A New Outlook

Today, it is one year since my grandmother's passing. I think that my poor husband has been worried about me all day. I'm a crier, so I think he has been walking on egg shells in case.... well.... frankly in case I lose it. But for the past month or so, I have been praying. Sure, I've prayed my whole life. But this past month I've been REALLY praying. The long, actually assign a time, bring me to tears type of praying. And I've realized something.

I've been looking at this all wrong.

Now, before I continue I want to emphasize. Mourning is a part of life. It is healthy. But... we need to make sure it doesn't consume us.

I heard something the other day that stopped me dead in my tracks. I was at dinner with Evan, and he was talking about...um... ok I honestly don't remember. BECAUSE the cutest little five-ish girl was talking to her grandma about her dog. Her grandma asked her how she was doing, and the little girl replied "I'm ok. I'm sad that she died. But she was really sick, and Heaven was the only way she could get better."

From the mouths of babes, huh?

I wanted to go up and hug that little girl. She gave me a gift of insight I could never have expected. My grandmother was sick. And now she is not. Now, she is happy and healthy and gets to be in the presence of Jesus. That is great, wonderful news!! And yes, we miss her down here. More than anything.  But I can't wish her back. Because Heaven is where is supposed to be.

Because of this thought, I have peace. The kind of peace that let's me know that everything will be ok.

If you have lost someone, my encouragement to you is this. Remember that this earth is not the end-all. I know we have been told this over and again, but think of it this way. Heaven is the end result. If you were to watch your best friend run a race, you wouldn't be sad she got to the end. You wouldn't cry because her race was over. You would rejoice because she finished! She reached her end goal.

Heaven is the goal. My grandmother got there, and I am so happy for her.

So LIVE. Be happy. Encourage people on this earth. Laugh. Love. I would not want Memaw to look down on me and see me not living my life because of my sadness. There will be times when you are sad. But the not sad times should outweigh the sad times. God gave us the gift of life and we should not waste it! There are so many good, and wonderful things to see and do and experience in this life.

So please, please, please-- live your life with joy. Because a life lived without joy is a waste.

Be salt and light,
Hannah

An Overlooked Need

Before I start this post, I want to emphasize.

I do not practice what I preach.

As much as I would like to believe that what I am about to say is the exact thing I practice, I can't lie to you. I want to be better, I do. I am working on it. However, it is a very hard thing to start living out.

What is that thing you may ask?

Well, what I am talking about is service. A specific type of service. I think there is a lot of good in doing something like building a house or church in Mexico. It is something you can talk about as well without sounding like you're bragging. “Well, this summer I went on vacation with my family and then went to Mexico to build a church with my church”. Now don't hear me wrong. There is something noble and something honorable about going to Mexico or another foreign country to build a church or a home or a hospital. Building a building in Mexico is not easy work. It is hot. It is hard labor. It is HOT.

But.

There is another type of service that I believe gets overlooked more often that not. It is not a glamorous type of service and it's not something that you normally hear people talking about. However, it is a service that has really been on my heart lately after some encounters and conversations with friends. That service is to the homeless population. Now, I can hear the questions already.

“Aren't a lot of them drug addicts/former drug addicts?”

“What if they're a con man who doesn't really need help?”

“Couldn't they get out of their situation if they really wanted to?”

I am ashamed to say that I myself have asked some of these questions to justify just walking on by. But a question I have started asking myself is- does it really matter? Wouldn't you rather help someone who didn't need help than NOT help someone who needed help? I realize I may be stepping on some people's toes by this post. But something I think we need to keep in mind is that a lot of people out there have had hard, rough lives. Some of them due to themselves, but some due to circumstances out of their control. There are people out there that are hurting. Possibly the same thing that happened to someone is homeless happened to you and you recovered and continued with your life. And that is GREAT! However, some people were not that lucky.

I know that there is a lot of discussion out there about giving money, but you don't have to give money to help people. There a lot of ways. And what would that mean for you? Buying them a sandwich? A hot drink? A blanket? As initially ridiculous this may sound, just giving someone a sandwich could save their life. For a person who has time and again been knocked down, ignored, abandoned- whatever the case may be- just knowing there is someone on earth that cares enough to buy them a sandwich or a drink, start a conversation with them or even just make eye contact, could be enough to completely change their way of thinking. Something so little for us could change someone's life. So what if they're a con man? That's a risk you take helping people. And if they are, what's the worst that happened? You gave a man a sandwich who didn't really need it.

Some people that are homeless are homeless because they made choices to be that way. Some are continuing to make those choices. Some could improve their situation but don't and some just choose to live that life. However, almost all of them need some form of help or encouragement. We all do. When the Bible talks about service, it does not say “help those that only ask for it” or “help those that you judge for yourself deserve your help”. Service is not about what people deserve or earn anymore than salvation through Christ is something we deserve or earn. 1 Peter 4:10 states “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms”. God's grace is not something that we only show people who deserve it. Can you imagine if God's grace was only given to people who “deserved it”? I'll let you in on a secret- no one would be a recipient of that. Thankfully, it is a gift. A gift that we should share with anyone we come in contact with.

No matter their race.

No matter their background.

No matter their social class.

No matter their job.

No matter their faith.

No matter their situation in life.

The list goes on. My encouragement to you is this. And I'm warning you now- it's the hardest thing yet. Actively look for people that need God's grace. Sometimes the people hardest to give it to are the people that need it the most. Look for them, whether they be the mean person at work, the homeless man you pass every morning, or the neighbor who's always yelling at the neighborhood kids. Look for them. And once you find them- love them. Serve them. Whatever it takes. It may not be outwardly rewarding. You may get shut down, rejected, or ridiculed. I promise though, a lifetime of service will never leave you with regrets.

Be salt and light!

~Hannah~ 

What Have You "Made It"?

One of my favorite songs from my days in the youth group at my home church was "Heart of Worship"  by Matt Redman. It sounded beautiful when sung and I liked the words. I was recently reminded of the words when we sang it at a singing service I attended. The chorus of this song is "I'm coming back to the heart of worship where it's all about you. It's all about you Jesus. I'm sorry Lord for the things I've made it when it's all about you- it's all about you Jesus."

It got me thinking. What have I "made it"? "It" being church, worship, my Christian life, etc. Well...


It has become a social event. A place where I can go and know that I can see friends and connect with people. I have made it an escape. A place at the beginning of the week where I don't have to think about homework or school or life- I can just relax. I've made it a concert-where I can just listen to the song leader and the people around me sing pretty songs. And I've made it a way to feel better about myself. When there is a pointed lesson I can listen to it and think "Well hey, I haven't had an affair, so I'm good!"

What I'm forgetting when I do that though is that this week I gossiped about someone in my class. I lied and said I was busy when someone asked me to hang out because really...I just didn't want to do something with that person. I made fun of someone in my head for asking a dumb question in class. I let my anger get the best of me and snapped at my best friend. When this realization started pouring over me this week, I realized I've got "it" all wrong.

Church and worship isn't a social event. It's not an escape- at least in the way I've been viewing it. It's not a concert and it is definitely not a way to feel better about myself. It is a way to be challenged. It is a place to connect with others on a deep, intimate level- not just saying hey to my friends and catching up on the week's news. It's a place where I can be free to pour out my heart to God in worship, and be humbled by the message the preacher brings. It's a place where no matter my sins or my hurt, or other's sins and hurt, I can be me and come into the embrace of other's that love God passionately and without abandon.

My challenge to you is this week, make a list. What have you "made it"? Write it down. You don't have to show it to anyone, but there is something powerful about being completely honest with yourself and with God. And then think of ways to change your list. Instead of making it an escape from the craziness of life-thinking of it as the one day a week you can just sit and have your kids be quiet and not have to pay bills or cook a meal or do homework-  make it a refuge where you can feel the peace of God surround you. Instead of thinking of it as a concert, think of it as a place where you can completely let yourself go, and let the words and the music wash over you and encourage you, lift you up, raise your spirits. Instead of a place where you feel better about yourself, try to think of a challenge from every lesson that the preacher brings. I promise you- if you look for an area of improvement you will find it.

"I'm coming back to the heart of worship, where it's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus. I'm sorry Lord for the things I've made it when it's all about you- it's all about you Jesus."

Be salt and light!!
~Hannah~

The Proposal Story (ah!!)

Here is the promised proposal story. Enjoy! 

I went to Atlanta, Georgia for a mission trip with the youth group I was the youth intern for, and Evan decided to take a week off from his internship in Springfield, Missouri and go home to Georgia. He had e-mailed the youth minister I was working for (Matthew) and told him that he was going to propose, and asked if I could have a night off. Matthew, being the awesome, understanding boss that he was of course said yes. Now, I should have known something was up when I was talking to Matthew and Evan, because both of them kept absolutely insisting that I take Wednesday night off. Well, on Wednesday of that week Evan picked me up from the place I was staying with the youth group and took me to his house. I  thought that we were just cooking dinner for his parents, and then hanging out with everyone. However, when we started to cook dinner his parents disappeared upstairs. Before we had started dating, Evan had taught me how to play chess. He had led me to believe that I was pretty good by letting me win several of the games. Apparently, he was just being nice. He suggested that the person that won the next game got to decide the next activity we did. I was pretty sure of myself, so I agreed. ....I lost in about 5 moves. HIs suggestion was that we go on our first official date. At Evan's house on the night of the proposal, he had bought a new chess set. He suggested we play a game while dinner was cooking. After he beat me (he always wins), he came to sit by me on the couch and said that he had thought of a good analogy for life that involves a chessboard. He said that a lot of times in life, things will happen and you will lose "pieces", like in a chess game. He said that while some pieces may go out of your life, sometimes you are lucky enough that God sends you just the right person that will always have your back and will do anything to protect you, like the queen piece in chess. He said that he was so lucky, because God had sent him that person, and that it was me. He got down on one knee, pulled out a ring, and said "I am so lucky that God sent me you. I know that you will always have my back, always do anything to protect me. And for the rest of my life, I want to be that person for you. Hannah Wren Stone, will you marry me?" I, of course, said yes.

Sorry it's been so long coming. I've had a lot going on, some of which I will address in my next few blog posts. I hope all of you have had a marvelous start to your new year. 

Be salt and light!!
~Hannah~

It's the Little Things

I guess you could say that this is a combination “devotional” post and “bride to be” post. Last week was such an extremely stressful week. Monday, especially, was the most exhausting. I had class at 8 am, went to babysit from 9-1, went to class from 1-2, then babysat again from 2-5. At one point, I was alone with twelve 2 to 9 year olds on a playground. Needless to say, I was absolutely exhausted. I was also not in the best mood. I knew that Tuesday was going to be even more busy and Wednesday would be crazy as well. On top of classes, I had my speech client this week, a ton of work to do, and extra homework and quizzes. Knowing that my week was just beginning was almost too much to handle. When I got out of babysitting, Evan called me to tell me to meet him behind the student center. He had picked me up one of our favorite meals. When we were done eating, he took me to the student center, bought me ice cream (comfort food works miracles) and watched a couple tv shows with me, even though he had a lot to do that night. To add to this, earlier that day, I had asked him to turn in these postcards I had filled out for work. All I thought he had to do was turn them into the office. Well, turns out they had to be stamped. There were approximately 75 of these postcards. Now, I would definitely not have blamed him if he had just texted me explaining that, and then given them back to me. But that sweet guy stamped all of them and turned them in for me. Not only that, he sat in my chapel seat so that I wouldn't be counted absent (he knows I'm running a tad low on chapel skips).

Now, all of these things are not that big of a deal. They weren't some huge, monumental actions that forever changed my life. They were just little things. What made them special though was the thought that went into them. It's the fact that he made an effort to show me that he cared and that he would do anything to make my day better. 

Besides being reminded yet again that I am incredibly blessed to be engaged to/best friends with this guy, I started thinking about how many times I had missed opportunities to do “little things” for people. Think about your own life for a second. How many times have the “little things” made a huge impact on your day? If a stranger compliments you on your shirt, doesn't that make you feel good? Or if they hold the door open for you are carrying your books, doesn't it help you out so much?

One more story. Whenever we are checking out at a store, or getting our cards swiped to get into the caf, or come in contact with anyone who has a fairly monotonous job, Evan always goes “Hi, how is your day going?” Usually, they answer “fine”. But I've noticed that the people he does this to regularly recognize him now. They smile as soon as he comes up, and some have even talked to a little longer. One time, one of the workers in the cafeteria that everyone thinks is a bit mean seemed particularly sad. Evan asked her if she was ok, and she said “Well, I have back problems and because I've been standing up all day my back really hurts. It's been really hurting lately.” Well no wonder she looked mad all the time-if I was in constant pain, I would be mad too! Evan replied “I'm sorry to hear that, I'll be praying for you!” And walked off. You should have seen her face light up. By Evan just asking her what was wrong, he improved her day tremendously. This was just another reminder that it really does not take much to turn someone's day around.

So this is my challenge to you. As you go through this week, try and do little things for people. Smile at them. Ask them how their day is going. Compliment them on their hair or their shirt or the presentation they did in class. Focus on doing little things for others, and try to recognize the little things people are doing for you. I promise, you'll smile a lot more when you realize that people are going out of their way to be nice to you. And remember that it's the little things you do that may make the biggest impact.

Who by Worrying....

Last night, one of my best friends, Nicole, surprised me by coming up to Harding for a visit. I don't know how Evan kept it a secret, but he did. It had been an extremely long week. I had work, clinic, tests in two of my major classes, and a ton of assignments due. I was so incredibly stressed that multiple times this week I just wanted to break down.. But now I'm sitting here, outside of a coffee shop with two of my best friends. Today, we are all hanging out and then later today, I am going over to Kelsey's and cooking dinner and going to the football game. There is a slight breeze and the weather is the perfect temperature.  I can hear kids giggling and playing in the open area next to this coffee shop, my coffee was made just right, and I have nothing I need to do any time soon. And I'm realizing something.

Being stressed did not help me any.

If I hadn't let myself be stressed- If I had just relaxed, taken a few deep breaths, and not worried so much, I would still be in the same boat. I would still be sitting here on this perfect day with people that are so dear to me. The weather would still be perfect, I would still be going to the game tonight, and I would still be smiling so much my cheeks hurt. But I wouldn't have wasted so much of last week being tired and stressed and worried. I could have had even more time like the time I'm experiencing right now.

Realizing that has let me know that I shouldn't stress as much. Stressing doesn't do anything. I know that I will still be stressed, I'm not fooling myself. But hopefully, this was the wake-up call I needed to try and tone it down. The next time I get stressed out and tired, I will be able to think about this day and remember that it will all be ok, and an awesome, stress-free day will be just around the corner.

So my challenge to you is to just take a few deep breaths. Relax. Enjoy the day. Spend some time outside. And don't worry. Whatever is going on, it will all work out.

Be salt and light!!

Smile

Today's blog post is short. I have been thinking about something profound I could write, something that would cut to someone's soul and completely change their life. And I'm stumped. So I don't have that this week (but you should check back next week- I may have some profound epiphany by then). I just have a little advice.

Smile. Smile smile smile. There is so much to be happy about. I realized that this week, though it has been a stressful one already, has given me so much to smile about. And think about how you feel when someone just smiles at you. A full on, all-teeth-showing smile. I know for me at least it brightens my day. That person's cheerful mood cheers me up. A smile can turn your day around, and your smile can turn someone else's day around. Yes, I realize that sounds extremely corny. And yes, I realize that bad things happen. There may be a day where your car breaks down, your phone breaks, you break up with your boyfriend or you made a grade on a test that was so bad your teacher didn't even bother to put a grade on it (if that last one sounds oddly specific...there is a reason....woops.) You may be thinking right now that there is nothing to smile about. But you know what?

You are a child of God.

What more could you possibly need? If you can't think of a single thing to be happy about, then focus on the fact that you are an heir to the one who created the universe. Really, really think about it. Cool, huh?

So smile. Make someone's day better. Just choose to be happy and choose to focus on the good. Once you start focusing on the good, it will become a habit and pretty soon it will be a way of life for you.

Have a wonderful week, be salt and light!