Tuesday June 30th, 2015: Jesus Loves The Orphans

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Psalm 82:3

I had the honor of serving as a counselor at a kids camp last week. This camp is much different than most kids camps; this is a camp for abused and neglected foster kids. Each year my church takes a group of kids on a Royal Family Kids Camp. The week is filled with NON-STOP fun (literally.) We do everything between swimming to a huge birthday celebration, including a party AND presents! I went last year on staff but this year I went as a counselor and it was awesome. While I can’t share my kid’s names, I can share a few things I learned from these sweet girls.

My co-counselor, Emily, and I were blessed with like the two best campers! They were so easy going and wanted to just have fun. One of our campers in particular, who I will call A, forever changed my life.

As soon as A stepped off the bus, I knew this week was going to be special. When we were getting ready for bed on Monday night, I was trying to start conversation and for some reason I asked A if she had ever been to Church. I learned that she had never been to church or even introduced to God! She had no idea that God was more than just a name, but someone who works in her life. This shocked me to my core. In my ignorance I guess I thought that everyone knew about God… Like wake up, Hannah!

So as soon as I learned that I knew I had my work cut out for me. It was time to take care of some kingdom business! So that night, her questions began. She asked me everything between the difference between Jews and Christians to why would God sacrifice His son for her.

Each year we have a talent show and we encourage all the campers to participate. When we told our campers, they decided they wanted to sing a song together. They decided to sing the song “See You Again.” Emily and I were like perfect, that’s easy! Then A said she wanted to do a skit with it… Emily and I were a little concerned about what that would entail… So Tuesday afternoon as we were walking to the pool and A, out of the blue, said “I think that for our skit we can say something like, ‘Just like the song says, friends come and go, but God never leaves us. He’s the father to the fatherless and friend to the friendless. I think we should quote some Bible verses too.” I couldn’t even find words. It had been less than 24 hours, and she got it!

She was so eager to learn more about God. She was so hungry for His Word. Every time we were in our room she was reading my Bible. She even made a journal filled with her favorite Bible Verses. We had countless conversions over the week that filled my heart with so much joy. This sweet 12-year-old girl had been through so much in her life, yet she was able to understand that God was always with her, protecting her.

They killed the talent show! They sang, preached the word, and even had an altar call (okay kidding about the last one!) But our girls spent the week submerged in God’s love for them.

The last night A and I were praying and she prayed these words that will forever mark my heart, “Thank you God for allowing me to come to this camp because now I believe you are real and you love me.” That’s what that week was about. Sharing the love of Jesus with these exploited children.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

I am so grateful that God allowed me to play a short part of A’s life. I am so grateful that through, Royal Family Kids Camp I was reminded that these kids exist (because for some reason no one wants to talk about orphans!) but more importantly remember my calling. When I was 12, just like sweet A, my dad passed away. I could’ve been put into foster care if I didn’t have my mom. I could’ve been in the same place those kids were in. I truly believe God used the loss my Dad, to call me to fight for the kids who have lost theirs.

It is SO easy to forget how big this world is. There are people in our towns that have no idea who God is. It’s easy to think that places like Africa are unreached, but are there really unreached people in Dallas, Texas? YES. It only takes one conversation to change someone’s eternity. Thank you Jesus that you gave me 5 days with my two campers to do that! God is so good.

Also, here’s some statistics about Foster Kids to ruin your day. Just heartbreaking!

*Statistics found on the Royal Family Kids website.

In Christ,

Hannah

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20 NIV

If you have any questions or prayer requests (or both) you can email me at thatotherhannahblog@gmail.com.

Also, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @thatotherhannah and Snapchat @hannahhmooree 🙂

Thursday June 18th, 2015: Kindness Is Not Love

Devotions

Hey friends! I hope everyone is having a good week. These past few weeks have been awesome. I had the opportunity to serve in Los Angeles with the amazing LA Dream Center. If you haven’t heard of this ministry, you NEED to check it out! I could talk for hours (maybe days) about all the amazing things that they are able to do in LA. I’m just so thankful that I got to spend the week working alongside them with some of my favorite people, Northplace Students. While I could also talk about them for hours (and, yes, days) I won’t bore you, but instead share something I learned during my time in Los Angeles.

I think that our society confuses kindness with love. I believe you can be a kind person, but not love others. You can smile at a stranger in Costco, but not genuinely love others. This idea of kindness vs. love was introduced to me while I was in Skid Row. If you’re not familiar with Skid Row, it’s one of the largest populations of homeless people in the United States. It’s blocks upon blocks of people living in “homes” made of cardboard and plastic tarps. While I’ve read many articles on this infamous place, nothing could’ve prepared me for what I was going to see. The amount of hurting, hopeless people was overwhelming.

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1 NLT

I could speak with perfect grammar (LOL- dat ain’t me) but if I didn’t love, it’s worthless. If I always say the right thing, but don’t love others, it’s worthless. If I live a perfect life with the perfect family and the perfect smile with the perfect car and the perfect eyebrows (I wish) and the perfect shoes, but didn’t love others, it would be worthless. When we love others, like God loves us, our lives finally mean something.

“If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:3 NLT

So if I gave away all my money, but didn’t genuinely love others, it was all for nothing. Love is so important. We can give money or time but that’s not enough. We have to love. I’m not talking about telling someone you love them, but showing them you love them. Showing someone you love them can we shown in all types of ways. Love can be shown by a giving someone a hug, or praying with them, or being there for them when their parents are getting a divorce. Love is more than just a four letter word. It does!

The next few verses of 1 Corinthians 13 are some of the most well known in the Bible. These verses define God’s love, a love that I hope and pray each of us can show to those around us.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proudor rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I would consider myself a kind person. I smile at strangers. I ask people how their day is. I talk to strangers (I can make friends with a wall.) I’m a pretty friendly person. But here’s the thing… Kindness only goes so far. If I was simply a kind person, as soon as I smelt the urine and sight of human feces lining the sidewalks of Skid Row, I would’ve ran back to my car, and pretended like I’d never set foot in the 10 block radius of Skid Row. Kindness draws lines, but love knows no bounds.

So friends let’s show our friends, family, and strangers we meet at Costco this kind of relentless, boundless, patient, hopeful love. This is what our world needs. Not some kindness… because that’s not good enough.

Blessings,

Hannah

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20 NIV

If you have any questions or prayer requests of both you can email me at thatotherhannahblog@gmail.com.

Also, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @thatotherhannah and Snapchat @hannahhmooree.

If you want more info on the LA Dream Center check them out here!

Friday May 22nd, 2014: Psalm 20:4

Favorite Fridays

Happy Friday! I’m really excited to explore more of Puerto Escondido this weekend! Rachel said we are going to do some rock walk… I’m not sure all she said is it is really pretty and we’re going to want to take a lot of pictures. Lol that’s all the info I needed! 🙂 Today is a really beautiful day. The weather is actually manageable… Aka I’m not sweating a gallon of sweat, yet.

So on to today’s post! I’m sharing one of my favorite verses. Since I’m transitioning into a new season of my life I feel like this verse is so encouraging. I pray that everyone has a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend!

“May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.” Psalm 20:4 NIV

image via Pinterest

Always, Hannah

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20 NIV

Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat to see all my Mexico Adventures!

Instagram: @thatotherhannah

Twitter: @thatotherhan

Snapchat: @hannahhmooree

Wednesday February 4th, 2015: Sometimes Life, and Most Times I, Feel Just Like A Sailboat.

Devotions

Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a good week so far. If you read my blog often you’ll know that I like to write posts inspired by songs and today is one of those posts. I wanted to talk about something that I struggle with constantly. And honestly if you’re a human being, you do to. Sometimes I feel like I’m just walking around aimlessly with no end in sight. No matter how hard I try there seems to be no direction. Ben Rector’s song Sailboat captures this feeling perfectly.

I feel just like a sailboat
I don’t know where I’m headed
But you can’t make the wind blow
From a sailboat

I have seen the sun
Felt the rain on my skin
I’ve been lost and found
But mostly I’ve been waiting

Oh I’m out in the waves
I’m hoping and praying
Please let this wind blow me home
Night after night there’s an empty horizon
And my God do I feel so alone
Sometimes life, most times I, feel just like a sailboat

I’m pretty sure I’m heard
At least I know I’m speaking
But I feel like a fool
Cause I can’t hear you listening

But I’m not giving up
Oh I will move on forward
I’m gonna raise my sail
God knows what I’m headed towards

The only change I see
Lost or found, let’s see
The only difference is believing I’ll make it in

Sometimes I just feel like a sailboat. I don’t know where I’m exactly headed. I try to figure it out in my own human strength but I can’t figure everything out perfectly (hello I’m not perfect so how could I orchestrate something to be perfect… that’s for another post!). I’m out in the waves of life hoping to be saved, feeling alone. It’s not because I’m a depressed person. It’s not always because of any particular reason. It’s sometimes just life.

“But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.” Matthew 11:30-32 NLT

Do you act like Peter when you see the waves? Do you start to sink? Well the good news is, Jesus reaches out to grab you. You have to have faith though. If you can’t trust God in the storm you might just sink!

“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” Isaiah 40:21-26 NLT

He may seem far off in the distance laughing at you while you suffer, but He is right by your side. He knows your name. He knows your situation. He hasn’t lost you like a mom loses her child in Walmart (y’all know what I’m talking about.) He sees your troubles, hears your cries and it not scared by them. He understands you. He has not forgotten about you.

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep.I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.” Ezekiel 34:11-12 NLT

If you feel like me sometimes, aimlessly walking around with no end in sight, don’t worry! There is an end in sight, it’s called Heaven! (can I get an Amen to that!) Don’t feel like a sailboat without hope. You’ve got the greatest hope and His name is Jesus!

Always,

Hannah

Prayer requests can always be sent to thatotherhannahblog@gmail.com

You can download Sailboat here and watch a music video here! 🙂