A Few Thoughts on Halloween

I know it's late, and this is the second time I'm posting today, but I so enjoyed this article from Mr. Phillips, President of Vision Forum.

The other night, I was walking with my Marmee at a local outdoor plaza. It was a lovely evening~ Marmee and I were in our skirts, and they fluttered like autumn butterflies in the breeze=) We meandered in a photographer's (Fisk, I think is his last name?) exhibit, and then headed towards the parking lot. A few feet from the parking lot, we came across a small make-up shop, where I actually shuddered at what was coming towards me.

Now, I don't know about you, but honestly, whitish looking ghoul faces is not my idea of all things lovely and pure.
Please, don't get me wrong~ I am the first person to volunteer to dress up... and I find nothing wrong with kids dressing up and going door to door to get candy.

But it's the origin, the reason, and what it's become that I don't understand and believe in.

I don't know how many young children showed up on my doorstep this evening, under six years old. They probably have never understood the concept. They just understand that one night of every year, they make a yearly trek around the neighborhood in costumes, and people give them sweet stuff. But who knows? Every time I heard a knock on the door, I took a deep breath... and prayed for the child, or even adult.

But oh~ there are also the little joys!
One little (four year old?)girl in particular, and her twin brother. Walked up the steps to our home, wide-eyed, and then grinned in delight. The girl dressed in her princess costume, and her brother in his little suit and superman's cape (which I deemed adorable!). So innocent. So sweet. So joyful.

Chester just loved them. He sat there, wagging his tail. They didn't even see him, and then as they were leaving, he gave a pitiful moan. The little girl saw him then, and literally squealed, "OH! Look at the DOGGIE!!!" The mom, of course, came back and ooh-ed with her daughter. Chester sat up. And fell down. And whined. And wagged his tail harder. And the little princess tried so hard to pet (she was so tiny she couldn't reach over the gate to keep the dogs in) him. And she was squealing the whole time.

Finally, she left.
And at the car, on the way down the hill, you could hear her squeal to her brother~ "Did you SEE the doggie?!?!"

Such pure joy.


The Five Scariest Things You Can Do This Halloween

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. (Proverbs 8:13)

Our country is in the grip of a fear crisis. The tension because of this fear is almost palpable. There is fear over elections, fear over the economy, and fear over hundreds of other issues ranging from the environment to terrorism.

The one fear that America is missing is a fear of the Lord. As a people, we no longer fear God. Because we do not fear God, we no longer hate evil (Proverbs 8:13).

Instead of hating evil, Americans toy with it. We toy with holidays like Halloween that were conceived in evil and that promote the “cute-ification” of evil, whether that evil takes the form of witchcraft, sorcery, ghoulishness, or some other form of malevolent imagery paraded before our children. We laugh at the very things that the Lord describes as “abominations,” and we find ourselves obsessively fascinated by, and attracted to, all things dark.

Yet we do not fear the Lord.

Those who “hate evil” are very scary to a secular society that fears man more than God. They are scary because they dare to declare that there are absolute standards by which society must be governed. They are scary because, if they are successful, industries like Hollywood that make billions of dollars by promoting ungodly fear will lose their influence. They are scary because such people will not be swayed by political candidates who use fear as a tool for manipulation.

With this in mind, I offer you the five “scariest” things you can do this Halloween:

1. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to not make light of evil. Halloween was conceived in evil and has remained a celebration that uses children to promote a fascination with darkness and superstitious fear. Simultaneously, it makes light of things that the Bible describes as evil. Stand against such things, and the world will find you very scary indeed. The fear of the Lord makes men turn from evil (Proverbs 16:6).
2. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to not be fearful. The media wants you to be afraid of everything from overpopulation to global warming. The politicians want you to be afraid of the economy and political instability. God wants you to do what is morally right, trust Him completely, and never be gripped by an ungodly spirit of fear. You can place your trust and hope for this nation in the King of Kings. Jesus said: “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4-5). Believe this, and you will be light to the world.
3. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to completely skip Halloween and remember Reformation Day. It was 494 years ago that Martin Luther nailed his world-changing 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church. These theses included rebukes to ungodly fear and superstition. 502 years ago, sometime near October 31, a baby named John Calvin was conceived who would dedicate his life to eradicating an ungodly fear of superstitious beliefs and proclaiming the gospel of grace. His emphasis on reformation, revival, and the sufficiency of Scripture had such far-reaching implications for nations like the United States that he has been described by Christian and secular scholars alike as the true founding father of America. The Reformers did something that was very scary to the world of their day. They stood against all forms of dark superstitions which grip the minds and souls of men. It was their emphasis on the fear of the Lord and the wisdom of Holy Scripture that was used by God to liberate untold numbers of men and women. But to remember the Reformers instead of Halloween is very scary to the world. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
4. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to refuse to watch or allow your children to watch any of the toxic Halloween and horror films emerging from Hollywood. America’s fascination with ungodly fear has made horror the most popular and fastest-growing film genre among youth. When parents allow their children to toy with this genre, they promote ungodly fear, and they contribute to the fear-factories in Hollywood that prey upon the youth of our culture. Say “no” to Hollywood horror and you will be dangerously scary to the media elite. “Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence....?” (Jeremiah 5:22).
5. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to get on your knees as a mother and father and pray that the Lord will send you many children who will fear God, not man — children who will especially shun the glorification of witchcraft, the bondage of ungodly fear, and the “cute-ification” of evil that is promoted through holidays like Halloween. Cultures that toy with evil end up being cultures of death. The Christian response is to be a people of life. That means babies. It means fearing God by honoring His command to “be fruitful and multiply.” It means remembering that the Scripture describes children as a “blessing” and a “reward.” Raise children that fear God more than man, and that will be answer enough to our Halloween-and darkness-obsessed culture; for if you trust God over your womb and commit your children to a holy education, you will be very scary to the modern world. “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 34:11).

It's a beautiful night... even thought it's a dark one... and when it's dark out? Oh, it's so much easier to see the stars... my Abba is smiling..

Oh, I am so in love with Jesus!

The Bracelet~ A Legacy of Love

{Pause Playlist at Bottom of Page}

I recently finished reading, Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson... my Marmee and I joke about this, because I absolute love to read all those child-rearing books... Have a New Kid Friday (Dr. Kevin Leman), and Bringing Up Girls are two of the tops on my list.=)

I started at the beginning, and then a skipped around just a bit... and happened upon the "Dating v. Courting" section.

And I found this story. It's perfect. It's lovely. It's inspiring and

I don't agree with everything in this story (i.e.- any guy she wants=P) but I love the concept of the bracelet.

Charming Your Daughter

By Sarah Kistler

Sweet Sixteen had finally come! I never thought I'd make it. But I did. And it was amazing. My parents threw the birthday party of the century, and I had more people over than I could count. The whole day had been awesome. But as I watched the sun begin to set, I knew the best part was soon to come.

It was late in the evening. Confetti had been swept up, helium balloons had started to sag, and gift wrapping had been folded up neatly and tucked away for my mom's later use. As I sat by my window studying the dusky sky, Dad peeked into my room with a smile.

"Ready to go, Sweetie?" he asked.

Was that a trick question? I wondered as I scrambled to my feet. I'd been waiting for this night for five long years, and it was finally here! I was now officially allowed to date! The plan was for my parents and me to go to my favorite restaurant on the night of my sixteenth birthday and officiate the agreement and discuss rules and such. And now we were finally on the way.

I sat across from my parents in a quiet corner booth. Having just placed our orders, I figured it was time to get on with it. "So. I can go out with any guy I want to right?" I squealed, hardly able to contain my excitement.

Mom and Dad chuckled. Dad answered, "Well, we agreed to that, didn't we?"

"Sweet!" I exclaimed, doing a little victory dance in my seat.

My parents had held me off for years, but now that the time had come, they would let me date any guy I wanted! Of course they knew I had a good relationship with God and wasn't too short on common sense, either.

"Now wait just a second," Mom interrupted with a smile.

"You have to agree to a little something yourself."

I was expecting a lecture of some sort, so I was already prepared. "So what do I have to do now?" I asked, leaning forward on my elbows.

"Just open this," Dad answered, producing a small white box. He gave a mysterious smile.

I hesitated a moment before removing the curly pink ribbon. I slowly opened the lid and saw a beautiful silver bracelet. But not just any bracelet. It was a charm bracelet. And they weren't just any charms. They were gemstones, small but gorgeous. A dozen dainty charms dangled gently.

"Wow" I didn't know what to say. I wasn't expecting this at all.

"Now you have to understand this isn't just any bracelet," Mom informed me.

"I know," I said. "It is so beautiful!" I studied it closer. There were six small charms alternating with six tinier ones. The smaller ones were a deep blue. Sapphires, I guessed. And the other six were each different. One appeared to be just a rock, one was pink, a white one, a red one, green, and... was that a diamond?

"This charm bracelet is symbolic," Dad explained, leaning in closer to study it with me. "It Represents you and your purity. This is what will guide you through your dating relationships. You mother and I can only tell you what's right. We can't make you believe it yourself. Hopefully, this will."

I looked up solemnly. "I'm listening."

"This represents the first time you hold a guy's hand," Mom said, pointing to the gray one. "It's just a piece of polished granite. Seemingly cheap, yes, but it's still a part of your bracelet. This is pink quartz."

Then she gently rubbed the next one between her fingers. "It represents your first kiss."

"This green one is an emerald," Dad continued.  "This is your first boyfriend. The pearl is the first time you say 'I love you' to a man other than me."

I giggled. This was so amazing.

"The ruby stands for your first engagement. And the diamond represents the first time you say 'I do,'" Mom finished.

After letting that all sink in, I cleared my emotion-clogged throat.  "What do the six tiny sapphires stand for?" I asked.

"Those are to remind you how beautiful and valuable you are to us and God," Dad replied.  "Now here's the hitch in all this, the one and only rule you'll ever have to follow when it comes to dating."

Only one rule. Sounded good.  But little did I know...

"Whenever you give one of these actions of love - a kiss, an 'I love you,' a hand to hold - you also have to give the recipient the gem to match."

I must've misunderstood. "I have to give him the gem?"

"You have to give it to him," Mom restated.  I was silent for a moment.  I thought they must be joking.

But they weren't even thinking of cracking a smile.

"But Daddy!" I suddenly shrieked.  "These are insanely expensive!  I can't just give them away!:

He gave a soft, loving chuckle.  "Did you hear what you just said?"  I thought about it.

"Baby, your purity, your heart, they're far more valuable than a few little rocks.  If you can't find it in your heart to give away your charms, I don't think you should be giving away the things they represent."

I could feel my insides melting, ready to gush out my tear ducts.  On the other hand, it made me feel valuable and precious.  But on the other, it made me furious.  It made no sense.  But it would.


A few weeks after that night, I was hanging out with my friends at the beach.  Chad wouldn't swim because I wouldn't swim.  I was more interested in reading than getting caked with sand and he was more interested in sitting with me than swimming with his buddies.  He was sweet.  He was cute.  And he tried to hold my hand.

I was thrilled for a nanosecond when a certain piece of ugly granite flashed through my mind and made me move out of his reach.  I was severely annoyed - annoyed at my parents, annoyed at my bracelet-turned-handcuffs, but most of all, annoyed at myself.  I was letting a little rock dominate my romantic life.

I furiously glared at it during the whole embarrassing walk to the bathhouse.  But then God hit me upside the head with a shocking epiphany.  I couldn't give up a little chunk of granite.  It was a part of my bracelet, which in a sense made it a part of me.  I wouldn't be whole without it.  It wasn't a priceless gem, yet it was still valuable.  It made sense after that.

Kevin came along eventually.  We had fun.  We hung out a lot.  I thought I might love him.  I thought I might tell him so .  I thought of my pearl.

It turned out that I didn't love him as much as I thought I did.

So my parents had been right.  They couldn't make me believe the things they wanted me to believe.  So they let God and my bracelet do the work instead.  Among the four of them, I figured out how valuable I was.  How valuable my purity was.  How not valuable guys were who were just wasting my time and emotions.  If they weren't in it for the whole bracelet, why should they get one part of it?

Nate.  He thought my bracelet was awesome.  So he never tried to hold my hand.  He never tried to kiss me.  But he asked me to marry him.  

I never knew that so many years of torture could amount to so much happiness.  I'd thought it was silly.  I'd thought it was overrated.  But now, I have never been more glad of anything in my life.

As I gave my husband the charm bracelet in its entirety, I wondered why I had found it so hard to hang on to those little rocks when it was so amazing to give them all to the man I truly loved.

But it didn't end there.  Now our daughter wears it.

*sniff*
Isn't that precious? I think the story tells it all.

Many blessings, friends!

Revealing Himself through All Things

Last night was TBC... and I usually get tons of notes from the books we read. Lately we've been going through Radical by David Platt... and oh, goodness…

David Platt is so convicting. Or rather, G-d is so convicting… through the chapters we’ve been reading…

I am so in love with Him.

In a few days I'll be posting/wrapping up the articles I've been scribbling furiously in my notebook/journal/prayer journal/gratitude journal/you-get-the-picture-notebook.

 

Everywhere I turn

Everything I see

Reminds me of the joy You bring to me.

And I need You so don’t let me go…

{Artist~ Rachel Lampa, Secret Place}

{Album~ Live for You}

Tonight, though, you just get a little interesting tidbit from before my scribbles- how G-d reveals Himself through the smallest, tiniest, most insignificant things... and to me. I feel so unworthy.

Let me give you an example.

Tonight, I was going into my bathroom to remove the clean clothes hanging on the shower there (for drying purposes). And as I looked behind the door, there, sitting on my blue skirt, was a humongous bug (roach)- the whole package: antennae twitching, big, brown, big, ancy-looking, big, scary, big, will-run-towards-you-if-you-scream, and did I mention BIG?!?!? I think I did.

I’m not normally a worried bug person… but cockroaches- oh, they are my fear (I know, I know… I need to get over it; but when my Daddy’s home, and he’s available, you better believe I yell for him--- well actually don’t yell…read on)… I screamed. And I do think I must have a bug-alert kind of scream. Grace-Hope, who was in who room, yelled, “Daddy, there’s a bug!”

How does she know these things???

My Daddy, in the midst of the World Series, being the wonderful, kind, compassionate father he is, jumped off the chesterfield, grabbed his shoe, and came to my aid, before I could yell his name- or scream again.

Pretty soon, the unwelcome visitor was on the ground... and disposed of.

I probably just about bored you to death right there (or else I frightened you away by my craziness=P). But.. I got to thinking-

How much is our Abba like that? Not in the sense of smacking bugs dead with a shoe, but instead, always by my side. All I did was cry for help… and my Daddy was there. How much more will my Heavenly Daddy be there for me, for things even my own daddy cannot take care of? Just like when, in different situations, it only takes a matter of a whispered prayer, and it’s solved… my predicament may not be solved on the outside, but in my heart, I have given all my worries to Him… and it is solved in my heart because of my Abba’s grace.

I've been home with my sweet little sister for the past week... Alexandrea and Marmee were out of town. Let me tell you, taking care of a seven-year-old child, her school-work, your school-work, your home, and meals, is no picnic. I'm *so* glad my Daddy was there (except for the mornings he had to work..). But, it taught me much patience. And submissiveness. And just how much my Marmee does for me. And I just had to smile to myself and say, "future keeper-at-home training." :-)

Another example is that of cheese. Several months ago, I was in the kitchen preparing dinner with my Marmee.  And it was hard for me to actually cut into some cheese (later I found out it was because I was in the midst of a great chat with her, and was so distracted I was trying to cut the wrong side of the cheese… the rind;)… I kept trying by myself with no results that I wanted. So I asked my Marmee to help me with it. Of course, she immediately saw what the problem was.

“It’s important that our hearts are like that,” I said thoughtfully.
“Blog article!” she smiled.
:-)

But truly- G-d was revealing Himself to me through cheese.
He doesn’t want my heart to be so hardened either to Him or my parents that He’s not able to get to me and heal and bring me to submission. He wants my heart to be soft, submissive, and pliable.

I know these are seemingly “silly” little incidents… but I still love how G-d reveals Himself. Truly, He does have a sense of humor… I wonder just how He thought He would teach/remind me of these things.... happy thought!

:-) 

What about you? Once I saw how G-d even cared about my Marmee’s sunglasses (long story… around ten years ago… shows just how memorable it was to me!), it’s been interesting and fun, and oh, such a blessing! -to look for other ways He reveals Himself to me… and convicting, too.

Have there been any experiences you’ve been through, no matter how small, that have been ways of G-d showing Himself to you? I’d love to hear about them=)

Bye for now! Many blessings~

Article and All Pictures Copyright of Sierra McKenzie, 2011

If you wish to use, please email hishandmaiden.theblog@gmail.com

Wednesday Weekly Favorites {Week 3} & *Words* Winner

Hello Friends,

Here is another round of Wednesday Weekly Favorites=)

Linking Up This or Below to Kelsey's Photo Challenge

Kelsey, take your pick=)

~My Favorite Things from This Week~

1) My Daddy taking me golfing=)

2) Spending time with Grace-Hope

3) Watching Aunty Eunice get surprised by Marmee and Alexandrea=D

~My Favorite Bible Verse from This Week~
"And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new... It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes shall inherit these thing, and I will be His G-d, and he will be My son." ~Revelation 21:5-7


~Favorite Picture from This Week~

Beautiful sister, no?

<3

~Favorite Posts~
Perception and Expectation by Rachel at Maid for More
He Does All Things Well by Melanie over at Forever His Servant
~Our Merciful Shepherd~ by Kelsie-Anne over at Kelsie's Wonderful Adventures
Always a Time by Annie over at Pixels and Stories
When Confrontation is Necessary by ~Miss Raquel over at God's Daughter


~Favorite Quote~
"To be lovely, to be genteel,to be reserved and yet friendly,to be bubbly and yet calm,to run harder than ever yet to know when to sit still,to speak when I have something important to sayand hold my tongue whenI do not.to strive and yet to depend,to be vivacious and yet posses a quiet spirit,This is to be a lady. This is what I truly desire."
~Anonymous

It's now on my sidebar.

~Favorite Songs~
The One Thing by Paul Colman
You Love Me Anyway by Sidewalk Prophets
Be Born in Me by Francesca Battistelli
Born for This by Mandisa
Hold Me by Jamie Grace

~*~*~*~*~*~

And this week's photography challenge winner is

Carli-Nicole!
Congratulations, Carli! That was a beautiful photo=)
(Go to her flickr page listed on the post below to see)

This week's photo challenge (suggested by my friend Katherine;) is
friendship and family.
Because my sisters are two of my closest friends=)
I'm really excited to see what you come up with for this one...

Each photo must link back to ~His Handmaiden~

The photo must be taken by you=)

You do not need to have a blog to enter; a flickr or facebook link is fine.

Absolutely no inappropriate links/entries, or else your entry will be deleted. I preivew all comments.

The photo challenge will end on October 29th.

Have loads of FUN!

I'll be posting my top picks (if I get enough, otherwise I will post all of them as I've been doing) and will leave a vote on the sidebar so y'all can pick, too=)

Have a lovely, blessed day~! Any favorites you've had this week? I'd love to hear about 'em!

*Words* Photo Challenge Finalists

Hello Friends!

I know you've been waiting for the entries from the *Words* photo challenge... and here they are=)

Submitted by Jemimiah C. over at Beautiful Blank Pages

Submitted by Emma over at Dushanbe... Where in the World is That?

And go here to see Carli Nicole's lovely photo as well!

"Even So"

The polls are on the sidebar, so go vote- they close Wednesday=)

Any ideas for a new photo challenge? Leave them in the comment section!

Many blessings~!

What Do They See in Me...?

A couple of months ago found me sitting on the trunk of a car at Arches National Park in Moab Utah (about 5 hrs. north of Cedar City), talking about bedtime routines (bedtime routines: how I have a certain “bed-time” … and then I get hold of a certain book… and all plans go to the wayside if I’m not careful) with a good friend from Shakespeare, sitting on another car trunk. Then all of a sudden, out of the blue, a question was popped: “You have to get up early for a "morning class" though, don’t you?”

"Morning Class" (re-named) is a Bible class of sorts for the teenage members of a certain church/religion. The friend I was with I’d known for a couple of years; and, as I am, a disciple of Jesus.

“No,” I replied simply, “I’m not of that sect.” “You’re not?!?!?!”  I’m pretty sure this friend of mine had assumed that I was because we’d gotten to know each other in that sort of community. But then, my mind wandered- because what if we were not in that setting.. would I be different, set apart?

“You are the light of the world,” my Bible tells me, “a city on a hill cannot be hidden.” All my friends know me as a Christian; but that verse says, “You are the light of the world.”  World meaning… only my friends?  Just as when Jesus said “neighbors” in Matthew 5:, He means my “enemies” too. He also means that when I walk into a store, it is to be in such a way that “the world” will see my Father up in heaven, and glorify Him.

I want people to see that light of my Jesus when they look at my face. Being confronted in this manner was really eye-opening for me- how will people ever understand the true grace of G-d if they see nothing different in me? They won’t.

Let’s say you walk into a grocery store, and watch a mother pull a Gospel tract out of her packet to hand to another young mother trying to keep her children apart as they fight with each over which breakfast cereal tastes better. You now scrutinize the first woman more closely; does she really have something here? Or is she just another person out there trying to fix everybody else?  You aimlessly follow her around the store; you’re very interested here- the groceries can wait. But when you’re in the dairy aisle, her phone rings. When she picks it up, a frown crosses her face, and she (a little too harshly) reprimands her child, pulling on her skirt. A cloud has passed over; and by the time the little family is at the checkout cline, the woman looks as frazzled and frustrated as the woman she first gave the tract to. “Just another piece of paper,” you think. You turn around, unchanged. And walk out of the grocery store without a backward glance.

For to me, to live is Christ… we’ve pretty much all heard that at one time or another, but how often do we practice it, and get a chance to show Christ’s love?

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” Today is a gift- a gift from G-d! Are we going to use it for Him, or us? Are we going to show His love, or just be the girl next door? It’s your choice.

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. With His help, I’m going to live soli Deo Gloria- for the glory of G-d alone.

Article and all pictures, Copywrite, 2011, Sierra Brewer

The L-rd's Day

Hello Friends,

I hope you are having a blessed Sabbath day... I know I've neglected this little project for a couple of weeks... but here we are again=)

For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, that I might live to G-d. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and I live by faith in the Son of G-d who loved me. ~Galatians 2:18-20

So, until I accept Christ, I'm always, always, always going to go back, sway, begin to once again operate in the flesh... the problem with our culture today is that we're decieved- oh, so easily!- by thinking we can make wise decisions on our own; when to find true joy, comfort, and security, we must only trust in the L-rd with all our hearts, and acknowledge Him as leader (Proverbs 3:5-6). We have the propensity to do wrong; we were born with it... and only by our Abba's grace can we be washed white as snow. Pure, holy... I can never be on my own. When I re-commited my life to my First Love... it took a big switch. I was not a "bad" girl... by the world's standards I was a very good person.

But when I re-commited... oh friends! how much more did He live through me.

It is my prayer...

that G-d would live through me... because I am so in tune with Him, listening to His voice.

A person I know says, "Control your desires, or they'll control you." However, I think a better way to put it is simply to lay all at the feet of Jesus, to walk with Him and surrender all, and He will author the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4)... no one else.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lastly, would you mind heading over to A Ray of Sunshine and voting for me? I was picked as a finalist in her *Music* photo challenge! I would so appreciate it=)

Article and All Pictures Copyright of Sierra Brewer, 2011

For permission to use, please email hishandmaiden.theblog@gmail.com

More Than Enough~ & *Music* Photo Challenge Winner

And all of You is more than enough for

All of me

…every thirst and every need…

You satisfy me

With Your love,

And all I have in You

Is more than enough.

Always enough...

It is hard to hear such words when the soul is in such turmoil.
It hurts

Today I am what one would call, “splendidly imperfect.”

It is splendid because my Abba reminded me of this song…

And these truths.

To know that G-d sees the depths of my soul…

And loves me anyways.

I see my doubt and my fear.

I remember that it is in the dark valleys that the stars shine the brightest,
shouting G-d's glory.

His faithfulness.

Because it’s harder to see stars when you are in the city, in light.

It’s so much easier to see the stars when you are in darkness.

The footprints story.

His carrying me through.

But oh friends… how lovely it is to know that this is yet perfecting me.

His power is made perfect in my simple weakness.

Even though the journey's long
And I know the road is hard,
The One who’s gone before me,

He will help me carry on

And after all that I've been through,
Now I realize the truth:
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of G-d.

L-rd, help me find Your love in my frustration,
Your joy in my heartache,
Your peace in my fear,
Your glory in this valley

And any more I will go through…

Because You have planned my days before I was born.

Every joy.

Every whisper.

Every sigh.

Every fear.

Every ache.

Help me to want to be like You.

Help me to remember that You are always...Always...

Enough.
G-d bless you, my friends... He has truly blessed me... every day, no matter how hard, I am still His child and I still have His eternal, precious love… and I am so, so underserving.

That makes the worst of days glorious.

Another bath it will be… in His love.

And His grace.

I am at peace.

How good He is to me.

And I am His because He is.

~*~*~*~*~ 

Linking Up to Kelsey's Photo Challenge

And, I would like to announce that the winner of the *Music* Photography Challenge is....

...Emma!

                                   

Congratulations, Emma! This picture really is lovely! I love the background and the silhouette *so* much! Great job!

So.

Ready for a NEW photo challenge? 

The theme is.....

WORDS!

suggested  by my wonderful friend, Emma;)

Feel free to go wild on this one... words are truly a part of our world... you can use books, something that looks like "poetry" (via Anne of Green Gables;), scrabble tiles (my personal favorite=)... whatever makes your heart think,

"Ahh! There's words!"

;-)

~Rules~

Each photo must link back to ~His Handmaiden~

The photo must be taken by you=)

You do not need to have a blog to enter; a flickr or facebook link is fine.

Absolutely no inappropriate links/entries, or else your entry will be deleted. I preivew all comments.

The photo challenge will end on October 21st.

Have loads of FUN!I'll be posting my top picks (if I get enough, otherwise I will post all of them as I've been doing) and will leave a vote on the sidebar so y'all can pick, too=)

No Wednesday Weekly Favorites this week. .. next week, perhaps. 

Joy, Friends! Many Blessings!     

Article and All Pictures (Except where Noted) Copyright of Sierra Brewer, 2011 

Purity Week

yes, i'm re~posting. jade from enchanted whimsy has some beautiful, and true to her name, whimsical posts... and all give glory to our G-d. if you're not already connected with her i suggest you go follow her right away=)

personally, truly~

I would rather have a Robin Hood who cares not for what men think of him, who lives for adventure, who whole heartedly gives his life to the least in his King's country and because of this, has no possessions to speak of, than a Prince Charming who would whisk me off to a castle of comfort and ease and a life where we do nothing that matters...but that's just me. So, the conclusion is that I am not waiting for Prince Charming after all, but Robin Hood...:-) 

oh, yes, but i'm a romantic girl. notice when i say, 'a'. i'm the first one to, 'awwwww!' at something sweet (many can attest;). when alexandrea and i watch love's enduring promise, i absolutely melt when missie and willie are at their first home in the middle of no-where, and missie confronts willie when he's about to go in, and he scoops her up and carries her over the threshold. and i'm  always the first one to cry at happy endings in a book or movie.

get my point?

the catch is where i say 'a' romantic. i can't wait 'till, in a few years or several, whichever the L-rd best sees fit, my future husband picks me up to carry me over the threshold of our new home... but he will be my future husband who does this... not any guy on the street. i'm saving my gifts for him. and i know, i promise right now, that he will appreciate it, just as i will appreciate his waiting for me.

i suppose this is the right time to announce my latest project, 'purity week.'

i'm sooooo super excited about this:) i have some wonderful guest-posters lined up for every day, and my prayer is that you will be blessed, strengthened, fulfilled, re-juvenated, because sister {or brother}, the world (alas!) is not going to like the fact that you've pledged yourself to to purity... rather, is it going to try to persuade, trap, and trick you.

there will also be a forum set up for you to comment, or you can join in on this pledge by a simple challenge/post i will be giving each day; and there will be a giveaway as well. you can go ahead and grab the button from the right sidebar, and link up at the end of this post (when purity week begins;) so that others can see what you come up with if you participating:) if not, grab the button anyways to get others involved~!

want to help with 'Purity Week'? leave a comment with a question/idea to involve others.

*Music* Photo Challenge Finalists

Hello Friends!

Here are the photo challenge participants/entries in the *Music* photo challenge. It was so beautiful to see all your unique entries! Music is truly one thing I could not live without... a precious gift from G-d.

And if we're using it for His glory? That's even more wonderful.

Submitted by Emma over at Dushanbe... Where in the World is That?

 

 

Submitted by Melanie over at His Creations Photography

 

 

Submitted by Jemimah over at Beautiful Blank Pages

 

 

Submitted by Kaeleen at Carrying an Umbrella During a Drought

 

And there you are... the polls are on the right sidebar, so go vote for your favorite! They will be closing on Wednesday.

Also, any suggestions for a new photo challenge theme? I'd love to hear any ideas!

Wednesday Weekly Favorites {Week Two} & Music Photo Challenge

Hello, my Friends! Ready for another round of Wednesday Weekly Favorites?

Linking up This ^ one and the below one to A Ray of Sunshine's Photo Challenge. Kelsey, you can take your pick:)

~My Favorite Things from This Week~

1) Participating in the Shakespeare Competition

2) Watching all the Talented Actors/Actresses at the Shakespeare Competition

3) An Excellent Pair of New Piano Students=)

4) Having Some Family Time Last Night

~My Favorite Bible Verse This Week~

"Delight yourself in the L-rd, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

-Psalm 37:4

~Favorite Picture from This Week~

Yep=)

~Favorite Posts~

With Open Hands and a Willing Heart, by Melanie over at Forever His Servant

Understanding Submission... by Miss Bethany over at Resting... in Him

Prayer... Immediately and What are My Talents? by Tiffani over at Embraced by Him

Little Dwellings, by Kimberly over at Amusing

~Favorite Quote~
"If you would understand Christ's words fully and taste them truly, you must strive to form your WHOLE LIFE after His example." ~Thomas a Kempis

~Favorite Songs~

I'm With You by Nichole Nordeman and Amy Grant (new recording)
Dirt Road Prayer by Lauren Alaina

Love and Laundry and King of the World by Point of Grace

You Hold Me Now by Rebecca St. James

Strong Enough by Matthew West

This is the Stuff by Francesca Battistelli

What have been your favorites this past week?

~*~*~*~*~

Also, I would like to announce that the winner you chose for the *Joy* Photo Challenge is Alexandrea!

Congratulations, Alexandrea! You win a brand-new pair of bragging rights;)

Ready for a NEW photo challenge?

The theme is.....

Music

Anything that reminds you of music, that is actually music, is an instrument, enter=)

~Rules~Each photo must link back to ~His Handmaiden~

The photo must be taken by you=)

You do not need to have a blog to enter; a flickr or facebook link is fine.

Absolutely no inappropriate links/entries, or else your entry will be deleted. I preivew all comments.

The photo challenge will end on October 15th.

Have loads of FUN!
I'll be posting my top picks and will leave a vote on the sidebar so y'all can pick, too=)
This is optional, but I know how fun it is when people browse around and leave comments for a few other entries:) Try it?

I can't wait to see the entries!

love,

sierra

"Bye for Now..."

"Oh, and this is going on..."

"...Did you know that?..."

"...school is going pretty well..."

"...I wish I could see you..."

"...Alright... love you..."

"...Bye for now."

I'm not one to enjoy speaking much on the telephone. But I absolutely love talking with my Aunty Eunice; who lives across the country, who I don't get to talk with very often, and who always lifts my spirits.

And she always ends her phone conversations with, "Bye for now."

For now. It isn't forever. If something happened and I died tomorrow, it wouldn't be a 'goodbye'... because new life would just be beginning. Since she is saved by G-d's grace, and I am saved by G-d's grace, there is truly no goodbye, since we shall ever meet.

"Aloha" in Hawaiian means, "Hello" but also, "Goodbye." And I think that is so beautiful... the one word that means completely opposite of hello, but gives you that sense of welcome...

I know, when we get to heaven, there will be no, 'aloha.' Well, there may be- but only in the welcoming sense of the word. I want to be the welcoming 'aloha' to all my friends and family. And when we say goodbye, I also hope and pray that the 'aloha' will be continued... that even if something happens, we will still meet again in the future- in G-d's kingdom.

This may sound depressing... but to me, it's beautiful. I can imagine Jesus coming to me, and saying, "Welcome, My child. We will never be separated."

How good and gracious He is to me. And how I love Him...

aloha... for now

sierra

Article and Pictures Copyright of Sierra Brewer, 2011

The Shakespeare Competition! 2011

Click Here to See the Shakespeare Competition 2010 Experience in Pictures=)

So... here I am... back at home. The journey? Well, while it was a success, it was also another experience to learn from. Not necessarily new, but still, one to understand and glean from.

Ready for some pictures? Several thousands of words?

-October 5th-

This was when we first crossed the border into Utah... though it was fairly freezing the whole entire way. Let me tell you, coming from 110 degree summers to... well, look at the next few pictures;) It's a humongous switch.

Yep. It's a huge difference. And guess what else? 'Twas snowing when we got there! ^_^ *glee*

Lovely, is it not?

Here we are- flipping out, we're so excited^_^ Can you tell?;)

-October 6th-

The next morning (since we got in around 7pm), we went to the auditorium to check in, and then to walk around the campus figuring out which rooms we were in for the compeition that afternoon. Those of us in the "Essex!" division were Alexandrea and Isabel (Alexandrea-Viola; Isabel-Clown: Twelfth Night scene), Powers (Cassisus monologue from Julius Caesar), Hunter (Brutus monologue from Julius Caesar, whom he played this last summer in our performance), and moi (Tamora cutting from Titus Andronicus)... those in Mrs. Ward's school were part of the "Westminster!" division.

Can you see how tickled pink Isabel, Me, and Alexandrea are in the elevator? ;)

^^We came across a group practicing their ensemble scene from Titus Andronicus. Oh goodness they were good... and... bloody...;)

Here we are~ getting into character.

I love these people=)

Ah, and look! *dramatic voice with an English accent*

The Old Globe Theatre!

A group practicing their ensemble scene on campus at SUU

Grace-Hope in front of the camera=) Isn't she darling?

We found a lovely ensemble scene being practiced... not sure what it was, but they were excellent actors.

See? They look so sweet and pretty=)

Macbeth in kilts? But of course!

Let me tell you, you never know what you're going to see here...

Then, back we went to the hotel rooms to practice and relax before we had to go compete in our three seperate rounds at 3:30.

When 3:30 came, off we were to our rounds. Actually, off we were to watch Alexandrea and Isabel do their amazing, hilarious, spectacular scene~! And they did beautifully. After that, Hunter, Powers, and I headed off to our rooms which were (thankfully!) in the same building... at least in the first round.

Would you believe that I got no pictures whatsoever?!?! The "friend with a camera," the "photographer" failed in her task;) BUT, we got videos of everything, and once I figure out my YouTube password again for the umpteenth time, they shall be posted... and you shall see everything=)

My Marmee, being the wonderful one she is, got this pictures of me before my first round=)

And after that was over... at around 8:30-ish at night, we went to watch several ensemble scenes, from A Midsummer Night's Dream, to Macbeth. Home we came... to "crash"... or not. Instead we ran into Angela's group, who were practicing their scenes/monologes for the following morning. We had a blast watching, sticking our toes into the jacuzzi, and chatting with everyone=)

Then did we go crash? Nope;) I stayed up 'till around 12:30-ish journaling. Did I mention I am an avid journaler of Shakespeare and anything I love?;)

-October 7th-

Next Morning~

I think I scared everyone... myself included. When we were parking, I screamed, "There's Lark!!!!!" This sweet girl Zekie and I met at Monticello College retreat in Monticello this past summer. We'd tried to figure out a day when we could get together, but we were unable to contact each other till we were e in Cedar. This- was totally a G-d thing. Apparently, she'd left for work ten minutes early, and the only parking place we were able to find just happenewd to be the one that she was coming up the sidewalk on.  I jumped out of the car and ran to give her a gigantic hug. While she still had to get to work, she promised to come and join us all later. Thank You, Jesus!

After that, we went to watch Zekie (Marc Antony monologue, Julius Caesar, the same character he played this summer in our performance) do his monologue, complete with suit, white shades, and a New Jersey accent;) Everyone loved it! Video coming soon;)

Here we are:

Powers, Zekie, Hunter, Isabel, Alexandrea, Moi

Angela going over Zekie's scene with Hunter=)

Well aren't we hilarious?

Top Row- Raven (Lady Macbeth Monologue, Macbeth) Helen (Twelfth Night scene with Gizelle; playing Viola), Hunter (Brutus Monologue, Julius Caesar), Zekie (Mark Antony Monologue, Julius Caesar), Ndungi (Othello scene with Christina and Sophia; playing Othello), Powers (Cassius Monologue, Julius Caesar).

Second Row- Christina (Desdemona from Othello), Gizelle (Viola from Twelfth Night), Sophia (Emilia from Othello), Moi (Tamora Monologue from Titus Andronicus), and Henry.

Then we went to see the Othello scene, performed by Christina (Desdemona), Sophia (Emilia), and Ndungi (Othello). It was incredible!

Western Christian Highschool~Helen, Christina, Henry, Zekie, Gizelle, Ndungi, Sophia, and Raven.

That night found most of us in the auditorium for the awards' ceremony... which was, as usual, amazing.

According to the boys', we "won..."

"nothing."

Poor girls who stayed at the hotel and were totally tricked by this;)

But you know, who were we to feel down about this? Sure we felt discouraged, but it was the joy and excitement of being there all together that mattered! Sarah and I decided to go to PartyCity and buy a bunch of trophies and write on there how we all won=) Lark was there, and Zekie and I enjoyed catching up with her (and doing our monologues for her;).

And so... we went to dinner.

Ohhhh, yes. Celebration!

Aren't we a beautiful group? ;)

Me, Lark, Helen, and Sarah

You'll never know how random this picture is... nor how hilarious the outcome;)

The girls decided that we were totally going to pull an all-nighter... it being the last night and all;)

'Twas such fun... chatting, laughing, having a lovely time in general. How I wish it could have lasted longer...

-October 8th-

We awoke the following morning in time to say goodbye to our new friends (of Western Christian), and (believe it or not!) watch the sun rise from behind the snow-capped mountains.

This, my friends, was the result of our staying up so late and getting up so early;)

We don't know when we'll see each other again... but we're tied together by the bonds of Christ.

As we drew into sight of home... this is what met our eyes.

Utah... is beautiful... it's snowy... it's cool weather...

But California... as wacky as it may be;)... is home to me... for now.

And I love it.

The Shakespeare Competition is over... for now. You don't know just how much I wanted to scream and literally "freak" like so many of the other groups that won... but more days are ahead. It may not be for always... but Shakespeare is a part of me... I'm Shakespeare "through and through," in the words of Zekie;)

And again... I can't wait until next year.

in Him,

sierra