I Say Goodbye -(2013)-

     "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times." 
                                                                                    - a tale of two cities

     there are only a few short hours left in the year 2013; i'm finding it very hard to believe, and it's not quite sinking in, and probably won't until later tonight. 
     this year has been crazy for me. God has been growing me, is really all i can say. i was thinking back this morning to the time i stayed over at my friend Caroline's house last year, and how different i am right now - not necessarily different in my personality, but in the things i'm interested in and put my attention to. i can, by God's grace, look back and see how i've grown. this year has been a challenge for me in personal ways; mostly in my relationships with different people. there have been scary, looming mountains ahead of me, but, you know... time to put on the climbing gear. the Lord has been incredibly gracious to me... and He's testing my faith and pushing me where i need to be pushed.
     i'm sitting in the lounge chair in my room right now, looking out the window; the sun is on its downward journey towards the end of the horizon; i'm listening to "fireflies" by owl city, surrounded by glowing fairy lights and trying to type out the feelings and thoughts going through my head right now. i just honestly can't believe that the year is over. 2013 has been amazing, tiring, stressful, beautiful, tearful, inspiring - and i can not believe that it's coming to a close. i'll sit up tonight, writing in my packed journal, sending the year off with a final goodbye, and a quiet hello to 2014, once again wondering where the year will take me.
     so much can change in the course of 365 days... please don't take it for granted. i often do, and though i've gained some beautiful things, i've also lost some. life is funny like that. God gives you some of the most beautiful things when you least expect it - and then, for his own reason, He takes them away; but all things are for our good. as a friend of mine once said, "when life gives you a box of chocolate, run or get fat." i couldn't have said it better myself. don't think you deserve it, don't take it for granted; love and cherish the moment, the person, the day, as though you could lose it, him or her tomorrow.
     as always, work hard this year to grow in body and spirit, and work to serve Christ as hard as you can. thank you call for being followers and readers of my blog throughout another year; you're all amazing, and seriously guys, i love you so much.
    i hope 2014 is an awesome year... so much was packed into 2013, it's bound to be.

     happy new year, and FIGHTING!!!
     2013, we say goodbye. 2014, we look forward to what God has in store.

     - the writer

I Say Goodbye -(2012)-

The end of the year is at hand... I can hardly believe it all.
2012 has been an amazing year; I've felt like I've experienced more, grown a little more. It seems like the beginning of the year was only yesterday... and now it's coming to a close.
I will admit that my relationship with Christ wasn't great in 2012... I hit a hard spot in my life and it drug me down. But for the past month and a half, things have gotten far better. Life suddenly seems a little bit brighter and hopeful.
Journeying through the year has been an interesting ride; so many special things taking place and changing.
I've sadly overlooked the little things this year, and I intend to remedy that in 2013.
As this year comes to a close, I hope we can all look back and reflect on everything that's taken place. All of the good things and the bad things. I'm looking forward to a new year - a new adventure.
Look to Christ no matter what darkness surrounds you, and as a friend showed me yesterday... "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." (Psalm 62:8)
Great things begin happening when we keep our trust in Him.
Please continue praying for me this year as I work hard to take steps forward - I'll need everything you can give. And I'll keep praying for you, that you would all be strong and never lose hope in our Lord.
Thank you so much for being readers of my blog, and thanks to my family for teaching me the things I need to know. Thanks to all of my friends who have encouraged me, tried me, and often times shoved me when I needed it. :)
You're all gems in the treasure-store of my heart, and I wouldn't give anything to replace you.
I love you all.

2012, we say goodbye. 2013... here we go, one more time.

Let's move forward with confident steps and a trusting heart.

FIGHTING!
- hannah

I Say Goodbye -(2011)-

photo from Google - credit goes to photographer

It's that time of year again. It's time to say goodbye. 

I honestly can't believe that 2011 is over. It makes me sad in a lot of ways, but amazingly excited at the same time. It only seems like yesterday that January first, 2011 was knocking on my front door - now it's 365 days later, and my year is full. 

      So many things happened in 2011 - it makes my head hurt. Good things, mostly. Beautiful things. To sum up my year in only a few simple words, it would be this:

Happiness, Sadness, Tears...

Skies, Stars - all in, my Heaven

This would be my year. A mixture of the beautiful, the laughter, the sadness - a combination of awe, excitement, and prayer. That has been my year. Tonight, I have only five more pages to fill in my 400 page journal, all full with deep thought. I'll stay up with the lamps on until midnight, writing, praying, reading my Bible, singing, listening to music. I'll list the events of the year, writing in very small letters to make it fit. 400 pages of 2011 - yes, my year is full. So many new faces, so much love and tears. On some pages, the ink is smeared because I cried on it, on others, it's hardly readable because I was so excited. I'm writing these books for my girls to read - I want them to be consoled that their mom had the same insanities as they will have. ^_^

     It's hard to say goodbye to 2011 for a lot of reasons... mostly because it will never happen again, and it was beautiful. We're trekking into a New Year, and 

it's just a feeling, but I think it will be breathtaking. I'm excited, but nervous at the same time. Before I can breathe, it'll be time to write 

I Say Goodbye -(2012)-, and I'll be smiling at the things I said here. 

     God has been so merciful to me this year, and I can look back and see a progression in my life. I feel ashamed when I don't give Him the thought or love that He deserves. He's protected the people I love, continued to shelter me under His wing, showed me His grace, and taught me lessons - He's held my hand all year. That I can, by His mercy, call Him 'Lord' and 'Father', puts me to my knees nearly every time. I can truly say, 'I am His, and He is mine.' 

An ocean of clouds distorts our view into His skies, but they are beautiful. He's teaching me to trust; to be quiet and listen to the silence. The fact is, it's not silent - it's always working. Hope . It's always working. Even when we can't see. 

I feel like crying while I write, because the realization of the year fading is beginning to hit me. 2011 ... 

Music is playing in my ears, and it's coming from the heart. The wind is blowing...

Wind, stop blowing, this is my last letter to you. All I can do is close my eyes, and

Say goodbye

But it's a beautiful goodbye. I'll always keep it locked away in my heart. I can't stop time, though sometimes I wish I could. 

My heart keeps burning, but the clock goes on as ever, tik-tik-tok

  I can't stop time, but I can live in it.

photo from Google - Credit goes to photographer

       2011 has brought new hope into my life, and with that, new smiles and tears. Life is beautiful, and it's too short to not smile.
It's too short to not give Him the glory.
It's too short to not pray for people.
And it's too short to not live it to its fullest.

      I've made so many good memories this year. Memories with my family, my friends, the people I love. I've grown so much closer to the people I already know, and even though we can be insane, He's always in our sights. I've been able to pray with friends this year in a way that I haven't before, and we've been able to understand each other more and better than last year.
Both family and friends can give you headaches, and I'm sure I give them more than they do me  - but they've been placed in our lives for a reason, and I love them.
2011 has been full of beautiful things - amazing things - and I can look back and smile. Life is beautiful.
Bring in 2012 with hope and prayer in your hearts, giving your Maker all of the glory. Here we come....

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding...

photo from Google

I'm sitting in a dark room absentmindedly; I hear music in my ears, but I didn't turn the music on...

photo from google

Tonight... such a, Beautiful Night...

Goodnight

And here is my end of the year video!!!