BELLA

While in a metro ride to the beach, Nina, an unwed mother-to-be, asks, “Do you think people can live twice?”

Jose, the man seated next to her replies, “I haven’t ever met anyone who has.”

If anyone were to have good reason to hope for reincarnation, Jose would be that person. A former soccer star, one moment at the peak of his career brought about the death of the child. Since that moment, he has hidden from the world to deal with guilt and daily flashbacks alone.

If any lines could summarize the movie “Bella”, in my opinion, it would be those. Can anyone live twice? No; not lonely, hurting young women, not men who make tragic mistakes, and not aborted children. Life only happens once. This theme was woven throughout an artistic, thoroughly original film.

It wasn’t only “artistic” because half the movie was in subtitles. The story itself was written in such a unique way that it required an attentive audience. Unlike many Hollywood films, the plot didn’t fit together seamlessly like a puzzle. More in the style of classic literature, audience members were given credit for some level of intelligence by the filmmakers and had to pay attention to understand the conclusion.

Perhaps because of its lack of preachiness and use of subtlety, “Bella” has a chance to stir secular minds as well regarding pro-life issues. As it is, “Bella” stands as one of the few movies I’ve ever seen in which the audience broke into applause as the credits began to roll. After the film people crowded around the exit to discuss what they had just seen.

For a movie produced by “Metanoia Films” (“metanoia” means “repentance” in Greek), that is very encouraging.

How appropriate is "Bella" for general audiences?

Volkswagen At Heart

"Ashley" is a girl with many talents. She's a sharp public speaker, avid musician and could probably have a future in the theater. However, where Ashley has experienced great success academically, she has also had amazingly little success in the area of making friends. You'd think that a girl with her talents would have many opportunities to develop relationships; but there is one characteristic that Ashley lacks: she cannot speak of anyone but herself. She can tell you about her latest musical triumph, but if she asks how you are doing, don't expect your response to be heard. To be honest, Ashley probably doesn't realize how cocky others perceive her to be. I don't profess to know her heart; but I do know from personal experience that pride can be so pervasive, we may not notice how it dominates our lives.

A man with a bulldog’s jowl and a trademark cigar once said, “We are all worms. But I believe that I am a glow-worm.” I was always frustrated with Winston Churchill for saying those words. Ironically, both cigar and jowl have turned to dust. The comment was pompous when first spoken and now is only sadly mocking of that once-influential now-dead man. However, the sentiment remains close by. I wonder how many of us have felt the same way—that we are somehow less wormy, less sinful, with more potential than the rest of the world.

My mom tells the story of a man she knew in school. He was the proud owner of a shiny Ferrari...or at least appeared to be. Cruising around in his bank-statement-on-wheels, no one would have guessed that his car was actually a kit. In other words, the car was assembled using the body of a Ferrari but the engine and guts of a much cheaper vehicle. While maintaining the impression of luxury, in essentials his car was just like any other “loser cruiser” on the roadway. He didn’t want to be a worm. He wanted to be a glow-worm.

For a greatly personal example: I clean, scrub, study, cook, drive, babysit, repeat. And with glamorous work like this, I’m unhappy. It may be satisfying for other people and many other young women my age, but as for me, I want better. I'm a glow-worm, got it? Why should I demean myself with the mundane? C.J. Mahaney defined “pride” as “when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him.” (p. 31, Humility) “Refusing to acknowledge” is not only over-estimating our value, but underestimating Him. Backpedaling on His plan for my life the moment it strikes me as a humbling experience is a part of the “glow-worm” mentality. It’s second guessing His sovereignty. It’s pride.

Instead of putzing around in Ferraris with Volkswagen engines, God created us to revel in His glory—not our own. He created us to be ambitious—for His name. He created us to excel in the mundane--for His name. Contentment starts here. Patience starts here. Purity can even be related to this, for when I’m content in God, purity is a lot easier to grasp.

The humble circumstances we are called to embrace will probably feel more wormy than scintillating. "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Corinthians 2:14-16) Be it ever so humble, that's one glorious calling.

Could it be that God's desire for us to recognize His glory

is an act of love,

since we were created

"Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,
but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen." -Romans 16:25-27

Adorable

My nine year old sister, Miriam, designed this greeting card. Sometimes even the best messages come out wrong.

For The Voiceless

The statistics are horrifying, and no words can describe still photographs of the procedure. How can a country in which a large percentage of the population professes Christianity, murder 3,700 unborn children each day? We terminate pregnancies on weekdays, and hear sermons on Sundays. It’s a travesty beyond measure---an American Holocaust.

Unlike these children, I have a voice to defend my own life. I am unspeakably blessed to have survived, as 45 million of my peers were killed before their first breath. And yet, although I can speak to defend them, my voice feels so small. I’m no lawyer and there is a billion dollar abortion industry to stand in my way. What can be done?

A quick perusal of the internet reveals several suggestions. There are things I can do for the sake of the voiceless. I am challenging myself, and would like to extend that challenge to you, to at least pick one of the following activities to help defend these children:

• Take Part in a Day of Silence

http://silentday.org/

“On October 23, people from all over this nation will give up their voices for a day in solidarity for these children. Red arm bands and duct tape will identify them as taking part in the Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity. They will carry fliers explaining why they are silent and educate others about the plight of the innocent children we are losing every day.”

• Organize A Fund-Raiser to benefit a local crisis-pregnancy center

With a family or a group of friends, you can organize a bake sale, car wash, diaper drive, etc. One unique fund-raiser that a group of friends and I have tried is selling easy-to-make dinners. We mixed together the filling for quiche and poured it into plastic containers, which we then distributed in paper bags along with a pre-made pie crust and a stick of ready-to-bake cookie dough. The dinner was convenient for the busy moms we sold them to, but also proved to be a successful fund-raiser.

• Pray

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” More than any political action we could ever take, God has the ultimate power to stop abortion if He chooses. Let’s not forget, that as His children, we may petition Him boldly.

Other:
Recently an interview was featured on Focus on the Family in which Gianna Jensen, an abortion survivor (yes, the victim of an attempted abortion) spoke. It was extremely moving and I highly recommend the message.

The following youtube video is an example of an abortion protest that was stopped by law enforcement. What a horrible distortion of justice. HT: Generations For Life

Do you have any suggestions/comments on how to speak out on abortion? Share it with us!

Masquerade

As human beings, we have a deep, innate longing for the genuine. We yearn for "the real deal". Authenticity attracts us, drawing our attention irresistibly. And yet, at the same time, it is impossible not to notice the distinctive lack of authenticity in our lives. Instead of being transparent Christians, we often try to make it seem like we have it all together. On the outside, it can even appear as though we never go through any trials, never feel any fear, and never experience any discouragement or doubts. So if it's true that we're strongly attracted to the genuine, why aren't we all honest, mask-free people? Ah-- but there is a catch. Authenticity has a price. When we're genuine, we're allowing others to see our guts. We know that they probably won't like everything they see. Thus, we also have a competing desire: we want perfection. And no matter how desperately we long for it, we can't achieve our goal. Such is our dilemma. How do we react when we cannot be genuinely perfect?

Well, if you can't afford a pair of diamond earrings, there's an alternative. You can purchase diamond simulants-- artificial imitations of the actual diamonds-- for a significantly lesser cost. In fact, BetterThanDiamond dot com advertises that its diamond simulant, Asha, looks even better than the real gems, "easily outperforming the typical natural diamond" on a scale of brilliance. When compared under a microscope with natural, imperfect diamonds, these simulants look incredible. But they're fake.

Kind of like us, isn't it?

Mankind has a problem. We've had it since birth, like an internal disfigurement. Jeremiah 17:9 laments, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Sin mars each of us. And as we continue to grow in awareness of God's holiness, our own sinfulness stands in even sharper contrast. So we feel ashamed, and compelled to hide in order to cover the defect. Although covering our flaws comes at the cost of authenticity, it gives us the satisfaction of having the glittering appearance of perfection. We become like diamond simulants.

Real diamonds, on the other hand, are never perfect. Even those labeled "flawless diamonds" will reveal impurities at the level of 20x magnification. A diamond cutter can always sculpt away more to improve the quality of the gem. In the same way, we need to remember that sanctification is an on-going, lifelong process. It will not end. God will never finish scraping away at our hearts. As long as we are on this earth, we will never reach a place where we are completely sanctified. And yet, this doesn't give us an excuse for a facade.

At the root, the charade that we put on stems from pride. It takes humility and courage to be sincere and open with other believers, especially when it comes to our weaknesses. Vulnerability never comes easily; our masks let us feel secure. But for the Christian, this kind of sincerity is essential to practice. Jesus didn’t die so that a group of people can gather in a church every Sunday, pretending that they’ve achieved perfection. Do you ever notice a difficulty or even inability to talk about heart-to-heart issues with other Christians? The cause could be this very wall of superficiality. It obstructs relationships, and hinders fellowship with other believers. It isn't the way Jesus intended his followers to behave. The truth is: every one of us struggles. None of us are exempt. And our duty, as members of the body of Christ, is to support each other and spur one another on towards godliness. This sort of Christian fellowship cannot truly be accomplished while we are still clinging proudly to our masks.

A Time And A Place

I felt like some clarification was necessary here. What I'm not implying is that we must be completely vulnerable with everyone, at every time. I reveal my deepest struggles and fears only with those in my closest relationships, not with anyone. In his book, The Trauma of Transparency, Grant Howard writes, "We are not saying that we hide everything; but that we tend to hide. Nor are we saying that we should be totally transparent and hide nothing. The solution to the problem of hiding is not telling everyone everything all of the time." Instead, use discretion.

To Be, Rather Than To Seem

In spite of all our weaknesses, we have the comfort that God is with us. Greg Spencer writes,

"[Jesus] knows what we are made of and who we are becoming — and He has chosen to walk beside us anyway. We can imitate His integrity, His sincerity, His
genuineness. Esse quam videri."

"To be, rather than to seem." By His grace, let's practice that motto.

Never Moving On

There's a small, orange book in my closet that I've read at least four times now over the years. And it still wakes me up, every single time. In The Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing, C. J. Mahaney's message is a plea to remember what happened at Calvary... and then to live in it, every day.

No matter how familiar with the gospel we become, it should never cease to kindle a fresh wonder and joy in us. If we are to have any spiritual growth, the gospel must always be "the main thing" in our lives. It's a reminder that I need constantly. It's all too easy to forget the most important thing.

"I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you," Paul wrote. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins." (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3)

"One transcendent truth should define our lives. One simple truth should motivate our work and affect every part of who we are.

Christ died for our sins.

If there's anything in life that we should be passionate about, it's the gospel. And I don't mean passionate only about sharing it with others. I mean passionate in thinking about it, dwelling on it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world. Only one thing can be of first importance to each of us. And only the gospel ought to be." (Page 21)

"You may forget this book and its author, but never let the message of the cross slide into second or third place in your life. Never lay it aside. Never move on." (Page 75)

Mahaney's words ring so true. When I'm lacking joy, passion, and intimacy with Christ, the root cause is always because I haven't been dwelling on the truth of the gospel. And when I do make the decision to deliberately saturate my mind with the gospel, the difference it produces is astounding.

About Us

Why did God create women? What is true beauty? What's the point of purity? Modesty? Femininity? We've wondered too; but the answers we've received from our culture have been lacking.

Ask the world what womanhood is about and you'll get a blank stare in return. No one knows. Young women are devoid of vision beyond achieving fame, fortune and a dream career. From feminism to immodesty, apathy to confusion, our culture's idea of womanhood is distorted at best.

God had something greater in mind. From the start of creation, women were designed to live beautifully.

But God's idea of beauty is not about physical characteristics or the approval of others. It's about loving the God who created us for His glory and enjoying the unique design He has given each and every person.

Inner beauty, however, is distinct. It's not intrinsic. It doesn't come naturally or easily. This beauty slowly develops in the heart as a believer learns to love Christ more deeply. The more passionate for the Gospel we become, the more our hearts grow to reflect His image.

The goal of Beauty from the Heart is to nurture this growing beauty, and to counter the culture's ideal for womanhood with God's breathtaking vision.

About the Writers:

'Anne' is Lindsey Wagstaffe's middle name, and it must fit her well, because most of her friends compare her to Anne of Green Gables. Hannah says that Lindsey is accident prone, but she prefers to think of herself as 'adventure prone'. She delights to tell about the incredibly dramatic time that she broke her back, the time she accidentally burnt off some of her hair while daydreaming near a candle, and the time she got lost in a menacing forest after being stung by an enormous bee. If her life was ever dull, Lindsey can't remember it.

Her more sane hobbies include public speaking, writing, concocting interesting food in the kitchen, and taking long walks in the California sunshine. Lindsey loves to devour the writings of great dead men—Jonathan Edwards, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, and C.S. Lewis, to name a very few. Some of her favorite living authors include J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, C.J. Mahaney, Jerry Bridges, and John Piper.

Lindsey lives with her family outside of San Francisco, California.

Hannah Farver is seventeen years old and hates trying to summarize her life in a few paragraphs. But she'll try anyway. While her middle name isn't Anne, her two favorite literary heroines are Elisabeth Elliot and Elizabeth Bennett. (Can you guess Hannah's middle name?) Another little known fact about her life is that she has a fear of escalators and chickens. Really.

As an extroverted introvert, she enjoys belting out songs from old musicals as well as hiding in her room with a good book. Most days, however, she can be found working on her two big loves--writing and public speaking. In her spare time, Hannah tries to keep Lindsey out of harm's way while discovering the recipe for the perfect cup of chai.

She lives with her parents, brother and two sisters outside of Ft. Worth, Texas.

Hannah and Lindsey

Want to email us? Our address is contact.bfth[at]gmail.com

Modesty and the Cross

"Ten minutes until we leave for church, everyone!" Emma heard the voice of her dad down the hallway from her bedroom. She heaved a sigh as she held up a skirt to the mirror. It was her favorite white skirt, but she hadn't worn it since last summer. She was delighted to find it in the back of the closet that morning, but disappointed when she tried it on.

Emma had grown several inches taller since the skirt's last debut and now it fell several inches above her knee. Standing up, it appeared to be modest, but sitting down, she knew it showed too much.

Just the same, she fought with the idea of setting the skirt aside. Short skirts were in style, and this one was particularly flattering. Besides, the outfit would still be more concealing than most clothes these days. Staring into the mirror, Emma asked herself aloud, "Why not?"

Modesty is a never simply an option. The Bible gives us little room for doubt on that note: "Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control." (1 Timothy 2:9) And all Christians are told not to do anything that would tempt brethren to sin. With immodesty inevitably being an advertisement for lust, the command is clear-cut. If we want to obey God, we have no other recourse.

Still, when that shirt hangs just a little too well on us, or that pair of jeans flatteringly hugs our frame, we begin rationalizing. We think that compared to others, we're still modest. It isn't a big deal. When we're not sure if it completely fits the 1 Timothy 2:9 category or not, we push the question to the back of our minds and wear it anyway. I know the steps of rationalizing because I've walked through them myself, more often than I feel comfortable admitting. Why do we do this? Deep in our gut, we know it's wrong. Why does sin still appear so irresistible?

Because we haven't spent enough time remembering.

Every time I look with one eye on the Cross and another on my own sin, I run out of words trying to describe the wonder of it. The realization that those sins are no more because of His blood is staggering. It's like remembering something precious you forgot; or waking up from the dream that felt like reality, only to collide into genuine, blazing life. I want to touch those boards, splintered by His nails, and know they're mine. They were meant to be mine. God took them instead. Exquisite pain paid for the sins I commit, committed and will commit. How can I move on from this?

Unfortunately, we don't stare at the Cross long enough. When the question of modesty comes up, we toss reservation in the trash. We forget the cost of sin. We forget how serious our offenses are to a Holy God. By moving on from the Cross, we belittle the opinion of God. We let the world gain a foothold in our lives.

Emma's predicament has been my own many times over; but that does not lessen the seriousness of it. Just as every other area of our lives, modesty needs to be brought under the dominion of Christ. And when fighting to surrender, it helps to remember the Cross.

"Take away my roving eye, curious ear, greedy appetite, lustful heart;
show me that none of these things can heal a wounded conscience,
or support a tottering frame,
or uphold a departing spirit.
Then take me to the cross
and leave me there." (The Valley of Vision)