2 weeks in...

Wow! Has it really only been two weeks since I started?! Please tell me it has been longer! =)

Anyways, I am so excited about how things are being laid out. I have been strengthened and feel much more confident about my school year. I have lots of really tough classes including AP English and AP U.S. History but the Lord has been so faithful to me and I know He will continue to be. Please pray for me though! I am tempted to discouragement very easily. I want to command my thoughts though and I want to walk in the joy of the Lord. Please pray that I would talk to myself in those moments and on those especially hard days. I know the Lord wants me to keep lifting my eyes to see the big picture, and to not be so short-sighted.

I am making some great friends at school. Please pray that the Lord will continue to cultivate them. It is sometimes hard because there is not one day that I don't think about all my friends at SGC, but I know the Lord is using that too. I believe that His plan is greater than mine and that He is using all these things to increase my dependence on Him.

Thank you all for your prayers! I love you all!

Pressing onward,
Hannah

Concert Schedule!

Hey everyone...

I finally got the orchestra performance schedule for this year! Now these are the main concerts that feature the orchestras, however, there may be more events that pop up throughout the year. I will try to give you as much notice as I can.

All the concerts are in the school's auditorium.

Great Bridge High

301 Hanbury Road West

Chesapeake, Va 23322

Please feel free to bring anyone since the concerts are free and are usually not well attended :)

Thank you all for showing your support this way. Love you guys!

Pressing onward,

Han

Fall Concert: November 5- 7:30 pm

Senior Regional Orchestra Concert*: November 14 (time?)

Christmas Concert: December 15-7:30pm

Spring Concert: February 23-7:30pm

Last Concert: June 8-7:30pm

*I haven't auditioned for this yet, so I actually don't even know if I will be in it. I will let you know ASAP. Pray I make it! :) *

Another wonderful year is almost here!

Well...my junior year begins this Tuesday! I am SO SO SO excited to see what the Lord is going to do. I can't wait to be apart of all the amazing experiences He has waiting for me. Please keep praying for Janelle and I as we go forward to share the good news. We feel priviledged to be used as the Lord's vessels. We will keep you all posted with encouraging stories and I will let you all know when my concerts are going to be so you can hopefully come on out.

Love you guys!

Pressing Onward,

Hannah

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matt. 28: 18-20

Best Days of Our Lives...

The Lord is so good to us! What a joy to be alive! I'm sitting here just listening to the rain beat against the windows while playing soft piano music in the background. It's the simple pleasures that we remember the most.

I pray that as you all go throughout your busy days,you will remember to make the little things count. So often I am tempted to rush to the next thing on my to-do list...how much I miss!

So let this not be said of us.

1 Samuel 25:6

“Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own!"

Camp Reunions

Last weekend, my dad took my sister Naomi and I to Fort Ligonier for his summer camp reunion. It was so great to get to see where he had worked as a CIT and Camp Counselor for so many years. I really enjoyed meeting some of his old friends and getting to just celebrate God's faithfulness to us. Ligonier is absolutely beautiful. My favorite place to be....in the mountains, out in the country. My Papa, Gram and Aunt Sue Ann also drove from Pittsburgh just to have breakfast with us! The Lord is so good!

Anyway, hope you all enjoy the pictures!

Pressing onward,

Hannah

Psalm 33

"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.

Praise the Lord with the harp;

make music to Him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to Him a new song;

play skilfully, and shout for joy!"

Psalm 33: 1-3

Give Me Grace

Give Me Grace

by Cynthia Rylant

Monday make me good and kind

to all creatures that I find.

Help me love God's whole creation.

Make my life a celebration.

Tuesday teach me faith and caring,

teach me wisdom, teach me sharing.

Raise me up and make me strong.

Be with me the whole day long.

Wednesday make me full of light.

Guide my heart both day and night.

Give me gladnes, give me grace

Shine your love upon my face.

Thursday open up my eyes

to your angels in the skies.

Let them know their wings are near me,

and that they will always hear me.

Friday keep the ones I love.

Comfort them from up above.

Lift their hearts and hold them dear.

Help them know that you are here.

Saturday in the early morn

make me thankful I was born.

Give my spirit peace within.

Let each day wth hope begin.

Sunday in a quiet time,

bless this little life of mine.

In the wonder of each day,

let me live a holy way.

Summer and Such...

Greetings! Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I keep forgetting that I have a blog...

Anyways, my family and I have been enjoying this summer immensely. The Lord has been showing me how blessed I am to be home. I had thought that my summer was going to be me running here and there with a job etc. but the Lord had different plans, as is often the case! I have been home most of the summer just enjoying the girls. We have had numerous card games going, watched many old movies and gone to the beach together. It was really weird for me to not be on a strict schedule. I'm still trying to get into "relax" mode. The Lord seems to be forging a spirit of peace in me right now though. I can get so caught up in the whirl of things that when the time comes to take a break, I start feeling condemnation! I know the Lord doesn't want me to carry this, and He has really been refreshing me in my quiet times. I have to enjoyed just diving into His word and having his Spirit minister to me. It is so comforting.

I just started volunteering at an assisted living center called Georgian Manor, around the corner. I am SO excited to see what the Lord has in store for me there! My first visit was amazing. I started by taking about ten precious old ladies out onto the patio, and as we sipped pink lemonade, I read the newspaper aloud to them. Afterwards, we sat and talked for awhile about my sisters and school. It started getting a little warm so I wheeled most of them inside and they all gathered in the front lobby for some music. The center has a beautiful, baby-grand piano and I was able to sing and play worship songs for them for about 45 minutes. The nurses had to pretty much drag them away for their lunch...the Lord had really ministered to them! After I did another hour or so of office work, I headed home. I was so happy to have received such an opportunity to bring the comfort and joy of Jesus to these dear, lonely people. It just breaks my heart when their eyes light up as you talk to them, or how they burst into tears when you hug them. How many times do you think they have been hugged in the last few years? I am so hopeful that the Lord is going to use my family and I to bring joy to this place. We have such an opportunity and I would hate to waste it. Please be praying that the Lord would bless them and my family as we seek to serve the Lord in this way. "...As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40)

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer! Enjoy your evening.

Pressing onward,

Hannah

He's Always Been Faithful to Me...

How is it that the Lord remains so faithful to us? I mean really...I can't even comprehend His goodness at times. Have you ever felt that?
I often struggle with being joyful in all circumstances, especially when I'm faced with trials. I know I often question the faithfulness of God or even his nearness when things aren't going the way I want. However, it is so encouraging to remember that the Lord is hearing my prayers, and He is aware of my needs. I don't know how many of you were able to hear the message on Sunday, but Mr. Shank did an outstanding job reminding us of this truth. I came away provoked and encouraged to keep praying despite my fears or my doubts.
Real faith is trusting that the Lord is acting even though we can't always see the whole picture. If you're anything like me, I like to know when and where things are and I want to always be informed about any new developments. The Lord is revealing to me though, that even though I can't always see the end of the race, it's still there. Even if I don't feel great because of something I'm going through, that doesn't change God's feelings for me. He loves me unconditionally.
Anyways, let's all take encouragement in that truth today. No matter what you are going through, whether it be some family issues, some discouraging news from the doctor, or even just facing condemnation for "blowing it" yet again, remember He is faithful to you. He will never leave you. He is forever running alongside of you, yelling encouragement into your ear and He is there to carry you if you fall.
Praise the Lord for His mercy and kindness! Amen?
Pressing onward,
Hannah

The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh! The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness."

Exodus 34:6

(Don't forget to click on the title of this post to follow the link!)

New Beginings...

Hello everybody!
At the encouragement of one of my dear friends, I've decided to start blogging again. :)
Over the school year, I used this as a means of filling you all in with details and stories about how Great Bridge was going. However, I have a strong sense that my blog is supposed to take a turn in its "mission". Rather than babble about how I'm doing or all the boring activities in my day, I want to use this as a way to receive and provide encouragement to and from you all.
The ways I plan to do this are:

1. Continually referencing scripture to keep us all reminded of the Lord
2. Having all of us share specific prayer requests and then telling about how the Lord answers them.
3. Giving any insight or word that you feel the Lord wants to encourage us with, either from the Bible or some other source.

My desire is for my life and everything in it (including my blog!) to reflect the glory of God. As of this moment, this seems like a wonderful way for us to somewhat stay in touch with one another and to constantly be building each other up in brotherly love. If this is something you guys are at all interested in, please leave a comment and let me know! I would love to hear your thoughts!

May the Lord bless and keep all of you!
Pressing onward,
Hannah

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Eph. 5:19

Singing is such a splendid shield against the fiery darts of the devil because it helps us to forget him, and he cannot endure being forgotten. He likes us to be occupied with him, with what he is doing (our temptations), with his victories (our falls), and with anything but our glorious Lord. So sing! Never be afraid of singing too much. We are much more likely to sing too little. May God make us a singing company! ~Edges of His Ways

Update!

Hi everyone!
Wow...I've been so busy, I haven't had alot of time to sit down and post! What a crazy week this has been! Everything from SOLS to final exams has been on my plate. This Lord is so kind to me though! I really believe He is showing me great favor.
I have really been noticing a change in the way I am relating with the kids at school latley . I really think the ice is beginning to break! So many more kids are greeting me in the hallways and talking to me. I am so happy! I know this girl named Rachel Sunday who is is my orchestra. She is such a wild thing....so bubbly and vivacious. Anyway, she has really taken an interest in me and I think is attracted to the love of the Lord that must make me stand out from other girls she has met. She is so sweet. Twice today, she came up and gave me a big hug, telling me she loved me. OK Lord! I am so encouraged.
The end of Chemistry is in sight! I scored advanced placement on my Sol. I couldn't believe it:)
We have one more week and then my final is on Friday! Today we got to make homemade ice cream in class...oh my goodness was it amazing! Good thing I'm getting ready to go run! =)

Orchestra is going well. I now have the tickets for the Spaghetti Dinner. They are $8.00 each. It's going to be on February 7th from 4-7:30. Obviously it won't take you 3 1/2 hours to eat dinner, but there will also be some other fun things going on. We will be having a bake sale, silent auction and our Pops orchestra will be performing. Let me know if you are interested in donating anything to the silent auction. And just to give you all a heads up...we are not going to be able to make the trip this year, so this will probably be the biggest thing, fundraiser-wise. There is a contest to see who can sell the most tickets! :) Our deadline is January 31st, so if you could let me know how many tickets you would like before then, that would help me tremendously!

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers. I am so grateful for you all. Have a wonderful evening!
Love,
Hannah

I'm Letting Go

While running on the treadmill today, this song started playing on my ipod. It's one of my favorites, but as I listened to the lyrics closely, I realized how personal it really is for me...it's almost like it was written about my journey to public school! If you have time, I think you should read the lyrics while listening. It's really good! Hope you enjoy :)


I'm Letting Go


My heart beats, standing on the edge
But my feet have finally left the ledge

Like an acrobat
There’s no turning back

Chorus
I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace

The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone

Chorus
I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

Giving in to your gravity
Knowing You are holding me
I’m not afraid

Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
Feels like I’m falling and this is the life for me

So it Begins....

Hi all!
This is just a fly by post. I'm going back to school this morning from Christmas Break. The Lord met me in so many ways the past few days...it has been wonderful to see how He works. He used some very special people to pray for me and encourage me and once again I feel refreshed to do His work. Please pray for me, that as the semester comes to a close and the work starts heaping up, that I would keep my eyes lifted to the Lord and would constantly keep looking to Him for my strength. I know how much I depend on him, and in his faithfulness, He has never once left me.
I pray that you all will also be strengthened in Him as you get back into the swing of things as well. May His joy and peace abound in each of your homes as you invite His presence into your daily routines. I love you all so much! Remember...there is so much joy to be found this day!
Hannah

Everything Video

Oh my goodness...this is amazing! I cry every time I see it. Enjoy!

My New Favorite Quote

We must never think, because the particular work we have in hand seems to be insignificant, that therefore we cannot do it, or should not do it, thoroughly well. We need Divine help to preach aright to a congregation of one. If a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well. If you had to sweep a crossing, it were well to sweep it better than anybody else. Know your work, and bend over it, throwing your heart and soul into it; for, be it great or small, you will have to praise God to all eternity if you are found faithful in it.

~Charles Spurgeon