Kissing the Teenage Years Goodbye

     this morning at 6:29 am, i left the world of a teenager behind. it's a little sad in some ways, but it's also exciting; a new stage in life is before me and it's bound to be interesting.
     the picture of the necklace has meaning; the pendant on it is the symbol for a leo, which is my sign; i bought it friday when i went to the mall, and thought it was suiting. leos are at their height on the 28th of july, which is the day i was born.
     i just came back from a walk... the sun is setting, the air is cool, the wind is rustling through the trees and it sounds like waves washing over my senses. i'm listening to
1, 2, 3, 4 by the Plain White T's and Bubbly by Colbie Caillat, and my furry black cat Sheba is curled up in my lap.
     today was mostly quiet; my grandma came up and we ate pizza and sat around talking, and i mostly spent the rest of it sipping coffee and skyping with friends.
      this coming year for me of 20, i'm going to try to focus more clearly on the smaller things in life; the soft sensation of my cat's paw resting on my forearm, the way the sun catches the delicate white petals of Queen Ann's Lace, the feeling of grass under my feet and the sun on my skin.
      i have forgotten to remember them.
      until today.
      God has given me another 365 days.
       when i awake, he is still with me.

The Girl Who Doesn't Listen

Yesterday morning, as I sat out on the back deck in the cool, quiet calm after rain, sipping a cup of coffee and reading this article, it hit me like a ton of lead bricks and gave me a lot to think about. In the past, I have tried to be a girl who doesn't listen (in context as to how this article uses the term), but there have been times where I've failed that. And even more recently I tend to want to sit in the corner and give myself a pity party regarding things that people are saying about me, but with the help of God and lots of prayer, I've realized that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what they say. Keep serving God, and disregard the lies. That's the theme of this article.

Whether we like to admit it or not, the church (and yes, the churches we are members of, wherever we may be) has major problems with gossip. I think a lot of Christians mislabel gossip as being 'concerned for my fellow Christian' and trying to get 'feedback' and 'support' from other fellow Christians, thus starting the gossip wildfire that gets worse every time it goes around. We've all been guilty of this. We sit and speculate on another person's actions and, without coming to the other person, we go to people who aren't even involved and get their opinions on that person and dump all of our opinions on them. Do you see the pattern? This is gossip. And honestly, I think this is one of the major issues that tears our churches apart and leaves the members bitter and defensive. We have to fix this. Let's start with ourselves – not trying to fix other people's problems.

“The Girl Who Doesn't Listen”

Jenefer Igarashi for Home Educating Family Magazine

When I was in grade school, nearly every single report card that got sent home said, “Little Jenny has potential but she never stops talking and she never listens.” Ahhh, the good old days.

Proverbs 18:17 says that “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”

Ever been on either side of that Proverb? Have you heard a story against someone and judged them without hearing the other side? Or, have you ever been judged by someone who heard a story about you without hearing your side? It's dreadful. And while we expect trials and persecution to come at us from the world, most of us are at a loss when a brother or sister, who claims Christ, gives us a great, hard poke right in the eyeball.

I'm not sure there is anything that compares to the vexation that sort of situation brings. I've been there and it reeks. My friend my friend... why have you forsaken me? I think we've all been there, and, as a side note, I'm guessing we mostly hearken back to those times we've forsaken rather than the times we've done the forsaking.

As I've grown I can see that my pride is always at the core. My reputation – not the glory of God or concern for my agitator – was what I was most anxious about. My thoughts generally revolved around my hurts, my rights, my oppression. Me me me, I love myself, I have my picture on the shelf. Poor poor me.

I jest, but truly, I do know those times really are excruciating. We have had 'opponents' genuinely convinced that we were in the wrong and come against us sharply. I remember one situation, years ago, where things got beastly bad with another family and things went downhill fast. Our situation grew worse as people began finding out there was an issue. And when it became clear that the reconciliation wasn't going to happen, my gut reaction was to build a defense. My hurts, my rights, my oppression was foremost on my mind. And I had a deep longing for everybody to hear 'my side of the story'. I would walk around the house muttering Proverbs 18:19. I didn't sleep at night. I laid in bed arguing with this family in my head, or even getting up to write out ten page letters detailing their error. I craved the chance to stand up 'and give the other side of the story'. Because I was right! My cuase was just! I needed to be heard! The truth must be unleashed! Cue the soundtrack from the Lord of the Rings battle scene...

Now, as it happens, I'm married to Geoff the Great. He is a good man. He is a wise man. During that particular conflict, most days I wanted to lop off his head with a garden hoe. The man was constantly reigning me in (or trying to do damage control on my behalf) and was always giving me the same lecture. And I didn't like what I was hearing from him.

His ongoing theme was, “Zip it.” I wish I had a nickel for every time he said, “Stop talking.”

As a side note, I'll mention that he didn't mean for me not to talk about the issues with him or our pastor or my closest friend (who was praying for us intently) but my please about “letting everybody know the 'real truth'” or '”hearing the other side of the story” fell on deaf ears.

His point was always this: if a third party was not in a position to actively help solve the problem, then it could only muddy the waters by giving them information. I rebelled against this heartily. And I had a lot of scripture to fling at his head when he would tell me such things. But he remained steadfast.

My bitter response to my husband was, “So are we supposed to just let people believe things that are untrue?” His answer was, “If they are so easily persuaded by one side of a story, then what does it matter if we're able to persuade them to another? We will not chase people down and try to educate them.”

And even harder still was the repulsive idea of not giving my side of the story when people (who had heard the charges against us) came to us and asked. This is what always just about killed me. I would howl at my husband and ask him if he just expected me to smile alike a sap when people were genuinely trying to hear both sides. His answer was a profound one. His response to those who would come to hear the other side was this: “Why did you listen when someone began telling a story against us?”

This really is a concept most of us can't accept. It's an uncommon idea that God truly is in control and that when we're bad-mouthed, we do not need to raise our voices to defend ourselves, or attack our attackers. It can feel almost impossible to live this way. My husband was constantly telling me that if we would simply continue to walk in a way that lined up with God's Word then that would shine as our witness better than any arguments we could make on our one behalf.

My husband is gentle, but he would adamantly let third parties know that they really should not have listened to anything against us at all, nor did they need to hear anything from us against our accusers. What purpose had they to listen? And why were they coming to us now? If we gave a story and won them over what good would that do? He would let friends know that the issues we had really needed to be worked out one-on-one between us and our Christian opponent. And then he would encourage them to pray for both parties and if anything, simply reinforce (to our opponents) that they should meet with us and our pastor. He continued to emphasize that they had no business of listening to either 'our' side or 'their' side unless they were being officially brought in as a mediator. My husband is so wise. Oh how badly I wanted to stab him in the eye with a chopstick – because Lord knows I had all sorts of things I was ready to share. But he was right.

SO why do most people listen? It's because “words of a gossip go down like choice morsels” (Proverbs 8:8). We all love to hear a good story. We like to feel involved and in-the-know. It's why tabloid papers and gossip television shows are in such high demand. We trick ourselves into thinking we can somehow help by knowing other people's issues. Yet we're told in 2nd Thessalonians 3:11 that we have no business at all going about as 'busy bodies', nor should we have anything to do with busybodies or divisive people. Titus 3:10 tells us to reject a 'divisive man after the first and second admonition'.

Nine out of ten times, when somebody starts a sentence with the words, “I'm really upset about so-and-so” our immediate response should be, “If I'm not in a position to actively fix the problem then I really better not hear anything about this.” Stick your fingers in your ears if you have to. And if you hear me start blabbing about something you haven't any business hearing about, then punch me right in the face. Figuratively, please.

As we follow Christ, let's rip out all of the smelly areas. Especially the hard ones. We need to guard our mouths and love the ones who have wronged us. God is sovereign in all things. We also need to stop our ears and reject those foul morsels that come to us so easily and go down without a struggle.

Nobody said it would be easy; if they did, they were lying. We serve a Great and Mighty God and He does understand the frustrations we go through. In the meantime may we glorify Him in an honorable, noble way that elevates and edifies those who may be watching. People who are obsessed with the injustices in life are biter, unpleasant and tiresome to be around. Yes, son, I know they did that to us and it hurts. We really need to love them and respond in kindness and pray that God will help us reconcile.” There's always a right way and a wrong way to respond to any circumstance, even the crazy, twisted ones. Imagine the good we could do if our children consistently heard us speaking only that which was edifying. Say only what is right, and if you hear something that's bad... be the girl who doesn't listen.

Makeover May

     it's true, and for the month of May, myself, my mom, and two other friends will be doing something that's both hard and right.
     it started with a phone call to my friend Abi, which lead to a fast formed idea that we both needed to do a serious detox and for 30 days, try to eat raw. i told my mom and another friend about it, and they were quickly recruited.
     the simple fact is that our bodies are temples, and we need to care for them and keep them clean and healthy; that's what we're going to try and accomplish this month. a spring cleaning, of sorts. maybe some of you would like to do it, too, which is why i'm taking the liberty to post my overall goals here. each of us are different, and have different needs, so for example, unless you're allergic to dairy, you don't have to stay away from dairy products throughout this makeover. you'll need to make your own changes and customize it, but try to keep your diet as strict as possible.
     we really need to take care of our bodies, guys, inside and out. and if you start young, you are far, FAR less likely to experience a lot of the bad health that affects a majority of our nation. because, let's face it: we're fat, we're lazy, and we rely way too heavily (no pun intended) on the Food Machine that is slowly poisoning us to death.
     God gave us this world and the things in it to use for good and His glory, and we're His creation - we must take care of what we've been given. 
    so, who's ready to do a little bit of the hard thing to do the right thing?

Makeover May

Daily Goals – Food:

Do: Mostly raw vegetables, green smoothies, protein (almonds, hemp seeds, hemp granola, hardboiled eggs); one small serving of beef or chicken (no pork) preferably every other day. Some fruits such as oranges, kiwis, very occasionally bananas. When cooking, use coconut oil or organic sesame seed oil, not butter. Yogurt at least three times a week as a probiotic.

Don't: Breads, pastas, sugary foods, dairy, sweets, anything fried, cheese, potatoes, fruits with a lot of sugar, apples (because of cross pollination); large amounts of meat.

Daily Goals – Exercise:

Do: General workout routine daily, with target areas including arms, abs and legs; extra workouts include biking, walking and running.

Don't: SKIP A DAY that workouts CAN be done.

Daily Goals – Other:

Do: Organic honey and lemon facial scrub in the evenings; rosemary essential oil hair treatment every evening; castor oil hair treatment once a week and castor oil eyelash/eyebrow treatment daily; use Valor essential oil every morning and Teatree oil every evening. Coconut oil as a moisturizer; sunbathe for 30 minutes each day possible to up vitamin D levels, and when outside, be barefooted for grounding as frequently as possible. Limit phone use and completely shutdown my laptop at night to minimize radiation in my own room.

Don't: Use synthetic lotions and perfumes; minimize the use of concealer to hide facial blemishes; use finger nail polishes or dyes of any sort.

Daily Goals – Beverage:

Do: A quart of lemon water (or mixed citrus), accompanied by three more quarts of regular water. No more than one cup of coffee in the morning to aid bowel movements. A cup of Smooth Move tea in the evenings before bed. Green smoothies for breakfast or lunch. Juice fresh fruits or vegetables when possible.

Don't: Milk, soda, any sort of artificial juices or anything with added sugar.

Forever and Always

      i'm very late in this post. i thought that our six year BFF date was this April, but it was March 26.
      time has slipped through my hands and i often wonder where it's gone away to.
      so, here is a long overdue post, cherishing the friendship between two girls who have been through a lot together. their friendship has taken many sharp turns, gone over mountains, splashed through creeks on a beautiful spring day, and even experienced some bloody knees from a fall or two. but, here we are. we dubbed ourselves Dumb & Dumber, and i don't think we could ever shake that title. we've shared so many laughs and beautiful moments together that are too many to count, and they're forever locked away in my heart.
     to the girl who has been there for me "through thick and through thin", as you once said, "i'll always cherish the great friend that you've been."
     Mirriam, i will always be here for you when you need me. i promise.

     i was searching for some pictures of us, and i discovered this in a previous blog post that i did. i think this sums us up pretty well:

She's 5'10"; I'm 5'6".
She's a blond; I'm a brunette.
She's witty; I'm a little slower.
She's a Dragon Catcher; I'm a Smurf Snatcher.
She mostly writes fantasy; I write fictional dramas.
She sings well; erm... I don't.
She can do impersonations; I can't.
She likes Elves; I like Men. (That sounds awkward... she's okay, I promise.)
She LOVES books; I'm not that huge into them. (Honestly... it takes a good 10 minutes to pull her away from a bookshelf!)
She's nearly fearless, unless it's a spider; I'm disturbed by the Disney Alice in Wonderland.
She hates a lot of vegetables; I love them.
It's absolutely *impossible* to embarrass that girl; me, on the other hand? Just say something that I said or thought is sweet or cute, and I blush.
*grin* She knew what 'boom shakalaka' meant... I didn't. =D 

There's way too many difference between us to count, but we're *still* best friends. Our being sold out to Christ is the tie that binds, and everything else; writing, drawing, laughing, hot chocolate, insaneness, dreams, jokes, music, people... all of that follows.

Mirriam - you're the best. I love you, girl! (Even if you DO torture me with evil things... 
All thanks to Him that we're in each other's lives...
WOW, it's so AMAZING!

      thank you for all of the years we spent together. i hope we can look forward to more.

     - hannah

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

In Which the Writer Gets a Job!

You see this counter?
Next Friday, I'll be working behind it.

I got a job at the coffee shop down town!! I'm so excited! I'll only be working Fridays, but HEY - that's fine with me!

I guess I'm so excited because one thing I've always wanted to do for a loooong time is to work at a cafe, and it's finally happening! This is really exciting for me. And, along with this job, I'm also cracking down on my school and writing. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts November 1st, and the goal is 50,000 words in 1 month. I've been working on Cafe for a pitiful two years, so my goal for this NaNo is to FINISH IT. Then edit. Then publish. That's the goal. (I'm also almost convinced that I should stop writing it... all of my characters are coming to life. o_o) To finish school by July 28, 2014 is another. So I'm gonna be busy. Very, very busy. Prayers would be greatly appreciated. I've got a lot ahead of me, and to keep my wits about me and not drive my friends and family too crazy would be great, too.
Life is about to get even more interesting. WHEW.
I'll see if I can get some pictures of me working over the next couple of weeks and post them. Hopefully this'll all work out!

And, in the meantime, here's some pictures I took of a beautiful Autumn day spent with my ever faithful cat Westley. (He follows me everywhere and won't go outside of the 10 foot radius he keeps for me.)

Love you all!
- Hannah Leigh

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

Merry Christmas!

    Merry Christmas to everyone! We had a wonderful time at church today, talking, laughing and dancing. We exchanged gifts and enjoyed each other's company very, very much.
     Again, we took a picture of 'The Gang', like we do every year, and once again, we've done some growing - both on the outside and inside.
     I love all of you so much; you have no idea. Let's stay the crazy friends we are for a very long time to come, and I look forward to sharing another Christmas with you next year, and making many memories in between.

Fighting!
- hannah

This is just a strange picture...

Last Year's Photo:

Christmas Eve

     I can't believe it's already here! Instead of snow, we have rain, but that's okay - anything but a bright and sunny day sits well with me. :)
     Christmas crept up on me this year; It's almost as if I weren't expecting it, and all of a sudden it's standing in front of me. I'm actually excited about it, really. Tonight we're going to open presents, and tomorrow morning, we're going to church to spend an amazing day with friends. I can't *wait* for it! I'm looking forward to the rest of today and all of tomorrow so much I'm giddy!
     When I woke up this morning, I wasn't convinced that today would be a good one - but I've been proven wrong and it's turned out far better than I thought it was.
     Last night, after everyone had gone to bed and I'd gone in my room and closed the door, I sat in my bed surrounded by warm Christmas lights and wrote a very, very long prayer in my journal about, well... everything, mostly. Some of my prayers had to do with today and how things would go, and guess what? They're being answered.
     I'm sure all of you have heard the 'Christmas-turned-commerce' talk, so I won't give it to you again, but I will say this: REMEMBER. CHRIST.
     He's merciful to us far more than we can ever imagine, and what do we do most of the time? Ignore Him.
     Don't ignore Him. I've done that way too much recently, but He's always so faithful to show me His mercy again.
     Thanks to all of you for reading my blog! I love you all so much. Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

    FIGHTING!
     - Hannah

Artbeats

I'm currently in the process of drawing this face.
This face. Who's face?
I don't know who's face it is. It looks familiar to me, but not quite; it's like, as I just recently read out of my friend's novel, "an echo without a voice".
I realized as I was adding the little details to him, making him unique in his own way, that every time I draw someone and begin the meticulous process of shading, adding fine hairs to the brows or lines to the lips, that in a sense, they're being brought to life.
The gift of drawing is an amazing thing. God has a place for art, and it should be used like He intended.
If you're an artist, you know what I'm talking about.
With every stroke of the pencil we breathe life into the thing portrayed on paper.
God is an artist - and He breathed life into us.

November

     It's quiet, it's rainy; the skies are overcast.
     It's loud, it's bright; the skies are hidden.

     I'll never give up, never lay it down and say 'I quit'.
     It's all too important. Life... it's too important.
     We win souls for Him - we use the tools He's given us.
     But sometimes, those tools are invisible, bearing the label 'PRAYER'.
     We must pick it up anyway, though we cannot see it.
     We must use it, remember that faith helps us to see the unseen.
     Its more powerful than we know - more active than we see.
     And with every heartfelt word reaching to heaven, the angels are unleashed.

     It's quiet, it's rainy - the day is coming to a close.
     It's loud, it's bright - the night is just beginning.

Autumn Morning

  I took this picture a few mornings ago at around 6:14 in the morning; I had gotten up at about 5:30, and stepped out onto the back deck to take in the cold air before starting my day, but when I saw the moon and the way the trees looked like spilled ink, I *had* to go grab my camera.

 Life has been remarkably interesting lately. Just so many things going on. It just keeps spinning, going around and around.
 Somethings that have recently been on my heart lately are working towards goals diligently, and being there for people when they need you.
 I posted about the working hard a week or so ago, but the being there for people is fairly new. It's hard to draw the line between fixing someone and knowing when they simply need you to listen.
 When I say 'fixing' them, I mean giving them advice or trying to point them in the right direction; not trying to shape them into what I want them to be. I think that's wrong. Trying to change them is never a right move to make, unless they're involved in a sin that is obviously against God's Word or unsaved.
 But listening... just listening is so important. Letting them know that you are there for them no matter what. I've had to just listen so many times to so many people.
 Listening is important; but the way you listen also communicates how you care. You might be listening, but if your body language, the tone of your voice when you say something, isn't alert and attentive, it'll send the wrong message. I've talked to people before that I know are listening, but the way they acted completely gave me the vibe that they didn't really want to listen and had better things to be doing.
 I try to listen, and show that I want to listen... but sometimes the person talking doesn't quite get it. That's frustrating to me, but patience is another vital tool when it comes to listening.
 They'll open up to you when they're ready. No sooner. It may take a little nudging, a little repeating that you really do care, but it's when they decide to.
 I once told a person that I'd wait for them to tell me what they were thinking, even if the wait would be long. I don't know if they'll ever tell me, but if they do, I know for certain that the wait will have been worth it.
 Nothing is more aggravating than having someone force you to tell them what's on your mind, and I'm trying hard to not cross that line, but be encouraging at the same time. It's a fine barrier to tread upon, and how we tread it in the meantime will determine if the person opens up or not.
 It's all very delicate and hard to walk - but a listening ear can help far more than we realize.
 So don't act apathetic when someone's talking to you - when they really need you to listen. Look them in the eyes, try to understand; put yourself in their place and listen. Just being there can comfort them.
 And no matter how many times you say it, reassuring them that you're there for them never gets old. Always let them know that you really, truly care.

October

   Happy first of October, everyone! 
   I hope all of you have the best month ahead of you - I'm excited about it!     
   October is one of my absolute favorite months.

   I've recently been talking to a friend about managing our time, and I'm hoping to use this month to its fullest in every way.
   My life is slipping past, and I need to get a hold on it.
   I'd appreciate your prayers on that subject, and I'll be praying for all of you, even though I don't know you by name.
   I'm 18. It's going to be time for me to step up and grow up soon. And like my friend pointed out, we can't just wait for a 'magic time' to happen and suddenly we're there. We have to work for it. And work hard.
  Things don't just happen. We have to make them happen.
  And we can do none of it without Christ's strength.

  Let's work hard this month, okay?
  And a big thanks to my friend for conversing with me about it. :)

  Love you guys!

 - hannah

When Leaves Start to Fall

      When leaves start to fall, I find myself in a very thoughtful state of mind; curled up in my chair with a blanket and a steaming mug of coffee, journal open in front of me.
      I woke up this morning to the sound of rain, the draft of cold Autumn air seeping in through my window.
      The are the kind of days I love.
      The days where I stop to think about people that are special to me, where I smile as I go through the memories I have of them and flip through the well-worn pages of my journal to read about them.
      The days where I stop to do a lot of praying about anything that comes to mind. Where I go outside onto the porch as it rains and just talk to God about everything.
      Everything seems to slow down and breathe a little, and when it does, I have to as well.
      I have to take a small step back and look everything over and try to piece things together, wondering what happens next in this crazy, wild plot of a story.
     This kind of weather makes me want to write. To weave some fantastic scene and bring characters to life.
     I'm a writer at heart, even when I feel like I'm doing a terrible job and no inspiration comes.
     But, I'm a writer nonetheless. Of all things I thought I'd be, it was never that.
     Not long ago, someone said five simple words to me that inspired me to keep writing. Just those five words made a difference.
     "I think Cafe will publish."
     That was it. It made me so happy to hear that. Five words that pushed me to keep going.
     Kind words from a friend are the most beautiful things to hear. Even small words. Even just a smile.
     It uplifts like nothing else.
     God commands us to speak kindly to one another; to uplift and encourage.
     One small word can completely change a person's day, so find something kind to say to a family member or friend today - it'll make a big difference.

    
    Autumn is my favorite time of year - it gives me this feeling inside of being alive and knowing that exciting things are going to happen. I just have to wait for them to start unfolding.
   Pour your favorite cup of coffee today (after all, it IS National Coffee Day,) and open a book or your journal - dive in write, your thoughts down.
   Enjoy every moment of it, because every moment, you're still alive.


- hannah

P.S. This is a mini-video I put together yesterday on a whim. Nothing fancy; just trying to capture the feeling I have when writing. :) Enjoy!

One Year Anniversary of Cafe

      Hi everyone! I'm proud to announce that the 29th of July was exactly one year since the first chapter of Cafe was penned!
      My word count is currently at 97,722, chapter 17, page 173.
      And I know that's kinda sad to only have THAT LITTLE in a year's time, but that's just the pace I'm going at... I'm hoping to pick it up this year and get it going.
     My characters are steadily growing on me more and more, and I get a heart-sick feeling at the thought of having to wrap Cafe up one day; that moment where I write the last paragraph and say a final farewell to everyone... AUGH. It hurts to think about it. :S
    That's the way it is with nearly any book I've attempted thus far... the thought of saying goodbye really hurts...
    BUT, for now, I still have a long time left with them - the story is just getting good. >:) Thanks to the people who have been reading as I write and helping me with ideas, twists, details, and pointing me to a thesaurus - you guys are amazing!
    And the biggest thanks goes to Christ for giving me the idea and inspiration for a small little cafe, tucked away among the soaring sky scrapers and busy streets of a big, packed city...

Excerpt from Cafe, chapter 16...

       A scream suddenly rent the air as Justin started to say something, Jungsu taking off towards the back with Daehyun and the teenager close behind. He tore around the corner and into the alley, finding Erica standing near the entrance, hands clapsed over her mouth.

      "There's someone by the dumpster!" she gasped, voice high pitched as he grabbed her arm and pushed her behind him protectively, squinting into the darkness.                 

      Daehyun produced a gun from the back of his belt, the flickering, single alley light above them catching on the handle as he held it at arms length, moving towards the dumpster.

     "I think he's hurt," Erica said, voice hoarse with fright, a hand still drawn over her mouth. "I saw blood."

     Daehyun cautiously approached the still form; only his legs were visible from behind the huge bin, mud smeared over his soaked jeans. The Korean's eyes drifted from the limp body towards the wall, throat tightening at the blood spattered across it.

    They heard the gun cock, saw him sidestep slowly, carefully, towards the bend in the alley. Jungsu was still gripping Erica's wrist, and began to step backwards, moving her towards the door, bleached hair now damp and in his face from the freezing rain. 

    Justin swallowed, breath fogging as he exhaled silently, stepping back into the doorway, hand gripping the frame.

    Water droplets slipped from Daehyun's auburn hair, running down his face as his searching eyes scanned the ajoining alley. He let out the breath he had been holding, jaw clenching as he lowered the gun.

    "Someone get over here and help me with this guy," he finally called, voice echoing as he turned, jogging back towards the dumpster. "He's hurt pretty bad."

    Jungsu was first to get there, standing over Daehyun, who had knelt down to inspect him more closely.

    "He's practically frozen," the Korean breathed, feeling for a pulse. "Justin! Grab blankets, coats – anything you can get your hands on!"

    "There's some in the storage room," Erica whispered to the teenager. Justin nodded, stepping into the café. She looked back towards Daehyun, blinking back rain water.

    "How bad is it?" she asked quietly, stepping closer, peering at the man's shaded face. 

    Daehyun stuffed the gun into the back of his belt, reaching forward to gently turn the form over.

     "I don't know; there's plenty of blood, though."

     "Can we move him?" Jungsu asked. 

     Erica took in a breath when the stranger's head rolled towards the light, the shortage in the bulb flickering shadows across his features; blood streaked down his face from the side of his temple, black hair plastered to his forehead and covered most of one eye, making him look even more pale than he was. She reached forward, pushing the wet layers away, breath fogging as she brought her hand back, fingers red.

Supporting a Cause

      Yesterday, Chik-fil-A customers supported the business during a customer appreciation day all across the United States after Senator Huckabee asked for  support on Dan Kathy's bold decision take a stand on the Biblical view of marriage.
      Now... since the only Chik-fil-A we ever go to is in one direction and 1 1/2 hours away, we went to a different one up in Christiansburg, VA, and met some people from our church there.
     Though a little paranoid about the fact that protesters might be there, I was completely THRILLED to see such a crowd! We had to wait at the door, and Christopher, who had arrived I think about an hour earlier with his family, said that the person upfront mentioned that it had been that packed since around 6:30 that morning!
     I was so, so, SO happy at the turnout. It seemed so wonderful and exciting - God really worked to create a crowd, whether they realized it or not, to show that there ARE people out there who are willing to stand up and fight.
     The best part for me was seeing people I knew there. It comforted me and made me feel safe.
     Another highlight was standing in line, knowing that pretty much everyone there was in the building for the same reason you were, and having a guy lean over with his iPhone and show you a picture from facebook of another Chik-fil-A, cars backed up along the roads.
    "This is from a Chik-fil-A in Kentucky," he pointed out, obvious excitement in his voice. "This is great!"

    And the gays everywhere are screaming "HATERS! HATERS!" ... why? Aren't they supposed to be the tolerant ones?
  
   Tell me, why is is okay for StarBucks to come out and say, "we whole-heartedly support freedom of same-sex marriage," and they're applauded, their traffic picks up, they're praised; but when Chik-fil-A comes out and says, "we whole-heartedly support Biblical marriage", they're threatened with banishment from certain places, cursed at, yelled at, stomped at, and overall... hm. Hated?
    Who's hating now?

    Support Chik-fil-A and their utter boldness to stand up and say "no" to a world gone haywire. Support Dan Kathy and his faithfulness to God's word in most areas, and go enjoy one of the best chicken sandwiches out there. :)

Fighting!
- hannah