Star Breather

Have you ever sat outside and watched the night fall?  Have you ever watched the stars slowly appear in the sky like they were breathed from a thin wisp of smoke? Have you ever seen the moon journey over the treetops, going nowhere in particular?  Have you ever wandered through the lonely winter sky, breathing in the cool, crisp air?  Have you sat outside and simply marveled at the beauty and splendor of God and His Creation? 

It is in those times that God shows Himself to me.  Those times where I lay outside under the winter sky beneath a full moon in total silence, God speaks the loudest.  His voice is but a whisper on the winter's evening, but I can feel Him, I can breathe Him in.  My heart beats slower, overflowing with love, as I can literally feel God's wonderful embrace.  The Star Breather and the Kings of Kings sits with me as I gaze at His vast Creation, and the millions of stars that He knows by name.  Simply, it is breathtaking. 

Honestly though, I'm not sure which is more breathtaking - the vastness of God's creation on display to worship Him or the fact that out of all the beauty and glory and perfection, God still chooses to love me - a tiny, insignificant speck on a small blue dot surrounded by millions of glorious stars...

Birthday Wishes

Hey all.  I know it has been forever since I've posted anything, and I am terribly sorry. I honestly haven't written anything since the beginning of soccer season, but I'm finally able to be a part of the real world again.  To start off, I want to thank everyone for the support you've always given me.  Anything I've ever needed or asked for, there has been someone providing for me, and more importantly, praying for me.  I love you all so much and could never ask for a better group of friends.  I know that was sort of random, but I feel like I don't thank you or tell you I love you enough.

Now I have a favor to ask of all of you.  For my birthday last year, I asked for money to give to SweetSleep, an organization that provides beds and mosquito netting for families in Africa.  Through your support, I was able to give $500 to help the families in one village in Africa.  I could never thank you enough.  This year, my sister Abby and I are double-teaming to try and raise even more money for our birthdays (Abby's is on November 5th and mine is November 13) in order to provide help to those in need.  Our goal is to raise $1,000 for Amazima, which supplies food, clothes, and other much needed things to people in Uganda.  This organization was founded by Katie Davis, who now lives in Uganda.  She is constantly loving  children and mothers of this region; she has shown many hearts the way to Jesus just by loving them.  We want to give money to support Katie and her cause because she has connected with people so different from herself, and she has loved them UNCONDITIONALLY.  If we could all do that, we would be fulling God's call for the Great Commission.  The world would change completely. So this year, Abby and I sincerely ask you to help us change the world - this time with double the birthday wishes.

Here is a link to Katie's blog if you would like to read stories from her life in Uganda :) - http://www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com

The Endless Summer

"That's what it's like when you're following summer around the world, trying to find a place to surf." -Bruce Brown, The Endless Summer

I'm not sure if time moves faster or slower at the ocean, but something changes when your bare feet hit the sand. The stars are a different kind of bright. The waves lapping against the shore are a gentle lullaby that sings you to sleep. The sea breeze clarifies your thinking process. The salt water washes away all worries and heartbreak. The summer sun smiles on your carefree skin. When you're standing on the edge of the world, you live life in technicolor.  The beach is the epitome of summer: what it tastes like, what it smells like. 

But nothing gold can stay. The sun will eventually set on our summers. The thing about life is we have to seize those summers. Try to make them endless. We have to shake the sand out of our shoes as long as we can. Eat ice cream in the pouring rain. Catch fireflies on a moonlit night. Take long walks on the beach under a starry sky. Enjoy the simple things, like sea turtles, a good book, and a cup of coffee. 

In his documentary, Bruce Brown said with enough time and money, you could spend the rest of your life chasing summer around the world. But you don't have to chase it; with enough dreams, hopes, and laughs you can make enough memories to keep summer in your pocket.

Goodbye

I hate goodbyes.  Soon, I will have to say goodbye to two very influential people in my life.  I have already said goodbye to two others.  It's difficult to say these goodbyes.  Life is full of goodbyes, and nearly every tear we shed is because of them.  Goodbyes are the embodiment of our fears.  We are afraid of being alone, saying the wrong things, changing.  Oh, how change terrifies us, but we must embrace it like we embrace those we love.   Nothing can last forever.   

I don't know all the answers or what the futures holds, but I know who holds the future. That is what makes goodbyes bearable. If I didn't have the hands of the Lord holding mine when I say goodbyes, I would crumble. The pain of saying goodbye only lasts for so long, but His love and plans last forever.   

We must realize that they are necessary because without goodbyes, there would never be hope of seeing someone again.  Without goodbyes, there could never be hellos.  Without goodbyes, there could never be reflection.  If the sun never said goodbye to the horizon, there could never be a new day.  If a baby bird never said goodbye to its nest, it would never learn to fly.

So for now aloha, auf Wiedersehen, bon soir, sayonara, and all those good bye things.

Dream a Little Dream

Fall to your knees, little one
Bow your head
And say your prayers

Clasp your hands together, little one
Whisper those innocent words
To the Lord above

Know that He is listening, little one
Crawl back under the covers
And remember that He loves you

Now close your eyes, little one
Let the Sand Man come
And whisk you away to far away places

Snuggle closer, little one
There are no monsters here
Only teddy bears and Princesses

Continue to dream, little one
The dawn has not yet broken
And the stars still shine for you

Sleep tightly, little one
Until morning comes
Just dream...

20 Things I Learned from Backpacking

    1.      A “day hike” means nine miles, not a stroll through the woods

    2.      The ground is incredibly comfortable after a day hike

    3.      Toilets are under-appreciated

    4.      So are showers

    5.      People freak out when you start to bleed, even if it’s only a little

    6.      Steri-pens are like little light sabers that attack the bacteria in the water

    7.      One good fall isn’t enough

    8.      Always use the buddy system

    9.      Water is always better in your belly than on your belt

   10.     Never bring your good sunglasses

   11.     How to start a fire 

   12.     Rock a loungers can’t be delivered to your home

   13.    Skipping rocks is an art form

   14.    Don’t try to trail run.  Ever.

   15.    Don’t fall off the log so you don’t scare the fish away

   16.    Balance is the key to not falling off the log

   17.    Firewood is hard to find around a stream

   18.    Flat ground is sacred

   19.    Don’t stand in front of a diamond back, even if you think it’s cool

   20.    You grow a lot closer to a person after you’re stuck in the woods with them for three days

The First Nights of Spring

The wet grass tickles my bare feet
As the nostalgic sun unwillingly disappears behind the hills
And casts long shadows on my face.
Gradually, the sapphire sky fades into an inky purple.
The first stars wink at me from their beds in the growing dusk.
Twilight paints the valley
As frogs croak and crickets whistle.
The trees light up
As lighting bugs dance and twinkle.
A breeze sails around the trees,
Rustling their new green leaves.
I breathe in the faint scent of lilacs and rain
And thank God for spring.

Thunder's Whispers

The other night, I was woken up by a dog breathing in my face.  She was shaking she was so terrified by the storm.  5:17 was a lot earlier than intended to get up, but I couldn't go back to sleep.  Instead, I read my Bible (with my dog laying beside me).  I turned to Psalms, since my best friend told me Psalms is a great book to read in the morning.  Now I understand why she's optimistic all the time.  Anyway, I read Psalm 29.  In verse 3 it says, "The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the LORD thunders over the mighty waters."
And in verse 7: " The voice of the LORD strikes
   with flashes of lightning."
As I sat there, listening to the thunder rumble and seeing the lightning illuminate the night, I couldn't help but marvel at His power.  At that moment, His voice was the thunder.  I felt his presence around me as the rain beat on the roof.  It was wonderful.

The Butterfly Effect

Close your eyes, and imagine with me for a moment: a beautiful, delegate Monarch butterfly fluttering through the sky on a bright summer’s day.  Beautiful, isn’t it?  Its wings gently flapping then, it glides through the air, gently landing on a flower.  It’s amazing to think there are theories speculating that the butterfly could inadvertently cause a tornado. The Butterfly Effect is a theory that a butterfly flapping its wings could cause a series of events, each time growing larger and larger until a catastrophic event takes place.  It could, in theory, change the course of history. 

The Butterfly Effect in chaos theory is used as an example of how a small factor can greatly vary the results of an occurrence.  Mostly, it used to describe weather conditions.  However, consider this theory when you are making decisions in life. The decision you make can have a lasting effect on your future.  And there’s no changing the past. 

I’m going to ask you to imagine that butterfly again.  You picture it?  Good, now let’s go back to the early 1800s.  This same butterfly is flying through the air.  The vibration from its wings causes a slight change to the atmosphere.  The change in the atmosphere causes much of the sun’s heat to be blocked for a year, causing a severe drought in East Africa.  The entire balance of the ecosystem has shifted in that area.  The crops die, leaving small rodents with no food.  As they die off, so do the larger predators.  It rains, finally ending the drought, and plants spring up quickly.  The rodents reproduce even quicker, nearly causing overpopulation.  As a result, some of the rats and mice board ships bound for Europe on the trade route.  Once in the streets and storehouses of the European countries, the deadly diseases from the rodents spread to people, killing nearly half of Europe’s population in the event known as the Bubonic Plague.

Let’s switch gears as I take you to 1883.  A volcano know as Krakatoa has erupted, sending ash and debris high into the atmosphere.  In Norway, the skies are seen as a strange mercury red as the ashes interfere with the sunlight in the stratosphere.  Artist Edvard Munch paints his famous painting The Scream with those haunting red skies in the background.  It’s seen as one of the most iconic pieces of art in history.  Today, climatologists see the event as a meteorological phenomenon.  Could it possible that a butterfly started the chain reaction that caused the volcano to erupt or the particles to interact with sunlight to create such a mysterious color? 

In Ray Bradbury’s short story, A Sound of Thunder, he explores the possibility that a time traveler stepping on a single butterfly thousands of years ago could create a chain reaction so devastatingly diverse from the original course of history that dinosaurs would still be roaming the earth today.  Society was completely changed, simply by taking a single butterfly out of the equation.

As I say this, just keep in mind the decisions you make.  They could have a lasting effect on everything you do.   A tiny insignificant detail today could mean a drastic difference later in life.  Sometimes, not only will it affect you, but your children, and your children’s children.

You remember that butterfly we’ve been talking about?  Picture it flying through your own front yard.  You can either go out and catch it with your kids, or stay inside and ignore the beautiful day God’s given you.  The choice is yours.    

Or imagine yourself walking in the mall.  In front of you, you see a mother pushing a baby stroller with arms full of bags.  She suddenly drops the cups of juice she’s trying to give to her kid.  You consider not helping her, as she would slow you down to where you’re going.  Instead, you rush up to her, handing her the cup of juice.  She smiles her thanks, and you meet her tired eyes, smiling back. Little do you know, a few feet away sits a man who sees the whole thing.  Later that day, he sees an old couple hobbling to the door.  He barely pays attention; until he remembers the help you gave the busy mother.  He walks to holds the door open for the elderly couple, who graciously thank him.  Not far away, a lady sits watching him help the couple.  As she passes a homeless man on the streets, she remembers the man helping the old couple.  She reaches into her purse and gives the homeless man a few dollars - it’s enough for him to eat for the next two days. 

So you see, the smallest thing you do could start a chain reaction that you didn’t even know about, just like the butterfly.  Everything you do matters.  Whether you accept it or not, the way you act makes a difference.  And if you’re lucky, you just might change history.  The question I have for you today is will you be the one to break the cycle, and start a new chain reaction?

Food for Thought

What if the world were to end right now?  What if this exact moment in time ceased to exist as our Savoir came back?  The Heavens open and display His glory - finally.  Trumpets sound and the Creator of the Universe brings all of His children to Him.  Just imagine what a sight that will be.

Now realize the person sitting next to you is not a Christian.  They are left behind, never having known the Lord.   That takes away some of your joy, doesn't it?  How will you feel when you have to stand before God.  "Why didn't you tell them about me?" is all He asks.  Shame, guilt...feelings that well up, holding you back from the joy you should be feeling. 

Every single second on this earth could be your last.  It could all end, right now.  Use your time wisely.  

       
  

Productive Boredom

The other day, I loved the way the sun was coming through the clouds.  The frozen water droplets on the branches were gorgeous, so I took advantage of it. I tried to capture exactly what I had envisioned. Here are a few pictures I took I thought turned out wonderfully.

Aeterna Lux Solis

Winter's Crystals

Usually my mother is the photographer, but I was bored, and for whatever reason, I was feeling creative.    Here are the results of my boredom:

Chasing Pavement

Lonely Afternoon

I think I may stick to poetry, but I thought these turned out pretty well. 

Love you lots,
Hannah

Not a Choice

A baby is not a

Choice

It’s a human

Life

Abortion is not a

Choice

It’s

Murder

A poem that I enter into a contest about opposing abortion.  It's short, but I think I made my point. 

Joining the Rebelution

I recently started a book called Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris.  It's about my generation starting a Rebelution - a teenage rebellion against low expectations of an ungodly culture.  This is exactly what I need in my life right now.  David's message Sunday morning, this book, and lots of prayer are all screaming the same thing to me: I need to do something.  And the time to do something is right now.  Not tomorrow, not next week, not when I get older.

Twins Alex and Brett are trying to make the point that our teenage years are the best of our lives.  It's not time to party, have a great love life, or even become popular in school.  We need to take advantage of these years to influence other teenagers, and hopefully adults, to do something incredible for an awesome God.  The only way we can do that is by doing hard things.  This requires us to step out of our comfort zones and do things that require an enormous amount of time and energy for a cause greater than ourselves: to bring glory to God and share His love.

Our culture has become accustomed to lazy teenagers who barely scrape by in life.  Alex and Brett challenge that - and I want to join them.  The entire Rebelution started with a blog they had written challenging teens stand out.  Obviously, I can relate to that.  At sixteen years old, they interned at the Alabama Supreme Court, then went on to travel to nearly every state in the country, speaking about the Rebelution.  They wrote this book when they were nineteen.  I'm only a few chapters in, but I'm completely inspired to stand out.   These guys were the same age I am when they interened at the Supreme Court.  I mean, hello! Is that not awesome?  It just proves that you are never too young to do something. 

This is the first step in a long journey, but I am willing to follow through.  God will lead me where He wants me to go; I just have to listen.  It won't be easy, but I know it will be worth it.  I'm going to help change the minds of society, do hard things, and join the Rebelution. 

New Year's Resolution

I finally figured out my New Year's resolution: talk less, listen more.  Recently I realized that some people just need someone to listen to them.  If I am talking all the time, I can't listen to them.  I become more concerned with what I'm saying, and I don't pay attention to their problems.  Some people are naturally just really good listeners and advice givers; it's something I struggle with.  I want my friends to be able to come to me with their problems, knowing I'll listen to them and help them as much as I can.   From experience, I feel so relieved if I can just tell someone my problems.  I want to be the person they can trust to come to when they feel they need help.  So guess I'm just trying to say that if you ever need anyone to listen, I'm here.