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