Q&A: biggest fears, unpopular opinions, past relationships, following God's will?
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- Hello and welcome to the first Q&A I've done on my channel! We started off with some of the basics, but if you have any other questions you'd like me to answer in another Q&A video, comment below!
I hope this helped us get to know each other a little better :)
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Music by Remil - Evening Tea - thmatc.co/?l=FF32615B
Love the comment on making dinner every night & doing the laundry. And "no one compares to my husband", aww, love to see it because same here 🥰 We live similar lifestyles, the further I get in to the video the more I'm like "yes! Me too! Exactly!" Haha, it is hard to find like-minded people so finding your channel has been so awesome. God bless you & yours, you are doing great things 💖
Came for the no poo hair routine stayed for the Jesus talk!
Dear Maryellen, thank you for the video and for sharing about your life, what appealed to me most strongly from the start (when I discovered your channel some years ago), is that you are a Christian believer who truly loves Jesus and aims to be kind towards others. I was very grateful that you spoke so freely about your faith and your love for our Redeemer.
You come across as a creative communicator, it stands out as one of your talents.
I'm a non-denominational Bible-believing Christian from a Protestant background, but today there are many Protestant churches that do not truly respect the Word of God as the final authority on God's will for humankind (Sola Scriptura). (For instance Scriptures such as Romans chapter one.)
In recent years I've learned a lot that I haven't been aware of before, as to what is going on around the world with regards to new developments, including apostasy. It was very upsetting to me, it took me a while to recover from that and adapt to the situation.
I also had some conversations with family members who are also believers but do (or did) not share my opinion on certain preachers (whom I regard as wolves in sheep's clothes). These conversations were sometimes quite stressful and there were moments when I found it difficult to stay calm and patient (I tend to be high-strung), but the wonderful thing is that when I stayed calm and gave them a proper chance to speak, they said certain things that gave me bits of information to follow up on and research.
Every time this happened, I learned something new and my horizons were broadened in an astonishing way. People can really influence each other in remarkable ways and I think that God often has a hand in that, when it's an influence for the better.
With regard to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, I didn't quite understand what it was about, but I came across this very interesting and well-written article by Nathan Busenitz that I think is worth reading. It helps to see things from different perspectives.
blog.tms.edu/evaluating-seventh-day-adventism
I like to keep different translations of the Bible to hand and to compare the different texts. I have two in my native language (one the old official 1953 Afrikaans translation and the other the newer 1983 official translation), the NASB Study Bible (which has interesting footnotes that are sometimes useful/illuminating), and an old edition of the Amplified Bible (similar to what is termed the "classic" edition). I don't agree with every "amplification" in the Amplified Bible, for example I don't think that we are ever "controlled" by God's Holy Spirit (since we always retain our free will and ability to make our own choices), but we can be "filled with" the Holy Spirit and "led" by the Holy Spirit.
Nevertheless I found that old translation of the Amplified Bible very useful, it helped me to understand some parts that I had difficulty understanding properly before. For instance Mark 4 verse 24, (but I quote some other verses as well):
23 If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend.
24 And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you-and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.
25 For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away [by force].
I was so grateful for this, that I could finally understand it properly, and it is a stand-out piece of Scripture for me. (Though there are many others, including "Only in returning to Me and resting in Me will you be saved; in quietness and trusting confidence is your strength"; and "But I will look to this one, at one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word."
I was shocked and dismayed when I discovered that there are some Bible translations that used to be trustworthy but have been corrupted.
For example in the 2016 translation of the ESV (English Standard Version), Genesis 3:16 now reads,
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be CONTRARY TO YOUR HUSBAND, BUT he shall rule over you.”
Whereas it is actually according to the true original text supposed to be:
To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you shall deliver children;
YET YOUR DESIRE WILL BE FOR YOUR HUSBAND,
AND he shall rule over you.”
I saw in Strong's Concordance that "desire" in this context means "desire, craving, longing", and the word could be used in the contexts of: 1) A woman's desire for a man; 2) a man's desire for a woman; or 3) a beast's desire to devour.
Clearly the word "desire" in Genesis 3:16 applies to a woman's desire, craving and longing for her husband. The corrupted translation could therefore be no mistake -- the text must have been deliberately mistranslated. When I discovered this it had the effect of galvanizing me to talk about it to others and bring it to their attention. It made me want to read and value and recommend the Bible even more than before.
I'm just glad there are still many true (Bible-believing) Christians around. Because things are becoming quite hectic now. We will indeed have to endure the way Jesus told us to in his prophetic speech (e.g. Matthew 24). Something to be glad for is that all the things happening now, as the one-world Antichristian agenda is becoming more and more visible, are STRONGLY MOTIVATING to those of us who know the Truth. It's a very strong motivation to be mentally and spiritually prepared to endure to the end.
Sorry for this very long comment!
Yes every single person can benefit from knowing Jesus!! Amen!!
I came across your channel because the no-heat curls video (which I tried and was amazing!!). And now I'm hooked! You're very relatable and and it's so refreshing to hear you talk about Jesus on this platform! I'll be praying for you and your channel to reach more people!
Dear Maryellen I decided to add one extra thing -- I can't remember whether I ever told you about PC muscle exercises, it's very good for improving one's balance and physical coordination (and what is termed "proprioception"), and could enhance stamina and enjoyment whatever physical activity you are engaging in, whether it is running or even swimming. For example, with running, with every step you take your upper body sways slightly off-kilter (almost like an upside-down pendulum effect), and your muscles have to work to bring it back into alignment (in a "centred" position) again. When your PC muscle is strong (toned and well-developed) your balance is better and it takes much less effort to stay aligned -- your body also uses much less energy for movement because it doesn't have to waste energy on keeping you "centred" all the time.
I first discovered this when I had stress incontinence. According to what I've read "urinary urgency" or "stress incontinence" can occur when a person has high levels of anxiety, since the centre for emotions in the brain lies right next to the part that controls the bladder, so over-activity in the area that deals with emotions can lead to an "overactive" bladder. In a book about urinary incontinence I found these exercises and started doing them at work while I sat in front of my computer. And then I discovered that walking back home was suddenly so much easier, it was actually pleasant. I was much more sure and agile.
It's possible that I've already explained this to you. The most important thing to remember is to do these exercises EVERY DAY, because every day you build upon what you did the day before.
There are three sorts of exercises for the PC muscle: quick flicks with short repetitions of tensing and releasing; tensing and holding for a number of counts; and the staircase or "lift" exercise where you increase the tension progressively step by step up to a certain point, and then decrease it step by step back "down" again until you're completely relaxed. You could also see it as a lift going up and stopping at several floors, pausing a bit at the top floor and then descending again, stopping at several floors. I found that the "descent" part is very important and should never be omitted, for it's there that real progress can be made in developing the muscle.
The way that you identify the muscle is by focusing on not urinating and not farting both at the same time. It's the muscle that runs underneath your pelvis connecting the coccyx at the bottom of your spine to the front of your pelvis (the pubic bone or pubis). It's in the form of a figure 8 that loops around the vaginal opening at the front and the anus at the back (forgive me for the explicit anatomical terms). Every time you tense it, it draws tighter around those openings. However that isn't the only part of the PC muscle -- the PC muscle also is like a basket (the so-called "pelvic floor") that cradles the organs in the lower part of the pelvis. A strong PC muscle can make giving birth much easier because the mother doesn't become exhausted so easily. As long as she doesn't tense that muscle at the wrong time -- if you tense the PC muscle at the wrong time, that will prevent the baby from coming out. Therefore it's also a good idea to be very calm and relaxed and mindful and to focus properly during the process, to be relaxed at the right time and push at the right time. However that wouldn't be a problem for you, since you are clearly very much in touch with your body -- I only say it for the record (in case you ever had to advise someone else).
Anyone who has a PC muscle and isn't paralyzed can exercise it (at whatever age), and it is very useful for seniors, both to improve bladder control and limit their risk of losing their balance and falling, which is particularly dangerous for the elderly. Even when an elderly person has already developed urinary incontinence, the problem can be lessened or even eliminated (like in the case of my late mother), if they do these exercises faithfully every day.
That goes for men as well as women. One can do it while lying down, sitting or standing. It is also excellent for sexual function, enhancing stamina and eliminating a tendency towards premature ejaculation. But if a person isn't used to this exercise, they should be careful not to overdo it in the beginning -- build up the intensity and duration gradually, to avoid straining the PC muscle.
I've found that it is also good for an overall sense of "refreshment", possibly because of improved blood circulation (I saw a video in which two seasoned physiotherapists recommended it for hemorrhoids because it helps to heal it faster), but perhaps also because the constant exercising of that muscle (even if at times that is the only part of my body I am exercising) improves my fitness level. But it does take concentration and willpower. However, once you get into the habit it becomes a lot easier.
I really love what you said about leaving the future in God's hands and living in the now to use our talents for good. Great advice! 😊
Maryellen, It's me again!! I just want to say how happy this video made me feel. I love how you openly share your faith- it's something everyone needs to hear! Especially in these very uncertain times where we don't really know what's going to come next. I'm so glad God is our father and he has a perfect plan! He doesn't make mistakes! Keep it up
Maryellen!! You are amazing :). Thanks so much for sharing!
Love the video twin ❤
Ive learned something new about you twin today. So thanks for sharing 😄
Hey! I love you! Thank you for being here as your full and true and glorious self! I was so beautifully surprised to hear about your faith. Can we be neighbors in Zion one day? ♥️ Cheering you on. Shine on, sister!
Hey Mary Ellen :) I just wanted to let you know that I think your channel is fantastic! Love the variety of videos! Also amazing that you love Jesus, I love Him too. So cool that you live in AU, I went there for 10 months for a YWAM (youth with a mission) school and I really loved the Aussie culture! Feeling heeps keen about your channel ;)
great video! 😇🙌🏻
Wow you're lovely! Blessings~
I can't stop watching your videos...🤩
I think I got an crush on you...😬
Everybody NEEDS Jesus!
Hey. I just rolled into your channel because of the nopoo. I have a sincere question. To me you seemed to be a very lefty, artsy girl. I realized you were 25 and married. It surprised me because you seem so hip and yolly and this somehow seem not unchristian, but not characteristics a lot of Christians I have met and I have met many, having traveled the world. So I was surprised you were married at 25, also because we in the Netherlands (I'm 25 myself) we marry later and later, but when I realized your Christian, I went "aaah, that makes sense". Finally my sincere question: Why do Christians seem to marry younger? Maybe because you are one, you would know better. Would it be because most don't get too intimate before marriage? What would your (or anyone reading this) take be on this?
Sorry for the biases I have portraied and thanks for reading it.
Kindest regards :)
@@MaryellenHacko
Hey Maryellen,
Thank you so much for your answer. I appreciate that you took the time to not just read it, but came with an answer that did make me understand this concept better. That there is a smaller pool to choose a partner from, which can put some pressure on not being too late and being left alone or with not the ideal partner, is something I did not consider. As I told you, here in the Netherlands people marry a lot later and that would confirm this point. Our pool of people has grown a lot. In a matter of generations, marrying someone from another ethnic group or religion has not been a problem anymore. And due to dating apps and easy ways of traveling, anyone around the Netherlands and nowadays almost around the globe could be your partner! Which does come with the paradox of choices. The more choices, the less satisfied people are with their choice.
I am really happy to hear your story of you and your partner. I wish you two all the best and wish you a lovely day. And happy holidays 🎄🎁🌟
I hope it’s okay for me to respond 💕 I’m a Christian, I am turning 28 and was married to my Husband when I was 19. He was 21. We were very young. For us it was the right thing to do. Everyone’s journey is different and I am so thankful that ours has been together. He was my best friend, we’d been friends for 3 years. A lot of prayer went into this and there were many answers to our prayers that confirmed this was right. Intimacy wasn’t the reason we got married young, only a small part of it. Our heart was and is to honour God with our life and it honestly made so much sense for us to get married young so we could start that life together. We make a great team and serving alongside my husband is one of my favourite things!
I agree with the ‘pool of people’ being limited’ - we are from a smallish town 😂 but I’ve seen God bring people together through the church and I absolutely love seeing people love God and then meet their spouse!
We have now been married almost 9 years and i am thankful everyday to be married to my husband. We’ve had some really hard times but God has been our strength and I love my husband more now than I did on our wedding day.
Haha girl 25 is not old😂😭
I wonder if you're an ENFP