July

Today has been such an emotional day. I realized that many of the petty stuff I have been struggling with are nothing in the grand scheme of things. If we are to look at the bible we see many people struggling with faith in God. Bad things happen to really good people all the time, read the bible. Many people in the Bible also question god and have struggle with their faith.  Today I lost all my emotions listening Betty story. Please click on this link and starting playing around 31 minutes http://www.blackhawkmedia.org/MP3/2012Jul29.mp3.
Betty really made me start thinking about my faith and how weak I feel my faith is in comparison. I think of all the small things that I have been thinking about day to day. Someone who has ovarian cancer and says she can trust in God and is okay with his plan. I know that I need to earn to grow more study in his gospel. I am so thankful for my roommate for coming to church with me today and being able to experience the feelings I felt today, and knowing that I am not alone. I do feel scared some days to what if happens. This month (especially during July) I have this thought of why some people and not me? Why did my brother pass away so early in his life? I can't describe the emotions or the thoughts of what if he was still alive today? Would I be close to him? Would he still chase me around the house in a mask and scare me? I miss him I miss what I knew of him. And I can't tell you that I have never thought why him? Why at that time? Why so young? I don't want to overuse the phrase " Things happen for a reason" because yes obviously they do happen for a reason that we don't know about. The struggle parts comes in faith and why exactly do they happen? I am really trying to feel the feelings I feel on a Sunday and bring them into my weekly day life. The only way I can grow and have faith is if I practice his word everyday. I do fall short many days and there are good days that I can be even better. But today I want to start enjoying the people around and taking it all in. We may never know what the future may bring us, but to enjoy the present more.

An attitude of faith and favor

Attitude is everything. The other day someone very close to me said You have either won or lost the race before it has started. At first this comes across insane, but as I think about it more I do think the person with the best attitude towards their race has the best chances of winning. I think a great example in the bible of a great attitude is Job. The attitude we live with wether we are going through hard times or not we can expect God's will to come through. In the old testament Job went through one of the most trying times any person could go through. In less than a year he lost his family, business, and his health. In the midst of his darkness Job said "God, I know You have granted me favor." (Job 10:12). The best part of this story is he made his fait known in chapter 10, he was not delivered, healed, and set free until chapter 42. If we can learn to stay in an attitude of faith, and in our darkest hours , declare the favor of God, nothing can keep us down. Have a wonderful Saturday, do one thing that scares you today!
XOXO

trials

This part of the book I have been reading about God's favor. In the end God wants the best for you and we need to trust in this. A story that I love is Ruth, She was a widow living in a foreign country when the land endured a severe famine. Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi were basically starving to death so ruth went out the fields and picked up whatever remains there was at the end of the day. Ruth found a favorite among Boaz, so Boaz told his workers to leave handfuls for Ruth at the end of the day. You can read the rest in Ruth, but the point I have to make is Ruth experienced hard times she did not quite or become unhopeful, but kept her faith. In the end it worked out of the best. I think I have learned this in life. Parts of my life it is hard for me to see the long run and I want to do what is best for me in the present. I think I have learned this year with one experience that building a friendship was the best thing for me to do. And with this endurance of the high and lows I have one of my best friends because of the trials we went through together.
Xoxo
Hannah

God's favor is real

Many times I ponder where did I come from? Who am I, and how do I define myself? As I grow I continually change who I am and at the same time stay who I am. As I was reading Your Best Life Now a point was made that it's not about who we are, but WHOSE we are. All of us come from a heavenly father that loves us very much and if we choose to stand a daughter/son many times things will happen in our favor with other believers. A good comparison made was when a man was pulled over and once the cop realized who his father was he let him off the hook. It can be seen the same way do we choose to call ourselves daughter/son of our heavenly father?  So this leads me to my next point if we are to get closer how do we do this? By obeying and choosing the right path to make decision with less sin. Today I had a discussion about how sin is sin and even the small little sins are ways that we can make ourself closer to God. I know I have plenty of little sins that I need to work out and I found this verse In James 2For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.”If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 




So in a sense all sin is equal. That is any sin large or small separates us from God. Like a cut our skin bleed, both large and small cuts bleed. They are equal in the fact that they bleed, but some are deeper than others. I really want to try and work on the little sins that I make on a daily basis. 
Lastly, yesterday I realized how soon I am able to come home. I don't think I have ever missed home so much. It has been since Christmas since I have been home and that was for 6 days. I am so excited to see my family and spend time with my friends. Please if you are reading this and will be in the pocatello area in August please let me know!! 
XOXO 

Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday

Okay I was terrible at blogging especially because I was swimming 24/7 this weekend. I definitely learned what I love most about this sport...having fun! My dad keeps telling me to make memories and just have fun. Of course I'm like dad you are such a weirdo! BUT he has the greatest insight I would say he is the best guy in my life. SOOO I went a best time this weekend in the 200 free. There was light at the end of the tunnel and once I went a best time in one event it was so much easier to have confidence and know that I'm back. There is a meaning to hannertime! I think something that also hit me this weekend was that one of my coaches told me that they will always love me for things beside swimming. I shouldn't be known as hannah swimmer, but as hannah (crazy girl). I need to stop thinking about swimming so much, but go out and have a good time. This weekend definitely did that for me I loved racing I think its so much fun to go at it head to head. One thing I also read on someone else's wall that has been sticking with me is that YOU NEED TO LOVE YOURSELF. This isn't about being naracisstic, but how can anyone else love you if you don't love yourself. BE happy with who you are and if you feeling like you are not happy change those aspects in your life. I wonder how can I change a thing a day to be more happy with myself? Something can be silly...one of my goals is/trying to always have my toenails painted. Okay yes this does sound crazy right? But I think it can signify that I can also be a girly girl! And also find something that you really do like about yourself? For me I really like that I can laugh with just about anyone, and I do love to laugh about bathroom talk. It never ceases to amaze me how many ridiculous conversations I've had in ryan and kelsie burrup basement. This maybe a shout out to all my close friends in Idaho-Julienne Kelsie Ryan Gabe I don't think I have such a great times where I laugh so hard I puke. I also want to talk about Kelsie getting married I am so happy for her! She deserves to be so happy and to have an eternal marriage. I am so sad I can't make the wedding and that I will be a day late, but I know our friendship will always be the same. She will have the best time of her life..EVERYDAY LOTS OF TIMES A DAY.
XOXOX

Breaking Barriers

Reading Your Best Life Now the topic for today was Breaking Barriers. The barrier is in your mind and if we are able to break the barrier of negative thoughts. We don't want to get stuck in the rut of our past failures, but to embrace the present. Many time as athletes we think about to our best performances and get stuck in trying to the same thing. I think the best thing and what I get through this is trying to perform our best right now and be in the present. You can't keep going circles, doing the same thing the same way year after year, and expect things to change. I have taken this living in the present as to enjoy the people we are with. Sometimes I get caught up on whats going on my phone, but I have been and want to be better with enjoying who I am with in the present. Putting the phone aside and enjoying each others company.
XOXO

Hump day

Everyone seems to think of yay Wednesday we are almost over the middle of the week, but why not make the best of our Mondays and Tuesdays? Success begins with loving every single day of your life!

Tuesday realization

So last night as I went to Inner Fire Yoga I had a realization. At first when I started was so impressed by how many people I could look at and maybe they didn't seem the most athletic person but they were definitely further along in their journey through yoga. I remember watching this one girl who was so flexible and could do many of the poses into their varied harder positions. As I watching her being the completive person I am I felt that needed to do that I need pose even better. I needed to be that flexible, but as I have learned through many of the yogi's that it isn't about trying to beat out someone but improving your own process. Last night it dawned on me that many of us were all in this room and were at different levels. The teacher would have a certain pose and as we all did this pose as a group we would meet back in down dog. And I had this realization that many times we focus on what is going on around us what other people are doing and trying to beat someone based upon their abilities. I think sometimes in certain parts of our life we need to focus solely on where we are at. Many times trying to force a "pose" we never become better. Taking step by step we can see the little improvements and before we know it we are farther than we have ever imagined. Well thats just a little insight for today. And TODAY is always a great day to be happy! <3 xoxox

Monday Monday

Okay so I have never blogged before, but I have taken on a challenge for myself! I started reading Your Best Life Now and it has inspired me to blog about my personal experiences through this book and also record what I have been up to on a daily basis. If I can keep this up for 90 days straight which (21 makes a habit) I think it will help me become closer to God in so many ways. I have been struggling with being disciplined to read the bible everyday and I think this first devotional helped me because it starts with Let's start believing more. Joel discusses how we make goals for ourself to break a bad habit, lose some weight, etc. At first we are so excited we're fired and we go after it! But over time we get lazy we get complacent and see a little improvement, and we comfortable right where we are. Where we are may not be in a bad place but we know it's not where we're supposed to be. We're not stretching our faith. Don't be satisfied with a little improvement. Begin believing for better process and press on to God's best. This hit me I recently went to olympic trials and performed far from where I wanted to perform, but I think I got in this mind set I started swimming poorly from the beginning and began to be satisfied with performing average. How do I exactly change that mind set? A step in the right direction is allowing God into my sport and not following up to anyone expectations, but mine and God's alone. When I swim for myself I am having so much more fun and I am achieving things for myself. I guess in the end my goal is to not only to improve myself, but improve myself through helping others. Most people can agree when we put our work gloves on we get so much more than focusing on ourself.
Thus, today is Monday and my challenge for today is to not be satisfied with anything because there are always more people to help more things to improve in myself. I am starting to volunteer at a senior citizen home and you know what I think I can challenge about anyone in a game of chess. Bring it !!
Lastly filling out a blog every single day through this book and hopefully I can see progress in my own life. XoxXO