Friday, December 31, 2010

It's a new day.

As 2010 draws to a close, I want to take time to be still and reflect on this past year. There have been so many troubles, struggles, and triumphs in my own life -- trials and hardships but the overall theme of this year for me was forgiveness. Gratefulness. Being born anew in Jesus. Overcoming troubles and mindsets and letting go of baggage with my Savior's help. And living a life for Christ, no matter what -- that our past does not define us -- and we can live completely for Jesus. Our identity is rooted in Christ, and nothing can shake that.

And today, I will sit and be still. Yes, I'll laugh, I'll enjoy spending time with my family and friends in the last few hours of this year. I'm grateful for this year. And I want to sit and let my heart remember how truly blessed I am -- I want to be still and let my voice praise God for all that He's done in my life.

2010 has been a long year. There are times that I am so grateful for and love that I'll forever have them in memories, and then there are times that I hope I will never have to go through again. Moments of fear, anger, and sorrow. Times in which my faith has been tested to the point of breaking -- but always has my Jesus gripped my hand and told me, "Hold on."

Even though I don't deserve it, He's held me in His arms and said, "You are important. You are wonderfully and uniquely made and precious to me. You are forgiven. You are loved. And I have a plan for you, dear daughter -- come and follow me. I will give you love and joy, comfort and salvation -- peace and rest. And abundant, beautiful life in Me. I made you and love you and won't ever let you go. Come and live your life for Me. Live boldly, and proclaim I'll that I have done for you -- be a light, and let your hope and faith and dreams rest in me. I have a beautiful, wonderful, and blessed plan for you life. So live for me."

And so in the last few hours of 2010 (okay, maybe not last few...it's only about noon right now) I want to spend some time being still and grateful for some of the joys of this past year.

In no particular order, I'm grateful for...


The excitement on my brothers' faces as they open their gifts.

Sam's life.

Late night talks with my parents.

My camera.

mycamera

Forgiveness.

Coffee. :)

My brother Caleb coming up to me spontaneously, giving me a hug, and saying, "Hannah, I love you. You're beautiful, and the best Hannah a Caleb could ever have," just when I needed it the most.

My laptop, purchased in February of this year. (the last day I'll be able to say, of this year and mean 2010. It's a bit bittersweet...)

Love.

elijah

Abundant life in Jesus Christ.

Leading worship.

Youth retreats.

Color.

Chocolate.

chocolate

Snow, snow, snow, and more snow. (40+ inches already this winter...and counting!)

Friends and neighbors who stick with you.

My church and church family.

Ballet, recitals, and friendships that come from being at the studio all day Saturday, dancing, dancing, dancing.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

Simple things like peppermint shards on top of a Hoho Mocha from Caribou.

hohomocha

Music and singing.

Panini's made by my sister.

Family.

family

Joy, peace, hope, and faith.

The Bible.

Lego creations being built and stories made up.

Bokeh.

bokeh

Sunflares.

Making a dinner that everyone loved (except for Eli who said, "this is yuck." It might have been the onions...;) )

Blogger friends. (that's right -- I'm talking to YOU! :) )

A new year.

This past year.

A trip to Duluth with my grandparents, aunt, and brother Brennan.

Brilliant sunrises and sunsets.

Another birthday, celebrated with my loved ones.

Photography.

Watching Lord of the Rings late at night with my sister and dad.

Ordering pizza at 11:34 at night.

New life.

newlife

My mom taking us to get coffee spontaneously.

Wii Sports battles and bowling championships.

Laughter.

Friends.

Time spent talking with my dad about faith, life, and the awesomeness of Marvel over DC.

Prayer.

And...

Knowing that every day is a new day.

I'm gonna sing this song
To let you know that you're not alone
And if you're like me
You need hope, coffee, and melody
So sit back down
Let the world keep spinning ‘round
For yesterday's gone and today is waiting on you to show your face

It might not be
The prettiest thing that you'll ever see
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
And it might not look like
A beautiful sunrise
But it's a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
New Day, Robbie Seay Band


It's a new day, friends. It's a new year coming up. And I'm grateful. It might not be the prettiest thing that you'll ever see, but it's a new day. I've got new life in Jesus, and this year, my faith and love will be verbs. I want to live with an active faith and live in the knowledge that I am forgiven, redeemed, loved and the Lord has a plan for my life. My past does not define me, my future is full of hope because of Jesus, and I will celebrate and be grateful for the present -- living fully and boldly.

It's a new day. A new year. And maybe, just maybe, it'll look like a beautiful sunrise.

Welcome 2011.

I'm ready for you.


Comments closed on this post. Have a beautiful, blessed New Year, friends!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

(not resolutions) dreams, goals, and hopes for 2011


Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850


this year...

I want to make a difference

I would love to start my photography business

I want to be more and more grateful, everyday

I hope to become more creative

I dream of becoming more of the woman that God made me as
I pray that I would grow in faith, love, and hope

I want to laugh more
and love deeper

I'm going to work on NOT caring about appearances
and weight
and material posessions
and instead, care about what Jesus thinks
and live knowing that I am
redeemed
blessed
and loved.
I want to read my bible every day, every morning
and afterwords, pray

take time to play with my little siblings
even if it means that I don't finish
that blog post
on
time

be on the computer less and outside
or inside
more

take more and more photos
and not worry
that there's a bit of noise

sing louder
even if my voice breaks

become more confident

soften my tongue

stretch every day

praise Jesus more
when life is good
or in the midst of the
storm

STOP biting my nails

learn to cook more
and make pastries
and cookies
(and then take pictures)

become a better daughter, sister,
and friend

help out more
even when it's an inconvenience
to me

pray for a servant's heart

start playing piano again

take voice lessons

make the best of what I have
and be
grateful for it

look and celebrate
the little things
everyday

become a spontaneous
gift giver

read more books

keep my room clean

try some crafts and diy projects
even if they turn out looking
like a five year old
made it

get my photos
developed
printed
and put in my room

paint my room

take time to tell my family
and friends
that I appreciate, like,
and love
them.

use color more

stop using the word "more" in every other sentence.

wake up earlier
and take pictures of the
sunrises

and...

draw closer to my Savior
everyday
and praise Him

always.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Thankful

I'm sitting here, drinking some candy cane tea and munching on a ginger snap cookie. Lego creations are been built, toys are scattered haphazardly throughout the house in a way that lends to a cozy atmosphere and sunlight is streaming in through the windows. The snow outside is piled higher than our mailbox, we've reached a high of 23 for the temperature, and inside, it's warm. It may be cliche and oh-so-corny to say that the whole house is brimming with happiness, but it's true. There's a feeling of joy and peace that permeates through all the laughter and "Mom, see what I built!"

Our Christmas was good. Blessed. A gift. I'm grateful for every smile, laugh, and moment of surprise when a family member opened a present. A small amount of cookies still remain, but they're steadily decreasing as various family members ask, "anyone want a cookie?" when going out to the garage to grab a couple from the cookie tins.

Lately, I've just been overwhelmed by how big and beautiful life is -- and not only that, but how big and amazing and
awesome
our God is. There are so many things to do, places to see, and moments to cherish. Photos to take, songs to sing, ballets to dance. Laughter to share, smiles to bring, and times of worship and prayer to come.

It's my prayer that in this coming year, my relationship with my Savior would deepen and be strengthened -- if that means that I'll weather trials, then I will. I want to be fully alive and completely in love with Jesus. I hope that in everything, Christ would be glorified. My life is all for Him, and in this coming year, I hope that that would become even more plain to see.

This Christmas was beautiful and blessed, and I'm feeling at peace right now, and very washed in love. My Jesus is good and He saves. He gives and takes away, but no matter what, praise the Lord. He's doing so much in my life right now, and I'm excited to see what the New Year brings. I'm grateful, so very, very, grateful.

How was your Christmas?

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Just in time for Christmas.


Today, I got my Canon Rebel T1i


I am so overwhelmed at the moment, and so incredibly grateful. This is the camera that I've been saving for for so long. If you've been following me for awhile (about a year) you'll know that I've been using a GE point and shoot I received last year for Christmas. That camera recently broke and I've been without a camera -- unless you count an old four megapixel point and shoot that my mom bought years ago.

So today, I am grateful. So very, insanely, incredibly, grateful. I cannot express how excited I am -- and how overwhelmed I am. Our God is so good, friends! I am feeling so blessed at this moment; more than I can even explain. I've waited and kept waiting, and finally, God said "Go." It was His timing and more and more, I'm realizing how perfect His timing is.

I am so grateful. I could keep on saying that over and over again. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Jesus. So grateful for this camera. And now...I'm off! Some Christmas preparations and of course, I'll be taking a few pictures tomorrow and Saturday. I've been taking tons and tons and tons of photos. To say that I'm excited is an understatement. Feeling so blessed and grateful -- more than I can even describe

_______________

Have a beautiful, blessed Christmas, sweet friends!

May God touch your hearts and fill your lives with abundant joy as you celebrate our Savior's birth. Praying that in the next couple days, you would be filled with joy and peace and that you would all have a wonderful rest of the Holiday season. :-)


The finalists of the Aspire Photo Challenge will be announced at a later date -- instead of putting it up today, I'm changing the date to the 28th. Photos come and go, but it's only once a year that we have two days dedicated to celebrating Jesus. :-)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Rambles

First of all...like the new design?

I LOVED the background paper and my previous design, but I did want to go back to a brighter, cleaner, OPENER blog. Along with that, I wanted a bit of a wintry feel to my blog, and just HAD to keep my signature blues. :)

Secondly, the Nutcracker went great!

I'm so sad that it's over! The performances went great and everyone did a fantastic job! We had four professional guest performers join us, and it was a blessing (and a pretty incredible) dancing with them. I wrote on my facebook...
What great performances. What a great group of people. What a great three or so months. I love my studio. :-)
I was so blessed by this weekend, and really, just had a wonderful time. From practice, to performances, to laughing in between. I miss everyone already, and am definitely missing ballet. Okay, I'm enjoying my break, but it's been a little odd (and sad!) to have no ballet. I'm so excited for the New Year! :)

allisonandme
my good friend Allison and I after the second, and last, performance...so at about 10 at night.

Third (and lastly -- this blogger is tired!)...

With Nutcracker going on, I confess that I haven't spent much time with Jesus, and so I'm excited to get back into The Word regularly! I don't want my relationship with my Savior to suffer because of lack of communication, or because I "don't have enough time." I have time...I just need to manage it better. I want my life to be completely for Him, and that in everything I would do, it would glorify Him. It's my prayer that I would become more like my Savior, every day, moment by moment. And that I would be a witness for Him. I'm really loving Psalms, John, Romans, and Ephesians...what are some of your favorite books of the bible/verses?

So with that short, rambling, and somewhat disjointed post, I'll say goodnight! Hope that you all have a beautiful blessed week, and a wonderful Christmas! Also, stay tuned for the photo challenge finalists (you can still enter up until Friday!), AND I've got a few bloggers that I want to introduce you later...:-)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Nutcracker!


This is a very, very, short post

(which will perhaps be a bit silly)

to let you all know that you won't see me till (most-likely) Monday.

Well, you won't see me then. But you probably won't hear from me until then. ;-)

Why is this, you may ask...?

Because...

this weekend...

is...

my ballet studio's...

annual...

big...

official...

amazing...

Nutcracker Performance!

we've been practicing since September, and it's amazing to see the progression in the past few months

not to mention since last year's Nutcracker performance

(which was about maybe 1/4 as long as this year's performance)

and I'm very

very

VERY

excited. :-)

tonight was my last ballet class of 2010

tomorrow, we have our second dress rehearsal, from 3-9

(first dress rehearsal was last Sunday, 10-3:30)

and on Saturday, we have two performances. One at two, and one at seven. But call time is 11:30 -- gives us time to warm up and prep for the big day!

If you could all pray for the success of the performance, that would be great. :-)

But I'm not worried...

I'm just ready. and excited. very, very, very excited.

can you tell? :-)

See you all Monday!

blogging in my tutu,
(not really -- but I am wearing one for one of my roles as the ballerina doll! hee hee...;-))
Hannah

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Choosing thankfulness.

I'm not sure exactly how to start this. I have a sense of peace from my Savior right now, despite my melancholy. You see, the other day, I let my brother, Brennan, use my camera. He took a few shots and ran up the stairs excitedly into the main-level. And then he tripped. The lens on my point and shoot made a funny clicking noise (the kind of noise where you go, "oh no -- please no.") and came out crooked.

Short to say, my camera is broken. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Since it's a point and shoot, if the lens isn't working, the camera's not working. I believe that I can still transfer photos, and sometimes, I can get it to work to take pictures, but it does have difficulty functioning.

It sounds silly, but if you all could pray for me; for peace and for gratefulness. If I can use my camera, I will, but it's difficult for me, especially when wanting my dslr. At the moment, I cannot purchase it because I can't afford it. I know that someday -- and with God's timing -- I'll get that someday-camera. But that time just isn't now, and especially waiting with a broken camera, it's hard.

God is definitely teaching me patience! I'm slowly learning to make the best of what I have, even if it's hard. Okay, cross out the if. Even though it's hard. I want to be transparent -- I struggle with gratefulness all the time. That's why opportunities such as helping out with Operation Christmas Child are such a blessing for me; they definitely refresh my mindset and do help with thankfulness.

As I packaged the boxes, I found myself praying for the children who would receive the boxes, because they have nothing, and yet, because of God's work through us, they're receiving something -- and more than that, through every box, they're receiving the gospel, through every doll, toothbrush, crayons and mittens.

That's something to keep in perspective, especially this Christmas season. To think of how I complain about not having the best camera, when these children are blessed to receive socks. It makes me cry, because I am so blessed, and yet I can forget, or ignore that, because of wanting more.

Jesus, let my heart's cry not be more, more, more, but thank you, thank you, thank you. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear and work through me -- help me to more and more, everyday, be a part of the body of Christ.

My camera may not be the best, it may not be working perfectly or all the time, but I am blessed with it. And I will not let momentary dissatisfaction cloud the joy that comes from the realization of how blessed we are in Christ Jesus.

So today, I choose gratefulness, despite the circumstances.

Even though it's hard, I will praise Him.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Guess what today is...

See this tin?
christmascookiestin
Very shortly, this tin, along with several others, countless boxes, and numerous tupperware containers will be filled to the brim with delicious Holiday treats.

I'm talking Christmas cookies. The melt-in-your-mouth goodies that range from spritz, to gingerbread, to snickerdoodles, and back to sugar cookies. The meringues, Swedish cookies, and chocolate pinwheels. Don't even get me started on the almond bark or the Russian tea cakes.
christmascookiebatter
This is one day where we go all out -- as visibly evident by the forty pounds of butter in the fridge (okay, there's only about five). From scouring old cookbooks and holiday Christmas recipes to making the dough, popping it into the oven, to letting it cool, and then onto decorating. Frosting, sugar, sprinkles, peppermint, candy, cranberries, chocolate, nuts, mints, candy-canes, and all manner of sweets finish our Holiday fare.

Christmas music is playing full blast, the oven is on, and cookbooks and butter are scattered across the counter haphazardly. The kitchen is spotless, the dishes clean, and the all-important job of making Christmas treats visible in every item still left out.
elijahexcited
Excitement is present in the flushed faces of my brothers as they switch from staring outside into the cold and snowy world and back to the kitchen where all manners of goodies are being created and prepared. A spirit of joy and happiness abounds and there's a feeling of goodwill that fills the air as much as the smells of freshly backed treats.

We're laughing and talking and making cookies and chocolates that we'll try to make last until Christmas, yet, even despite our best efforts, we'll have to go and make some more. Thus another day of happy chaos will come and more cookies will line the top of the freezer outside, chilling until they're ready to be devoured. Which, in our household, is always sooner than later.
christmastree
The Christmas tree is up, the lights are twinkling, holiday decorations hanging from the walls, and the sweet sounds of A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Nutcracker, 42 Christmas Favorites, or other classic Christmas CD's fill the air. And the whole house is brimming in anticipation of the event that's finally here.

It's Christmas cookie making day, baby. And I'm excited.

Do you have any Christmas traditions?

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Where have I been?

The last few days have been a mixture of business, not feeling well, and good times. Friday, we met up with our homeschool group and had a hoedown, and let me just tell you that we rocked it as much as we could. There was much laughter that day. Saturday morning, I had "band" rehearsal, then ballet rehearsal from 11:30-5:30 -- came home and was not feeling good at all. My throat was achy, I was sore, as well as being physically & mentally exhausted.

However, the next morning, I was feeling way better. And so glad I was. I was blessed with the opportunity to help lead worship with Alex, Jake, Ryan, Seth, and our worship leader, Josh for our church. I love singing with them -- soli deo gloria! Praising Jesus. :-)

Afterwards, we had a chili-cookoff for our church, went home for a bit, and came back for rehearsal for the Christmas pageant. Immediately after rehearsal we had youth group. (LOVE my church!)

This past week, I worked most of Monday, then had ballet for the remainder, Tuesday I spent the morning at Operation Christmas Child, stayed at ballet and had pilates and ballet. Wednesday I had a class in the morning, came home, and later, had more ballet. Tonight I have ballet again.

You could say that I'm spent. I've been extremely busy lately, to the extent that I'm worn-out. That makes for a pretty tired blogger, friends!

But in the midst of all the chaos and craziness, life has been good. I've been blessed. I've got family and friends who are incredible. And my Jesus is good -- all the time.

So about Lovely Photo Wednesday...I'm sure that you all thought I forgot. But I've decided (after thought) to end LPW. Please don't get me wrong -- I love seeing all of your lovely photos -- however, I felt like I was getting burned out. Maybe I'll start up a new link-up later, or bring it back someday. We'll see. ;)

Also (and this is the last point -- I promise! Sorry for the rambling post) I've been contemplating moving to Wordpress. What are your thoughts on this? Lately, I've been meaning to think seriously about switching platforms, because I love the greater sense of control that you get with wordpress. On the flipside, I don't want to lose all of my sweet readers!

Would write more, friends, but I have a lot to get done today. Miss talking to you all -- how's life been going for you lately? Bless you, friends! :-)

Friday, December 3, 2010

Aspire Photo Challenge - Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!


Aspire Photo ChallengeAspire Photo Challenge
Who's ready for another
Aspire Photo Challenge
? Since it's a Christmas challenge, I'm going to leave it up till December 24th -- closing it Christmas Eve! Finalists will be announced on 27 (or 28th, loosely) and voting will be up sometime afterwards. So you excited? I sure am! Christmas is my favorite -- favorite time of year, favorite holiday, favorite FAVORITE. ;) I'll just keep on proclaiming it, and I can't wait to see all of your festive photos! (if you didn't catch that, that was an alliteration. Yes, I'm kinda a nerd. ;))

So every contest, challenge, or whatnot has to have rules (let's think of them as guidelines) And here they are...
Christmas Photo Challenge @ Aspire Guidelines
  • You may only enter one photo. If you have multiple photos in your post, make sure to state which you're entering. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
  • The photo challenge is technically
    Beginning to look a lot like Christmas
    (Christmas Photo Challenge, for short). Basically anything Christmasy -- lights, cookies, winter snow scenes, festive family photos (another alliteration! ;)), present wrapping, gift-shopping, tree pictures, outside lights, decorating, holiday foods -- anything that says the Holidays to you!
  • To clarify, you can enter from today, Friday, December 3rd, until
    December 23rd
    , at 11:59 PM CST. Entries will be closed after that.
  • You must have one of the Aspire Photo Challenge buttons in your post.
  • The photo must be one that you have taken. However, if you have a photo taken by a family member who does not have a blog and would like to enter it, you can as long as you state the fact that it's by a family member.

and...There will be prizes! (to be announced at a later date.)

Just thought I'd let you know. ;)

christmaslightsilovemylife
So what are you waiting for? Go & enter! And make sure to spread the word. Also, after you've linked up,
make sure to visit at least three other entries.
Bloghop around a bit and spread the Christmas spirit! I can't wait to see all of your festive photos. Are you ready? Go! ;)

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Lovely Photo Wednesday - Thanksgiving Photos!

Lovely Photo - Wordless or Not-So-Wordless Wednesday at Aspire
Who's ready for another Lovely Photo Wednesday? Did you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving? Get some good photos? Eat a lot of good food? I would have to say yes to all of the questions I asked! I thought to share one of my favorite (food) shots from the day -- some of the sparkling juice. It was tasty, and definitely bubbly! What was your favorite dish from the day? I know that mine was the combination of the turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. :)
Speaking of stuffing, I'll have you know that I was thoroughly stuffed by the end of the day! We go to my dad's parent's for a wonderful (and definitely large) lunch, and then later on, leave to go to my mom's parent's for another super delicious (and most certainly not small) dinner! It's my favorite meal of the year, but it's a good thing that we only have it once a year! ;)
sparklingjuice
If you haven't played along before, link up your lovely photo and tell us a bit about it, or nothing at all. Write what you want or don't say anything, but share a picture and link it up below. Then, remember to bloghop around a bit and comment on at least three other entries. Ready? Go! :) (also, stay tuned...
a new Aspire photo challenge coming on Friday!
)

Today...


Today I am grateful for...
Smiles and laughter
that it's snowing outside
our Christmas chain counting down till Christmas Eve
Nutcracker music playing in the background as I'm typing this
Little brothers who play pirates and soldiers
forgiveness
my Jesus
a laptop to use
my camera
photoshop
sunrises & sunsets
healing
love
family
colorful scarves
Christmas lights outside
and...
you!
It's wintry and wonderful outside with the snow blowing and the weather up into the 20's! I'm feeling grateful today for many tings, and wanted to share a couple with you.

Christmas time is undoubtably my favorite time of the year. Remember those posts about fall being my favorite season? I'm just now realizing that that's not true. While I love autumn, winter has replaced it. It's always been that way -- I say that I love fall, when really, I love winter. While some people hate this time because of the cold and snow (and I'll admit, I have been known to grumble when it's in the negative 20's) there's something refreshing about this time.

I love winter.

Isn't our Savior wonderful? Think of all the beautiful seasons that we've been blessed with; unique and wonderful in all of their differences and the changes that they bring. I'm so grateful!

Part of the reason why I may love winter so much is because Christmas is coming up. November through January 1st rank as some of my favorite months of the year. (And I just realized how many times I've said, "favorite" in this post.) I love June and July, but there is something magical about the Christmas season.

In the midst of it all, I don't want to lose the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus. I'm so excited to celebrate His birth again -- and it's my prayer that I would celebrate it every day. Not just at Christmas time. But how wonderful that we have a whole season dedicated to it!

I love the Christmas cookies, carols, Christmas-decorating, tree-trimming, visits down-town (a family tradition), reading the Nutcracker (another tradition), family get-together and visits, gingerbread house & cookie making, wintry days, snowball fights (along with snow angels and snow forts), holiday foods, Christmas lights, holiday photos, and thousands of other blessings and wonderful things that if I tried to write out, I would take up pages and pages. I love this time of year.

Jesus is the center. Or to put it into Christmas terms, He is the star atop the tree. The other ornaments are hung on the tree in different layers, farther and farther down due to importance. (or in the case of our family, due to who's hanging them). But always, the star is atop. The head. The crowning glory. JESUS is and needs to be the center.

Always.


hope that you all have a beautiful, blessed day, sweet friends! Enjoying the wintry weather up here in MN -- how's the weather where you live? and more importantly...what are you grateful for?

Monday, November 29, 2010

Drops of Light


I've been talking about gratefulness lately
Talking about how I struggle with being grateful everyday because of entitlement and simply wanting more. (which is why the OCC was such a blessing to me -- more on that later)
That's why I'm excited to share my new blog with you
(don't worry -- this is in addition to Aspire)
called Drops of Light
You can read about the name on the blog
A visual journal of gratefulness.
Go check it out (and maybe follow, if you like)
My cup is overflowing.
drops of light { a visual journal of gratefulness }

Friday, November 26, 2010

Attitude of Gratitude

I've found that it's easier to write something than to live it. If I say that I'm grateful, does that make me grateful? Or if I proclaim my joy, what happens if only seconds later I'm met with some discouraging news that dampens my spirit?

Living out what we say is a harder practice than writing it. And in the example of gratefulness, it means to be content in whatever circumstance.
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." - Phillipians 4:12
Just days ago, I wrote about being grateful for waiting. And I am. But saying that you're grateful means nothing if you don't live that way.

A feeling of entitlement permeated through my best attempts at appearing grateful; the joy and peace I had professed only days earlier fell to the way side by Black Friday ads and an overwhelming sense of, "I deserve this." Where did my acceptance and gratefulness go? Somewhere among the countless piles of food, the attitude of gratitude slipped away and was overtaken by the venomous poison of entitlement.

Feeling like we deserve something is a common attitude in America. But when the entitlement adds itself to our heart and starts clogging up our contentment with ungratefulness and irritation, then we lose our joy. I want to root out the bitter seed of discontent before it blooms into a full-blown attitude of ungratefulness.

So today, I'm changing my mindset. I'm going out to help package shoeboxes with Operation Christmas Child with my friend Allison today and I'm praying that it'll humble me and give me a spirit of gratefulness for all the numerous blessings I do have. Lately, I've been praying that the Lord would change my heart and would give me an attitude of gratitude. I want to live out my life grateful for what the Lord has given me; compared to some, I may have little, but compared to others, I have much.

I don't want to compared myself to those who have more than I do; rather, I want myself to look at what I have (and maybe what I don't) and say, "Thank you, Lord.
I am grateful.
"

Today is the day where I will live that out. I will live grateful. I am grateful. And sometimes, I have to pause, look and see where my heart is at and if it's sitting in a sense of discontent, I need to change my attitude to that of an attitude of gratitude.

Because really, I have so much to be grateful for. I don't need the best or the most to be happy; nor do I really need it at all. I am blessed. And I don't want to forget what is the greatest gift that I, and everyone in this world, has been given.

Eternal life in Christ Jesus by His sacrifice. Our Savior's love.


When I reflect on his mercies and His love is when I feel the most grateful. When I feel joy. The sense of more, more, more is replaced with, thank you, thank you, thank you. That's how I want to live my life everyday -- praising my Savior for who He is, what He's done, and never forgetting how truly blessed I am.

Thank you, Jesus.

Blessings on your day today, friends! Praying that you would all have a beautiful, blessed weekend! :-)

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Lovely Photo Wednesday is back! And the ABC's of Thanks -- Link up!

Lovely Photo - Wordless or Not-So-Wordless Wednesday at Aspire
Finding Joy | The ABC's of ThanksFirst let me give a big thanks to everyone who linked up to Lovely Photo while hosted at my momma's blog, Finding Joy -- you're all the best! And a big hug to my mom (who's sitting about four feet away from me, using the regular computer) for hosting it while I was on my blog. It's safe to say that I'm so glad to be back! For this week, I'm joining up with my mom and linking up to her once-a-year-meme (can you call it that if it's only yearly? oh, well.) called The ABC's of Thanks. So make sure to stop by my mom's blog and link up with your list of thanks (all through the alphabet) after linking up your Lovely Photo! :-)
lovelyphotowednesday-snow
So what am I thankful for? Read on, dear readers...
abcsofthanks
Remember, link up your lovely photo below and bloghop around a bit! Make sure to visit at least three other entries and after you're done...head over to Finding Joy and link up with the ABC's of Thanks! Have a beautiful & blessed Thanksgiving, friends! :-)

A fan of Spaghetti.

Yesterday I talked about how God told me to wait for my camera, and how I'm starting to find JOY in the waiting. I talked about how there will always be more memories. And I talked about being grateful for the memories I do have because of the camera I have now.

Today, I'm grateful for this.

samuel
On Sunday, we had our typical Sunday lunch, Spaghetti. Don't confuse typical with boring, bland, or average. Spaghetti at our house is a feast; we fix up the sauce and add our own ingredients, putting in healthy amounts of sausage, olives, spices, and Parmesan, along with numerous other items that vary each time we make the sauce.
spaghettisamuel
Everyone at our house is as my brother Caleb would say, 'A fan of Spaghetti." That's our staple food and we're sure to have it several times a month. But no gets tired of it; that's one of the best parts. Somehow or another, we always have what we need to make it.

And Samuel? He's definitely a fan too.
samuelisafanofspaghetti
He takes after Caleb, who somehow manages to get spaghetti sauce on the back of his head. We still haven't figured that out. And Caleb takes after my sister Chloe who was a messy spaghetti eater as well.

(If you're wondering, I was a neat eater. I should dig out the photos from when I was little and put them up here -- I was completely clean and Chloe was a mess. Of course, I only had the smallest dollop of spaghetti sauce, and her plate was covered in it.)

That's just us.
samuelsamuelsamuel
I'm so glad that I have the photos of Samuel eating his spaghetti -- even if they're blurry. If I had my dslr, I wouldn't have these photos (I maybe wouldn't have even taken any pictures of him eating his lunch) If I didn't have my point and shoot, then I wouldn't have any photos at all.

And for that, I'm grateful.

I'm also grateful that we had spaghetti on Sunday and not today. Cleaning that baby up is a hard task. All of you with little kiddos are sure to relate. And even those without them. I mean, look at that kid! ;-)

You talkin' to me?
youtalkingtome-samuel

Monday, November 22, 2010

JOY in waiting.

If you've been following me for a bit, you'll probably remember the post I wrote back in the end of July, Packing them away until later (if not, I would encourage you to read it -- gives a glimpse into what I'm talking about here.)

In the post, I wrote about how I was ready to buy my DSLR, my beautiful someday-to-be camera. But to quote directly, I said,
And then God told me no.

It was in the finalization stages, contacting the amazon seller and seeing what he was bundling with the camera. And I felt that nudge. A prickle that I couldn't shake. Something on my shoulder that just stuck. I ended up not going with that camera, and started looking at craigslist...but then...

...I still couldn't get rid of that feeling that this wasn't the way to go. I knew that I was being told to wait. That it wasn't the right time. That I had to put aside my timing and instead go by His. But I didn't want to. I fought against it--oh, did I fight. I struggled with it and argued and tried to justify buying it.

But in the end, I just couldn't go with it. I know that I'm not supposed to buy my camera right now, even though I could. It's frustrating but I have to trust that His timing is better than mine.

Because ultimately, it is.
In the post, I said that I would wait another month, another six months, another year -- as long as He wanted me to wait to get the camera. Since then, I've been waiting four months, something that in June, if I knew I'd still be waiting come November, I'd be pretty upset and definitely confused.

Don't you want me to have the camera? I might have asked. Lord, why do I still have to wait? I don't want to wait any longer.

But right now, I'm glad that I'm still waiting.


Yes, you read that right. I'm glad that I'm waiting. God's teaching me patience, and He's teaching me to stay
joyful
in the midst of waiting. He's preparing me for someday, and He's giving me hope for today. I might not always feel glad that I'm waiting, but as the days pass, I'm starting to feel this peace and acceptance from Christ.

It's hard, and sometimes, I want to grumble. Sometimes I get stuck wanting to complain and wanting to ask why I have to wait. Sometimes I have trouble being grateful for the camera I do have, and for all the numerous blessings that I have been given. But I'm working on that. My Savior's working on my heart, and I'm praying that He'll give me a spirit of gratefulness and joy.

Jesus, thank you for my camera! is a prayer that I pray. I'm thanking Him for the camera I have now...and the one I'll have someday.

It's hard waiting. I'm blessed that I have a camera to take photos with, but I do feel sad when I can't take a photo of something because my point and shoot simply can't do it. When I want to take a photo of my siblings playing, but can't because the shutter speed is too slow. Or when I want to take a close up photo (or I guess I should say, macro) but the lighting is too poor. I could point out numerous examples when I've complained and felt bad because I can't save a memory.

But my dad pointed something out to me.
"There will always be more memories."
Sure, I may not have got the perfect photo during Brennan's birthday, but I did get a couple good shots...even if they are blurry. Maybe my picture won't be celebrated for having the best colors, tones, crispness, sharpness, focus, quality, bokeh...but I still have the photo.

Even when I'm sad about losing a moment I wanted to keep, I can think back to what my dad said.
There will always be more memories.
I can allow myself to feel like upset about not being able to take the photo...and then let that go. I can be upset but I will turn that into GRATEFULNESS for what I do have now.

For now, I'm going to celebrate the memories that I've taken in the past and that I have today. They may not be perfect, but they're mine, and somehow, I have them. Because of being there, ready to take the photo.

Which brings me to something else...it sounds funny, but I'm so glad that instead of receiving a DSLR, I first was blessed with a point and shoot. It's something that only lately I've come to realize, but the truth of it is beginning to permeate through my mind when I start feeling ungrateful.

If I hadn't first been blessed with a point and shoot, then I wouldn't have some of the photos that I've taken that I love.
Sure, I might have better photos, but I wouldn't have the ones I have now. And to look back at my albums and go, "I love that one." or, "oh!" makes me feel so grateful.

Something that truly blessed me is that I've learned so much about photography with my point and shoot! In fact, I've even learned about DSLR's...even though I don't have one. I still have so much to learn, but my photography would not be where it is right now if I hadn't been originally blessed with a point and shoot.

And for that, I'm grateful.

I'm hoping to have my dslr by Christmas, but if not, that's okay. I'll keep on waiting till God says, "Go." His timing is so much better than mine and He still has so much to teach me. I'm excited to see His plan for me unfold moment by moment, day by day, month by month, year by year. I'm starting to feel that the Lord is getting ready to say, "go!" and to surprise me. But until then, I'll wait.

And I'll stay grateful for today and what I have been blessed with.


My Jesus is so good. Grateful for all of you today -- praying that you would all have a beautiful, blessed week. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ending on a final note; if you ever check out Bible Gateway then you'll know that they have a verse of the day. I went there to find a scripture to end with and saw that this was the verse they put up for today...
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”- Colossians 3:15
I feel like yelling, "Amen!" Is it a coincidence? I don't think so. Our God is so good and so big and so powerful. He's telling me exactly what I need to hear and surprising me. I am grateful. I'm now realizing that that's my new phrase for this season of life. I'm known to say, life is sweet but right now, I'll proclaim what my mom is known to write often.

I'm grateful.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Free to soar.

I'm typing this up with a bit of apprehension. It's been about three weeks since I said that I was taking a break. I've been praying about it quite a bit and feel it's time for me to come back.

During my break, I've noticed some things that are so refreshing -- life is bigger and fuller when I'm not concerned about numbers or followers or comments, or what to post. I feel like a bird that's been trying to fly while carrying bags upon my back and now they've been pulled off and I'm free to soar.

God has really given me a new outlook on life; He's changed my heart and changed me. I've surrendered to Him and in that surrendering there is so much joy. He's lifted so many burdens of my back and held me in His loving arms. I feel so alive lately; so full of His spirit and power. I am surrounded and overwhelmed by His love.

I'm excited to go back to blogging, yet somewhat apprehensive, as I said. I don't want to get pulled back into the popularity game or trapped by an almost addictive spirit of having to post everyday, having to have the best blog, having to be the best. I am made perfect in my weakness; the size of any problem is nothing compared to my God.

With my Savior's help, I hope to start Aspire again -- as a new blog with a new purpose. I want my blog to be celebrating life -- abundant life in Christ. All the little joys that come and go and we can lose in the monotony that can encompass our daily doings. If we seek first to follow Him and surrender to Him, then there are so many gifts that we can find in the present. There are so many things that He can -- and will -- reveal to us.

That doesn't mean that I won't be my same quirky, goofy, and, I'll admit it, dorky self. You can still expect some randomnesss and definitely a little silliness at times! But I don't want to be worried about sharing my faith for fear that I'll lose a follower, and I don't want to post just to post. I want all of my posts to glorify my Savior; silly or serious.

An overwhelming sense of, "How great is my God!" has filled me lately. When I reflect on His mercies and His love, I am filled with awe and love for my Savior. I want my life to be a reflection of Him and that in everything my Jesus would be glorified. My blog and my life is nothing without my Savior. Without Him, I was trapped in the pit, but my Savior grasped my hands and helped me out; he lifted the burdens from my back and helped me to lift off -- to soar.

I am grateful.

So very grateful. And it's all because of my Jesus. My God is so big, and so powerful, and so overwhelmingly good. I am so in love with my Savior. And I want my love to be a verb -- active, present-participle. (if you've read Believing God by Beth Moore, you'll know what I'm talking about.)

Soli Deo Gloria. Blessings on your Sunday, friends.


_______________
Aspire has also been given a new look, along with its new outlook. My design before was influenced by too many other influential bloggers and while I liked it, it wasn't me. This is. I'm excited. Life is sweet. And my God is good. Praising Him today and everyday.

Jesus, I am so in love with you.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Taking A Stand.

This weekend has been incredible. I cannot remember a time where God has touched my heart and opened my mind more than now. I cannot remember a time where I have been pushed more out of my comfort zone for God and ended up feeling so full of joy because of it. I cannot remember ever being filled with such a fervent desire to worship and praise and live completely for my God.

It's been amazing. And through it all, I've realized so many things. I've been passive in my relationship with my Savior, to say the least. No more. I don't want to waste a second. A friend facebooked me and said, "...I feel like I could just go on singing until the end of time..." about her youth retreat awhile back, and I responded with "It's as if I can't find enough words to praise Him by." And it's so true.

I'm completely overwhelmed by my Savior's love. By His Grace. By His mercy. Typing this, I'm starting to cry. There is no way to describe the feeling of being washed by Jesus--washed clean. I know He loves me; I know that He loves me so much, and the enormity of it makes me hurt. Not in a bad way, but in a sense of, "He loves a sinner like me enough to have died for me."

This weekend was about taking a stand. Living boldly for Christ. Listening to and following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And surrendering everything to Jesus.

And I did. And I'm so glad that I did; life is filled with so much joy right now. I am so ; I'm just soaking his love in like a sponge and feel ready to burst.

With the surrendering, I surrendered my blog as well. And so I'm going to be taking a break from blogging for a bit; a time to refocus and refuel. I'm tired of playing the popularity game; tired of caring about numbers, followers, and commenters. Tired of writing to please someone else, and tired of being afraid to say something about my Jesus that could offend someone.

No more. I want to go stand outside and start singing Our God is Greater as loud as I can. My God is so good, so incredibly, amazingly, awesomely good, and I am so overwhelmed.

I'm writing this and cannot even explain. I'm DONE with fakey--there is no more posts just to post. Intentionality and authenticity; raw and real. That's what I want--that's who I want to be. Not a crowd pleaser or even someone who cares what the crowd things.

I wanna be someone who takes a stand. Every single day. In the smallest or largest ways I can for my God. And I don't care if that makes me uncool, or a loser. Call me a Jesus Freak and I'll be glad. Because honestly, to be called a Jesus freak is to be called that I'm so in love with my Savior. And I am. I'm so completely full of love for him right now. I want to praise Him all day long everyday in everything I do.

I'm sorry for being unreal; for being a crowd-pleaser; for conforming. I'm saying this to all of you, to myself, but especially to my Savior. I'm sorry for not being authentic.

No more. I can't stress it enough. I am done with fakiness. But I'm ready to be a passionate follower and herald of my Lord. Everyday, all day. Forever.

I am ready to take a stand. And I will. I am. Standing tall with my hands in the air and my voice praising my Savior.

My God is so good.

And I was so blessed by being able to do the worship with Alex, Ryan, Jake and Seth this weekend. One of the coolest things about it was how it touched me--even though I was singing. It wasn't about me at all, and I'm so glad. So eternally glad. I feel so grateful and blessed to have been able to have led worship. And that last session that we had? Or catacombs? Those were powerful. When you're worshiping with other believers, there's a hum in the air--an energy. A desire to serve and worship Christ Jesus.

I feel so blessed. Even more so because one of our youth leaders, Jason, and our pastor, Bob, asked Alex, Ryan, Jake, Seth and I to play at church. Throughout the weekend, we led 3-4 songs, but we always played the song, Love is Here. It was the song for the weekend.

So on Sunday, we sang that. And unbeknownst to us, Josh Skogerboe, videotaped it for us. So here's us this morning:


Love Is Here :: 180 Youth Music Team :: Living Hope Church, October 31, 2010 from Joshua Skogerboe on Vimeo.
I'm sorry if this post sounds choppy; I'm operating on about maybe fifteen hours of sleep in the past three days. Also, I've disabled comments on this post. If there's anything you want to talk to me about, you can always email me.

Ending on this final note...Praising Jesus and serving Him today and everyday.

Are you?

Friday, October 29, 2010

(short) Stream of Consciousness (and winners!)

Today's post is going to be fairly short because I have a lot to get done...which you'll see if you keep reading. But first, the winners of the Giveaway and the Fall Photo Challenge.
The Winner of the RMichelle Autumnal Collection Version Orange necklace is...
Email me at aspireblog[at]hotmail[dot]com with your address and I'll have RMichelle send you the necklace! :)

And the winner of the Fall Aspire Photo Challenge is Kate!
Kate had the favorite photo for the photo challenge. All of the entries were gorgeous, though! I loved seeing all of your autumn entries. :)


I'm entering a photo challenge...
I'm entering Carlotta's color photo challenge...here's my entry. I have a whole folder of these shots, but this one was one of my favorites...:)
And we'll dance in the flowers of golden hue, drinking in the sunlight.

And I'm off!
This weekend I've got a youth retreat from Friday till Sunday morn, and won't be back to the blogging world before then! However, I might write and schedule a few posts for Saturday and Sunday. We'll see. Several of my friends, Alex, Ryan, Jake, Seth and I are leading worship for the retreat, so it should be a blast. We've got one more practice tonight at four before we leave at six, and I think it's gonna be awesome. Soli Deo Gloria! :)

Goodbye to my blogging buddies! Will talk to you soon. But for now, it's off to do school, pack, clean, practice, and get into the word (just a few things to do/get done today). Have any big plans this weekend? I'd love to hear about them. :)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

He's so big.

sam
This is my sweet Sammy.
sam
He is getting so big.
sam
His food, he definitely likes.
sam
He's such a sweetie.
sam
And this face? This face gets me every time.
sam
He's curious, stealthy, adorable, and very smart. And he loves his family.
sam
Look at his eyes.
And this smile.
sam
It gets me.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Lovely Photo Wednesday - Loving the blues

Lovely Photo - Wordless or Not-So-Wordless Wednesday at Aspire

See these shoes? I love these shoes. Granted, they aren't the most practical for walking long distances, but aren't they just darling? And I love the color. Love, love, love. You all know how much I love blues. And like the pumpkins? This year, we bought nine; one for each person in our family. It'll be fun to carve them. Though I'm not fond of Halloween, I do love carving pumpkins. Perhaps I'll take a few pictures of our family's pumpkins this year...and maybe they'll end up on here. We'll see. The little ones don't carve their pumpkins, of course, but they do have fun watching. And I'm not a huge fan of orange, but on pumpkins, I can handle it. In fact, I actually kinda like it then. What are some of your favorite colors, color combination's, etc.?
Blue Shoes & Pumpkins
If you haven't played along before, link up your lovely photo and tell us a bit about it, or none at all. Write what you want or don't say anything, but share a picture and link it up below. Then, remember to bloghop around a bit and comment on at least three other entries. Ready? Go! :)

______
Also, make sure to enter in my giveaway for a lovely fall necklace!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

My Jesus Saves.

Lately, I've been struggling with a lot of extra baggage that I've been carrying. I've been poked and prodded and pricked with labels of this world that I let stick to me. And I've been living without joy, and instead with fear, sadness, guilt and shame.

But the other night, my mom asked me what was wrong, and I just broke down. We talked and I had to do a lot of renewal in my mind; had to get rid of a lot of old patterns. And then, we prayed, and my mom prayed for me.

I asked Jesus to forgive me; I asked that He'd take the weight from my back and carry it, because I couldn't anymore. And I just cried that He would heal me. It's hard, it's so hard to feel His forgiveness, but if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. And I know I am forgiven, it's just the shame that I struggle with.

It's the letting go that's the hardest part.

We know that if we ask Jesus to come into our lives and to clean us, then there's no holding onto past shames. There's no guilt. There is only freedom in Christ Jesus. But part of our human nature wants to cling to that old stuff--we want to hold onto what's gone because then we have excuses. We can wallow in self-pity, and even get lost in shame.

But that's not life! That's not life at all. Jesus died on the cross to take away your sins that you could live gloriously for Him, and live forever with Him. There's no glorious living when you're holding onto what's already been forgiven; there's no joy in that heartache. What's the point in holding onto it? Why can't we let it go?

It's the hardest part. And it's something that I struggle with. I know that my sins are forgiven and that by the blood of my Savior I am washed white as snow. Yet I still cling to what He's already cleansed me of; because part of me doesn't want to let it go.

Because part of me is afraid of living for Him. Part of me is afraid of letting it go.

Living for Christ is not just a one time thing. As my mom said, "Faith is a day by day, moment by moment, sometimes breath by breath decision to look beyond the current reality and to cling to something greater.”

And it's true. Looking beyond the current reality; even if we're forgiven, we can still hold onto the guilt from the sins. But no more. There is no life in that. To cling to something greater; not to our shame, but to our Savior.

He makes life all worth it.

So today, I'm choosing to know that I am forgiven. I'm choosing to cling to something greater. I'm choosing to live a life for my Savior. It's like the song, You Are More, by Tenth Avenue North.
There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide

She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"

But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?


You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight

She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are?


You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.


You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You've been remade
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.

And I have. In Christ, I am a new person.

And I am free. Free to live vividly for Him.

Free.

My God is so good. And it makes me feel overwhelmed at times. Praising Jesus today and everyday. Because He is good, and powerful, and holy, and merciful, and just, and wise, and perfect.

And loving. So very loving.

My Jesus saves.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Apples + Caramel = Some Easy Yumminess


When I'm hungry, I like to eat caramel apples. There is something that is so yummy about the simple dessert. It's one of my favorite fall meals; in fact, I don't even think about touching it the rest of the year. So today, I am going to share with you my secret recipe for easily delicious caramel apples.

You ready? Okay, here you go...
I love caramel apples.

Super Secret Simply Delicious Caramel Apple Recipe

  • 1 container of caramel
  • 1 apple
  • a knife & plate and/or bowl
Serves one.
Cut up one apple in appropriate size slices. Put them on a plate and arrange them (or not). Then, take a spoonful (or two) of caramel and plop it on the plate/bowl as well. Eat and enjoy! Easy to double.

Now remember, that's an old family recipe. Yes sir, it goes all the way back to who-knows-when. So don't go around sharing that with everyone. It's a special treat for my readers. ;)
gotta love me some caramel.
Have any easy snack foods that you love? I'd love to hear about them and get some new ideas! :)

Ps if you haven't had a chance, make sure to enter into a giveaway for some lovely fall jewelry!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

A Fall present for You! {Giveaway}

It's Fall and I know that I love any new accessories or jewelry to brighten up my look, and I'm also pretty sure that my lovely readers would love something too!

So today, I'm giving away this gorgeous necklace from the very talented RMichelle! Isn't it pretty? I'm in love with the colors and the whole design. Make sure to check out her shop; there are some great gift ideas there! :)

And here's how you could win it...

To Enter:

Comment and tell me what your favorite part of Fall is. The leaves? Autumn foods? Scarves? Let me know!

additional ways to enter...

  • Follow Aspire (and let me know that you do!)
  • Blog about this giveaway
  • Favorite RMichelle's etsy shop
  • Spread the word about the giveaway (facebook it, tweet it, etc...)

Make sure to leave a new comment for each entry! This is to ensure that all of your entries count! The giveaway will end on Thursday night at 11:59pm CST, and the winner will be announced Friday morning.

Have a happy Sunday, sweet friends! :)

Friday, October 22, 2010

Fall Photo Challenge Finalists!

Woah. What an alliteration there! Anyways, as I'm in love with fall, this was an especially fun photo challenge. As is the case, I had a lot of trouble deciding upon my favorites, but in the end it came down to these five.


By Kate. What can I say? Sometimes, there's something so perfect about an fall leaf photo, and this one definitely caught my eye. Love the colors, light, and bokeh. And did I mention it was unedited?

By Noellen. I love driving through areas that are like this photo; where you're just surrounded by the glorious Autumn colors. This shot had it for me!

By Chelsey {The Paper Mama}. How darling is Ruari? I'm a sucker for pumpkin patch photos, as it is. Major cuteness there.

By Ashley Elliot. First of all, the DOF is amazing. And what a sweet photo! I love how the little girl is just clutching the leaf with just a few fingers; just adorable!

By SalicosFamilyBlog. I don't usually like selective coloring, but this one was too fun to resist. And I love how the shot feels so inviting because of the open door. But back to the pumpkin. Really, who doesn't love a good 'ol orange pumpkin? Especially one so proudly displayed.


Thanks to everyone who entered! You can vote for your favorite until Thursday night; the winner will be announced Friday! Have fun. :)
--Hannah

Stream of Consciousness

1. We have no microwave. Correction...we have a microwave, it's just sadly broken beyond repair. This is problmatic when we have food that needs to be microwaved. But moreso when we want popcorn. We've tried grilling it, and it turned out fine, just a bit burnt. But I'm okay, because I love Angie's popcorn. Haven't tried it? Go do so, my friends. Tried it? Then you know what I mean. They're like little bites of heaven. So. Very. Good.

2. I Love Tenth Avenue North.youaremorelyricsbytenthavenuenorth

They have some incredibly powerful songs. One of my favorites is their new one, You Are More. There's one verse in particular that stands out to me, and the other day, I wrote it down on a sticky note to remind myself it. Because it's so true, and sometimes we forget it. And it's good for me to be reminded of it.

3. I love this scarf. Recently, I've fallen in love with scarfs. I want to make one, buy one, buy ten...well, you get the point. And all because of this scarf that I got from my trip to Duluth (which I still have to tell you about)...
meandmyscarf
Granted, not the best picture of me, but you get the point. I love scarfs, especially that one. Which at the moment, is my only one. Will have to do something about that. If anyone wants to send me a scarf, I'd be eternally grateful! ;)

4. I take pictures...and then forget to finish the story. I see something--be it an event, a person, a moment, whatever--and I start to take pictures of it/them. But sometimes, I forget to document the whole thing. Like when I opened up an album in my computer and found these sandwich pictures. What was I thinking? Oh, right. Blog post. Well, they made it onto a blog post, just not how I expected...I guess I got too hungry. The world may never know.
chroniclesofasandwhich

5. I think this is corn. Why? Because...
1. I took it in a cornfield.
2. I took it in a cornfield.
3. I took it in a cornfield.
But then again, what do I know about corn?
Nothing, that's what.
ithinkitscorn

6. I am doing nothing today...and glad of it. It's nice to take a break and relax a bit; spend some time getting into God's word and praying. That sort of day. Well, come to think of it, I'm doing a sorta nothing day. Have ballet rehearsal at night, but that's an (almost) everyday thing. ;)

What are you doing today? Have anything fun planned? Read any verses that particularly stuck out to you lately? Let me know! I'm all ears. :)