Blissful

"Shout happily to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord cheerfully. Come into his presence with a joyful song." Psalm 100:1-2

Those moments where you are filled with such joy, and you feel utter bliss. But it doesn't make sense because your life seems to be anything but peaceful. Its those moments that make me fall so much deeper in love with Christ and all He is. I've watched every romantic movie, heard every love song, read every mushy story, but nothing; nothing can compare to this kind of love. Every girl dreams of having a guy that would be so in love with her, to even be willing to give up his life if it meant saving hers. But I already have that. Joy. I know that's what consumes me.

I just finished Leviticus (yay!) a pretty difficult book for me to work my way through, but I did it and I'm surprised at what

God was able to show me by reading a bunch of seemingly repulsive and wacky laws. Holiness is important. God is perfect and compared to Him we are nothing. I'm not exactly sure how this will impact my spiritual life, but its already showed me how thankful I need to be that God sent His Son as a sacrifice. Because I know that if God asked me to go sacrifice a lamb I would end up naming it and want to keep it as a pet. haha :) So be glad the sacrifice has already been taken care of! Guess God showed me this at the perfect time, right before Easter!

Feeling kind of blissful at the moment. Happy where life is, not really worrying much about tomorrow's problems. Isn't that is how it is supposed to be when Christ is in your life? He knows what He's doing, so why worry? Easier said than done I know, but with God all things are possible. Hmmmm going to hit the hay, tomorrow is Friday yay!! So excited for the weekend and everything it will have to offer. I've kind of been going off on random tangents but that's okay! :) To sum it all up I'm just really in love right now, head over heels for a guy that gave it all for me 2000 years ago. Ahh bliss.

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

A Season of Growth and Learning

"To everything there is a season, anda time to every purpose under heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1

I enjoy taking a look back at all of my different seasons throughout my walk with Christ, and seeing what He has taught me. But this year I can't necessarily pinpoint one specific thing I have learned , so I will call this year a season of immense growth and learning. It has blown my mind how much God grows you when you open yourself up. The experience has been, in a word, amazing.

A few things God has taught me this year...

• If anything consumes my time and thoughts more than God does its an idol.
• Sometimes you have to quit talking, be quiet, and just listen.
• Expect God to do big things inyour life, every single day.
• God is a father to the fatherless.
• Amidst the chaos that life throws at you, you can find complete peace in God.
• If you can't love well at home yet, don't even try to love in the youth group.
• Ask God to stretch and shape you, stripping you down to nothing but the cross.
• Joy is better than situational happiness.
• God makes beautiful things, I am beautiful because God made me.
• I'm created by God, and worthy of being treasured.
• Being broken is at the core of what it means to be a Christian, because its then that we can be completely filled with Christ.
• We aren't promised another breath, so thank God for everything.
• Unrequited love hurts, imagine how God feels when we don't talk to Him.
• Holiness is extremely important to God.
• God's will should be the desire of Your heart.
• You should long to glorify Christ in every aspect of your life.
• God always knows better.

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

Stretch Me

Sometimes I feel spiritually lost. I'm not sure if that's the right way to word it, but basically I'm confused as to what kind of direction He is moving me in in terms of growth. Usually I know what He is asking me to work on in my life, but right now I have no idea. I feel like I'm craving growth so much; searching desperately for more fulfillment than what I'm getting but I don't know how to get it. I read the Bible, I talk to God, I go to church and am in fellowship with other believers, I'm reading christian books to help push my faith..what else can I do? I am truly not trying to be prideful, I know that growth can only come from God alone, and I want Him to push me.

Thursday during prayer meeting I stumbled upon Romans 5:3-5:

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Maybe it sounds weird, possibly even crazy but I want to go through trials, because I know that God is good and will fulfill me. Every time I reach the end of my desert I am so much more stronger and passionately in love with Christ because He satisfied me. I know that difficult times WILL come. But until then I long for God to stretch me..to my breaking point. I crave to be pushed spiritually to a place where I don't think I can go on. So that God can truly empty me of myself and fill me with Him. I want so badly to be molded into His likeness. Even if it kills. I want to be so broken that I have NO OTHER choice but to fully and completely lean and rely on Christ with every single ounce of myself. I want to be transformed.

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

Cherish The Moment

Washing my hands at school today and looking at the flowers painted on the bathroom wall I somehow felt like I was in fifth grade at Hellen Haller again. Only for a minute, but it was crazy. How in the world did time fly so quickly?! I remember when trying to climb into my bed by using the nightstand as a step stool was my biggest task, and now I'm looking into living in a different continent by myself. Eighteen years sure have flown by.

Lord, let me look forward to the future and all the great things that You have in store, but help me to cherish every moment You choose to bless me with. Its so difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm not promised tomorrow. Help me to live in each moment for Your glory only. To shine Your love to everyone I meet. Use me daily and fill my life with opportunities to please you. Help me to not look at each day left of senior year as one more day to get through but one more day to honor You. Not as three months left until graduating but three months left to make an impact through You. Make your will the desire of my heart. Help me to dream big and love greatly.

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

Love Your Neighbor

"You aren't going to attend college next year, you must be going mad!" I can only begin to imagine all the comments from family and friends. The idea of doing mission work has always been floating around in my head but lately the thought has been heavy on my heart.

This is what I know:

• I love God.
• God wants me to love His people.

The thought of orphaned children sitting alone, hurting and not being loved makes my heart ache. I don't know what God has planned for my life but I'm so very excited to find out His amazing plans. Every day I'm falling deeper and deeper in love with my father, my friend, and my Savior. Calling myself lucky is beyond and understatement. I'm just so joyful. And to keep that joy I am so blessed to know locked up inside of me and not be able to share it with God's little children seems ridiculous to me. God calls me to go love His people. I love my Daddy. I want to obey my Daddy. And therefore I will go. Maybe I'm called to Cleveland, maybe I'm called to Africa. But where He goes I will go.

"Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul and out of and with all your mind and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

Empty Me

The school year is winding down, only three months left until we graduate. I just bought my prom dress and ordered my cap and gown..is this real?? And as senior year begins to fade I'm searching for meaning and contentment. Unsuccessfully grasping for fulfillment in the things of this world. I keep focusing on youth group, boys, friends, facebook, church, food, school, etc rather than my King. How many times will it take? When will I finally learn that I can only find contentment in the Lord? I am so frustrated with myself! And all I can do is beg the Lord for forgiveness and undeserving mercy. My hearts desire is to be so longing to be constantly living in his presence. To crave His unfathomable love.

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'