Ringing in the New Year

It's that time of year again. People have eaten too much food. Everybody and their mother's aunt are making New Year's resolutions - because you HAVE to do so.  Everyone feels guilty because of the holiday-money-grabbing-charity scams (not to be confused with real, helpful organizations - which are awesome). Moms are trying to get rid of things around the house. Dads are watching football. Kids are sleeping in and playing with new toys. Yet, what if, just maybe, it's more than this. What if we had a different goal this year - something other than losing weight and going on a vacation? Something that made a difference to someone other than you. That's a challenge for sure. 

Watch this video, then keep on reading. (Go to the link, and watch the YouTube video.)

Amazing, huh? For those of you who have never heard of the Rebelution or Alex and Brett Harris, stop for like ten minutes and go visit their website to check them out.

What if this year our resolution was to live for more than ourselves? Yes, you only live here on earth once, but there is more to life than YOLO. Really. Maybe, it's time that our generation did something to change the world around us in a positive way. What if we stood up for the kid at school who gets bullied? What if we made friends with the girl in Special Education classes? What if we chose to spend our spring break - wait for it - not in Florida  but helping an organization like Habitat for Humanity? What if we realized that there is more to life than going to college because everyone else does, and then getting an 8-5 job in an office someone? There is more to life than that (not that I'm knocking those who do that - I'm just commending people who do something else with their life). What if we were different?

We normally ring in the new year with fireworks, parties, and friends. We make lists of things that we will never accomplish. This year, commit to doing something that you can do. Write a thank-you note. Volunteer for an organization. Knit scarves to send overseas. Send care-packages to soldiers. Pass out food at a food drive. Do something different. Please. I'm begging you. 

Think about what you can do and then do it.

Blessings!
Hannah

The Impact of Time

Oh dear! It's Tuesday already. I'm elated, as I finished my finals today, but I am also amazed at how fast time flies. There is so much left to do this week! I have to finish up my 180 days of school, clean the house, go to work, and pack for my trip (I'm leaving for Texas on Friday!!) - all among a million other little things. Have you ever noticed that there is so much to do, yet so little time to do it? When I was little, my parents always used to tell me how fast the day went by. I never believed them until I was about thirteen and a half...then it hit me. BAM!!! Time flies. I quite often tell my best friend that my life never stops moving and that it is traveling way too fast. It seems like only a short while ago that my youngest sister was born...she's nine now. In my life experience, I have found that many people hold onto things that are pointless and temporary. If we only have a short time on earth, do we really need to be wasting time doing things that don't matter? While I like to take a break and relax, I do not find that it is beneficial, or even enjoyable, to waste my teenage and soon-to-be college years. If I spend eight years on my life on me, then I just lost eight years of my life that I will never get back. Most people live to be around eighty years old...so in that case, I just lost 10% of my life. Yikes! As some of you may have already figured out, I am a big avocate for living life to the fullest. As I've said in earlier posts, I don't want to reach the end of my life, look back, and realize that I missed out big time. I want to love passionately, to live deliberately, and to dream daringly. I want to go beyond the expectations of my generation. Let's face it: adults don't expect much from us. Frankly, we deserve that. If all that we are going to do with our teenage and college years is party, get high on drugs, drink, and have sex, then we definitely deserve the lack of expectations with which we are labeled. However, I believe in changing this. I believe in changing the world.

Wow. I know - big statement, one that is used way too much. It seems like everyone nowadays is talking about changing the world. However, I have seen very few people actually do it. I don't want people to look at me and see a hypocrite. If I say that I want to change the world, then I need to actually do it. Jesus only spent thirty-three years on earth in human form, but look at what He did. He changed the world. Because He did it, I know that He can use you and me to make a difference. It isn't some crazy hard thing that you have to wait to do until you are older. A school lunch is like what? $2.50? That isn't much at all, but buying someone else's lunch will change their life forever. Yes, forever. Every action that you make has an impact - positive or negative - upon someone else. I can't change the whole world, but I can certainly change someone's world. I'm not going to live forever, so I want to use the short time that I have on earth to leave it a better place tomorrow that I found it yesterday.

Note: In case you couldn't tell, I'm big on the whole challenge-you-and-me-to-be-a-better-person thing. =)

So, I want to let Christ use me to make a difference. I want Him to work through you too. Because, maybe, just maybe, if you and I separate ourselves from the world and from the low expectations of us, we could make an eternal difference in the Kingdom of God.

Blessings,
Hannah