"Renew," I thought in January as I mediated on what word I would focus on this next year. "That is the word." 
"The Lord is an everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 

I'm afraid of being busy.

I get anxious when I don't think I will be able to get everything done that needs to get done. I feel overwhelmed when I look at a color-coated planner with a rainbow of words across every inch of space.


Perhaps you are afraid of being busy, too. Perhaps the demands of life seek to wash over you. Perhaps you, too, struggle with enjoying God's work for you today instead of just anticipating the weekend.

If so, I have some encouragement for you today.



This past semester has been, in a word, busy. I had four jobs, school, church, family, and other things like cleaning my room, showering, and necessary parts of life. People often asked me if I had time to sleep or have a social life. I didn't.


I faced my fear of busyness all semester, and it was rough. I can't say that I enjoyed it or handled it well, either. More often than not, you could have found me watching Friends in my spare minutes because I didn't want to try to think about anything. I tried to push my way through the tasks and deadlines, not really submitting to God or resting in the gospel. I didn't feel like I had time for that.




In the beginning of the year, I focused on a word and quality of God for 2019. The quality of God is faithful and the word is renew. I rejoice now in seeing how God prepared me for this season of busyness with those two words.

For in my unfaithfulness during this busy season, God proved Himself faithful. When I faltered, He was unfaltering. When I gave up, He pressed on. When I numbed my mind with Netflix, God stayed close, reminding me of Himself.


"If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is." (2 Tim. 2:13)

He is not going to leave us. He doesn't grow weary of us even when we grow weary of ourselves. This is really true! This is an eternal hope for our souls. He will remain faithful even if we are anything but faithful. That hope is not conditional upon our own behavior, feelings, or success, but solely upon Jesus. And Jesus never fails. 

In time of busy, it is important to remind ourselves that God holds our hand, even when our hands are full. He will never let go, for He is a faithful God. 



Not only is God faithful, but He renews us. Yes, there is abundant grace for us in overwhelming seasons, for God Himself is our hope and strength. He will renew our spirit.

As I thought about the word renew this past semester, I wanted it to apply to my own ability to get things done. But that is not what the renewal of God is about. No, He renews our minds so that we can see more clearly His will, which is what really matters. His renewal is one of hope, not that everything will go perfectly but that He will make everything perfect.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Cor. 4:16-17)



We are renewed in order to get a little closer to this glory, this surpassing beauty that outshines productivity and success and dreams come true. God renews our spirit not so that we can get chase our dreams but so that He may become our dream. 

And in this hope, in this vision of Jesus, we will also find strength to press forward with the challenges at hand, that we may glorify Jesus through hard work and joyful spirits.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col. 3:17)



I'm not done facing my fear of being busy, but God has given me comfort, perspective, conviction, and practice in leaning into His faithfulness and depending upon His renewal. I hope that you discover in Him a love far greater than every fear, including the fear of being busy. 

Please leave a comment below with how you deal with busyness and what God has been revealing to you about this. 

Princess Hannah

P.S. PIVOT

Life isn't perfect.

We know that. We live every day in the imperfection. yet sometimes we still think that somewhere, somehow, life can be perfect. If we only had that job, boyfriend, or trip. If we only felt rested, beautiful, or successful. If only.

I hate to break it to you, but there is no perfection in "if onlys."



As many of you know, I spent the Fall 2017 semester in Disney World as an intern. It was wonderful, but not perfect. I cried a lot. I spent too much money. I struggled with making friends.

However, upon returning home, I began to idealize my experience there. I began to think that everything was better in Disney World. Discontentment began to fester in my heart as I faced imperfections in life. When I went through boring classes or rough patches in community, I remembered the excitement and friendship of my time in Disney and idealized it.

"If only I was back in Disney." And although I didn't think it in so many words, I began to think that things would be perfect in Disney.

How did I realize that I was idealizing Disney?

I went to Disney.

My mom and I took a spontaneous trip to Disney this holiday season. It was wonderful, but it wasn't perfect. I realized that my idealized version of Disney didn't exist. It was not the answer to my if only feelings.

Maybe you're idealizing something, too. Perhaps it's a community that you miss. Perhaps it's rest. Perhaps it's traveling. Perhaps it's the elusive illusion of an Instagram worthy life.

Regardless of where you look for perfection, let me challenge you with this: don't look in imperfect places for perfection that can only be found in Jesus.

Whatever you think about when you think if only, let me tell you, it won't satisfy. Those grades, that relationship, that conference, that career move, or that number on a scale will only leave you thinking what now. 

This is where Jesus becomes clearer. Jesus shines brighter. Jesus remains the only perfection we can turn to.



Let's face it; our hearts long for perfection. Why else would we be dissatisfied with anything else? Why else would we feel the need to add a filter to our life to give the illusion of perfection? We seek something beautifully perfect.

However, we can't find perfection here on earth (even in Disney World). We cannot create perfection through our Instagram feeds. This lack of perfection can either leave us distraught or it can turn our gaze to Jesus, who is perfection. Jesus came to earth to show us the perfection of God even in our imperfection. He came to fulfill our desire for perfection by becoming perfection for us.

People will tell you to find beauty in the imperfection, and that is good. There is beauty in imperfection, authenticity, and honesty in the mess. However, the perfection of Christ is far more beautiful than our imperfections. The radiance of God's perfection outshines Disney, boys, rest, and success.


I have found myself thinking more of heaven lately. There, things will be perfect. There, God will be clearer to us. There, nothing will distract from the perfection of Christ. There, we will no longer think "if only." We will be too full of the perfection of God.

Heaven is the one thing that we can idealize, because it will far outshine our greatest ideas and hopes. Heaven will not disappoint us. Everything else will fall short of glory, but heaven is a firm hope that will not fail. It is a hope that can carry us through the boring classes and rough patches. It is a hope that keeps us fully engaged in the battle of the present while still looking forward to the rest beyond.

And so, I will keep my eyes on Jesus. When I am tempted to put my hope and ideals in something else, I will remember that it will not satisfy me. It can not hold that kind of weight. But Jesus can.

Let us keep two eyes on Jesus. He is perfect.

Princess Hannah

2018, what a year!


I'm not sure what 2018 held for you. Maybe you experienced new adventures. Perhaps you were met with unforeseen sorrows. 2018 could be leaving you with a hopeful expectation for 2019 or an uphill battle.



During the transition into  new year, this season of reflection and resolution, I have one reminder for you: Don't forget about today.


Don't get so caught up figuring out yesterday and planning out tomorrow that you let today pass you by.


Jesus, when instructing us how to pray, guided us neither into a prayer to provide understanding for the past nor a request for comfort in the future. Instead, he reminded us to depend daily upon the mercies of God.


"Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11)


This reminds me of how the Israelites gathered manna from God in the wilderness. God required that they not store up manna from yesterday nor gather extra for tomorrow. They were required only to gather enough for today. 


Just so, we can't keep holding onto yesterday or revolve every action upon tomorrow. Rather, we are called to live faithfully today, in expectant dependence upon God.


This is not to say that we shouldn't reflect and learn from yesterday. I think that reflection is valuable and necessary part of life. But in our reflections, we must not let yesterday dictate today. We can be tempted to identify "seasons" of our lives and make excuses for today because "that's just the season of life we're in right now."


Of course I'm worried, but I'm just in a season of transition. 

I'll tithe later, because I'm in a season of financial instability. 

I'm not sure about this God-thing because I'm in a dry season. 


Pish posh. God is the maker of the seasons of weather, how would He not also be in control of the seasons of our lives? We mustn't be too hasty to discard something because it doesn't fit in our "season." We also must be careful that we don't lay out self-fulfilling prophesy when we attempt to label too clearly what "season" we're in.


Instead of relying on the past to interpret our present, we should rely on Jesus to fulfill our todays. We need to stop hanging onto yesterday and grab hold of the mission of the Gospel with two hands. And we'd better do that today. 


"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)


Sometimes, though, we are more concerned with the future than the present. I'm guilty of this one. For me, today seems like a stepping stone for tomorrow, rather than the stage on which the true action occurs. My mind is always planning the next step, the next trip, or the next list. It can get overwhelming, if I'm honest.


However, God leads us in a different way. Instead of gathering manna for tomorrow and today, He instructs us to live in His abundance today and trust Him to provide again tomorrow. Plans, when hoarded and clung to in our hearts, turn out much like the hoarded manna in the Old Testament, filled with worms and rotten smells.


"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34)


This isn't to say that we shouldn't make plans. They are useful and a key to making the most of each day. Even God commanded the Israelites to plan by gathering twice the amount of manna in preparation for the Sabbath. Our plans, though, should not be the reason that today is meaningful. That's Jesus' job.



And so here we are, in today, in the moment where Jesus shows up and leads the way. Let us trust Jesus with every day of 2019. Let us come to Him expectantly 365 times, not clinging to the past or leaning on the future but pressing on toward the goal, which is the glory of Christ.


"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)


Happy New Year, and Happy New Day!


Princess Hannah

It's a well-known fact that the middle is the least exciting part of anything. The middle of a movie is filled with small setbacks leading to the exciting part, the end. The middle of a 14-page essay feels like the worst. The middle of the backseat of a van for 12 hours is actually the worst.

Yet here we are, in the middle.




In the middle where we end up watching Parks and Rec instead of praying. In the middle where we wake up already looking forward to taking a nap. In the middle where the days take forever to pass by yet are gone in the time it takes to turn the calendar page.

Yes, we're here in the middle.

The middle is frustrating because not only is it boring, but we know, deep down, that it shouldn't be. After all, there's so much excitement in the kingdom of God that how could we be bored? But it is here in middle where we struggle to see past the long list of things to do and people to meet and Instagram pictures to post. Things get hazy, and we start to lose sight of Jesus because we feel like to come to Jesus means that we have to get our act together, and we just don't have time for that right now. We think that coming to Jesus will look the same now as it did in an earlier part of our season, and we just can't get back to that place.




I'm here to remind us both that God is here with us in the middle. He invites us to follow Him now with just as much grace as He did when we were first saved. He isn't afraid of the middle. The middle isn't too long and awkward for Jesus to come and do His thing.

It is time that we stopped fearing the middle, too. It is time to cease fearing the place where the fog of the future and the mess of the past collide to create the present. It is time to stop wishing that we could go back or forward or sideways or whatever. It is time to follow Jesus, one step at a time, one moment at a time, even in the middle. Even when life's painfully normal. Even when we're confused.




Because however normal or confused or unmotivated life can get, these commands ring true:

"The most important is this, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

(Mark 12:39-31, emphasis mine)

Perhaps if we obeyed these commandments, the middle wouldn't be such a wearisome place. Perhaps it is love for God and love for others, not love for ourselves and our current position in life, that will help us to get up on a Wednesday morning and chose to smile and have joy. Perhaps it is that kind of love that will motivate us more than any #MondayMotivation.

When our lives are about loving God and loving people, the painfully normal days take on a whole new meaning. Suddenly, life isn't about what we're feeling or doing or wishing. Life is vibrant with opportunities, big and small, to obey God and love others.

May we obey these commands as they bring purpose and light to the middle seasons of our lives.




Praise the One who wastes nothing and brings everything into His glory. Praise the One who is with us in the middle, not demanding perfection but commanding love. Praise the One who is the beginning, the end, and every moment in between, including this one.

Let's start in the middle, shall we?

Princess Hannah

This small town blogger got to study ballet with the American Ballet Theatre in New York City this past summer! I packed my bags and lived the NYC dancer life for three wonderful, tiring, exciting weeks. Weeks I won't soon forget, Weeks I will treasure forever.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content"

1 Timothy 6:6-8

Contentment is hard. 

It is hard to be content when we have such big dreams. It's hard to be content when we've seen great things. It's hard to be content, for goodness sake, when Instagram reminds us daily how much we don't have. 

We don't have a boyfriend. We don't have that dream closet. We don't have that amazing testimony. We don't have those spectacular experiences. 

When I look back at this year (especially last spring), I see a lot of discontentment. 

Why? 

Because I wanted to be back in Disney. I wanted to be off on the next adventure off to NYC or Europe. I wanted to be somewhere else.

Oh, so very badly. 



And so, to numb the discontentment, I pursued aimlessness. Pursue is too strong of a verb. I resorted to aimlessness.

I think that I mistook that aimlessness, that complacency, for contentment. I deceived myself into contentment, not because I found my contentment in something greater than Disney or adventures, but because I ignored my troubles and blocked out the discontent thoughts with media, busyness, and temporary fixes. 

 I settled. Settled for a dulled soul and distracted mind. Instead of facing my disappointment and shortcomings, I went on Instagram and browsed pictures of Disney. Instead of puzzling out my thoughts and talking to God, I planned the future and dwelt on what might come. 

That's not contentment, not godly contentment. 



What is godly contentment, then? 

I believe godly contentment to be satisfaction in Jesus, untainted by our circumstances. Contentment is to find joy in Jesus in times of excitement, plenty, normality, or struggles. Contentment is much more about Jesus than it is about what we do or do not have. 

I also find that contentment leads to action. Because contentment focuses on the sufficiency of Christ, it will lead us to follow Christ's ways and kingdom. Contentment isn't sitting still and feeling good about our place in life. Contentment is standing up, no matter how hard it is, and living in a way that worships Jesus. It is a life of action, not reaction. 

"Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith."

1 Timothy 6:11-12



I can't help but think of the scene in The Incredibles where Helen realizes that Bob is not on a business trip. She assumes that he's off with some other women and starts to melt in tears and self-pity.

Edna Mode, then, hits Helen on the head with a rolled up newspaper.

"Go, confront the problem. Fight! Win!"

Adventure is out there.

That's what we've always heard. That's what we grew up thinking and dreaming. We dream of far off places and fantastic experiences. We dream of getting away and finding something truly spectacular.

Adventure is out there. 

But where is there?



During the past year, I've spent a considerable amount of time where most people would consider there is. Five months in Disney. One month in London. Three weeks in NYC. Two weeks in Ireland, Germany, and France. I guess you could say that I've been there this past year.



The funny thing about there is that if feels an awful more like here than I expected. I'm still the same person there as I am here. My body still needs sleep and food. I still struggled with the same things.

My adventures delighted me, but they weren't in and of themselves life giving. They were actually rather draining. I came back from each one tired physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And even after traveling much this year, I'm still searching for there. 




I think that though my mind and heart had adventured away during the past year, my soul had been a little abandoned. The quest for adventure isn't just a heart and mind thing. It is most fundamentally a soul thing. I think that God created our souls to long for adventure.

Where, then, is this adventure that our souls long for?

It is in Jesus, my friends.

Jesus is the grandest adventure. God is the journey that our souls long for.



Jesus is the epic story of love and loss, battles and victory. God is the glorious beauty to behold; He is indeed the Creator and definition of true beauty. Jesus is the driving purpose and excitement of our lives. In God is a rich history, splendid present, and promising future. He is ever unfolding to us more of Himself for us to discover.

That's the truly exciting part. You see, I got to go to some pretty cool places. I saw Buckingham Palace, the Harry Potter Studios in London, the Eiffel Tower, and so much more. However, I didn't go to these places as a participant but as a spectator. I didn't visit these cities as a citizen but as a tourist.



God, though, gives us a place in the adventure. He gives us citizenship in His kingdom. Suddenly, this adventure becomes more than just a stop in our life but becomes our life itself. It is an adventure that doesn't end. It doesn't leave us dry and wanting more.



Following Jesus is the grandest adventure of our existence, not because it is filled with excitement and love and purpose (which is it) but because it is centered around God. And God is with us. Immanuel. And God is for us. Our cups overflows.

I may have come home from a year of traveling, but the real adventure, the grandest adventure, is only just beginning.



So I guess adventure isn't out there after all. Immanuel changed all of that when He brought adventure right here with us.

Jesus, thank you for taking us on this adventure. May we follow. May we worship. May You be glorified.



It's been a while! Perhaps, because this crazy year has settled down, this blog will get some more attention. Please comment below your recent adventures with Jesus and around the earth.

More posts to come about my travels!

Princess Hannah