Monday, February 28, 2011

The one who deceives

In the last 3 hours I have read/watched multiple discussions on marriage/faithfulness/cheating. It started when I read this guest post on stuffchristianslike.com about the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and how Christian men in particular deal with it. The author(a guest blogger) was basically making fun of how Christian men either try to avoid getting caught with it or how how they avoid it altogether. Personally, I did really appreciate his mockery of a very serious issue, but that's another post for another day.

Later I was watching The View and they had a guest on that was a former madame. At one point she said that married men didn't go to other women because they wanted to leave they, "..strayed to stay." They wanted something that they were not getting from their wives so they went somewhere else to get it. In her skewed logic, apparently this strengthened marriage. So...my husband cheating will make my marriage better? Um ok?

The more I watched and read, the angrier I got. How can they think that these issues are things to be taken lightly? How do they not realize that mindsets like this are ruining marriages and families? Are they just blind?! Actually, they are blind.

They are blinded by the ultimate deceiver. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of thisdark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Satan would like us to think that we are fighting against the publishers of Sports Illustrated or against the sex industry. In reality we are fighting against the powers of evil in this world that want us to fail and follow after the things of this world, rather than the things of God.

I have seen this theme of deception creeping up a lot lately. Honestly, it has been there all along, I was just blind to it. Satan constantly making me think one thing, when reality says another.

Be on guard today. When you find yourself getting angry at the store clerk because you had to stand in line longer than you wanted, remember that it is the prince of darkness who wants you to get angry, but it is the Prince of Peace who urges you to show grace. Remember when you are fighting with your parent/spouse/friend/child today that satan causes us to blow the situation WAY out of proportion. Take a step back, take a breath, and ask God to give you His perspective.

I Samuel 2:9 "He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,..."

Hannah

Monday, February 21, 2011

In Pioneer Country

Long before I started writing my own blog I read blogs. One of my favorite blogs is ThePioneerWoman.com In short, Ree Drummund, the author, was a city girl who met and married a cowboy and her website is all about how she is making her way through life on their ranch with their four children. It's funny, heartfelt and makes me want to marry a cowboy. Ree wrote a cookbook a few years ago called "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" and recently published the story of how she met and married her husband and their first year of marriage. "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" is one of those books that reads like a fiction book, but is a real life tale of love and a few other things.... ;)

Ree is currently on a book tour and was visiting a city about an hour from my hometown. I have a cousin that lives in said city so she and I made plans to meet and attend the book signing together. Seeing as the city of the book signing is quite a bit larger than my tiny town I drove up about three hours before the book signing. This gave me plenty of time to shop around the shopping center a bit(visited Pier One-in love) and then drop by the bookstore to pick up our line letters which told us when we  would be getting our books signed.

The bookstore had a lovely little bistro offering a special Pioneer Woman cooks menu that evening. I found a table for one(my cousin had to work late and then pick up her two girls so she didn't make it til late) and promptly ordered the Pioneer Woman tomato and basil Pizza. And I took a picture of it.
Oh.My.Goodness. This was seriously one of the best meals I have ever had. I only ate half of it at the restaurant...and then ate the other half of the way home. No shame here.

After dinner I grabbed a raspberry smoothie(delish) and waited for the signing to start. Ree came out and stood on the gorgeous staircase of the bookstore and spoke for a few minutes and then took questions. She was hysterical! I loved her humility in openly admitting her nerves. She seemed very down earth and just lovely.

My cousin didn't make it to hear Ree speak, but she did eventually make it just in time...to wait for us to be called to wait in line. Lots of waiting! Melissa brought with her her two girls. I knew that they would get a bit impatient waiting in line so I headed to target on Friday morning and picked up some little gifts and made them these adorable gifts boxes.

Sometimes I just really love the target dollar aisle. They had little coloring things, stickers, a tiny stuffed animal and fruit chewies. Cute! They looooved them! The perfect distraction for little girls.




My cousin's daughter,Mia. Such a sweetie! Mia was adopted from China about four or so years ago and I was actually at the airport when she came home. It has been so sweet to see her become such a fun little lady.



The last time we had our picture taken like this we were in the airport and little Mia was still a baby!
 Well, we finally were called to get in the line to get our books signed. It actually went really quickly and before you knew it we were there! Ree was even sweeter up close. We talked about...her nail polish. Seriously, ya'll. The color was gorgeous! :)




Way to look at the camera, Han.


After getting our books signed we went to Starbucks and talked for a few hours. It was great to spend time with Melissa! The evening ended on a slightly..off note. Tune into later this week to read the rest....


Hannah.


Friday, February 18, 2011

Fashionable Februrary

I have a lot of clothes. Seriously. Two closets. Two dressers. All stuffed. Lots.Of.Clothes. At the end of January I decided that during February I would not buy any new clothes. None. No jeans. No dresses. Nothing.

This is the hardest choice I have ever made. Not really, but at the store I work at-and buy most of my clothes at- we have been getting all of our spring/early summer clothes in. It's killing me.

I have purposely not been walking around the store looking at the new clothes because I know I will just want them all! March 1 can not come soon enough!

I keep telling myself that if I really need something, than it will be there next month. I do not want to be so dependent upon buying new clothes all the time. Honestly, I see it as a form of insecurity in my life. I buy new clothes because I get this idea in my head that if I look a certain way than people will like me more. Forcing myself to be content with what I have is also forcing me to be content with myself. It makes me realize that if someone is only friends with me because of my [rather fabulous] wardrobe, they are probably not someone i want to be friends with for long.

This also goes along with the verse that I am focusing on the last two weeks of February. Hebrews 13:5 "Keep you lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." I am working on being content with what I have and not needing the approval of others to be happy.

Are you trying to build character in your life this month? What are you focusing on?

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Winter Blues...

For those who live in cold, icy, snowy, dark(ish) winter climates we have officially reached the point in the season when we are all sick of it. We're sick of the cold, the ice, the snow, the dark(ish)ness. We just want some sun! Can I get an amen?!

Its at this point in the winter when I am just tired. Exhausted. I drink more coffee than anyone ever should...actually I do that in the summer as well, so never mind.

Everyone is asking right now, "Will winter ever end?!"

Yes. There is always hope in the winter.

photo: source

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace"

Romans 15:13


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The sun will come out....tomorrow?

Breaking news: it is currently 39 degrees outside. I live in Ohio. This.Does.Not.Happen. We Ohioans are pretty tough when it comes to winter, but this one has been bad. It has been soooo cold here. Therefore, this little warm up we've been having this week(yes, 39 is a warm up) has been a blessed relief. I heard on the radio that by Thursday we will be in the MID TO UPPER SIXTIES. Do you hear the angels singing?

Honestly, I'm just so glad to be out of boots and back to wearing my favorite skinny jeans and flats. Praise the Lord. Can I get an amen?

What's the weather like in your area? If you are from O-H-I-O and are always enjoying the warm up, what are you doing to enjoy it?

Hannah

Monday, February 14, 2011

It must be love....

Apparently, I am a terrible single person. Apparently there is this underlying rule that if you are a single female you must hate Valentines Day. I'm sorry, but I don't hate Valentines Day. My dad buys me a mini heart shaped box of chocolate with a teddy bear on the front and my mom buys me Bath and Body Words hand cream...what's to hate?! Even though I am single, I can still love...love. I always have been and always will be a hopeless romantic. I think it is a fabulous idea to set aside a day for celebrating what the very word of God declares to be one of the greatest things in the world. The Lord declares in I Corinthians 13:13,"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Love is a wonderful thing. It unites. It heals. It protects. It gives. It bring life to the world.

Whether we use Valentines Day to celebrate the love between a husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, friend to friend, parent and child-whomever you love today, rejoice in that love. Give thanks for the people in your life that you get love on and who in turn love on you.

Who do you love today? Tell me about who you are celebrating!

Happy Valentines Day!

Hannah

Monday, February 7, 2011

These are a few of my favorite things....

Today I wanted to share with you a few of the things that I use every.single.day and could not live without.

1. I have extremely dry skin. As in, painfully dry skin. For years I've used Olay Beauty Lotion, but this winter has been so cold and dry that I needed something thicker. Welcome Olay Active Hydrating Cream. This cream is thick and hydrating and wonderful. It keeps my skin feeling hydrated all day long, but it does not make it greasy.

Image courtesy of google.com

2. My mom has always emphasized the importance of washing your face every night before bed and using a really good moisturizer to keep your skin healthy. Skin repairs itself at night, so its important to take your make up off and let it breathe. I've used Night of Olay since I was a freshman in high school and I love it for now than I did then. Just like the day cream, it keeps my skin healthy and hydrated.

Image courtesy of google.com



3. I am cold all the time. Seriously, all.the.time. Especially my feet. So I was thrilled to find these wonderful creations at Old Navy. Slipper socks! Call them ugly. Call them dorky. But guess who has warm feet. this girl! I actually bought the last pair at my local Old Navy, just so I would have a back up pair, because my current pair is not going to last forever. 
image courtesy of google.com(My pairs are not this pattern,but the same idea.)

4. I have to carry a HUGE purse because of have so much stuff that I need through out the day. Recently, I got tired of digging through it to find my wallet, glasses, gum,ect. so I started looking for pouches to store things in so I would be able to find them easier. Welcome, zippered pouches from The Pleated Poppy.  These are the perfect size for make up, gum, cell phone-whatever you need to throw in them. Honestly, when I first got it in the mail, I thought it was a little small, but this thing(I only have one so far) hold everything. 
Image courtesy of thepleatedpoppy.com
5. I always said that I would never.never wear jeggings. And then I tried them on. These things are soooo comfortable. I got mine from Old Navy, but I've seen them at just about every store, including Target.

Image courtesy of oldnavy.com

6. Growing up, I had no idea how to take care of my curly hair. Finally, sometime around my sophomore year in high school I learned how to treat my hair so that it would look the way I wanted it to. For years I went from product to product trying to find the perfect one. It wasn't until last summer that I started using John Frieda's Take Charge Curl Boosting Mousse. I fell in love with this stuff after the first use. It provides wonderful structure and hold for my hair, but doesn't weigh it down or leave it feeling crunchy. 
image courtesy of johnfrieda.com


These are just a few of the things that I cannot live without. What about you? What can't you live without. Do share!

Hannah

*It goes without saying, but I will say it anyways: The companies and products I listed above have no idea who I am. I just love their stuff.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

The Saturday Evening Blog Post

Today I am participating in the Saturday Evening Blog Post on Elizabeth Ester's blog. Basically, bloggers pick their favorite post from their blog in the last month and link to it. Go here to see all of the great entries. Enjoy!

Hannah

Friday, February 4, 2011

I love a good link party

 Today I'm sharing some of my favorite posts from my favorite bloggers. Enjoy!

I love it when a blogger is open and honest about their feelings. Lindsey is talking about feeling left out.

Missy is a mom to five, though one of her babies is still in Ethiopia waiting to be brought home. She let her hubby take the keyboard for this post and ask the question: what's college really worth?

I love cute things and these valentines created by Emily of Jones Design Company fit the bill. Such a great price for something so unique. Guess which one I will be giving this year!

I love Beth Moore, and I'm pretty sure she loves me too. Here she talks about this mixed up world we live in.

 Kristin invites her readers to share what they want others to know about any particular issue and here one of them shares what she wants others to know about being a conservative.

I love love love mason jars. So does Lindsey. She shares her ideas for how to creatively use them here.

Elizabeth talks about living intentionally this year.

Give some of your favorite bloggers some love. Share your favorite post from this week in the comments!

Have a great weekend!
Hannah

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Date Night: The Christmas Gala

When you have nothing to blog about, consult twitter. My friend Jared suggested I tell you about our one and only date. Enjoy!

In high school, we didn't have a school paper. We had a school magazine. And in my high school, the magazine staff didn't have a Christmas party. We had a Christmas Gala. My senior year in high school was my one and only year as a member of the magazine staff. Therefore, this was also my only year to attend the gala. As a rule, everyone had to bring a date. I brought my friend Jared, he writes a blog now which you can read here.


This is Jared and I at my graduation. No pictures from the night of the Gala....

The day of the Gala was my first day at a new job. I got off of work at 6ish and had to be at the Gala by about 7:30. After rushing home from work and quickly changing into a lovely black dress(lbd), I jumped back in the car and went to pick up my date. Now, normally I would be very against picking up my date, especially on the first date, it was high school and he didn't have his license. And now that I think about it I actually also picked up the date of another member of the magazine staff as well....

So, I picked up the boys and headed over to the Editors house for the gala. We didn't really realize that she lived as close to Jared as she did, about five minutes....we had given ourselves 30. Rather than be unfashionably early...we drove around and looked at Christmas lights.

We arrived promptly at 7:05 and the gala began. After a tour of the house and some wonderful horderves, the annual white elephant gift exchange commenced. I think I ended up with a gospel tape, that didn't work(thanks,Jared). We then had a ginger bread men decorating contest. Sadly, we didn't win, but had a fantastic story.

All around it was a lovely evening!...Until I got home and stumbled in my too tall, but oh so cute shoes and tore a muscle in my back and missed the next three days of school. Worth it.

Hannah

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Ice Ice Baby and A Game!

I've been stuck inside for 3 days. You know that big storm that everyone has been freaking out about? Yeah, it visited my neighborhood a few days ago. We have approx. 3/4in. of ice on the ground and no power(without the help of a generator).  Therefore, I have nothing to blog about. So I stalked facebook for inspiration and this is what I found. The alphabet game! You write the first thing you think about each of the following topics. Enjoy!
A
- Age: 19 or 25
- Annoyance: people who don't answer texts, emails, ect.
- Available?: yes
B
- Birthday: June 21
-Body part on opposite sex: Smile.
- Best feeling in the world: contentment.
- Best weather: sunny, 55 degrees(ish), mid-April
- Been on stage?: yes, but not in the last 7 years
- Believe in magic: why would i need magic when my God performs miracles???
- Believe in Santa: Why wouldn't I believe in Santa?




C
- Candy: yes please.
- Color: green and yellow and peach and lilac
- Chocolate/Vanilla: swirl
- Chinese/Mexican: Mexican!
- Cake or pie: cake!
- Continent/Country to visit: Ireland!
- Cheese: I love it, but I'm lactose intolerant so....

D
- Day or Night: depends
- Dance in the rain?: With whom?

E
- Eggs: scrambled dry with salt/pepper and hot sauce
- Eyes: blue
- Everyone's got: a nose
- Ever failed a class? No. A 'D' is passing.

F
- Full name: hannah marie 
- First thoughts waking up: five more minutes...
- Food: i'm a big fan

G
- Greatest fear: having to go on the Bachelor to get married
- Goals: Graduate college, buy a house, never own a cat.
- Gum: i'm addicted
- Get along with your parents: yes

H
- Hair color: Reddish brownish
- Height: 5'1.5ish
- Happy: most of the time
- Holiday: christmas
- How do you want to die: Worst.Question.Ever.

I
- Ice cream: Lactose intolerant....
- Instrument: I played the violin in elementary.
J
- Jewelry: addicted.
- Job: to many to count!

K
- Kids: I would love some
- Kickboxing or karate: shuffle board.

L
- Longest car ride: 16 hours.
- Love: Dunkin Donuts coffee
- Letter: j?
- Laughed so hard you cried: Reading whenparentstext.com




M
- Milk flavor: almond
- Movies: Sense and Sensibility
- Motion sickness?: Yes! Awful!
- McD’s or BK: wendy's

N
- Number of siblings: 2
- Number of piercings: 3
- Number: 37

O
- One wish: A coffee pot that makes my coffee and brings it to me in the morning.

P
- Perfect pizza: green peppers and mushrooms.
- Pepsi/Coke: dr. pepper

Q
- Quail: no

R
- Reason to cry: when i'm tired.
- Reality T.V.:  The Bachelor
- Radio station:depends
- Roll your tongue in a circle: no

S
- Song: Christ is Risen
- Shoe size: 9-9.5
- Salad dressing: Ceasar
- Sushi: It ok.
- Skipped school: yes
- Slept outside: in a tent 
- Shower daily?: 90% of the time.
- Sing well?: haha
- In the shower?: every now and again 
- Strawberries/Blueberries: both
-Sarcasm: .......Hi I'm Hannah I don't believe we've met.

T
- Time for bed?: 11:30
- Thunderstorms: I sleep great in them
-Tattoos: Not yet....
U
- Unpredictable: youth ministry.
V
- Vacation spot: somewhere quiet.


W
- Weakness: a good book
- Worst feeling: guilt.
- Wanted to be a model? not really
- Worst weather?: raining when i don't want it to

X
- X-rays: i have had a few
- Ex's: no thankfully


Y
- Year it is now: 2011
- Yellow: is lovely

Z
- Zoo animal: Manatees

Now you do it! if you're bored and want to waste an hour that is.

*Correction: There is approx. 3in. of ice on the ground in some parts of my town. Seriously, people are playing hockey in the middle of the street. Ice hockey! I'm going to get a blanket....