God centered

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 proud or 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!

Thursday May 21st, 2015: Mexico Adventures & Lessons Part I

Devotions

I’m so excited to be in Mexico! My sister, Rachel, has lived in Puerto Escondido since August and I’m so glad I finally get to meet all the people she has met here, see the beautiful town, and see what God is doing in the ministry she is working with!

 We left Dallas Monday morning and when we got to Mexico City we learned our flight had been delayed (even though the board read on time). In case anyone was wondering, the Mexico City Airport isn’t very functional and the communication isn’t the greatest. Then when we finally got to our destination, I learned that they lost my bag… I was super bummed. I’ve never had issues while flying. Ever. I guess my luck just ran out. But don’t worry, the airline people were really nice and knew pretty good English so it all got worked out. I was supposed to get my bag on Tuesday but then it got pushed back to Wednesday (in typical Mexico fashion.)

I am so used to America that this situation made no sense to me. In America, when you lose your bag you file a report and there’s a procedure to be followed. In Mexico when you loose your bag you get the airline attendants number and work it out (literally.)

The common idea that’s been popping up is this: This place is so much different than what I’m used to.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1: 2-4 NLT

I’m kinda a diva (I’ve just come to accept this) and Mexico does not accept Divas. Okay well maybe they do, just not this diva. I’ve been trying VERY hard to adjust my attitude since I’ve been here. I’m trying to put away all my expectations of how I live back home. I’m trying to remind myself that roaches aren’t that gross (this ones hard). I’m trying to remind myself that I don’t NEED air condition. I’m trying to remind myself that I don’t need to fix my hair and do my makeup every morning. It’s hard, but when you’re forced to just accept all these things, ya kinda have to, or else you won’t have fun and embrace all that God has to offer for you.

I am a very type A person. I love organization, order, and schedule. Dirty, messy, and chaos are not adjectives that describe me. I realize that while those traits can be great, they often hinder me from not only having more fun but more importantly, following God’s will for my life.

As a Christian, God wants us to have fun! His will comes first, but who says following God can’t be fun? So today remember to HAVE FUN! Go with the flow! Following God is the furthest thing from boring.

My challenge for you today is to take what you would normally consider “troubles” and turn them into joy. Turn your test of faith, into a chance to grow. But most importantly just have fun! Live in the moment. Trust God. 

Have some fun!

“So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them.” Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT

I’ll be sharing more about my experiences in Mexico so stay tuned!

To see behind the scenes of my Mexico adventures, follow me on Snapchat at hannahhmooree 🙂

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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV