11/27/16

Your Ultimate Advent 2016 Resource

Your Ultimate Advent 2016 Resource

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With all of the lights and cookies and carols that exploded Friday, a smaller, quieter landmark holiday joy starts today- Advent. Advent is one of my favorite parts of Christmas because it leads me to Jesus, it grows in me a joy at the name Emmanuel, and it stills my heart in a time where distractions call for my attention like giant flashing lights- wait, they are giant flashing lights. No wonder I get distracted.
She Reads Truth

The word Advent means "to come." Christ came. He came to earth with a mission, and Christmas points to that first day, that first breath Jesus took as God in the flesh. We are also invited to come. Come to Jesus. Come and adore Him. Come and see of the wonders of His love. This is where Advent leads us on a journey of coming. We come to understand more, we come to love more, and we come to worship the Savior of the world, for He is Christ the Lord.
I've come to cherish Advent, the four weeks preceeding Christmas, and the time of coming that it brings. Throughout years of celebrating Advent and coming to see a bit closer the King who came close to us, I've assembled some different ways you can celebrate Advent too. Here are three ways to make Advent a part of your Christmas this year.

1. Do an Advent Bible study

There are several studies out there specifically designed to lead you through Advent. I've done a couple of them, including Ann Voskamp's The Greatest Gift and She Read Truth's yearly Advent studies.
The Greatest Gift
The Greatest Gift
The Greatest Gift ignited a passion for Advent in me. Ann gracefully traces the lineage of Christ, showing how each figure points to Christ. Each day contains a reading of scripture, thoughts from Ann, an action response idea, and questions to spur thoughts. I had so many thoughts in response to this book that I had to write in a separate journal to fit them all in one place!
She Reads Truth is an online community of Jesus followers that is always producing great content, containing scripture, thoughts, prayer, scripture memorization, and an uplifting community atmosphere. This year for Advent they are doing a study on how Christ perfectly fulfills the roles of priest, prophet, and king. The great thing about this study is that it is online and you don't need to buy anything! Just go to their website every day of Advent for a new scripture! You can also go to their archives and use last year's Advent study, which was great!
She Reads Truth
Other devotionals that I have't tried but want to include John Piper's The Dawning of Indestructible Joy, Louie Giglio's Waiting Here for You, and Dietrich Boenhoffer's God Is In The Manger

2. Read an Advent book

With the extra time you have during the holidays, use a little bit of it to read a book about Advent or the coming of Christ. A couple that I/my Mom (an indefinite resource on books in my house) recommend include Timothy Keller's Hidden Christmas, Liz Curtis Higgs's The Women of Christmas, and Russ Ramsey's Behold the Lamb of God . Also, for families, or anyone who wants to know more about how Christmas traditions come about, check out Lisa Whelchel's The ADVENTure of Christmas. I learned a lot from this book growing up. Now I just have to decide which book I am going to read this year...
Hidden Christmas
Hidden Christmas

3. Light an Advent wreath

An Advent wreath contains a candle for each week leading up to Christmas and a candle for Christmas Day. It looks like the picture below, with three purple candles and one pink candle surrounding one white candle. During the first week of Advent, you light only one purple candle. During the second week you light two. On the third week you add in the pink candle. And you guessed it, you light the last purple candle on the fourth week of Advent. The white candle is reserved for Christmas Day. (See DIY ideas here, although many of them lack a center candle.) 
Image result for advent wreath
To learn more about the specific meaning of the Advent wreath, check out this article. My favorite part of doing an Advent wreath is that it reminds me each night that Jesus is coming. It reminds me to come as well, and that's what Advent is all about.
I do go as far to say that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but because of the joy, humility, peace, and unity that Christ brings. He is coming. He has come. He is coming again. Come and celebrate Christ meaningfully this Christmas by participating in Advent through one or more of these ideas.
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Hannah
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10/25/16

Discover Your Soul

Discover Your Soul

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I discovered something last year that revolutionized my life. It made me see God's kingdom, it inspired me to live in joy, and it guided me towards authentic prayer. I discovered my soul.
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                                  I discovered a little bit more of that "inner being" that the Bible talks so much about, the place where the heart and mind meet to become the very essence of who we are. I discovered more of what the Bible means when it says, "Love the Lord your God with all you heart with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5)
How did I discover my soul? What even is our soul? And how can you discover this inner being as well? (So many questions.) 

  • the spiritual part of a person that is believed to give life to the body and in many religions is believed to live forever
  • a person's deeply felt moral and emotional nature
  • the ability of a person to feel kindness and sympathy for others, to appreciate beauty and art, etc.
Our soul is the mystery of our being, the core of our existence. It is not physical nor loud, yet it directs our ways. From our soul we derive our identities and respond to the truer things, the eternal things, the deeper things. Through our inner being we see the invisible, take joy in the unthinkable, and understand the incomprehensible.
God is as work in our souls. He brings to our souls conviction, peace, passion, and restoration. "He restores my soul." (Psalm 23:3) In our soul He teaches us the things that our heart cannot feel completely, our mind cannot comprehend fully, and our strength cannot complete in this world.
But how do we discover our souls?
In searching for the answer to this question, I have found three ways to understand our souls and then use that understanding to praise God.

1. Soul Sessions


I started a weekly time where I sat down in the quiet and wrote. I wrote out a long prayer of sorts where I reflected on what God taught me the past week. I looked for ways that God moved in my heart. I watched for how the world influenced my identity. I call these times Soul Sessions. David thought about soul matter too, like when he wrote "Why are you so downcast, O my soul?" (Psalm 42:11) Soul Sessions brought me to a greater sensitivity as to what went on in my inner being, and they helped me to live more purposefully for God's kingdom.
You can have Soul Sessions by setting aside a certain time weekly to think, journal, talk aloud, or just pray. Tune in with sensitivity how God works in the little things. Tune into some soft worship music if that helps. 

2. Encouraging Community


I didn't start truly thinking about my soul- apart from singing "it is well with my soul"-until I read Simply Tuesday by Emily Freemen (read all about the book in my review). In the book she talked so much about matters of the soul that I felt inspired to think about these things for myself.
Surrounding yourself with other people who seek to live life on a soul level creates accountability and inspiration to follow God with all of who you are. Some people that inspire soul thoughts include Amanda from Scattered Journal Pages, Erin from Accoustic Erin, Aaliyah from Growing in His Image, Grace from Totally Graced, Abbiee from Abbiee Music Blog, Olivia from Summer of 1999, and so many more! 

3. Worshiping Jesus

John Piper says "To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul’s final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience."
When we take our eyes off of ourselves and fix them on the glory of God, He restores our souls. He created our souls to worship Him and revel in His beauty. That is the true joy our our being, the deepest pleasure of our souls.
"My soul finds rest in God alone." (Psalm 62:1)
"Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being praise his holy name." (Psalm 103:1)
Understanding our souls and how God works in them, directing them towards Christ, and worshiping God with our inner beings gives life a new dimension. Living life on a soul level brings with it joy, humility, peace, and love. This journey of soul discovery will take you upon waters of grace and paths of obedience.
"My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice." (Psalm 34:2)
How have your discovered your soul? Do any verses or rhythms help you? 
Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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10/19/16

It's Okay Not to Fit In

It's Okay Not to Fit In

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Do you ever feel like a puzzle piece that never fits in the puzzle? It's like you're almost there, almost in the picture, surrounded by other pieces that all fit in with you. But your edges are different. They just don't quite fit.


This can be a dissatisfying place to stay. You stand there, on the outskirts of a group that you can't quite connect with. I feel like I've been there my whole life, a stray puzzle piece missing her puzzle. I mingle with a lot of different groups; one edge of my personality puzzle piece fits with the bloggers, another with the ballerinas, another with the church group, and so on. One of my biggest dreams is to fit- all of the way- with a group and let that group be my group, the place where I don't feel different, don't feel even a little bit on the outside.

Now I'm thinking that will never happen.

I've realized, however, that my mismatched personality is a gift, not a curse. To stand a bit aloof doesn't mean that I'm not important and doesn't mean I can't enjoy the company of others. My uniqueness doesn't need to hold me back; instead I should take joy in the fact that God's made me different, a puzzle piece completely unique.

In this state of uniqueness, I also have the opportunity to help the various groups that I almost fit in. I bring to them a splash of color that they didn't expect.

I'm a practical thinker in an artsy blog world.

I'm a balance seeker in the extreme of the ballet world.

I'm a passionate truth seeker, big-picture watcher, in a Church filled with opinions.

I'm different. Not better, not worse. Maybe one day I'll find the group that possesses all of the right edges for me, but until then, I will find joy in the outskirts, in the almosts. I will grow where God's planted me and help others to grow as well.

So here's to the stray puzzle pieces, the people who don't have a group, who don't quite fit in. Keep following Jesus, because He's making a home for you where you will fit so perfectly that you'll never leave!

"Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head.'" (Matthew 8:20)

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms; if it were no so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." (John 14:1-2)

God's grace be with you,

Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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10/12/16

I'm a White Girl, But I'm Far From Basic

I'm a White Girl, But I'm Far From Basic

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It's fall, and you know what that means: crisp air, hot drinks, cozy clothes, and #typicalwhitegirl posts.



Every post using the hashtag #basic, #pumpkinspicelattelife or #typicalwhitegirl makes me cringe. I understand the urge to use these trendy tags, but I don't think we understand what they mean. I don't think that we realize how these thoughts destroy a little bit of our unique personalities.

I wrote an article about these thoughts on Odyssey, so check it out and leave a comment describing how you view these hashtags and self-identity claims.

Sorry for the short post, but it's been a busy week! (It's been a busy semester, so I apologize for my absence on your blogs.) This is something that's been on my heart, so I hope you enjoy! Many more thoughts and post ideas are brewing in my heart, so stay tuned!

Love you guys!

Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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10/3/16

Hopeful Romantics

Hopeful Romantics

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why do we call it hopeless,

this state of romanticism? 

the hopeless romantic. 

the fearless day-dreamer. 

the chick flick watcher. 

she waits on prince charming, 

knowing that he won't come on a horse

but imagining it anyway. 

she waits for her "ever after," 

dreaming that it comes with roses

but knowing that her heart truly desires

wildflowers. 

i don't know what you call this, 

but i call it hope. 

the hopeful romantic. 

still hopeful that one day,

one day,

she will meet someone bold

gentlemanly. 

passionate. 

authentic in his pursuit of Jesus. 

one day

he will pursue her,

and she will pursue him.

he will buy a ring,

and she will buy a white dress.

they will fight.

and he will hold her hand.

they will make a mess in the kitchen

and dance at every wedding.

one day. 

there is hope there,

not immediate satisfaction

nor hopeless exasperation

there is hope. 

hope that she won't give up,

not yet.

for she is a hopeful romantic

and she is strong.

but her hope is bigger than romance,

stronger than patience.

her hope is filled with an empty grave.

it is intersected at every moment

with a cross.

her hope is joyful in unfulfilled dreams,

because every dream is a shadow

a mirror,

a copy of the one true dream placed on her heart.

and that dream,

that hope,

is Jesus.

so with her eyes fixed

on the sure hope of Christ,

she dances through this tangled world

of romance.

of dreams.

of happily ever afters

and not quite yets.

she's not fazed by disappointment,

because her true hope never disappoints.

she's not wavering in insecurity,

because her hold is firm forever.

she sets her heart on hope.

the rest is still unknown to her. 



Oh, how I felt like Anne of Green Gables mixed with every Christian girl post about "Waiting for Prince Charming" right here, but it is so true. I am a hopeful romantic. Hopeful that my story ends well because I know Who writes it. Hopeful because I know that the end to my romance here on earth it isn't something I will see all of right now. Hopeful because my hope is in the One who holds the universe, not in any Prince Charming. This is hard, and sometimes this hope hurts my heart. But I'm choosing to hold onto hope in romance and more importantly, Jesus. 

"But hope that is seen in no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Roman 8:24-25)

Are you a hopeful romantic? How do you hold onto hope? And what are your hopeful romantic indulgences? Me, I love a good romantic subplot in a movie or story. (Or main plot...) 

Much love, 

Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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9/21/16

Finding Beauty: Defying Normality pt. 1

Finding Beauty: Defying Normality pt. 1

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Let me tell you a story. 

When I was in middle school, everyone wore jeans to church on Sunday. And when I say everyone, I mean the cool girls that I desperately wanted to like me. Naturally, I wanted to wear jeans. I begged Mom to let me, but she stood by her Baptist-mother mentality and said "no." 

When my Dad started a church plant and we met in apartment complexes and coffee shops, Mom changed her outlook on Sunday dress code. Finally, I could wear jeans! 

But something differed in this new situation: I had no peers around me at church off of which to gauge my fashion. There was no "cool crowd;" there was only me. It was then that I discovered that, when there was no one to please, I preferred dresses. I liked getting dressed up and feeling the swish of a skirt, the flair of a dress. 

That was the turnaround point for my fashion choices. Ever since then, I've dressed according to who I am and how I like to dress. I wear pink. I wear skirts. I put on lipstick and pearl necklaces. And I love it. (See my Creed of a Girly Girl article that I just wrote for Odyssey.) 

With this lesson I learned about personal style, I am gladly aware that not everyone dresses like me. That's a good thing, because I'm pretty happy with their being only one style like mine (although my younger sister is quickly taking my style, aka borrowing all of my clothes). Some people wear t-shirts and Nike shorts, and that is great! Others wear cowboy boots and buttons ups. I love that too! 

What I desire in everyone's style is for them to be themselves. When there's no one to please, what do you like to wear? What makes you a bit happier when you wear it? Find your style and live it out gracefully. Experiment and wonder a bit at what your style is and what it can become. Defy normality for a bit and try on your unique fashion sense. You won't look back. 

I hope you enjoyed this little post that's been on my mind for a while. Stay tuned for the next post: Finding Beauty: Defying Normality Pt 2, where I will write about the struggle of dressing cute, a struggle many would never imagine existed. It's a bit uglier than you think too, full of pride and insecurity. 



How do you dress to show your personality? Have you ever struggled with wanting to conform your fashion to look like those around you? 

Have a fabulous week, 

Princess Hannah 
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Hannah
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9/6/16

Honestly Hannah: Sometimes (Most of the Time)

Honestly Hannah: Sometimes (Most of the Time)

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Can I be honest here?

Raw.

Open.

Plain and simply Hannah. 

 Sometimes (most of the time) my life doesn't look worthy of Instagram. I mean, I struggled for wayyy too long to even structure my own Instagram (follow Grace in Everything here), let alone make every part of my life look like that!

Sometimes (most of the time) my prayers are scattered and whispered heartbeats because I've lost the ability to make words.

Sometimes (most of the time) I feel too busy to slow down and take life in.

Sometimes (most of the time) I let this busy-ness steal my joy. I let it steal my ability to form useful blog posts. I let it steal my thoughts, breathing, and withness. 

Sometimes (most of the time) I compare myself to others. Is she skinnier? Is he smarter? Is she a better blogger? 

Sometimes (most of the time) I feel a conflict of what I say and what I do.

Sometimes (most of the time) I feel inadequate.

But guess what? There is hope in these sometimes (most of the time) moments. There is a hope that is stronger than death, larger than life, greater than the forces of this world, and gentle with the strings of my heart. There is a hope that asks to be seen in the sometimes (most of the time) places, in the honest, plain, and simple. In the homework and frustrated drives. In the tears streaming forth because I don't want to grow up. In the tired eyes because I can't quite wake up.

There is hope.

Not a sometimes hope.

Not a most of the time hope.

An all of the time, until the end of time hope.

And beyond.

And this hope is not that I can do it or that it will all work out. This hope has actually nothing to do with me and everything to do with the glory of God, the sure and beautiful glory of God.

So when the sometimes (most of the time) moments drag you down, look up and take hope in the glory of God.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into the grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know what suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit." 

 Romans 5:1-5

What are some of your sometimes (most of the time) moments? And how has God revealed His hope to you this beginning of the school year?

Princess Hannah
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Hannah
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