May 29, 2006

Where In The World. . .Is Hannah-Liz?

I'll be goin' out of town for a few days. And you know what? I'm not going to tell you where I'm going! I'll give you a few hints. . .and see if you can figure it out.

Hints:

#1: It has Europe's largest economy.

#2: It is Europe's 2nd most populous country.

#3: The Bavarian Alps run through part of this country.

#4: Is home to the Black Forest.

#5: Has a flag very similar to Belgium's flag.

Can you guess? (Kaitlin, don't tell!)

Bible Verse (Psalm 119:33)


Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.

Psalm 119:33

May 23, 2006

I'm not Dating......I'm Waiting

When I was little, there was one subject that would make me mad. . . .boyfriends. One time, when I was younger, someone asked me if there were any boys that I liked (or something like that) and my dad told them that they better not talk about that with me because I’d get angry.


To give a few more examples:

When I was around 5 years old, there was little boy in my Sunday School class who like me. Well, I remember one Sunday, I sat down at the table and he came and sat down across from me. I didn’t like that so I scooted over to the empty seat that was beside me. And he couldn’t do the same thing because someone was already sitting in the seat beside him. Then when I was about 6 years old, there was this little boy (I’d say he was around 7) who asked me to be his girlfriend. Well. . . .after he said it he probably wished he hadn’t. I got really mad at him and he began to apologize. (He was most likely afraid I would tell on him and get him in trouble.)

Now I don’t get angry with you. . . .I take the opportunity to tell you my view of dating. (As I get older and am asked questions like this more and more. . . .there will most likely be times I'll choose to not go into the details though. It would just depend on the circumstances and the person asking the question.)

What is my view you may ask?

Here was my view when I was younger:

I always said I wanted to be older to date. And at the time 18 sounded old. So I said I didn’t want to date until I was 18.

Then as I got older:

I started tossing the idea around in my head. . . .what if I dated around 15-16?


But then:

I got Joshua Harris’s book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. And out went the idea about dating and in came the idea of. . . .waiting. Yes. . . .I have “Kissed Dating Goodbye!” And I’m not sorry for the choice at all. I’m so glad that God helped me to find a better way.

Kissing dating goodbye has really given me a lot of freedom most girls don’t have.
I don’t have to worry about finding a boyfriend and then trying to hang on to him. I don’t have to worry about a boyfriend pressuring me to sin.

Also, kissing dating goodbye has helped (or maybe I should say has protected) my relationship with God. Instead of running to a boyfriend to find acceptance and companionship, I run to God. I find my worth and value in Him. . . .not in guys.

Does this mean I will never ever date/court? No. . . .it just means I’m waiting for God’s perfect timing and God’s perfect choice for me. Dating/courting to me is not a game. If God ever leads me into this kind of relationship, it will be with the purpose of marriage in mind. I can’t marry right now, I’m way too young. And I won’t be ready for many, many more years. So right now it is not the right time for me to even be considering it. Like Joshua Harris says, “The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.” Marriage is a good thing, but at the wrong time, it is the wrong thing.

And I’m waiting for “the one” God has for me (if God has marriage for me someday). Why am I letting God choose for me? God made me, He knows me completely. He can make a much better choice than I ever could. ‘Cause I don’t know myself as well as He does!


Now I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m saying you have to follow exactly what I’m doing. This is what I’ve chosen to do. Nobody forced me, my parents didn’t and neither did God. I made this descision myself. So I’m not trying to force anyone else, you have to make this choice for yourself.

If you would like more info on this subject here are some good resources:

I Kissed Dating Goodbye
By Joshua Harris (website)

Boy Meets Girl
By Joshua Harris

Passion and Purity
By Elisabeth Elliot (website)

When God Writes Your Love Story
By Eric and Leslie Ludy (website)

May 22, 2006

Books A Zillion!


Hope you find something useful here! If you have any suggestions or recommendations please feel free to email me! [Please excuse any typos! I've been working on this list and it may take me awhile to work out the bugs.]


#1 Book I Recommend

Bible:
- written by: 40 different authors
- written: Over a period of approximately 1600 years.
- inspired by God: The Holy Spirit guided and directed the writing of every word in the Bible. (2Peter 1:21 ; 2Timothy 3:16)

This is the best book of all! I recommend it to everyone!

- recommended reading age: 0+

Inspirational Books

The Hiding Place:
- written by: Corrie Ten Boom
- with: John and Elizabeth Sherrill


Really, really good. It is an autobiography by a Christian woman who was put in prison and eventually a concentration camp for hiding Jews in her home during the holocaust. It is truly eye opening to what went on during that time. But also it shows how faith in Christ can carry you through even the most difficult of circumstances and how He is faithful to you no matter what.

- recommended reading age: 12+

Christian Life

"But Don't All Religions Lead to God?":
- written by: Michael Green

Have you ever had anyone say to you, "All religions lead to God"? As a Christian you know that's not true but maybe you aren't sure how to reply to this statement in a way to convince someone that they're wrong. My mom and I read this book together and it was excellent! He explains things really well and has some arguments that would be great to remember in case anyone evers makes a statement like that to you. NOTE: My mom alerted me (I had forgotten) to the fact that in the last chapter (pretty sure it's the last chapter) there are some statements and teachings we do not agree with.

- recommended reading age: 13+

What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?:
- written by: D. James Kennedy & Jerry Newcombe

This book shows just how much impact Jesus Christ had on this world. It is an excellent book!

- recommended reading age: 13+

Know What You Believe Connecting Faith and Truth:
- written by: Paul E. Little

To quote the back of the book:

What does the Bible teach about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?
What do angels, Satan, and demons have to do with reality?
What place should the Bible or a church have in my life?

Perhaps you think you know what others are telling you to believe, but deep down inside you wonder, "What is really important to my own faith?" If so, you need to know. . .a Christian's faith must be grounded in truth!

- recommended reading age: 13+

Girl Talk:
- written by: Carolyn Mahaney & Nicole Mahaney Whitacre

This book is designed to read with your mom. It is "Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood." [Quoting front of book.]

- recommended reading age: 12+

Live Like a Jesus Freak:
- written by: dc Talk

Excellent, excellent, excellent! I really enjoyed this book. It is truth presented in simple, easy to read chapters.

- recommended reading age: 13-14+

SHE Teen:
- written by: Rebecca St. James & Lynda Bjorklund

Very good! They touch on topics like being secure, feminine, pure, purposeful, etc.

she: The title every girl gets the moment she is born.

SHE: The title given to those girls who seek more from God and submit their life to being transformed into his original design. The result is a Safe, Healthy, and Empowered SHE.

pages: 2-3
- recommended reading age: 13+

Courtship vs. Dating

I Kissed Dating Goodbye:
- written by: Joshua Harris


Excellent! I love this book! If you are rethinking the dating idea and wondering if there is a better way. . .I really encourage you to pick up a copy of this book.

- recommended reading age: 13+

When God Writes Your Love Story:
- written by: Eric & Leslie Ludy

Eric and Leslie did a great job with this book! They present the same idea Joshua Harris does in his book.

- recommended reading age: 13+

Boy Meets Girl Say Hello to Courtship:
- written by: Joshua Harris

This is a sequal to his first book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. It provides answers to the questions you may have about what to do when you are ready for marriage and want to begin courting/dating someone.

- recommended reading age: 13+

Fictional Books

Murder on the Orient Express:

This is a mystery book. It is a tough mystery to solve. . .but I solved it!!! I figured it out. *says the following under breath* But I figured it out only after I read it. Yeah seriously I didn't figure it out until the plot unfolded in the book. . .but oh well. Maybe some of you will figure it out. . . :-) Do you want me to tell you the ending???? *decides not to because of all the angry mob's protests*

- recommended reading age: 11+

Scarlet Pimpernel:
- written by: Baroness Emmuska Orczy


Another mystery book.....excellent, excellent, excellent! That's all I will tell you.....so I won't give away what happens!!! Just believe me, it is an excellent books! Did I mention it was excellent? :)
- recommended reading age: 10+

Fictional Books for Young Women

By Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice:

Has to be one of my favorite fictional books. And Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy are some, if not my most, favorite fictional characters. I really loved this book! And the movies were also really great. (The one aired on BBC and the new one that came out in 2005.)

- recommended reading age: 13-14+

Sense and Sensibility:

Also great. A story that focuses on two sisters, one of whom begins a relationship with a man that is all based on passion and not committment. The other sister, the more sensible one, loves a certain man and he loves her but someone stands in the way to their being married. (The movie based on this book was also really good.)

- recommended reading age: 14+

Emma:

Persuasion:

Poor Anne had been persuaded into not marrying some years ago. Now he's back. . .will he propose to her again? Will she accept this time? Hahahaha! I won't tell you! You'll have to read the book to find out!
- recommended reading age: 14+

Northanger Abbey:

Mansfield Park:


By Charlotte Bronte:
Jane Eyer:

Mystery alert! This book takes some very unexpected turns!

- recommended reading age: 12+

Villette:

This book also has some mystery to it!
- recommended reading age: 14+

The Professor:

Shirley:


By Anne Bronte:

Agnes Grey:

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall:

Really good! It shows you the horrors that can occur if you make too hasty a descision to marry someone before you actually know them.
- recommended reading age: 14+

By Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights:

Kind of sad, but turns out nice in the end for some of the characters.
- recommended reading age: 14+

Bible Verse (John 1:1-2)


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

John 1:1-2

May 18, 2006

Introducing...

...Drs. Fun 'n' Bones! Yep, that's right, a blog to make you laugh! This intentions of this blog are to give you a good laugh, like a Friday Funny would, except throughout the whole week! Kaitlin and I have been working on this for the last while trying to get it into tip-top shape!

But wait, there's more!!

  • If you have a joke that you would like to share with everyone, you can submit it! Before you submit it, be sure to read through a few rules !

  • If you have a blog that is random, funny, etc. and you would like us to link to it, go ahead and email us: Drs.ROFL@gmail.com. (Note: We reserve the right to not link to you if we feel that the content of your blog is inappropriate in any way.)

  • Sign our guestbook!

    So go on over and take a look!
  • May 17, 2006

    Interesting

    Here are some neat stories:

    Okay.....I like paintings or pictures hanging on the wall........not cars! But that's exactly what someone did. He hung his car on the wall.

    Exercising is not any fun. At least I don't find it to be. So I can understand why Maggie doesn't like it either! (Actually it's probably because she's afraid of it.)

    Wow......at six you should be in the 1st grade right? Well, this little boy is ahead a few grades....

    May 15, 2006

    Bible Verse (Psalm 34:22)


    The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

    Psalm 34:22

    Bad Day? Maybe It's not Afterall!

    Have you ever had one of those days? (I'm sure you have.) Days where everything seems to go wrong and nothing seems to go right. Maybe this sound familiar:


    When you first get up in the morning you bang your head on the door. When you are fixing your breakfast you realize the you're out of your favorite cereal. At lunch you spill your drink all over you lap. And if that wasn't enough you get a D on your math test and a C on your grammar test. Etc.

    Probably you've not had a day that went exactly as I described above, but maybe you had one sorta like it. And when the day is finally over you are so thankful! And you wonder how in the world it could be any worse?

    Believe me! It could be a lot worse!

    We all have days that we consider "bad days." But guess what? If you are a Christian, every day should be a great day. In fact every day should be an awesome day! Why, you may ask? I'll let the chorus from one of FFH's songs explain:


    Say hey, it's a good day

    Even if things aren't going my way

    Jesus is Lord and I am saved

    So, say hey, it's a good day

    FFH: Ready to Fly (Song: It's A Good Day)


    Every day is a good day because (if you're a Christian) you are on your way to Heaven! You have been rescued! You are saved! And you are not going to Hell!. Next time you think you are having a "bad day" just remember that Jesus is Lord and you are saved, so it's a good day!

    [Note: Please realize I have written this for Christians. If you aren't a Christian but would like to become one, please click here to find out how you can recieve Jesus into your life. Then everyday can be a good day for you too!]

    May 12, 2006

    Books, books, and....more books!

    Here are some books that I've been reading:

    The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte:

    We (my mom and I have been reading these books together) finished Shirley (It was a really, really good book!) and now we've started on this one. So far it has been really great! If you are a fan of the Bronte Sister's books, I suggest picking this one up!

    SHE [Safe, Healthy, and Empowered] Teen by Rebecca St. James and Lynda Bjorklund:

    This bookzine (It is a book but is made to look kinda like a magazine) has been really good! They deal with subjects like being secure, being feminine, being pure, being purposeful, being empowered, etc.

    she: The title every girl gets the moment she is born.

    SHE: The title given to those girls who seek more from God and submit their life
    to being transformed into his original design. The result is a Safe, Healthy, and Empowered SHE.

    pages 2-3

    Live Like a Jesus Freak by dc Talk:

    Don't mistake the title for a bad thing because it isn't meant in bad way. In the section "A Word Before We Start" dc Talk explains "Jesus Freak" as:

    "Jesus Freak" started off as a derogatory term for people who were radical in the way they followed Jesus. True believers, however, took it as a compliment--to be labeled a Jesus Freak meant others saw a difference in your life, and that--perhaps--Jesus was beginning to mess with their lives as well. And that is a good thing.

    Throughout this book, you will see the term Jesus Freak used often. When you do, think of a Jesus Freak not as someone who is perfect, or even close to perfect. A Jesus Freak is simply one who knows he or she cannot be perfect without God's incredible grace and mercy, and daily seeks those two gifts. A Jesus Freak has chosen to leave this life behind and seek the abundant life God promises. this is a choice that is made daily, and some days are better than others. But still, God forgives.

    So far it has been pretty good. But of course I've only read the first chapter (Believe Like A Jesus Freak) and part of the second (Pray Like A Jesus Freak). They have both been really good. What is the definition of Freak you might ask, well, dc Talk has the definition in the front of the book:


    1. A sudden and odd or seemingly pointless idea or turn of the mind.

    2. A seemingly capricious action or event.

    3. A strange, abnormal, or unusual person or thing.

    4. An ardent enthusiast

    "But Don't All Religions Lead To God?" by Michael Green:

    Have you ever had anyone say to you, "All religions lead to God"? As a Christian you know that's not true but maybe you aren't sure how to reply to this statement in a way to convince someone that they're wrong. Well, my mom and I have been reading this book together and so far it has been excellent! He explains things really well and has some arguments that would be great to remember in case anyone evers makes a statement like that to you.

    Here is a sample of the book. It is a little long but it is worth reading! (Chapter title: "It Doesn't Matter What You Believe As Long As You Are Sincere")

    That is something you often hear when religion is being discussed. Not of course, when the talk is about politics or whether one country should bomb another. You never hear it when people are talking about the horrors of Auschwitz or Belsen. Hitler was undoubtedly sincere in his hatred of the Jewish people, but everyone would admit he was wrong. (If you don't admit it, I shall take leave to disbelieve you!) The massacre of six million Jews in the Second World War was deliberate, ruthless, and the product of a very clear and sincerely held belief. Hitler was sincere but terribly wrong.

    An example like this, which caused the annihilation of millions of people, should make us very cautious about claiming that it does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. It is manifestly nonsense. For centuries people sincerely believed that thunder was caused by the gods at war. We now know that this sincerely held belief was superstitious rubbish. They were sincere but wrong. For centuries people sincerely believed that the sun went around the earth. When Galileo, following Corpernicus, showed this was not the case, he was forbidden by the pope to "hold, teach or defend" such a view and was handed over to the Inquisition. I am sure he would not have agreed, as he languished in his prison, that it does not matter what you believe as along as you are sincere!

    Now, of course, sincerity is vitally important. Everyone dislikes a hypocrite. But sincerity is not enough. I may sincerely believe that all airplanes at London Airport will take me to America, but I would be wrong. I may sincerely believe that lots of cream and chocolate is the best way to recuperate after a heart attack, but I would be wrong.

    May 11, 2006

    More Template Stuff

    I figured out how to make the words bigger! They were just too small for me.... Do the words appear bigger on your computers too? And are they too large....too small for you?

    Note: I messed the writing up above, but this is the real text size.

    May 9, 2006

    Humility.....

    I found this in the book Something to Smile About by Zig Ziglar.

    Humble people don't think less of themselves; they just think of themselves less.

    pg. 9

    It's something worth thinking about.......

    May 8, 2006

    New Template

    Here is the voting results...

  • Kaitlin (Mission Amare): Template #1

  • Elizabeth (Study Quiet): Template #3

  • Nathan (Building It For Him): Template #3

  • Jacqui (Unconformed): Template #1

  • Kristin (Spunky Jr.): Template #4

  • My dad: Template #1

  • My mom: Template #3

    There was a tie between template #1 and #3. So obviously those were the favorites. As you can tell, I went with template #3. The reason I went with that one is because I think it catches your eye a little more than #1. And also #1, because of the blue color, seemed cold to me. But they were both very nice templates.....I just seem to prefer #3 more.

    Thanks everyone for taking the time to vote! If you notice any problems with the template or the links and buttons on the sidebar please let me know. And by the way, does anyone with a template like this know how to make the words a little bit bigger?
  • Bible Verse (Psalm 16:1)


    Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.

    Psalm 16:1

    May 6, 2006

    Happy Birthday!


    Happy Birthday, Jacqui!!! Have a wonderful day!!!

    May 5, 2006

    Buster

    Here is the promised post about my dog (a.k.a. Buster). Sorry it took so long. I had a little difficulty finding the pictures, but they are finally found!



    Buster is a friendly little dog. Well little compared to a German Shepherd! But compared to another Yorkie (Yorkshire Terrier) he is a giant! Most of them weigh about 6-8 lbs. Buster weighs 13 lbs! And no he's not too heavy for his size either! The pictures prove that!



    When we first got him he didn't speak English. Oh didn't I tell you? He is from Narnia so he is a talking dog! Okay, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!! What I mean is he couldn't understand English. The people we bought him from spoke French and had taught him....French! So we had to speak to him in French at first. Now he doesn't understand it but understands English very well. Especially the words: treat, go for a walk, and leash.



    Buster has flown before! You don't believe me? Well, it's true. He has flown. No he doesn't have wings! But the airplane he flew in did! And let me tell you.....he really doesn't like airplanes!



    What else can I tell you about him.....well, he loves to bark. Whenever a dog goes by our house he goes crazy! Crazy as in barking a lot. Oh and see his bandana? After I bought that for him my brother said that he looked like a badly dressed tourist. (It has a Hawaiian type pattern on it.)



    He also doesn't listen very well. He is stubborn. But he will roll over if I give him something special to eat.



    And here is the best picture for last. See his teeth? They have to be brushed. And guess who has to do it.....

    Don't forget to leave a comment on the post below to tell me which template you like best!

    May 3, 2006

    New template........or not?

    I was thinking about changing my template. But now I'm not so sure if I want to do that. So to help me decide, I'll link to some possible new templates. If you can, please leave a comment and tell me which one you like best.

    Template #1: CLICK HERE

    Template #2: CLICK HERE

    Template #3: CLICK HERE

    Template #4: CLICK HERE

    Template #5: CLICK HERE

    I may not even choose the template with the most votes. I may not change the template at all. But I would really like your opinion to help me decide.

    May 2, 2006

    Bible Verse (Psalm 47:2)


    How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!

    Psalm 47:2