probably not the place to find it, but I am trying to be healthy, and look healthy, and really, be beautiful.
Secondly, I do not believe true beauty comes from genes, or cosmetics. I believe it can show up, and go away, or be hiding around the corner. My opinions on beauty are:

1. Beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder.
2. A smile is the best makeup ever.
3. A person can be beautiful but have a hard face, making them unattractive.
4. Joy is a huge factor in "beauty"
5. I think that every girl can be beautiful, no matter how ugly they think they are. It's just part of being a girl! : )
6. 1 Peter 3: 3-4
Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

(This is the kind of beauty I really want.)

I might add more later, but that's basically my opinions.

Ok. My blog name. Well, basically I'm saying that YOU could call it beauty because I don't know what else to call it. I'm going to be writing about health, and cosmetics, and a bunch of stuff. But it's not actually beautifying, it's more enhancing the beauty which God has already given you.

And also, this might be my first and only blog, just to warn you. I don't have a lot of time, AND I go through phases. So this could turn out to be a continuous "phase", or it could stop rather abruptly.

Anyways, there's your introduction!!! (Yay!)


AND... the pictures

Pictures!

Well, I'm sort of going to copy the book Vogue Complete Beauty by Deborah Hutton, which belongs to my sister, but she's in Mexico right now, so I'm not worried about her needing it any time soon. : )
It starts with pictures over time of beautiful women, so that is what I'll start with. Or.. I'll try.

Amy Carmichael was a truly beautiful woman, in outward appearances, and inward. If you haven't read her biography, read it! It's called A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot. She almost looks a little sad, but I love the expression on her face! So much compassion and understanding! (Or that's my opinion, because I know what she was like from reading the book.)

This is Jessica Alba. I actually don't know who exactly she is except that she's famous, but I like the fact that she's smiling, and she's not wearing overpowering makeup.

The website I got this from didn't say who painted it, just that it is 16th century Italian. When I first glanced at this painting, I thought "Well she was probably beautiful in her time", and then I realized that her features really are quite beautiful, but her eyes are so sad! She has a hint of a smile on her face but she really doesn't look happy!

I don't really like the way this woman looks either; the makeup almost drowns her out. But in almost everyone else's opinion, she is probably stunning.

I like this painting. She doesn't have the typical looks always associated with beauty, but she is absolutely gorgeous in her own way.

So there you go. Five "beautiful" women all with completely different looks and mostly from different times. Anyways, even though they probably differ a lot from yours, those are my thoughts on outward beauty! : )

So do you see what I mean? (Sort of?)

Darkness and "Lightness"

So this is totally random, but I'm writing it down so that I don't forget. It's one of those things which you know, but somehow it just suddenly clicks.

Okay; you know how when you suddenly walk into a dark room you can't see anything, but the longer you're in it, the more used to the darkness you become? And then you can see things clearer, but when you step into the light, it suddenly blinds you? Well that's the way it is with Christianity. Jesus is the Light of the World right? So the longer we've been in His presence, the darker and more terrible to our eyes sin is. But when we step into darkness or the things of this world or sin, the longer we are in it, the better our spiritual eyes get used to it, and then we start to see "clearly" the shapes and things which were hidden when we first stepped into it. But if we could only see with the Light those objects, then we would see way better what we think we can see, and it is revealed to us what really is going on in the darkness. And when we step into the Light from the darkness, we are blinded because sin is so normal and it is so easy to step back into the comfort of darkness. But the longer we stay in the Light, the easier it is to see and it is clearer and clearer.

K, that was a terrible explanation, but it is almost 12:00 at night and I really have to go to bed, so if you'll excuse the "misunderstandingness", I'll just go to bed now. : )

Update, but not much of one.

I just made another blog called "You could call it beauty" but I don't really know how long it will last, or if I'll ever put anything on it. And I'm almost worried that my focusing on the outward isn't what I should be doing. Because God focuses on the heart.

Anyways, I don't really have much of an update, but I wanted to put something on here so that I keep blogging. Hmmmm... well, I'm sort of discouraged still. And God isn't really doing a whole lot (or it seems like it) in my life. It seems like I'm sinking lower and lower into sin, which is probably what's happening. Basically, I have a few habits which I just can't break. I don't know what to do. They're like ruining my life. I think that if I told my parents... not that they don't know... but if I really asked for help, then maybe it would be easier. I'm tired of confessing sin and asking God to forgive me. I guess it's really teaching me just how patient God is, but I don't want to learn this way!

My goal in life is to become like the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31. I know that's a pretty common goal, but I'd really like to be like her. And I'd also like to live up to the meaning of my name, Hannah, which means Gracious. I'm not very gracious right now, and I'm such a bad example to my siblings! Here I am, supposed to be the one they all look up to, and then I miserably fail. I guess that's where God wants me though. I think He wants me to be completely broken before Him. (Sigh.)

More...

So it just occurred to me that maybe the reason I haven't been experiencing "fullness of joy" is because I don't pray enough. I read the Bible a lot, but I never really pray very often, so it's been a one way conversation. Obviously the Lord wants me to be communicating with him. So, I am going to try to pray more often, and see how it goes. By the way, I was praying earlier on today, and the wall was gone! But I also tried to make my heart clean before the Lord, and asked Him to show me what (sin) was in the way of our relationship, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

There is no way that God is not working in my life either, because there's a bunch of stuff which I've been really wondering about, and I've asked God to show me what he says about it, and recently I've been reading, and I'll come upon a verse, and it's the direct answer to my question. God is so gracious and patient with me!

Another thing is, I guess God really can work through me, because, well, look at Peter. He was a guy who was always quick to speak, always putting his foot in his mouth, always tripping up and trying to bite off more than he could chew, in fact, he denied Christ! (Probably something which I would do in that kind of situation. I really need God's help in this area.) Anyways, if God could change Peter into someone who was not afraid to speak up for Him, someone who would lead thousands of souls to Christ, someone who would later die a martyrs death for Him, I think He can change me into something which He can use. It's just a matter of if I will allow Him to work through me.

Amazing message! Long, but worth it! (I watched this at JttH as well.)

First time blogging!!!

Well, this is my first time blogging, (you may be able to tell by the title) and I'm not expecting anyone to ever read it but myself, so keep that in mind if you accidentally stumble on it, because it definitely won't be all that professional looking. Plus, it is almost like my journal, so it may be hard to follow my thoughts. : )

Anyways, I recently got a desktop picture for my computer from livingthejourney.com, which is the "unnofficial blog" of "graduates" (my term) of Journey to the Heart. And it is a gorgeous picture of the Northwoods of Michigan, with Psalm 16:11a written at the top: "Thou wilt show me the path of life, in Thy presence is fullness of joy". Isn't that verse absolutely amazing? "In THY PRESENCE is FULLNESS OF JOY"!!! That is exactly what I want to experience! Fullness of joy. In fact, I am aching to experience it. I don't think I have before though. But does that mean that I've never been in the presence of God? I don't think so, because what about when I pray, does it mean He hasn't been hearing me because I haven't had fullness of joy? I'm not sure actually. I think maybe that it just means that I've been in His presence, although I just never paid attention to it. (Maybe. I'm still a bit confused over it.)

Also, I've been having a hard time comprehending that God wants to have a relationship with ME! Sometimes I feel like it's just me who is reaching out to God and that He is not responding. But then I read the His Word, and I read verses like "He brought me to His banqueting table, His banner over me is love", and I realize that it is He who wants a relationship with me. Then why do I feel like He is not responding? Maybe it is that I am not trusting Him enough? Maybe I am not supposed to be trying, but should allow Him to reach out to me, or I should take the hand that is offered to me. But how? I'm confused. Like, I know that God wants me to be spending time with Him in His Word and prayer, but it seems like I'm going against a brick wall. I've had this experience before, like before and while I was at Journey to the Heart, but towards the end of the week, I realized the wall was gone. But I almost wonder if I was just making it up in my mind. LORD PLEASE HELP ME!!!!