To-Doism

So.... It's kinda been a while. But you know what? I don't come here ashamed or regretful that I've abandoned you all summer. Rather I feel excited about telling you all of the exciting things that you missed while I was away!

Let me think... I went to High School Camp and worshiped God. I celebrated my birthday and my sister's birthday. I trained at Texas Ballet Theater for three weeks. I relaxed and worked and laughed and cried. I did a lot of ballet. I painted my room. We had parties and BBQ and kitties and Merlin. Yes, I would call this summer a very good summer!

And then the rhythm of school began. School. Duel Enrolment classes at a local college. Committees and such I participate in. Ballet. I now teach two ballet/tap classes by myself! I like and benefit from all of these things, but lately I just get stuck in the regular schedules of life and the piling amount of it that I forget to enjoy the moments. I forget to breathe. I forget to laugh. I forget to let go of my schedule a bit and take in what's around me.

I call this, to-doism.

/to-doism/ (pronounced to-do-ism) 1. the act of keeping one's eyes focused on a schedule so that one misses out on the joys of life. 2. trying to get everything done in a timely manner. 3. commonly called stress. 

To-doism sneaks up on you. I takes you by surprise, because at first it appears necessary and good. After all, you have to get everything done, so why not plan the day to make sure everything fits? Schedules and lists and calculations help, right? Alarms, measurements, speed, quality, ratios, proportions. Tasks, Bible time, cleaning, school, prayer, family. Good things. Good ideas. But it lacks something.

Yes. Getting everything done and using lists and such to help is good. And for some people, these practices won't lead to to-doism. But for me and my sensitive, gentle, perfectionist spirit, a lifestyle of schedules leads to to-doism. And it isn't pretty.

To-doism leads to stretched, tired, stressed, inadequate feelings that scream rest and work at the same time and lead you towards neither.  To-doism puts all of the emphasis on you and what you can and cannot do. It gives merit and punishment, but never grace. It over-exaggerates and makes everything more dramatic. It focuses on the temporary, day-to-day things instead of heavenly joys. It keeps your eyes on you feet while a beautiful sunset fans out ahead.

Image Found on Pinterest

Don't believes the lies of to-doism. Don't fall into its' trap. Don't let to-doism steal your joy.

Instead, follow grace with passion. Follow God with love. Hold your schedules in open hands. Know that today will pass away, but we have eternity before us. And when you follow Jesus, this eternity is bliss.

I don't suggest that you throw your hands up in the air and watch Netflix all day. I don't suggest that you abandon all lists and schedules. But I do suggest living. Really, truly living. Letting life interrupt your plans sometimes. Resting when you need rest. Laughing at every opportunity. Valuing eternity over temporary. Working with joy. Resting with joy. Giving grace to others. Giving grace to yourself. Because God has given your grace.

Whatever you face and whatever your schedule, I invite you and give you permission to rest in God's grace. To pause for a moment. To laugh. To pray. To relax. Because the truth is, the things-to-do will never end. Life will never stop demanding things of us. But how we respond to Life's demands will change our lives. Will we try to control everything by following to-doism? Or will we live in joy and grace as we go about our tasks, enjoy the moments in-between?

Today, and every day, I want to choose grace. I do not want to let to-doism take away any more of the joy that my Father has given me! So let the world bring on its' tasks and business. I have the God of all on my side! And with Him, I can do anything, even take a step back to rest.

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Choose joy with me!

Hannah

No Condemnation

Last night I realized that there may be something in my life that the Holy Spirit wanted to change. The church-y word for this is conviction. I felt convicted over my self-centeredness.

My natural response to conviction is condemnation. Now, I know that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) I know that God doesn't condemn me, but sometimes I condemn myself. "Oh, Hannah, you should have seen this coming. How could you be so selfish? How can you give God the glory if you're always thinking about yourself?" But Romans 8:1 says there should be "no" condemnation, either from God or myself.

I think it would be wise to define condemnation right here, to fully understand the impact of Romans 8:1. The dictionary defines condemnation as "the act of condemning," with condemning meaning "to express an unfavorable or adverse judgement on; indicate strong disapproval of; the pronounce to be guilty." Condemnation is ugly. It had to do with punishment and sin. But we have no condemnation if we are in Christ. How? That's where the next verses come in.

"Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life had set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned the sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:2-4)

I struggle to find words to express myself here! I am free! There is no condemnation for me, not now, not ever, because Christ has taken my punishment and given me a new Spirit! Who am I to condemn myself when God had declared me righteous through His Son? That is putting myself above God. But because of His grace, I can give myself grace too, something I can struggle with.

So when God points out an area of my life that He wants to change, maybe He isn't saying: "Hannah, you have disappointed me. This sin problem you have must be taken care of. You need to work on it and fix all of your problems." Maybe He is saying: "Hannah, I love you too much for you to keep on living in the flesh. I have given you my Spirit to lead you in a better way. It will be hard to change the sinful nature in you, but I will be with you, and I will give you the strength and the grace to transform your life into something even more beautiful."

So I invite you to let go of any condemnation that you've been feeling. Because if you are in Christ, then there is not one bit of condemnation on you; Jesus had taken it all away! Stop trying to be "okay", to have it all together. Because we weren't "okay"; we were dead. And because of God's grace we are much more than "okay"; we are His. We are without blemish, holy in His sight (Colossians 1:22). So live in God's grace. Live in His freedom. Live in Him.

I know that I'm still going to struggle with self-centeredness and perfectionism. That isn't something that will disappear overnight. But I also know that I have a strong, loving God helping me every step of this journey. My hope is in Him. And He will never fail!

Hannah

Designer Clothes and Filthy Rags

What would you do if I told you that you have the option to wear custom-made, beautiful, designer clothes, or you could wear dated, dirty, ugly clothes? I don't know what you would do, but I'd go for the designer clothes. Who wouldn't?

But many times we choose to hang on to the rags that we're used to instead of exchanging them for something magnificent. To understand what I mean, read the following verses.
 
"Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it."

Colossians 3:9-14 The Message 

I had read these verses many times, but when I read them in the Message today, they took on a whole new meaning. Maybe it was the clothing illustration that grabbed my attention, but I'm sure that God was in on it too.  

I like clothes. I like wearing something that fits me and stands out. I like pretty dresses and lace shirts. Yet even the most beautiful gown, extravagant jewels, gorgeous shoes, and flawless make up cannot even begin to compare with the wardrobe God has given me! He has in store for me "compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline." And the Little black Dress of God's style is love. No wardrobe is complete without it, and I should take it with me everywhere I go. 

How wonderful does that wardrobe sound! And, it will never go out of style or get holes or smell musty. They have God's label on them! And the best thing is, I didn't even have to pay for them! How many times have I wished for a true shopping spree? And God has given me the ultimate wardrobe re-do! 

In contrast, my old way of like is like a filthy set of ill-fitted, dated clothes, things I wouldn't be caught dead in. But somehow, I pick up one of those rags and put it on. I hold it close, under the illusion that it is good or at least unavoidable. Satan comes around and tries to sell me a shirt of comparison or a purse of pride. And sometimes I find myself taking his offer, which always comes at a price.

No! I do not need those ugly clothes! Take them off! Throw then in the fire! I never want to wear comparison again! Irritability is so not my color! Pride looks horrible on me! Greed clashes with the garment of love that God gave me! 

Today I ask God that He help us wear compassion instead of comparison, kindness instead of frustration, humility instead of pride, quiet strength instead of vanity, and discipline instead of laziness. I ask that He help us to realize how ugly those clothes really are, and how wonderful His wardrobe to us is. 

Let's have a bonfire. Let's burn those old clothes, representations of our old ways, and put on the shining clothes of God! Every time that we are tempted to put on a bird-hat of vanity, remember that we are already wearing a crown of love. Take that hat and throw it to the birds! (Not that birds will enjoy a hat of such ugly proportions)

Lord, I ask that you start many bonfires. I ask that you have some wardrobe makeovers. What Not To Wear better watch out, because God is coming through, remaking our whole being into something beautiful! 

In Jesus' name, I pray, knowing that You, Lord, are able to do immeasurably more than all I can imagine.

Hannah

Take Up Your Cross

I come to you with a question. At first, this question seems simple, but then it becomes harder and harder to answer. The question is: what are you willing to do for God?

Some people might answer: "Anything. I will do anything for God." Yet their life doesn't show the same kind of enthusiasm. Some people may want to be willing, but fear gets in the way. For myself, I struggle with letting go of comfort and letting God lead the way completely.

The truth is, God didn't save us so that we could read the bible and go to church. He saved us for so much more. Those things are not bad; in fact they are very good and necessary for a strong relationship with Christ, but they aren't everything. God created and saved us for so much more than a comfortable Christian life. God doesn't just want us to go to bible studies and tweet verses; He wants us to follow Him. 

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever wants looses their life for me will find it.'" Matthew 16:24-25

Now to understand this verse, we must first understand what Jesus means by "cross." When I think of cross I normally think of a large wooden cross, like the one Jesus died on, strapped to my back. I think of it almost like a heavy burden. But this thought doesn't seem to be consistent with the scriptures.

"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

So the cross isn't a burden; in fact, it is a rest. When we can't carry our crosses, it is because we are too busy holding on to everything else, things like pride, laziness, or possessions. These things are much heavier than the ways that God has planned. They weigh us down with worries and stress. We try so hard to keep things under control, and then everything falls to pieces around us.

 But, when we give these burdens to God in exchange for His cross, we experience freedom. All of a sudden, the pressure isn't on us. All we have to do is trust God. This life isn't always easy, and is often times very hard. But we are not doing it by ourselves. We have someone to lean on, Someone who never gets stressed or tired or confused. We end up becoming free in His wonderful love, free of those troubles that we tried to handle ourselves.

I have a challenge for you. I challenge you to let go of whatever you are holding on to and take up Christ's cross. It sounds so simple when I put it that way, but in reality, this requires sacrifice. We have to sacrifice our wants and desires. We have to let go of what little control we think we have on our lives. We have to daily give up what is normal and comfortable. But God is worth it. He is, in fact, the only thing worth our lives. Everything else will fail to compare.

So, will you day by day take up your cross and follow Jesus? Will you sacrifice your comforts and old ways of life for a new life full of joy in Christ? Let Christ lead you in an exhilerating and joyous journey with Him!

Hannah

Rambing About Randomness

I can't decide what I want I want to write about, so I will just ramble on about randomness.

Random Thought One: Chocolate Chip Cookies. There is some chocolate chip cookie dough sitting on the counter calling my name. But I have already had several bites, and I asked my sister to slap me if I took another bite of the dough. The only thing is, my sister isn't in the room right now... Self control, Hannah, self control...

I get up and put the cookies in the oven. I sneak a bite of cookie dough in my mouth, and my sister, now back in the kitchen, spanks me.

Random Thought Two: The spanking was worth it.

Random Thought Three: I am very excited to see Star Trek Into Darkness.

Random Thought Four: Three days later, after I saw Star Trek Into Darkness, had a birthday party for my sister, and finished up the second week of my local ballet intensive.

I've been busy.

Random Thought Five: But Star Trek Into Darkness did not disappoint. Just thinking abut it makes me cry and laugh at the same time.

Random Thought Six: Birthday parties are fun, very fun.

Random Thought Seven: And birthday cake is yummy, very yummy.

Random Thought Eight: You're probably tired of this randomness, but I will leave you with three very important words, and one very funny video.

Here are the three very important words:

GOD IS ENOUGH

And if we live by these words, trusting that they are always true, then there is no need to worry or fret or stress. All we need is God, because He is enough. And if you are a son or daughter of God, then you will always have Him with you, therefore you will always have enough. Why, then, do we depend on circumstances and people to be "enough" for us? They will fail, but God, will never fail; His love will always be enough no matter what.

Okay, I'm done preaching. 

And here is the promised video:

Enjoy randomness, laughter, and whatever other joys God places in your life. Because life is more fun when your laughing.

Hannah

Work and Play

It's been too long. Way too long.

I could tell you that I've been busy, but I still could have posted something! The truth is, once the charm of having a blog wore off, all that was left was the work part of it. And did I really want to do the work as well as the fun? That seemed to be the question. And I have come up with an answer.

Yes.

Yes, I do want to do the work as well as the fun. As I am growing up, I am realizing that work is a very crucial part of fun. After all, eating cupcakes is fun, but first you have to make them. (And afterwards you have to clean them up, the hardest part in my opinion.)

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't really like work. My birthday party is coming up, and it is going to be very fun! But before the party, I have to send the invitations, make the reservations, clean the house, and cook the food. Basically, I have to work for my party.

Another example is ballet. I had my ballet recital a few weeks ago, and it went great! But before the recital I had to put in countless hours at the studio, as well as all recital day rehearsing and getting ready. Was it worth it? YES!

So even though I like having fun, work is still a necessary part of life. This is a fact that I am learning over and over again. I am learning not to be scarred of work.

I have had so much going on, and I can't wait to share it all with you! And I have a lot of exciting things coming up!

Hannah

P.S. Here's a random picture of a cat. Your welcome.

Nothingness

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart form me you can do nothing." 
John 15:5 NIV

This verse stuck out to me this week. In this one verse there is not only a great illustration, but there is a promise and a warning. What more can I ask for from one verse? But so often, I let the words of God pass me by as another Sunday School memory verse, but not the real and living words of God. Today, I am not going to let that happen, and I hope that you won't either.

In the first part of this verse, Jesus tells us that he is the vine. THE Vine. Like, the real thing. He also tells us that we are the branches. You don't need a biology major to know that the branches can only exist through the vine. The branches cannot survive on their own, and they get all of their nutrients from the vine, just like we cannot survive on our own, and we can only be truly satisfied by God. This takes the focus off of the branches, and onto the Vine.

I don't know about you, but I like to be in the center of attention. It's hard to reorient my self-centered thoughts to center around God, who is the rightful center of my life. After all, I am just a branch, who am I to talk big and mighty when I cannot even survive by myself. But that's what I do.Sometimes I like to give glory to myself instead of to God. The fact is, I can either give glory to myself, or I can give glory to God. I cannot do both.

Let's look at what happens when I give glory to the Vine.

"If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit." 

That's what I'm talking about! This is the promise. If I remain in God, and God remains in me, then I will bear much fruit. Now this verse doesn't say that if I remain in God, He will deliver fruit baskets to my door every day, because one, fruit baskets are weird, and two, Jesus is talking about lasting fruit. Check out this list of "fruits" that come from God.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control." 
Galatians 5:22-23a

If you think about it, this makes sense. After all, God is all of these things, and if I stay close to Him, then He will guide me in His ways. When He guides me in His ways, then I will bear fruit from Him, as a sign that I have remained with God.

Think about it this way. I have a friend that really likes the color mint green. She is obsessed with this color, and after time, I began to like the color more and more, because I value my friend's opinion, and I hang out with her a lot. Thus, if I am hanging out with God, I will see that He is so incredibly loving, and I will be more loving as result. I will see that He is so passionately faithful, and His faithfulness will run into my life and change me, producing fruit.

Notice that this fruit can only be produced by REMAINING in the Vine.

Now, what happens when I don't remain in Him? I like to call it "nothingness."

"Apart from me you can do nothing." 

NOTHING! I can do nothing on my own. For example, if I cut off a tree branch (which is a really funny example, because I am not a yard work person!), what would I do with the branch? Would I keep it so that I can get fruit from it? No, the branch is useless to me now, so I put it by the curb (or, a better idea, I could have a bonfire).

Just so, I can do nothing without God. I am not good for anything if I don't remain in God.

Sometimes, I find myself doing a lot of nothingness. I do things my own way, and it's easy and comfortable. To be honest, most days are filled with nothingness. Maybe that's why this verse stuck out to me this week. Because in this verse, there's a promise straight from the mouth of Jesus.

"If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit."

It's not my job to sustain myself. It's not my job to make my own fruit by good works. That's not my job, that's God's job. It's God's job to sustain me; it's God's job to produce fruit in me. It's my job to remain in Him.

Stop your nothingness.Remain in Him who sustains, and you will bear fruit.

Hannah