Eeeooii!! I love speech.

So! Today marked my first real, full-length tournament! Oh my goodness, I'm wiped out.

But...I'm strangely in this happy mood. It wasn't like quizzing, where I was wiped out, discouraged, and forcing myself into cheerfulness and positiveness to keep the tears away. (I refuse to cry over that quiz meet. I also refuse to let myself think about it. Enough on that.)

I LOVE speech. Even though I only have 2 events and only have to go once tomorrow, I am planning on staying all day just to watch, immerse myself, and probably time multiple rounds.

I'm hesitant to say that I have finally found a place (since we left church) where I really feel like myself. Because as soon as I let myself go, something happens.

But I am having So Much Fun! :) I mean literally. I am SO tired. But so happy. And it's not near as nerve racking, emotionally difficult, or as hard as...well, the quiz meet. Anyway.

I have to add that I love the people at speech. We're geeky, loud, and you'd probably freak if you wandered into a room with us, but I absolutely love how everyone can just be themselves and have so much fun together.

And I get to get up in the morning and do it all again tomorrow!! I'm so excited!!

And now it's over.

Thanks for your prayers on Saturday. I could tell people were praying for me because I stayed somewhat emotionally sane and actually almost enjoyed myself.

There were 2 rounds, and the top 3 from each round would advance to the final round. We got 4th. But our other team (we had 2 teams) placed 1st and then got Silver in the final round! Trinity got Silver as well. (they had 2 of each award, gold, silver, and bronze)

Afterwards we trooped off to Panda Express where for lunch, and then home, where I discovered we were randomly having friends over for dinner - which was very fun.

All in all, it was a good-ish day. I had a lot of fun, and it was great to see people from my old church. But I am also extremely glad it's all over because the stress, work, and emotion I put into it, not to mention lots of other things - was...stressful.

Here are a couple pictures...

Corwin, me, and Jackson

Our awesome, very posed huddle picture
I'm laughing because I was trying to get Jackson to be serious, but he wouldn't. :P

Nancy (our coach), Amy, Tim, Sarah, and Jabber (the bird)

Nancy, Sarah, Tim, Amy, me, and Jackson (wearing Nancy's medal :P) (Corwin had to leave)

I change my blog background too often.

Do you think so? I just find it hard to stay in one mood.... :P

Listen to this. Kat, one of my moderators on AC (I posted about her here awhile ago) composed it and I have listened to it about....10 times now? I love it.

The hurt before the healing

If you can't tell, I've been discovering a lot of great, great music lately. Really, really good songs. It's a good thing I got itunes money for Christmas. :)

Instead of posting the video, I want to post the lyrics to this song - it's called "before the morning" by Josh Wilson. The most important parts are pretty obvious. =]

Do you wonder why you have to
Feel things that hurt you?
If there's a God who loves you,
Where is He now?
Or maybe there are things you can't see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending
Someday, somehow, you'll see.
You'll see.

Would you dare, would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
'Cause the pain that you've been feeling
It can't compare to the joy that's coming
So hold on, you gotta wait for the light
Press on, and just fight the good fight
'Cause the pain that you've been feeling
Is just the dark before the morning

Once you feel the weight of glory
All your pain will fade into memory

Come on, you gotta wait for the light
Press on, and just fight the good fight
'Cause the pain that you've been feeling
Is just the hurt before the healing
Oh, the pain that you've been feeling
Is just the dark before the morning

Yesterday, on the forum I administrate (Aslan's Country), we held our first Bible study with our moderators. We studied "Being a Christian in a world of sin", which, as I've realized, encapsulated my whole awana Mainstudy in one sentence. The whole thing is Paul exhorting the Corinthians to be different in a world of sin around them.

I could start reciting all I know about Corinth, Paul, and the book of 1st Corinthians from my quiz study, but I'll spare you the details :P

Back to our study today - it was on Romans 8:18-25. I wasn't going to post the whole thing, but it's so good...so please don't be daunted by it's length. Read it. :)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Or maybe there are things you can't see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending
Someday, somehow, you'll see.

Hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what we sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Isn't that just amazing? I love that word - hope. I was thinking last night that I should name my girls (assuming I have any) Faith, Hope, and Charity. But anyway.

We also talked at the young ladies' Bible study I was at on Thursday night about living in light of eternity, from Philippians 1. (amazing how God ties everything in your life together all at once, isn't it?)

God has so, so, so much in store for us! ...the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God!

Any pain we are in right now, pain of the world around us, anything God has thrown at us is to bring glory to Himself, to draw us closer to Him. And just think how glorious it will be in Heaven, when the morning comes. We can't see it now and there's no way that we can. But if we press on, persevere, keep hoping, there will be joy in the morning. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning! (Psalm 30:5)

And, because I just love all these verse that are coming to mind,

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, will doubtless (there's that hope again!!) come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:5-6)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the scripture and the song. :) Kudos to you for reading the long post!

Keep hoping,
Dark comes before morning,
Hurt comes before healing.

I still believe

The Peace of God Surpasses All Understanding

Christmas is over...

And a New Year has begun! But seeing as winter is still here, I've found a nice, cozy wintry background that's not entirely Christmas. (:

Sorry about the little posting-spree lately...once school starts I won't have much time to post quite so much. :P

Here's a quote I read this morning that I really like.

Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don't know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. We start out thinking we can, but soon realize that there is really only one Being who fully understands us, and that is our Creator. ~Oswald Chambers

2010

Yes, I've made 3 posts in one day...(well, technically not, today's January 1st)yes, it's 1:30 am, no, I am not planning on staying up all night.

Movies (as you probably well know) put me in a rather emotional, poetic sort of mood, and seeing as it is now 2010 and another year has past, I thought I might as well make a New Years post. :P This shall be my first post of 2010.

(and in case you were wondering, we were watching the Ultimate Gift. I love that movie. Always makes me cry. We've been watching a lot of Christmas movies lately because we missed them all at Christmastime...)

Here's what I posted on my facebook, I'm a bit too tired to think of anything else poetic or philosophical. But seeing as I wrote this at 10pm rather than now, it should make a bit more sense...

On a more serious note, for those of you who read my little blog here, thank you so much. :)

2010...is another gift from God. It's a full 365 days, 24 hours in each, 8,760 hours total - from Him to use for His glory. There is so much potential in that amount of time. How much of myself can I give to Him to further His kingdom this year? What can I do during this year to make it count, to make it different, to become closer to my Savior?

Happy New Year!

Love, Hannah