I am Thankful

It's that time of year again...Happy Thanksgiving!
I love this time...the leaves are colorfull and on the ground, apple cider is always on hand, yummy fall candles are constantly burning, and pumpkin pie's are in the making. :)

Besides the food aspect of Thanksgiving, I love this holiday because it always makes me realize that I have so much to be thankful for...and alot of those things I take for grantide.
I thought I would make a list of only some of the things I am thankful for. I always do this at Thanksgiving. :)
(PS: sorry I've been MIA from the blog world lately :/ I gonna try to get better at this!)

I am thankful for....
-My Heavenly Father
who loves me unconditionally.
-The Holy Bible
God's words to me.
-The Gospel
no, not the 1st four books of the Bible. The Gospel.
-That the Inn in Jeruselem was full the night Jesus was to be born
otherwise the symbolism that Jesus was born for the rich and the poor would not exist.
-A roof over my head
with out it, I would be outside on the cold, 27 degree night.
-Food filling my pantry
there are so many people who don't know when their next meal will be.
-True friends

those people who never leave you...you know who you are. :)

-FrontLine
a youthgroup that encourages me in my walk with Christ.
-FL Senior girls
the girls who keep me accountable and help me grow in my relationship with Jesus.
-Team Haiti
the 15 people preparing to go to Haiti in March. All of them make me smile. Heller Heller!
-The FL band
the group of people who love to worship God through music...and love to lead.
-First Evangelical Free Church Wichita
the church I have been able to call home for nearly 18 years.
-My family
the people I love, feel comfortable with and who have my back. This would be my friends too. :)

I could go on...and on...and on with so many things that I am thankful for...but it's late...I'm tired...and the Macy's Day Parade is on early tomorrow! :)

So Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm thankful for you.

I'm not running.

Oh my. In 5 days I start yet another year of school. However, it really isn't just another year of school. It is a crazy big year. My senior year. Good grief. Seems like just yesterday I walked in to the AHS gym as a little freshman. I can picture myself sitting there listening to Baier talk about how high school is going to fly by. "Yeah right!!" I remember myself saying as I rolled my eyes. Well...he was exactly right.

This high school gig has been such a rollarcoaster. I'm not even going to get into all of that right now.

So last April/May I started having a few serious talks with my parents about changing schools. I had it all planned out and was certain it would work. I would use my grandparents address...since they live in the Heights district. I was even willing to drive about 20min to school each day. (I would like all of you to know how big of a deal that is. I am NOT a morning person. Seriously.) So anywho...after a few chats with the parentals they said they would talk and get back with me.

A day or so later, my mom and I were talking and she told me that everytime she thought about me switching schools she thought of Jonah. Dang. I couldn't believe it...but yet it kinda made since. A little. All I could think was, WHAT? Me? Jonah? No. Absolutly not. Jonah was a terrible person! God wanted him to tell His people...His broken, desprite people about Him and Jonah was too scared so he ran. The little sissy. Um hello, Jonah! Do you not realise how huge that is?!? God spoke to you and told you to go...and you ran. Lame.
Mmmkay. So back to how I'm like Jonah.
God didn't just drop me at the doors of Andover High for the heck of it. No. He had a reason. To this day I really don't know what that is...but there's a reason. Im sure of it. Do you see the similarities? I was trying to run from the difficulties in my life...just like Jonah did.

Ug. So here I am...5 days away from going back to AHS for my last year. I am not running from my problems. I'm facing them. So bring it, AHS. I'm ready.

Am I really teaching myself a lesson?

As I spend more and more time preparing the lessons I will be teaching my campers, I just keep feeling like these lessons are speaking to me far more than they will to the girls!

Accepted. Important. Safe. In Jesus
Those are kinda the 3 concepts for the week. This will be my 4th year as a councelor, and every year we teach those same 3 things but I think this is the first year that I've really stopped and thought about them. Wow. Thats about all I have to say.

Jesus accepts us just as we are! While we were sinners, Christ died for us! Amazing.
We are important to Jesus! This one kinda blows my mind. How could I be important to the one who created this earth, King of Kings, Alpha and Omega. Craziness. But is so comforting!
We are safe in Jesus!! We are safe from everything this world throws at us. He is always there to protect us. Something I need to always remember!

The first time I opened the lesson book, I just wanted to shut it. The first lesson is titled, "Best Friends Forever." Oh great, I thought. "BFF" is sort of a sore subjuct. (But not to worry, it is so much better!!) The memory verse for that lesson is John 15:15b. "I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." In the lesson book it has places that gives you personal stories you can share with your campers. One of the prompts in this lesson is: "Share here with your campers about a time when Jesus proved to you that He is your Best Friend." Wow. Where do I begin?! My whole life! Oh goodness. I can't wait for the campers to come Tuesday morning!

Well, considering I leave at 7:30am tomorrow and my suitcase is still in the storage room I should probibly stop blogging and start packing!

Love you all! Can't wait to share about Kids Camp!
Would LOVE all your prayers for me, my co-councelor Emma and my campers: Grace, Lauren, Rachel, Hope, Claire, Julianne, Denver and Jullianne. :)

YoungLives Camp 2010

Wow. What a week!

I think I am finally caught up on sleep...i slept 12 hours last night :) It was much needed! I came home physically, mentally and emotionally exausted! Pretty much every day at camp I journaled alittle bit about the day. I thought I would share some of that with y'all! (I swear, I have never heard 'y'all' used so much in one sentance!!

-What an eventful day! We left for YoungLives Camp at 7:30 am. About 3 1/2 hours later the tire blew out in the suburban behind us. We stopped for at 30/45 min to put the spare on. Started driving...about 45 min later that same suburban's other back tire compleatly blelw out! It was scary to watch! We stopped at some schetch canoe place for 45 min while they changed the tire. It was miserable...it was 101 degrees out. Quite obvioiusly Saten wants to make it hard for us to get to camp! That means that big things will be happening this week!

-For starters, lets just say that I want to scratch my eyeballs out. Last night was the 1st night of babysitting. I am with the 3-6month olds. Our nersery is about half the size of my own room...full of 17 babies and 13 childcare workers. Not to mention the cribs, toys, chairs, rockers and changing station we had to cram in there! For the full 4 hours we had them they all screamed bloody murder. It was compleate insainity. Finally, the moms picked their babies up at 11:15 (wayy to late to have babies out if you ask me!). I skipped breakfast this morning just to get an extra hour of sleep in! Here's hoping today goes 100 times better...or I might just run back to Kansas!

-Wow. Thank you Lord! Today was so much better than last night!! There were still some screamers...but i suppose that's to be expected! I'm pretty sure I am going to be responsible for 2 babies now....Malea and Alexiz. I was originally only supposed to be with Alexiz...but I was with Malea for the majority of they night and the grannies in there kept saying that I was so good with her. I hope that goes well!

-I just don't even know what to say. Today sucked. I want to stay in bed and never leave untill Tuesday at 11. (when we leave.) The suckiness has nothing to to with the babies for a change. :( Oh, and I really hate being refered to as "The Kansas Girls".

-I am starting to realize that I am going to miss sweet Alexiz and Malea when camp is over! They are both such sweet girls! Even though Malea is kinda high-mantenice she is still such a joy to be with. I am glad that I had her as well as Alexiz.

-Wow. Tonights club was really cool! 3 different trip leaders shared some stories about some of the girls in their group. Wow. Thats really all I have to say. Those girls come from such hard and difficult backgrounds. I can't even imgine it! So many of them were so shocked to hear that the childcare workers actually had to pay to come take care of their babies...and we arn't getting a penny for it! I think hearing those stories gave me a sudden energy burst. I want to take care of these babies well. Their moms so despritly need to hear about Jesus and that will happen because we are watching their kids!

-This is the last day of camp! It's sort of bittersweet. I am so ready to get home...sleep in...in my own bed and hang out with my friends! At the same time, I am really going to miss these babies. Also, I feel like I am just now starting to form a connection with Malea&Alexiz's moms!

-Well, Im on the bus traveling home. 9 hours in a charter bus...with 11 babies. This could get interesting! This morning was really cool. They had a New Beleivers Walk. All the new Chiristians gathered and walked to a few places and someone talked about their new faith and what it ment. It was very cool to see. As tired and stressed as I am, I think I want to go back next year!

Malea and I out for a stroller ride :)

Alexiz and I on the bus going home!

The "Kansas Girls" :) Our Childcare workers on Western Night

Prayer Request!

Hello fellow bloggers :)
At 7am Wednesday (the 16th) I depart for my adventure to YoungLives Camp.
I am going to serve as a childcare worker for the teen moms attending camp.
It is going to be a fun, exausting, hot, meaningful, spiritual and stressful week!

I am writing to ask for your prayer.
It is going to be a whole new experience for me! I will be around a new group of people...people I usually am never around.
It is also going to be a tremedously hot week in Texas! It isn't supposed to get below 91! I can handle some heat...all those babys, though? Not so much.
Also, be praying for the girls coming to camp. Pray that they come with hearts ready to hear what the Lord has for them. Pray that they will listen to Him and respond. Also, pray that it will be a time of bonding for them and their child. Also, pray that they have an incredibly fun and memorible week. Their lives are tough, so pray that this will be a very nice chage of pace.

I will be specifically taking care of a 6 month old named, Alexiz. Her mom is Breanna. I would love it if you would pray for Breanna this coming week. Also, pray that Breanna and I would be able to connect. I truly hope I can serve her well.

Well, thats all for now.
I'll be giving you all an update in the next week&a half or so!
♥ Hannah

It's about that time

Well, it's about that time!


I'm a SENIOR!


I know, I know...it blows my mind too!!





Wasn't it just yesterday that I walked in to the gym of Andover High school as a little Freshman?


I remember rolling my eyes everytime someone said "High school is going to fly by, so enjoy it!". Now, I realise that it is so cliche but oh so true!

Today was senior open mic Sunday at youth group. Some of the things they said really stuck with me.

• God needs to be your number one priority.


• Don't become "obsessed" with the next step in life. If you do, you will miss out on lots of mission opportunitys here.


• High school isn't all about finding out what you are good at and what you should do in the future. It's about finding out what God has for your life.


• You are what you eat. Spiritually. Eat Jesus, his word and prayer.

I pray that as I become a senior, I also become a better leader and someone that people look up to.

TEN. MORE. DAYS.

So I had this really long blog all typed out and ready to publish...but then I realised that I was just venting to all you bloggers and you guys don't want to hear me complain.

So here is the most important part of it all:
I know that I can do all things through him who gives me strength (Phil 4:13) and that apart from him I can do nothing (John 15:5) but sometimes it is just so hard to keep that mindset all the time!


In precisly 10 school days, my life will rock. No more school, no more being forced to be with rude people, no more me hearing people talk bad about me, no more gossip, lots of hanging out with my best friends, lots of fun camps, lots of sleeping, lots of fun fun fun times with the people I love to hang out with :)

PLANS!

I have SO much to look forward to!! This last few weeks of school are going to FLY by...and then its offical: I will be a SENIOR! :)



KSU Junior Day:

Me, Jenna, Andrea and our parents are heading to Manhatten for Junior Day at KState! So excited to yet again visit campus and see my future home with my future roomies! (most likely lol) :)















YoungLives Camp:



I am (most likely) going to Camp Buckner in Texas to be a childcare worker for the teen moms going to camp. I am excited to be able to serve God in such a fun way...and with my friends :)



















Challenge 2010:


I CAN NOT WAIT! Challenge is in Columbus, Ohio this summer. I am wayy beyond ready/excited for this trip! Kristin Stanfill will be the worship leader...he is great! Check him out! Multiple speakers will be there....and they will all be fantastic! I have been waiting for this trip since July 4, 2008! (When we got home last time)

Kids Camp at Camp Quaker Haven:

SO excited for this trip too! I look forward to it every year! Last year was probibly the funnest year yet! I was blessed to have my (now) good friend Jessica as my co-councelor and an awesome group of girls to hang out with!! This coming summer is going to be so so fun...I am most defintly counting the days!!! (I should probibly turn my application in soon... lol)

Needless to say: Summer, P L E A S E hurry up!! :)

Seven Signs

If you have never read the book, The Power of a Praying Teen by Stormie Omartian, you are missing out!

Chapter 9 is the greatest...it is titled: Having Good Relationships.

Through out High School and recently, several of my friendships have struggled so this chapter ment alot to me!

Here are some parts that really spoke to me:

-We should look carefully at our friends and ask ourselves, "Is that the kind of person I want to be like?" If not, we should ask God to help us get free of that relationship and bring someone better into our life.

-Our closest relationship, the ones that influence us the most, need to be with people wo love and fear God.

-The main quality to look for in a close friend isn't how attractive, talented wealthy, smart, influential, clever, or popular they are. It's how much they love and fear God. The person who will do what it takes to live in the perfect will of God is the kind of friend who will impart something of the goodness of the Lord to you every time you are with them.

Seven Signs of a Desirable Friend:

1) Tells you the truth in love

2) Gives you sound advice

3) Helps you become a better person

4) Helps you become a wiser person

5) Remains close to you, even in tough times.

6) Loves you and stands by you, even when you do stupid things

7) Helps you when you are having trouble in your life so you won't have to go through it alone.

Seven Signs of an Undesirable Friend:

1) Is ungodly and doesn't care if he hurts other people

2) Is changeable and unstable, and you never know how that person is going to act from one day to the next.

3) Is often angry about something

4) gives you bad and ungodly advice

5) Is an unbeliever who doesn't obay the law

6) Does foolish things; a fool does things without thinking through what the consequences will be.

7) Is not reverent toward God and His laws.

I thank the Lord everyday for my friends who fit all 7 signs of a desirable friend :)

A Much Better Valentines Day

Instead of sitting at home alone on Valentines Day, my friends and I cooked dinner together :)

Here is what we did :

First we went grocery shopping!

We got all the grocerys to make: spagetti, salad, bread, chocolate covered strawberrys and of corse we got sparkeling grape juice with some super cute Valentines Day wine glasses!

Here are some pictures from our lovely night :)

Browning the meat for Spagetti sause!

Here is Maisy washing our new glasses for the sparkeling grape juice!

Mmmm :) While the noodles cooked, we made the chocolate covered strawberries

Here is our table :)

Michelle, Me, Maisy, Sarah and Andrea (we missed Jenna!)

I loved spending Val Day with my best friends!

John 15:13 Greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus is the reason for Valentines in my opinion...after all, he is the greatest love!

Dear Sirvilla,

**(Here is a side note...this past summer i went on a mission trip to inner-city St. Louis. I met an 8 year old girl named Sirvilla. I was able to share with her the truth about Jesus Christ. She was so excited and accepted Christ with me! It was an amazing experience...one that i will never forget! Later that night, another girl from the youth group told me that when Sirvilla left, she shared with her mom that she had accepted Christ and her mom wasn't excited (not mad though)...also Sirvilla had told me that she was not allowed to read her Bible. These things crushed me. I just couldn't imagine living like that! Sirvilla has been on my mind latley, and sadley i don't have an address to send her a letter, so I am going to write it here!)

Dear Sirvilla,

I miss you so much! I wish that I could travel to St. Louis and give you a big hug!

I have been thinking and praying for you alot latley! I feel like God has put you on my heart for a reason...but I am not sure what that is. He knows though! How cool!

I hope that you have been able to grow in your relationship with Jesus. I absolutly loved the time I got to spend with you durring VBS at Jubilee! It was so exciting that you made Jesus the Boss of your life! What an exciting night! As I told you before, we are sisters now!! Even if I never get to see you again on this earth, we will get to party in Heaven together! YAY!

1 John 4:15 saies, "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God." You have acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God, so this verse tells you that God lives in you! I think that is so exciting!

I want you to know that you are loved! By God and by myself. I am praying for you and will continue to pray. I encourage you to grow more and more in your relationship with Jesus. It is unbeleiveable how he can change your life around!

I love you Sirvilla!
-Hannah

Tounge and Attitude

This semester, my small group is starting something different. We are picking a new topic each week and reading 10 verses on it. What I have done is read one or two verses each night and then i pick them apart. Its been cool

Jan. 20 TOUNGE

James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his toungue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

if our tounge goes "crazy" our religion is worthless. Wow. That should scare us. It most defintly scares me!



Jan. 27 ATTITUDE

Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The word and is very important here. It can become easy for the words of our mouth to be pleasing to the Lord, but the things in our hearts can be more challenging. People might not know what is going on in our hearts, but God sure does. BOTH of those things need to be pleasing to God


Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowlege him, and he will make your plaths straight.

Definition of ALL: -the whole of -the greatest possible -nothing but
We need to trust the Lord with NOTHING BUT our hearts.

What do I have if I don't have you Jesus?

Here is another great song that the one and only Starfield sings. It has ment alot to me this past week.

Cry In My Heart
There's a cry in my heart
For Your glory to fall
For Your presence to fill up my senses
There's a yearning again
A thirst for discipline
A hunger for things that are deeper

Could You take me beyond?
Could You carry me through?
If I open my heart?
Could I go there with You?
(For I've been here before
But I know there's still more
Oh, Lord, I need to know You)

For what do I have
If I don't have You Jesus?
What in this life
Could mean any more?
You are my rock
You are my glory
You are the lifter
Of my head
Lifter of this head


This has been a very encouraging song to me. What do we have if we don't have Jesus? NOTHING. If only I could beleive that 100% every day.