Thursday February 5th, 2015

Fashion

Happy Thursday! Today I’m wearing a sweater that is a little crazy… My cousin Bailee bought this sweater over a year ago at Canton Trade Day’s and never wore it. So the other day she offered it to me. I probably would’ve never bought this sweater but I love it! It just goes to show that sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to try new things! Cream and sweaters are two of my favorite things! Perfect combo.

Also, if you live in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Area you need to check out my amazing hair stylist Bailee! She always keeps my hair looking great. Call Shelton’s Salon in Fort Worth to schedule an appointment with Bailee. 🙂

Photography: Abbey Burge Photography

Sweater: Canton Trade Days- can’t remember the shop name / Jeans: Topshop x Nordstorm / Shoes: Steve Madden / Purse: Celine / Watch: Michele / Sunglasses: Ray-Ban Aviators 58mm / Lipstick: NARS in ‘Roman Holiday’ -my new favorite lipstick! / Lipgloss: Bobbi Brown in ‘Petal’ -my new favorite lipgloss!

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! 🙂

Tuesday February 3rd, 2015

Fashion

Today I wearing a really cozy cape. I had been looking for a cape but didn’t want to spend over twenty dollars so I waited and like always, Kohl’s came to the rescue. I LOVE Kohl’s. I can always count on Kohl’s to have the best prices and sales. I refuse to ever buy something there full priced. This cape cost like $17.99. You can’t beat that! The pattern is fun without being too busy, which is what I like to wear! Check those sale racks this time of year for awesome scarfs, capes, hats, and gloves on major sale! Happy Tuesday. 🙂

Photography: Rachel Gracy

Cape: Kohl’s / Black Undershirt: Upscale / Jeans: Topshop for Nordstorm / Boots: Hunter / Necklaces: Express and Kelly’s Treasures / Watch: Michele / Lipstick: NARS in “Schiap”

Monday February 2nd, 2015: I’m Back!

Devotions

Hello! I am so glad to be back after a little hiatus. 🙂 I don’t know about you but my soul needs a break from social media every once in a while. It’s so easy to get caught up in the world of social media… But anyways! It’s about to get real so hold your britches’ (as we like to say in Texas.) 😉

This year has been off to a pretty rocky start. Actually it’s sucked (stay with me, there’s a good ending!) January 2^nd my grandma fell and broke her femur. The hardest bone to break in the body, fyi. So to fix that, they inserted a plate and screws to repair the break. Two weeks later she went in for a check up and they discovered her body literally rejected the plate and 8 screws, which the surgeon had never seen. Then they find out, her leg is infected, with Staph nonetheless… So we had two options. Take out her knee, part of her femur, and part of her tibia, then place this cement ‘spacer’ in until her infection clears up OR amputation. So on January 23^rd she went in for the removal of her knee, part of her femur and tibia. In surgery they found out the infection was worse than first thought. So the next step is clearing up the infection then we can move on to a total joint replacement. But if her infection doesn’t clear up our only option is amputation.

It’s almost laughable. I mean she came in with a broken femur and now we’re talking about possible amputation?? How did it get this far? How did we get here? This wasn’t our plan.

I was listening to the City Church Podcast (one of my favorites) the other day and Pastor Judah was preaching a message called The Problem With Hope. The message is essentially saying without Jesus there is no hope. Without Jesus I have to reason to be positive. Without Jesus life sucks.

The point is that without Jesus as my rock I wouldn’t be able to make it through all this. Without Jesus in the waiting rooms with me I would be a mess. Without Jesus to put my trust in, I’ll be stressed out of mind worrying about what could happen. Unbelievers can try to be all positive or optimistic but let’s be honest; apart from Jesus there is no hope for a better tomorrow. Whenever I meet an unbeliever I wonder how they make it through the day. Seriously. Hebrews 6:16-20 says this,

“People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Because of God’s nature, He cannot lie. It’s impossible for Him. And because He can’t lie we know that when He sent Jesus, the hope of the world, He wouldn’t leave us without hope! Jesus is the anchor for our soul that is firm and secure.

I share this because even if you don’t believe in Jesus, you may be a “positive person,” but that isn’t enough. You NEED an anchor for your soul. You can be a “good person” but you NEED an anchor for your soul. You NEED a firm and secure HOPE. Being positive is a bi-product of a relationship with Jesus.

As I sat in the waiting room while my grandma was in surgery I started to think about this. I would be a mess without hope in Jesus. He calms my storm (Psalm 107:29.) He brings peace that surpasses ALL understanding (Philippians 4:7.) What are God!

If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus and have any questions email me at thatotherhannahblog@gmail.com. Also if you have any prayer requests email me at thatotherhannahblog@gmail.com. Happy Monday!

Always,

Hannah

More verses about hope:

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

“Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.” Psalm 3:2-6 NIV

“Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.” Romans 5:2-7 NIV

Tuesday December 30st, 2014: Here’s to 2015

Devotions

I can’t believe 2014 is almost over… Wow! I’m going to share a few of my favorite memories from 2014 and one huge goal for next year…

Feburary 2014… I took a trip to Mexico and it was magical.

March-December 2014… I found the meaning of true friendship.

April 2014… I finally came to the realization that I’m a diva… No denying it. LOL.

May 2014… I was reunited with my sister & she graduated from college.

June 2014… I posted this picture and had no idea what was going to take place the next few months… And oh this still rings true!

June 2014… I fell in LOVE with New York (again.)

July 2014… I began dreaming and took a huge leap. 🙂

August 2014… I started my senior year.

August 2014… I was still dreaming of New York (still haven’t stopped.)

October 2014… I had my senior homecoming. Here in Texas it’s kinda a big deal. 🙂

November 2014… I turned 18 (I still feel 12, y’all.)

August-November 2014… I drove all over North Texas watching my best friends play football (it was so worth it). This is the game before the state game.

November 2014… I watched my best friends win state 86-62.

December 2014… I got to see Fleetwood Mac live. It was a dream.

December 2014… I was reunited with my sister (again) and spent a whole lot of time with my family. 🙂

This year has been full of love, grace, laughs, cries, and everything in between. I’ve never been more convinced of God’s grace and love for me than in 2014. He is TOO good!!

The football coach at my school is one of the wisest man of God I’ve ever met. Any time you ask him how’s he doing he simply says, “Blessed and highly favored.” So here’s to the year of believing that! I’m not one to make new years resolutions but this year I’m making a huge resolution… I’m going to talk to someone about Jesus every single day. I’m not saying just saying, “God is good,” I’m saying asking them what Jesus means to them. I’m excited to see the divine appointments God sets up. I’m nervous but exhilarated to start this journey! So bring on 2015. I can’t wait to see what you hold!

Hannah

Saturday December 27th, 2014: Blessed Assurance

Devotions

Today I’m sharing a post that was inspired by one of my favorite songs, Blessed Assurance. As I started to do some research on this song and just what the Bible says about this topic I found some interesting articles and passages in the Word!

This article I found really made it click,

“Even though the heavenly Father disciplines us for our good, that we might share His holiness, He does it out of love (Heb. 12:6, 10). He wants us, as His children, to be assured of His great love for us. John begins chapter 3 by exclaiming (3:1), “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” God wants His children to feel His arms of love around them, even when they go through difficult trials.”

Hebrews 12:6, 10 says: 6 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” 10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness.”

The holidays can be difficult for some people… Maybe it’s feelings of loneliness or regret or shame. A few months ago my boyfriend, of two years, and I broke up. I’m not going to lie and say that I haven’t been feeling a little lonely… Don’t worry though… I’ve had plenty of chocolate to make up for it. 😉 (totally kidding!!) The reason I’m sharing this is because without the blessed assurance I’m promised in John 3, I wouldn’t be able to move on and have joy in my life! After spending two years with someone it’s a huge change to not have them in your every day life.

Without God’s love wrapping me up, I wouldn’t have been able to move on.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight:
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

The reason I love this song is because no matter where you are, it promises you that God is with you! His love is everlasting and endless. Because we are assured that God will NEVER leave us or forsake us, and because of this we should be praising His name! This should be our story AND our song!

I pray that whoever is reading this knows just how much their Heavenly Father loves them! Perfect love that was purchased by the King of ALL Kings is for you and your very imperfect life! So don’t worry that you don’t have it all together… You don’t need to be perfect! Don’t worry if you’re the worst person you know… God still loves you! Come to Him and get filled with His goodness so you can get lost in His love! He loves you so much!

Always, Hannah

(Sidenote: My ex-boyfriend and I had a great relationship and broke up on good terms. We both had some things going on in our life that we needed to work on separately with God and decided to be friends. He is an awesome man of God and I’m so thankful for the two years we had together!)

The article I got the passage above from was awesome and worth a read! https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-17-blessed-assurance-1-john-319-24

Thursday September 25th, 2014: Love Others… Really Love Them. Romans 12:9-11

Devotions

“Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.” Romans 12:9-11 NLT

This is a hard one… Love others. Like really love them. Love them even though you may have different opinions. Love them even though you may not agree with how they are living their life. Love them through it ALL. Hate what is wrong… Yes hate it and do not take part in it but continue to love people even if you hate that they are doing wrong. Take delight in honoring each other. What does that even mean? Delight means to take pleasure in. So make it your pleasure to honor each other. This could be like complimenting someone’s shoes or maybe how they include someone. Never be lazy because we are to serve the Lord in everything we do!

Try loving someone who is usually hard to love. Honor your friends. Serve the Lord enthusiastically. It’s your call!

Happy Thursday!

Tuesday August 19th, 2014: Global Education Ministries

Devotions

Happy Tuesday! Today I’m sharing something very dear to my heart. Some of you may know my sister, Rachel. Rachel moved to Wilmington, North Carolina two years ago broken, away from God, and utterly hopeless. Shortly after arriving to Wilmington she fell in love with Jesus. Over the past two years it has been a joy to see her grow in the Lord.

In July she graduated from The University of North Carolina Wilmington with a degree in Communication Studies with a focus in video production. When she started to think and pray about her future after college she felt God calling her to Puerto Escondido, Mexico. So August 1^st, 2014 she left North Carolina for Puerto Escondido, Mexico. While she is there she will be teaching Kindergarten and producing videos for Global Education Ministries.

Global Education Ministries (G.E.M) is an educational ministry organization located in Oaxaca, Mexico in the costal town of Puerto Escondido. G.E.M has started an English immersion private school called Centro Educativo el Manantial. Centro Educativo el Manantial has begun as a Pre K-5 school and will grow to become a PreK-12 school. The school provides quality education, but it is primarily an instrument used to share the gospel and Christ’s love with the children and their families.

So my purpose in sharing all of this with you today is to ask you to pray with me. Tomorrow is the first day for Centro Educativo el Manantial and I would love to begin praying for the sweet kids who will walk through those doors tomorrow. Please pray for my sister Rachel as well as the other teachers and missionaries. Pray that there would be no language barrier. Pray that the kids would be able to feel God’s love through this school. Pray that the Puerto Escondido community would feel God’s love through this school. Also pray for protection of the campus, teachers and missionaries, and the children and families.

Rachel sent me these specific things to pray about as well:

1. That God would give her wisdom to be a teacher- which is totally new to her.

2. That sharing the gospel would be first and teaching the children second. Their salvation is way more important than education.

3. That He would give Rachel joy in being a teacher. Writing lesson plans isn’t incredibly fun as of now, but pray that he gives her enjoyment in that.

4. That she would continue to love the culture and not miss home so much.

5. Praise: She has already found a church body, a woman’s Bible study, sweet sisters in Christ to live with, and great brothers and sisters that she gets to work with at school everyday.

God is good!

Last Years Class

Thank you so much in advance for praying for my sister and Global Education Ministries.

To find out more info on Global Education Ministries like their Facebook page or check out their website!

Thursday August 7th, 2014: Thank You Jesus

Devotions

I love the new Hillsong album, “No Other Name.” While all the songs are great my favorite is “Thank You Jesus.” I want to break down part of this song just to understand how significant these lyrics are.

“You’ve given me life

You’ve opened me eyes

I love you, Lord

You’ve entered my heart

You’ve set me apart

I love you, Lord

I love you, Lord.”

“You’ve given me life”- You created me. Literally, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13 NIV)

“You’ve opened my eyes”- You opened my eyes from darkness, “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:17-18 NIV)

“I love you, Lord”- I sing praises to the highest King who demonstrated the highest love, “I love you, Lord, my strength.” (Psalm 18:1 NIV)

“You’ve entered my heart”- You’ve saved me. You have entered into my heart and I’m changed. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—”(Ephesians 2:8 NIV)

“You’ve set me apart”- He has set me apart and made me His, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” (2 Timothy 1:9 NIV)

Thank you Jesus for your cross. You have given me life, opened my eyes, entered my heart, set me apart. If you have a chance, take a listen to “Thank You Jesus.” You won’t regret it. Hope everyone has a great Thursday!