If You Want to Connect Deep

If you want to connect deeply with people…

If you want to truly reach people…

If you want to show the love of the Most High God with your life…

Lay out your dirt. Expose secrets that have clung to the walls of your heart for generations. Lay it bare.

FAQ: The Leading

The other day, a reader asked this question:

How did you know God was leading you to photography?

That’s a very good question! I have always been a very artsy, creative sort of person. I couldn’t really put my finger on something exactly, but God had His own plans. Long story short… I knew that it was God calling me to do this when I looked back and saw how it has drawn Him and me together. I see and feel God so real through photography.

Do you have a question that’s been burning on your mind? Email me!

Superwoman [personal]

If I had a quarter for every time someone had said something to the effect of “Girl, you are superwoman!” or “I can’t see how you do it!” I would be rich.

The fact is, I’m not superwoman.

The thing is, I don’t do it all. I can’t do it all. In fact, I fail miserably. I over work myself, have trouble saying no, and find it hard to keep everything balanced perfectly. It’s tough for me to love what I do and do what I love if things aren’t balanced like they should be.

Can anyone relate?

Crammed With Heaven

I love how every part of the earth is crammed with heaven and God’s glory. Sometimes, we forget that. Sometimes, it’s vital to just be still and know He is God.

What have you learned that is easily forgotten?

Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

God has called me to walk humbly with Him wherever He leads. Whatever that means for me. He has called me.

Enjoy your Sunday!

John 3:16

John 3:16 is probably the first Bible verse we ever memorized. I think hearing it so much kind of desensitizes us to its real meaning. I mean, even I almost didn’t name this post “John 3:16″ because I’ve heard it so much, that I presume you have too and it reminds me of the watered down Sunday school lessons. Bleh.

Curled up in my favorite chair, the book Love Mercy by Lisa and Ty Samson in hand, I pondered that verse.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

God loves the world; not just those of us who sit on a pew every time church doors are open.

God loves people that His “people” won’t even drive on the side of town they live on. Yes, I think we all know what I’m talking about here.

God loves people that make horrid mistakes. (And why, oh why do we put them down for it when God saw it in the beginning and called it “good”?)

God loves people who live in poverty, literally on the sides of streets while we are so caught up in our selfish, busy American culture?

God loves people who get high to forget their problems.

God loves people in countries that we, as His “Bride”, won’t even go to because of the level of sickness, poverty, and filthiness.

God loves people who decide it would be better to claim “Christian” than to take the hard road.

God loves us.

OK, it’s your turn. Sound off.

You build us back.

There are no words; only tears.

There’s not much money; only God.

There is not much telling what God is up to; only time will tell.

There is no way I can express to you how much I’m learning; only trust me.

There aren’t the words to tell you how much we have cried.

There is no way we could tell you how blessed we have been; only trust us that God has blessed us through you.

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. “O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gatesof sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace.

Isaiah 54:10-13

I really believe that’s God’s promise to our family. I really do.

What has God had you go through that wasn’t easy, but has been the most incredible thing you’ve experienced?

Graphic Designer Turned Photographer

I am a creative; not a coder. I have no idea the amount of times I told myself that (Twittered and Facebooked it, too).  I was stubborn and kept my graphic design gig going. I didn’t listen to the signs coming from my family: “Hannah, you are always on that stinking computer!” “I really need your help with the Boybarians, Lou.” “Just 5 more minutes and I’ll be off here.”

Finally I realized, “Hannah, you used to be a girl living life and blogging about it. Now you are a girl blogging and blog designing living life and snapping photos in between.” That was a hard blow to take. Then came my best friend Darcy’s post Unsustainable. Both of us were experiencing the same thing and here I thought that I couldn’t tell her I had to stop this madness and unsustainable schedule.

We Skyped because that’s what two geeky friends do [when they live 2 states and many, many miles apart].

I cried because I didn’t want to quit.

She helped me realize that I am a photographer with graphic design dabbled in. Not the other way around.

She has helped me realize my priorities.

That being said, I am no longer a full time graphic and blog designer. I will still accept the occasional graphic design or blog design job and training on that subject, but no longer full time. I appreciate those of you who have hired me and/or helped me learn so much! It’s been such a pleasure.

When God Whispers {In Your Heart}

There is something special about the way God whispers in your heart.

He has begun to whisper into my heart what He has for me. I asked God, overwhelmed from everything going on, “What do you have for me God? What do I really need to cut out?” He has begun to reveal that to me one puzzle piece at a time.

He’s told me I am loved [and that no romantic love will take the place of that.]

He’s told me that no matter how much I fail or achieve, I won’t mess up His plan.

He’s told me to reach beyond my world.

He’s told me and my family to move [to the middle of nowhere] and begin a totally different lifestyle.

He’s spoken many things; through songs, through you, through His Word.

What has He whispered in your heart?

P.S. He loves you!

This post was linked up to Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky.

My Frontier

I told myself I needed my friends’ beach vacation. And you know, I actually did, but not in the way I thought. I needed it to realize this is my frontier- home. This is my domain.

All of this is:

My Frontier

These gorgeous Boybarians of mine:

My beautiful, dear sisters. (They won’t let me get too many photos of them.)

My awesome parents, I am blessed to have. (No photo of them, either.)

This:
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This:
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This:
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All of that is mine. And I am so, so very grateful. Even though it’s not a beach vacation, it’s my life. I love it. No beach vacation needed.