A Site Update

I’ve been trying to get a new page onto this blog for a while, but every time I try, I keep on going nowhere! Well, this time, I finally got it to work!

Up at the top, on the bar at the top, you can see two buttons; one saying “Home” and the other saying “Contact Me”. I’ve had that second one on there for a while, but it hasn’t done anything. But now, it actually takes you to my contact page. If anyone wants to to contact me—for whatever reason—then now you have a more private way of doing so.

In a little bit, I’ll be putting some hats or scarves online on my Etsy shop, and I’ll try to get that updated here. I hope that I’ll be able to put some of my art on the same shop too, although I’m a lot more uneasy about that one. Well, we’ll see.

I have one last thing I wanted to say and that is that I urge everyone to keep on praying right now. There are so many things that are going on right now in our world that I think all of us who have the gift of personal contact with the Most High have to start putting our privilege into action. This sounds very melodramatic, but I think the name Prayer Warrior is not an unfitting name for the battle field that we’re in. Please brothers and sisters, pray for the people who have been personally affected by hurricane Sandy—they still need our prayers. And also pray for the people in Israel who are now under serious attack, rockets flying in on Tel Aviv and some falling very near Jerusalem.

God bless you all!

“Religious reasons…”

It’s so funny how some things can make me think sometimes!

Wow! That sounds like I don’t usually make a practice of thinking in general! But maybe that’s a little closer to the truth than it should be.

Anyway, today I was going grocery shopping with my mother and sister. Earlier my mum and I went to our weekly ladies prayer meeting. I love going to that! It always uplifts my spirit, and I always feel encouraged and closer to God afterwards. So I had been quite cheerful because of that, and because of some mix-up with cards at the checkout I was laughing kind of, so when we came to give the receipt to the checker before leaving, I was still pretty happy. The gal checked it and scrolled out the customary streak in a neon highlighter, and then she unexpectedly turned to me.

“So where do you get all those cool head wraps?” she asked me.

I was a bit flabbergasted, but I tried to answer quickly. “From Wall-Mart, actually.”

“Oh really!” She seemed surprised.

“Yeah,” my mum inserted, “ mostly from Wall-Mart and a couple on line.”

“So is it for like religious reasons or—”she hesitated.

“Yeah,” I said, a little quickly, feeling kind of nervous but also happy to be able to say it to someone without bringing up the subject myself.

“Oh,” she said, looking a little weirded out.

“And I also do it because I like the way it looks too,” I said.

“It looks really pretty, yeah!” she said, smiling, “I like the way you tie it, the stuff you do in the back.” (It was the bun style)

I thanked her and we walked on.

After all that writing it out, I’ll come back to what I was saying. Like I said, I really was happy that someone had noticed (in a good way!) and that I could say something to her about it. But I still walked away from it feeling kind of dissatisfied. I really think that I could have dealt with that one better! Like, why was I so pleased in the first place? Or what made me want to please her by changing it to, “I cover also because I think it looks pretty”? Is that really the reason why I cover?

I can answer these questions and I feel they are truthful answers. For the first, I am eager to tell other women why I cover, because I feel that it is a beautiful thing for a God fearing woman to do. As George MacDonald said, “[You are not]good for doing them. It is a good thing to eat your breakfast, but you don't fancy it's very good of you to do it. The thing is good, not you.”

But as to the questions about why I changed my reasons, well to be honest, I did not change my opinion to please her. I have always loved headscarves, headbands, hats and more recently I have really loved the way tichels look.

And as to the last question, is that the real reason why I cover? No, it isn’t.

All these answers are, I believe, truthful. But they are also distortions of the truth. And distortions perhaps are as bad as a lie. For the first, I really did want to witness to her through my headcovering, but I’ve been wishing this so long that it’s become almost like an ingrown nail, and has become more about me than about God or her. And for the second and last, the way it looks is sometimes more the focus in my heart than for the right reasons.

In the end—and after way too much back-and-forth thinking—I know that I need to look at my motives for covering on a more continual basis. My mum has told me that so many times! She says that every morning I should dedicate the act of my covering to the Lord, orienting myself to His Way, to His idea of headcovering. She has told me that so often that I have no excuse for times like this when I don’t know how to act and my heart is in the wrong place.

Up till now, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to tell someone about my headcovering, on their terms, so as to make it better for them to hear. But I find out—as so often happens—that I was asking for a bigger thing than I was ready to deal with. I’m just glad, now, that it was such a little thing, and I pray that—regardless of my mistakes—it has done some good!

 

Shalom

Update—What’s Been Happening

It seems I’ve been away for a little while again. But you guys will be used to it by now!

I’ve been doing a few odds and ends, recently. Nothing extraordinary, of course, but what I’ve learned is that whatever is ordinary, really is, in itself, a little more of an adventure than we really know. My dad used to ask me at the end of the day when I was little what we had learned that day. If we hadn’t done any homeschooling that day, I would say I didn’t learn anything. But then my parents would tell me that every day I learn something new, because just living and breathing and seeing and listening and touching and smelling and tasting, you learn even if you don’t think about it as learning. 

And besides, just think of it from God’s point of view. Every little thing that goes on in my life, God’s going to keep and remember and add it up into my life in view of Eternity. In Heaven, it might make a world of difference if I hadn’t read that short story earlier this afternoon. Of course, it was a kind of different story (written by O. Henry, called “The Green Door”) and so perhaps it’s not the best example. But it’s amazing all those “little” things which might turn out to be much bigger in the end.

But anyway, I’ve been doing some random things. My friend and I wanted to get some more modest swimsuits done for summer. The last two swimsuits I’ve had were ok, but I always felt a little like it was not quite what I wanted. And so I wanted to do something that was a little better. And since I sew a lot, that seemed like the best option. And so yesterday, I had some fun cutting out and helping my friend sew a mockup version before she makes the real one. It was a very enjoyable day!

And then another thing that I want to be doing is working on painting and drawing. I got a painting done for my dad for Father’s Day. It turned out a little better than I thought it would. It was very encouraging! I think I want to go ahead and do some more soon!

But that’s what’s up with me recently. Just a few “little” things. I hope to do more updates about my painting soon, though. I hope you guys are having a lovely summer!

 

Shalom

The Visit

I was starting to write a post about a week ago, when my grandparents were here. But I never quite finished it. Today, early this morning we took them to the airport and they left. Well, I am definitely going to miss them! I haven’t seen them in years, since it’s hard for either them to come to us or we visit them, since they live in New York, way across on the other side of the country.

I just wrote out quite a lot about their visit, but I think I’m going to cut it down a little because I know that it might be a little too much for one post. I’ll just say that I learned a lot from my elders, and I will greatly miss them.

One thing that I really learned was that I live far too carelessly. I have known this for quite a while, but having them come and bless us so much with their cheerful attitude, their wisdom, their love for God and for others, it just sort of blew me away. They went to Bangladesh a little while ago, and came back with a huge appreciation for life and a new way of living. They don’t want to stop and lounge around, like so many of our culture does. They have a passion for life and goodness and wholesomeness and especially for a passion for God. It really got to me, and I hope that it will never leave me.

Something that has been gnawing away at me (in a good way) are the Words that our Savior gave us and I think I’ll end with that.

Matthew 28:18-20

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

Shalom

“A visitor for breakfast…”

I was just reading a chapter in “The Horse and His Boy” by C.S. Lewis, and I really love how he portrays the dwarves in here.

“There they found a little house with a smocking chimney and an open door, and as they came to the doorway Duffle called out:

‘Hey brothers! A visitor for breakfast.’”

I just love the way he puts that! It makes you almost feel like you’re being welcomed into the home of the dwarves. I would love to get to a point when that is second nature for me, to welcome people into my home as if it was their own.

Today, we did a major clean up of our house for when my friend comes over, something that my mum calls a “blitz”. It kind of helped the overall cleaning for when my grandparents come to visit. I started the day off, sort of determined but rather cheerful, ready to tackle a big day of cleaning. Wow, how often I change my mood, just because a little thing wasn’t going right! It bugs me to think of how much I cater my moods for what I think the situation demands. “Ok, so big day of cleaning ahead!” I think to myself, “so I’ll be a ‘cheerful worker’.” and “Oh, no! My friend might not be coming after all; so I might as well freak out and whine!” Why is it so easy to do that? Can I not be patient and joyful throughout all, both the good and the bad situations? There’s this one character in an Agatha Christie who talked about how a true lady never freaks out at big situations, but keeps her head and gracefully goes through whatever comes her way. I love that idea, and I think I definitely need to follow the ladylike women of the past.

Well, I’ve got to finish this post off now. Lord willing, I’ll be updating more consistently, though, so you won’t have to wait long. :)

 

God bless and shalom!

I’m Back!

I was just reading a few posts at Domestic Felicity and it made me really want to write on this blog again. I love her style, so relaxed and feminine and homey. But what I was admiring this time was the fact that she is so consistent, posting at least once every week, and more sometimes. I want to be more consistent, even if I talk about ordinary little things that I do everyday. (Which somehow, people like Mrs. Anna T from said blog, they make everyday things sound quite enjoyable and peaceful and good.)

So here I go, talking about normal everyday things. :)

One of the reasons that I didn’t blog for a little while was because I was taking a fast for Lent from some of the activities on my computer. I actually really enjoyed it, and I got a few more things done at that time then I usually do, although  through a good portion of it, I had three colds, therefore hampering much of my activities. But once Lent was over, I really wanted to get back to blogging again.

But one thing that is uppermost in my mind right now is the soon arrival of my grandparents, who are coming in May to stay for a week. The whole event has been planned for for some time, and has been the cause of some frustration, since my dad (they’re his parents) can’t get the time off for that week. But I look forward to having them come, since I haven’t seen them for some years. But the preparation for it is going to be very interesting: our house it not one of the cleanest houses in the world. There’s a quote from a TV series, when one of the characters refers to his mess of a house as “creative disarray”. I love that description, since I myself am a creative sort of person, and am never very organized.

But in a way, I looking forward to clearing out the house of extra things, since I’m feeling the desire to be free of thing that weigh me down and bring me closer to the things of this earth. That sounds a little self-righteous, but I really am wanting to let go of things that I don’t ordinarily need, or don’t ordinarily help me or others. It’s been brought to my notice quite often recently that I may have things in my possession that I no longer use, but of which could be of great service to someone else who have not been as blessed as I.

So for some time to come now, my family and I will be doing a grand spring cleaning, which I pray will be a peaceful and joyful time. And I hope that this will give and opening for more people to come over to my house, since I have been feeling a great calling for something that God calls us to, hospitality.

But I’ll have to write on that in a later post. Right now, I’m going to go out for a little walk with my sister. I hope all of my readers had a lovely and joy filled Resurrection Sunday.

 

Shalom

A Small Step Towards Life

I know I’m going to make some ripples by saying this (perhaps not here, but in the world), but I am totally Pro Life. I believe that God created life, and chose to put tiny creatures in the body of women in His own good wisdom, and if you choose to end the existence of this creation, it is the very same thing as if you would thrust a knife into the chest of your nearest and dearest.

That is why I was glad to read about this law that was just passed in Texas. I read the article here and, although I think the people who wrote it are more Pro Choice, I read it all the way through (something that I don’t often do) and got a lot of information.

The new law says that women going in for an abortion must have a sonogram 24 hours before the procedure, and that they should listen to a description of the fetus and listen to the sound of the child’s heartbeat. Unfortunately (but kind of understandably) the women aren't required to see the sonogram results or listen to the heartbeat, but they are required to listen to the description of the baby and his or her growth. They said on the article that there has been no difference in the rate of abortions, but for one thing, they’ve only just started to do it, so not much can be seen at this early stage. Also, it said that out of the hundreds of women who have done it in this time, only two women actually decided to look at the results of the sonogram.

I don’t know how much of a difference it will make, but I am very glad that they’ve done it anyway. Even if these women say they know what they’re going into, I think that they should have all of the information, and be able to see the beautiful human being they want to eliminate. And I almost have to laugh when I think of how Pro Choice people will want to argue against it, when if they say that a problem even exists, then they reinforce the fact that there really is a living, human being inside of these women. Yes, I am glad that this law is here now, and I hope and pray that it will make a positive difference.

In Christ,

Hannah

Starting off the New Year

I was looking over my blog, trying to clear out unnecessary things and putting in new features. And I was realizing how often I begin my posts with an apology… I’ll work on that, because I know how irritating it can get! But the new features aren’t working anyway—I was going to make some tabs at the top, one with my email address on it, but I can’t seem to make it work. But I’ll get it working in a little bit! :)

This last year was a kind of odd year—sort of lackluster and limp. I hope to make this new year fuller with activity and life, and one of the things that I would love to do is this—blogging. I’m going to try to blog about the adventures in sewing that I’ll be doing a lot of in the coming year. I’ll blog about the art—painting, sketching and the like—that I need to be doing. And I’ll be blogging all the while, Lord willing, with what grace He will give me.

The first thing that I mentioned, blogging about sewing, was because right before the end of last year we had to clear out a whole bunch of our fabric out of our storage unit, and now it’s back in our house (or rather, our garage) taking up a lot of room. I don’t know when I started sewing. I probably did my first thing—a five inch by five inch pillow—when I was about seven or so, so I’ve been doing it for a little while, and probably 50% to 75% of my clothes are homemade. I really do enjoy making my own things—it’s a lot easier to control the size, modesty, and type of clothes that I wear. So that is going to be one thing that I want to blog about—sewing. :D

And the other thing—well, I think I need to go into this year with a lot of prayer in connection with painting. I want it to be a big thing in my life, but right now, I’m really afraid to go into it—probably because I am, essentially, a perfectionist—I am afraid of making a mistake, of ruining it. But I’ve recently been reminded that I need to stop abusing my gifts, even—or perhaps especially—by leaving them alone. There’s so much that God has planned for us—so much more than our own, stilted view of what we “should” do with our lives. If we’re supposed to have surrendered our lives over to the Great Redeemer, then doesn't that mean all of our lives, including His precious gifts?

So I hope to give more and more of this gift and any other gifts that He’s given me this year, and I hope to learn more about how He wants to use me. I know it’ll be a struggle, because anything in the pursuit of God will be opposed by His Enemy. But nonetheless, I know God has great things in store for this year, and I look forward to seeing His hand at work.

 

In Christ,

Hannah

I’m Back!

Well it seems like I’ve been away for quite a while, and for that I’m sorry! I really don’t want to let this blog disappear into the void of the internet. Truth be told, I chickened out of writing the dream that I said I would write. I might get around to writing it, but it’s a rather strange story, so for now I’ll just post other things.

And, just to cover what I’ve missed, Merry Christmas! Happy New Years! And Happy Epiphany! I almost wish that I could have more of Christmas this year, partly because my family had to, before December was over, get the stuff out of our storage unit (and we had a lot of stuff in there!). But the other reason is a little more involved.

As I listened to the Christmas Story, as read from the pages of Luke, and as I listened to the most beautiful seasonal music of all the year, Christmas music, I felt even more than usual the feeling that something enormous was starting, first when Zechariah heard the words of Gabriel and then later when Mary had her wonderful and miraculous Child, when the shepherdess came, and later when the Wise Men came. I’ve always known that something enormous was starting to form, when I read these stories—but this time, it was like when your going on a trip into the mountains. You can see them far away—little things, like blue anthills on the horizon—and then you get a little closer. They turn from little to something that is starting to form all of what you can see. And then, almost quite suddenly, you see that they are all around you, large, taller than imagination had formed when they were mere anthills. And not just the sights are different now; the sound is different, quieter and with the faintest of sighs of the wind in the pine trees; the smells are different, fresher and freer; and there’s that something else that I can only describe as—God is near.

That’s what this last Christmas season felt like for me—like I was just beginning to see the mountains looming with a strange and mysterious beauty that is far beyond my descriptions. Something is forming right now. Just putting myself back, thinking of how Christ prepared Himself, steadily and steadfastly walking forward into His own destruction—His death to give me Life. And then, like the moment when you come around one mountainside, and then you see the most breathtaking view, the glory of the valley, laid out plain for you to see—that’s what it was like, when Christ rid Himself of death, and rose unto Life Eternal. And that’s what I’m looking forward to, since the beginning of the Christmas season. The glory of Christ’s triumph.

I look eagerly forward to this Resurrection Sunday, although it is some time in the future. And I hope to write more posts between then and now, Lord willing.

 

In Christ,

Hannah