11/16/15

The Kingdom of Love I

The Kingdom of Love I

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I've been thinking about love lately. Not the romantic kind of love, but the all-encompassing love of a lifestyle lived for Christ. I've been wondering, in this world which glorifies love, what love really means. Is it just a feeling? Is it expressed in roses and hugs, kisses and midnight conversations? Can it be destroyed by hate, just as terrorists destroyed some of the city of love, Paris, last week?



Basically, what is love? 

And as I've read the Bible the past few weeks, I've discovered something freeing and wonderful: God is love. And His Kingdom is not just a city of love, but a kingdom of love that can never fade away.

These facts seem so basic, so elementary. Duh, God is love; everyone loves to talk about that. But the reality of this love gets lost in translation, and we can miss the crucial elements of God's kingdom of love. We can overlook the simplicity of God's love and how we should respond to it. We get caught up with the whirlwinds of time and the struggle of life that we forget the center of our existence and the starting point of the circle of life.

And so I'm going to remind you of some of the basic truths of God's love. You've probably heard these truths put more elegantly than I will write them, and many of these things seem so simple. But I believe that we all need to remember the foundation of love upon which we stand. So, let me share this infographic with you to illustrate what I've been thinking about:


First, God is love. 

Stop. Stop right now and think about that this really means. It doesn't just mean that God loves. It doesn't mean that God is soft and cuddly. It doesn't mean that God always acts how we think a loving being should act. It means that God is the definition of love, the determining factor of love, and the measuring stick of love. If something is in agreement with God, it is love. And if something is in disagreement with God, it is not love.

1 John talks a lot about God's love and our response to it, and I will refer to many verses from this book. It's not very long, so I recommend reading through it this week and seeing the big picture that I'm trying to write about in John's words. Anyway, in 1 John 4:16, John writes: "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."

Next, God loves us. 

 We all know the words of John 3:16, but they are true! God, the starting point of love, the maker of all creation, and the holy King ruling over all love us! "This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us..." (1 John 4:10). God didn't have to love us. He didn't have to extend His character of love into our lives, BUT HE did.

And this is the signature truth of Christianity. In no other religions does God begin the love. Others believe that people must earn God's love. Those who killed hundreds in Paris believed that they would then earn God's love. They believed that they would first love God, and the God might love them. And so they did whatever it took.

Is that love?

I don't think so. It is rather sin living in us that perverts God's true love into something ugly and despicable.

God hates sin. 

 This is the part many people like to skip over, but I cannot ignore it. In Sunday School this morning, the teacher pointed out that to truly love, you must hate. To truly love the people of Paris right now, we must hate the destructive sin of terrorism. To truly love my cat Patches, I must hate the curse of injury which inflicted a torn ACL on her little kitty life. To love one thing we must hate anything that tries to destroy our love.

And so God, being the definition of love, if also the definition of wrath. For God to truly love us, He must hate sin, which kills us. And so, God's wrath and just condemnation of sin is not separate from His love, but an extension of it. In fact, He hates sin so much that He cannot be in the presence of it, which then introduces a problem, because we chose sin and cover ourselves with it from the inside out, making ourselves distant from the love of God. But this didn't change God's love for us.

So Jesus Came. 

 "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." (1 John 4:9)

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." (1 John 3:16)

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1)

Enough said. I really can't top John's words here that describe how God's love for us and hate for sin met on the cross and paved a new way: a way of grace. For grace is the meeting point of love and wrath. It is the sacred place where God's wrath for our sin poured upon Christ, leaving His love to shower us with undeserved life!

And this grace changes everything! (cough, cough, Grace in Everything.)

It is bigger than any terrorist.

It is better than any relationship.

It is stronger than any temptation.

Jesus.

I didn't realize that I had so much to say on this simple topic, but that illustrates how magnificent is the basic love of God! These rediscoveries as well as the ones that I will disclose in part two (and possibly three) cleared up the direction I need to go in life. The simple truth of love changed how I thought about God, myself, and others. I hope and pray that you better understand the foundation upon which we stand, but I pray for more than understanding but for greater love for God!

Please comment below what is on your mind lately! And how do you think about God's love? I would love to hear any illustrations that you've found helpful! Also, let us continue to point to the only cure for the curse of sin that destroys so much: God and His love.

God's grace be with you,

Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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11/5/15

Liebster Award

Liebster Award

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Y'all, something new happened to this blog last week. Something quite fun.

I got nominated for my first award!!!! 

The lovely Madison from Minnie Muse nominated me for the Liebster Award! I love Madison's fashion blog, and in fact, it inspired my fashion-forward week a bit ago. She is such a refreshing breath of authenticity in the fashion-blogging world, and her vintage style makes me want to go thrift shopping and start sewing all at the same time! 

So, needless to say, I'm very excited about this post, and won't wait any longer to get into the questions! 

1. What is one of your favorite birthday memories? 

Starting off hard, are we? After contemplating this question and consulting Mother, I think that I've decided. A bit before my seventeenth birthday I went to see my favorite stage performance ever (and I've seen quite a few by now): Swan Lake. I remember riding home from the magical experience and telling my Mom, "My dream is to be a swan. I don't want to be a professional dancer, but I want to be a swan." 

And guess what? As detailed in this post, I got to be a swan this summer. It was a short excerpt and not very glamourous, but I danced in the corps de ballet as a swan. God works in mysterious ways! 


2. Are you a planner or spontaneous person? 

Planner all the way. In fact, I need to not freak out when something unexpected (be it good or bad) shakes up my pre-existing ideas of how my day should turn out. I deal with planning every aspects of life to such an extent that I named this habit: to-doism. (See my posts about to-doism here and here.) 


3. What is something surprising people wouldn't know about you? 

I consider myself a fairly transparent person, so this question stumped me for a while, and I still couldn't think of a perfect answer, but I do think that my messiness would surprise some people. I usually have things quite put together, but when it comes to my room, I can let it simmer on the backburner for a while until it gets burnt. For example, my parents gave me a ballet barre to hang on my wall for Christmas last year, but I still haven't installed it. Coffee cups can sit on my desk for days before they find their way to the dishwasher, and I recently learned to always pick up air-mattresses because my cat thinks that they make great places to relieve herself. 


4. What is one of your favorite words or  a word your use a lot?

Lovely. I love describing things as lovely, be it blogs, people, or ideas. I may use it too much, but I can't help myself! I feel quite British and whimsical when I utter or type the word! 

5. What is one of your favorite hobbies (apart from blogging)? 

Well, this might be obvious, but ballet is my main hobby. Writing takes second place, though. I really like writing fiction; it just needs to come out of me! If I don't write regularly (cough, cough, like the past while), I feel so enclosed, like my emotions can't circulate properly. Do you writers know the feeling? (See a short story I wrote here.) 

6. What is your favorite TV show (current or past)?

This would prove very hard for me (because I'm indecisive), but for some reason, I like determining my favorites in areas like this. And so I can say with confidence that my favorite TV show is Alias, a spy drama with epic plot-twists and wonderful characters. My sister and parents watched this on Netflix two summers ago, watching at least one episode a night and starting a pretty fun rhythm of watching more grown-up shows once the twins go to bed. Sherlock closely follows as second favorite! 

7. Why did you start blogging? 

I actually had another blog before I started this one. I started that blog because I wanted to get my words out and encourage others. This comes from, in my belief, my gift from God of teaching and pastoring, because through blogging I can teach others and lead people I connect with towards Christ! 

My first blog didn't go far, though. I didn't really understand blogging, only writing. When I started this blog, I started actually reading other blogs and posting more than preachy stuff and diary entries. I wanted to show myself and others that God's grace truly can intersect with every aspect of life! 

8. Oh... what is one of your favorite quotes? 

This is going to sound weird, but oftentimes, my favorite quotes are the ones that I make. 

I like to summarize lessons that God has taught me in little quotes to remind myself of His Story in just moments. My favorite one is the title of my old blog: "I'm not perfect, but I'm perfectly His." 

9. If you could meet anyone dead or alive, who would it be? 

Jesus. 

I know that He lives in me and that I will see Him in heaven, but for my little human, limited experience in earth, how much would change if I had a face-to-face conversation with Jesus? But oh how I forget that I can have this everyday, for God expresses Himself in His word and communicates with me all of the time if I only lean towards Him. So this is kindof a cheating answer. 

Other that Jesus, though, I don't know who to say! I could say Mary the mother of Jesus, Esther, Corrie Ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, Audrey Hepburn, Emily Freemen, or Taylor Swift. I'f be pretty okay meeting any of these people! 

10. What are three things you CANNOT live without? 

One: God's grace. This is a rather literal interpretation of the question, but I cannot even imagine my life without His grace pouring into me, giving me hope to face the future, strength to live in a world of sin, and joy to live in the moment. 

Two: Me-time. Although I am not an introvert, I do need time by myself, to think, write, work-out, or blog. Sitting on my bed doing something creative makes me lose track of time and refreshes me for the rest of life. 

Three: That being said, I also can't live without people especially my family. I really don't know what I'd do without my Mom to gush out my emotions to, my Dad to seek advice from, Rebecca to be my best friend, and the twins to be my crazy dance-party partners. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but my family rocks! 

11. What is your guilty pleasure? 

Hm... Desserts. I can't say chocolate, because I feel no guilt from eating a little chocolate, but I do feel a bit of guilt from eating a piece of cake (more on that and the accompanying insecurities later). That doesn't stop me from enjoying the gift of God in the form of sugar and butter, though! 


11 Random Facts About Me

1. The Incredibles ruled my childhood! (June 21st, 2019 will be a great day.)
2. I am almost always singing something throughout the day (currently Philip Philip's Home). 
3. I wanted to be a fashion designer for a while and made many a Paper Fashion Outfit. (If you know what that is, please send me an email, because we should be friends.)
4. I am a night owl, but please don't ask me to think past midnight. 
5. I wrote a full-length fantasy fiction novel around a girl on a journey to find the only way to defeat the supervillain. (Now I just need to de-cheesify the dialog and de-cliche the plot and I will let you read it.) 
6. I don't like the sight of blood. 
7. I constantly move my feet around, which is a combination of my love for ballet and cats. (Y'all, I truly do knead without even thinking about it. When I'm warm and content, my feet just start to move without my consent!) 
8. I talk to my sister Rebecca every night before going to bed. In fact, we're discussing this post right now. 
9. Potty humor will never get old for me. 
10. My Dad purchased Sirius Black's wand for me at Universal Studios last winter. 
11. I talk to myself all of the time!

Here are the official rules of the Liebster Award:
1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.
2. Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.)
3. Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.
4. Provide 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!)
6. Create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.
7. List these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here.) Once you have written and published it, you then have to:
8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

11 Questions for My Nominees

 1. Who is your favorite Disney Princess now and has it ever changed?
2. How do you style your hair?
3. What was your favorite childhood show or movie?
4. Are you a visual, kinesthetic, or auditory learner?
5. What movie are you currently looking forward to watching?
6. What is the last item that you purchased?
7. What has God said to you recently?
8. Do you like pineapples?
9. What song is on your head?
10. What is your favorite part about fall?
11. What is the first thing that you think of when you wake up in the morning?

My Nominees 

 Olivia from Summer of 1998
Chloe from It's a Chloe Thing
Abbey from Miss Abbey Noelle 
Kianna from Kianna Rose Etc.
Meaghan from Meaghan Unscripted 


Thank-you again Madison, for the nomination! It was so fun to make this post, especially because I crafted it alongside my sisters!

Princess Hannah 
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Hannah
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11/2/15

Five Ways to Eat Honey

Five Ways to Eat Honey

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I love honey.

I think that my love for honey stems for my love for anything sweet, but honey tastes so rich and sticky and wonderful that I just want to put it on everything! My family buys giant jars of local honey from the hardware store, which makes it seem even more special. And because it's natural and healthy, I don't feel bad about smothering all of my food in the deliciousness.

And so I do.

And now I get to share the love of honey with you by listing five ways to use honey in your everyday life:

1. In Coffee

I like to make my coffee strong, with skim milk, stevia, and a good drizzle of honey. Although honey is not low-calorie, just a bit provides a richness and flavor that perfectly sweetens my new morning drink, (I just started drinking coffee while in New York training for ballet), and just a lot works fine too!

2. In Tea



Another drink that I now love also tastes great with honey: tea. Somehow the addition of honey makes the warm comfort of tea go down with even more delight!

3. As a salad dressing

Though a less common use for honey, drizzling it over a salad makes a sweet dressing. It's just so simple and complementary to so many salad combinations, especially fruit salads.

4. On Oatmeal

Ditch the brown sugar, honey is here! A little drizzle of this sweetener gives a bowl of oatmeal an instant boost! Add some dried cranberries and granola and you will look forward to eating breakfast every morning!

5. On Oatmeal Banana Pancakes


Speaking of breakfast, honey tops these oatmeal banana pancakes like none of our business! I may be partial to my first recipe ever posted, but honey could replace syrup for any pancake recipe. But really, you should try these easy and healthy pancakes!


As you can tell, we love honey in our house!

So next time you see some local honey, buy it! If it's a big jar, buy it! And then I hope that you find these ideas delicious and fun as you experiment with how you like to use honey during your everyday lives! Comment below how you use honey and how you can't wait to use it in the future!

Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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10/19/15

To-Doism Part Two

To-Doism Part Two

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In To-Doism Part One, I wrote about how, in the pursuit of doing everything right and getting everything done, we miss out on the point of life: Jesus. We forget to breathe, we forget to trust, and we forget to sit at Jesus' feet like Mary because we were rushing around like Martha. If you haven't read Part One yet, check it out! 


           I don't know about you, but the Mary life sounds wonderful! I really want to live like Mary who just sat at the feet of Jesus, content even in the chaos. But here is where I get confused. Does living like that mean throwing responsibility in the wind? What about hard work? What about giving Jesus the gift of our life lived for Him? These questions pop into my head, and instead of ignoring them in order to feel free, I want to answer them in order to understand freedom. 

And this is what I discovered: and. 

 I know, I know. I don't make sense at the moment, but hear me out. We don't have to choose. It isn't either sit at Jesus' feet or work for His kingdom. It isn't rest in Jesus or do schoolwork. There's an and in there, a while in between the two stances. We sit at Jesus' feet so that we can work for His kingdom with the right motivation. We rest in Him while we do schoolwork. We learn, however hard this is, to leave the self-driven ways of to-doism and learn a new way: Jesus. 

I'm tired of speaking in vague terms that inspire but don't transform into action. So, it's time that I gave some ideas on how to combat to-doism and start living a life seated at Jesus' feet while working for His kingdom. This is not an extensive list, nor do I pretend to give five easy steps to a joy-filled life, because it doesn't work that way. Instead, I want to show you how I've discovered sitting at Jesus' feet looks like in real life. I want to give you examples of the hard work that goes into not working so hard that you forget the point: Jesus. And here it goes, here are some things that I do to sit at Jesus' feet in a to-doism world: 

-I start my morning with a little prayer. I may be half asleep and wishing that I could be all-the-way asleep. I may just want to check my phone's notifications and get started with the day, and sometimes, I do those things instead. But I know that more than sleep, more than affirmation, and more than getting everything done that day I need Jesus. And starting the day at His feet sets a good example for the rest of the day. 

 -I like to stop for a moment on my way to wherever I'm going and look around. I look at the creation that God has made and thank Him for the beauty all around. I really wish that I did this more often, because what crushes to-doism more than things that are done, ready, and beautiful all in God's timing?

I may or may not have risked my life by taking this picture while driving. Don't try this at home, kids


-I also find that doing something according to the talents God has given me banishes to-doism. Telling a story, drawing a figure, or writing a poem may not feel productive, and that's what makes them so great at combatting to-doism! These creative outlets allow me to breath, live, and refocus on the things in life that motivate me and make me feel satisfied, and when this is done right, it is all to God's glory!

Getting ready for The Nutcracker
-Finding the little quiet moments in the day to pray connects me to a God who is always with me, during "Bible Time" and "school time" and every other part of my day. Because, when I think about it, the whole day is "God's time," because He made time. And so I pray in my car on the way to school, while showering after ballet, or while brushing my teeth at the end of the day. I'm finding more and more times to pray now that I've discovered that every place can be a sanctuary, every place can be a seat at Jesus' feet. And let me tell you, prayer can kick to-doism's butt.

-When I struggled with anxiety in middle school, my dad gave me a wonderful illustration that I never forgot. He said, sometimes I'm so concerned about not worrying that I end up continue to dwell on worrying! It's like trying not to think about red by thinking: don't think about red, don't think about red, don't think about red, when I should really just start thinking about blue. Sometimes, the best cure to to-doism is simply to distance myself from the stress and do something else. That doesn't mean avoid the problem or let go of all responsibility, but sometimes I just need to watch some Netflix or read a book. A renewed mind clears a lot of things up.

-I also find it encouraging to visit with others who understand me and will encourage me. Whether that means talking to my Mom for an hour or reading a book by someone who has a heart going in the same direction as mine, this can give me courage because I know that I don't face these problems alone.

Like at a TobyMac concert!!!! I loved it because it was so oriented on the love of Jesus!


-Listening to music that gives God the glory refocuses my thoughts off of me and my issues and onto a God who is stronger than I could ever imagine. Sometimes I'm just too worn down and tired to form my own praises, so I plug in a Passion album, David Crowder music, or something else honoring to God and let the words fill my heart, replacing the to-doism that once reigned with praise to the King who will forever reign (if you get that reference, bravo).

-And let's face it, sometimes I just need to go to bed. Somehow, I get most emotionally vulnerable at night, and the best thing to do is not stay up late and solve the problem but to go to bed and realize in the morning the simple solution.

Waking up from a nap had like like...


-But nothing satisfies more than God. Nothing. Sometimes I don't believe this, and I try to live life on my own, which never works out very well. But I know that I need God, and that He is peace for my heart and joy for my soul. And so I come to Him.

How do I do that? The above ideas are great, and I find them very useful, but the most straightforward way is to read the Bible. I know that this sounds so simple, and it unfortunately can become just another thing on my to-do list, but to read the Bible is to see the truths of God! To read the Bible is the most simple way to sit at the feet of Jesus. Even if I'm busy and feel rushed while reading it, I still make sure to read some of God's Word because I know that it is better than anything else that I have to do that day and will fulfil me more than checking everything off of my list. I don't always feel the peace, but I live in it. I wrote a blog post about how to study to Bible here if you want to know where to begin or how to understand God's words.

She never distracts me from my studies... (sarcastic voice on)
Honestly, I don't know exactly what this life of sitting at Jesus' feet can really look like. I don't have it figured out not do I resist to-doism all of the time or even most of the time. In fact, I struggled this past week with to-doism, trying to get everything done and yet yearning for rest. I avoided sitting at Jesus' feet until I felt ready and my checklist allowed. I felt rushed, hushed, and generally unjoyful. And that is why I needed to remind myself of Jesus' sufficiency and grace maybe more than any of you reading this needed it. I can't do it. And that's the point. 

 Keep living in the grace of God, fellow sisters, and don't let to-doism steal your joy! Let's learn how to sit at the feet of Jesus while we work for His kingdom! 

 Comment below which of the ideas on the list you have found helpful in the past or can't wait to try in the future! And do you have any thoughts of to-doism? I truly want to hear them! 

 Princess Hannah 
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Hannah
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10/10/15

To-Doism Part One

To-Doism Part One

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I noticed something when I sat down and read a number of y'all's posts recently, and this something upset me a bit.  It made me upset because I do the same thing, and it is now considered normal to see this still-unnamed-quality everywhere we turn. It destroys our weeks and robs our joy. It lies and waits in places we don't expect and creeps up on us so slowly that we don't recognize it. 
You're probably worried now. I am too! 

What I see in many of the good-girls/blogger-chicks/any-young-adult-that-cares-about-life is this: to-doism. (A word that I made up for the occasion.) 

/to-doism/ (pronounced to-do-is-m) 1. the act of keeping one's eyes focused on a schedule so that one misses out on the joys of life. 2. trying to get everything done in a timely manner. 3. commonly called stress. 



To-doism sneaks up on us. It takes us by surprise, because it first appears necessary and good. After all, we have to get everything done, so why not plan the day to make sure it all fits? Schedules and lists and calculations help, right? Tasks, Bible time, cleaning, school, prayer, family. Good things. Good ideas. But it lacks something.

Yes. Getting everything done is good. And for some people, a busy schedule won't lead to to-doism. But for me and my sensitive, gentle, perfectionist spirit, a lifestyle of schedules and never-ending tasks leads to to-doism. And it isn't pretty.

To-doism leads to stretched, tired, stressed, inadequate feelings that scream rest and work at the same time and leads us towards neither.  To-doism puts all of the emphasis on ourselves and what we can and cannot do. It gives merit and punishment, but never grace. It over-exaggerates and makes everything more dramatic. It focuses on the temporary, day-to-day things instead of heavenly joys. It keeps our eyes on our feet while a beautiful sunset fans out ahead.

We have a to-doist friend in the Bible that I want to sit with today, and her name is Martha. Let's read Luke 10:38-42:

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" “Martha, Martha” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Who here connects with Martha? I have a feeling that many of us do. We just want to serve Jesus, make sure that the homework gets finished, and keep on top of the ever-demanding list of wonderful things in our life. We're always busy, and even when we're not, we know that we should be doing something. Don't get us wrong, we do these things all for the glory of God! We love Him and want to give Him a wonderful, well-prepared gift. 

But the trouble comes when, in the preparing of this gift, we forget who we're giving it to. We get distracted and weighed down, and we can't understand why because we're doing everything right. Right? 

But what if, just imagine this with me, what if there is something better than giving Jesus the very best, well-prepared gift imaginable? What if there is something better than making dinner for Jesus? What if Jesus invites us to a life that does contain work and lots of it, but which is also seated at His feet in rest? What if He emphasizes relationship more than workmanship? 

Oh, how wonderful that sounds! And the best part is: such a life is possible. Jesus does desire us more than the gifts that we have to offer. A life of rest at Jesus' feet can happen, and just because I LOVE this part of the story, I will read it again: 

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:40-42

Jesus is the One. 

Jesus is better. In fact, Jesus is Best! And right here, right now, wherever you are with whatever you haven't checked off of your to-do list yet, Jesus invites you to sit at His feet and center yourselves around the One thing truly needed: Him.

Inhale His presence and exhale love. Rest today in His enoughness, even if you didn't get everything done yet, even if a mountain of homework and a dirty space reminds you of the list of things demanding attention. Choose to believe that you really only need One thing, and He gives Himself to you this very day!

You see, He invites you to a relationship not centered on workmanship but based off of love. Jesus loves you, and it has nothing to do with you and your abilities, and everything to do with Him and His grace! Oh what joy!

Friends, next time to-doism threatens to steal our joy, may we kick it in the derriere because we have our eyes and heart focused on the One, Jesus! And then we can begin to truly live.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 Matthew 6:33

So let's sit. Sit at Jesus' feet and He will be enough for us and our busy schedules and restless minds. Oh, however hard it is, we must learn the simple act of sitting! Part Two will explore the practical ways of resting at Jesus' feet with a Martha-schedule in front of us, so you don't want out miss out on that as we continue to explore how to combat this ever-growing problem of to-doism!

Comment below if you struggle with to-doism. Also, I really want to know how you rest at Jesus' feet! Your answer might make it into my next post, so join in on the conversation!

Princess Hannah 
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Hannah
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10/5/15

My Rebellion Against the College Dress Code

My Rebellion Against the College Dress Code

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A funny thing happened in middle school: I discovered my own style. 

I remember the early middle school days where I just wanted to wear what everyone else wore. All of the other girls wore jeans to church, and little peer-influenced me wanted to dress like that, sporting Aeropostale shirts and flare jeans instead of the dresses and skirts that Mom made me wear. Why couldn't I just blend in? What couldn't Mom let me wear jeans? 

Then things changed. My Dad started his own church where people dressed very casually and Mom finally said that I could wear jeans to church! Now I could dress like everyone else! Except now, no one my age went to this church, so I couldn't base my style off of the general crowd. But, the important thing stayed the same, I could wear jeans. 

Yay? 

That's when I discovered something wonderful: I can dress however I like to dress. Not how that other girls dressed. Not how Mom wanted me to dress. Not how the celebrities dressed (for this was my pre-smartphone era). I discovered how I wanted to dress. And guess what I discovered? 

I prefered wearing dresses than wearing jeans. 

And I discovered much more than that. I figured out that I love vintage-inspired clothes, peter pan collars, black lace skirts, pearls, and sparkly earrings. I continued to discover the style that I loved to wear, even when I again immersed myself in a group of peers. 

And now, I face a new challenge: college. 

I'm pretty convinced that the unwritten college dress code is Nike shorts and free t-shirts. A messy ponytail and a quick swipe of mascara completes this professional look, paired with strappy sandals or tennis shoes. No I must ask: will I go back to the middle school days and go with the flow of fast and easy dressing? Will I trade my own hard-fought style for the college dress code? 

No way!

And so I present to you a fashionista's rebellion to the college dress code. It is full of skirts and colorful jewelry and lace tops. I even brought out some wedges on a day where I only had one class! Now, please don't think that I wear these kind of outfits every day! I usually wear a pair of jean shorts or pants and a cute shirt with some earrings, but I wanted to go above and beyond this past week and wore something extra special each day of the week! 

So without further ado: my week of revolutionizing the college-girl's wardrobe! 

Day One- Rain or Shine 


It's the rainy days that need a little extra sunshine. And these polka dot rainboots can lighten any day! (Although it didn't end up raining after all.) 



Day Two- Ready for the Catwalk

I gave my second speech in Communications on this day, and the right pair of shoes can instantly boost confidence! The effortless half-tuck and rolled jeans made me feel very on top of things! 



Day Three- India Inspired


I really loved this outfit! The necklace made it extra special, because rescued women in India made it! We receive beautiful jewelry and accessories from similar groups of women every month from Fair Trade Friday. 



Day Four- Lace and Pearls


I told you that I love peter pan collars, lace, and pearls! 



Day Five- Don't Forget to Smile


This outfit doubled as a concert outfit for that night, and I felt super excited to sport the music-festival/fall chic! This sweater is sooo comfy and versatile! 



And on Saturday I didn't get out of my pjs and work-out clothes. Let's keep it real.

I hope that this post inspired you to discover your style even if it requires a bit of rebellion against the norm. It takes time to figure it all out, and I don't pretend to have it all together, but I had so much fun making these outfits! An extra special thanks to my amazing Mom, sister Abigail, and sister Elisabeth who took pictures every afternoon for a week! I couldn't have done this post without you guys!

Comment below your favorite outfit that I wore! And also, I want to know your style! Where are you on the journey of discovering your fashion sense?

Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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10/2/15

The Effort of Being Effortless

The Effort of Being Effortless

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Inhale. 
Point my feet, lengthen my fingers, make sure that my knees are straight. 
Exhale. 
Flatten my back, engage my core, don't forget to look at the hands.
Listen. 
Go faster now, don't forget the "and," it's okay to smile, Hannah.
Ballet. 
They must never know the work that we do to make the effort look effortless. 

In honor of World Ballet Day on Thursday, I present you with some videos of yours truly warming up, putting on pointe shoes, and showing off some pointe work! 





Comment below what you learned about ballet today! And what are your weekend plans? I get to go to a concert! And I also prepared all week for a great post coming soon, but it must wait a bit longer, and you will understand why once I post it! And because it's way past my bedtime, farewell!

Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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