Finals and Decisions

So it's been a while. That seems to be my mantra these days. Everything starts with, "So, I'm sorry it's been a while..."

But seriously, I've been crazy busy and...well, just plain crazy. The truth is every time I decide that it would be a good idea to blog, I remember how stressed I am and that I should be doing something more productive.

Well, it's Finals week and I'm taking a study break. I actually feel a lot less stressed out about finals at the moment. This weekend was insanity, preparing for my Bio final, writing a draft of a really gnarly paper, and finishing up a final draft of another paper. But now that my Bio final has been taken, my Final draft has been turned in, and I've been given my draft back (heavily marked-up by my professor's pen, I might add) I feel better. I don't have anymore finals until Friday, and in this moment I am slightly relaxed.

But the relaxtion doesn't last long for me these days, because as soon as I stop letting productive things like finals distract me (yes, I said distract) I am reminded of the decisions that I have to make.

About a month and a half ago, I went to visit my academic counselor to see what was going on with my classes, now that I'm getting my Bachelor's of Arts. To my surprise, she informed me that not only was on track with my classes, but I would be graduating two quarters early. AND that was only if I WANTED to take an extra quarter, because according to her computer screen, I could graduate this summer, after taking one measly GE summer school class.

Um...what?

If you'll rewind in my blog history a little bit, you will see how much I lamented the prospect of having to return for two more years of school after this incredible summer. If you continue to read, I came to terms with it, asking God to use my schedule as He planned. 

Well, I guess I don't have two more years. I guess I don't really even have ONE more year.

I should be happy, yes? Correct. Absolutely, I should be. Am I? Well, I'm not unhappy. Just petrified. 

Funny how we ask God for one thing, beg Him even, and then if He gives it to us we say, "Wait, what? I didn't think You would really give it to me. No, God! This wasn't part of the plan!!"

Because we've got it all planned out, don't we? We do. Which day to study for which final, who we're going to hang out with on which day, which grad school we're going to, what career path we're choosing, when and who we'll marry. Good gracious, some of us even plan what we're going to wear on certain days of the week.

I'm not pointing fingers at anyone if not also at myself. I can honestly say I've attempted to plan every single one of those areas (even the clothes...)

You would think that by now I would have learned that life is ANYTHING but predictable, but of course, God continues to bring this lesson back into my life. Maybe one day, I'll actually learn it.

I went to Indiana for Lindsay's wedding very soon after this discovery. (Funny how God's timing works out, isn't it?) I got to talk to some people that I both love and respect. They all said some very encouraging things to me. Most notably, Carole Bongard and I had this conversation:

Me: Carole, it's just really freaking me out. I don't feel like I'm old enough to graduate let alone have a full-blown career in full-time ministry. I just don't feel ready for any of this!

Carole: You know, you can see throughout scripture God using people in ways like this. I mean, He asked a 14-year-old girl to be the mother of Jesus...You can't argue with that.

Nope. You can't argue with that.

Just when I thought I was OK with graduating in December 2011, my parents told me over Thanksgiving break that I really needed to be praying and thinking about graduating this summer, because Steven is starting college next year and expenses are pretty tight. 

My panic spiral returned. And in a lot of ways, I'm still freaking out about it. I think what scares me more than anything else is graduating before a lot of my friends. I don't like the idea of not being on the same "life-plane" with them. Does that make sense? They'll be in school, while I'm working. It's not that one is better than the other, they're just different places in life. And I don't feel ready to leave this place in life, even if it is driving me crazy.

And yet, I know God is still, and always is, in control. If y'all would pray for me as I wrestle with decisions, especially over Christmas break, I would really appreciate it. I've got a couple options for what to do after graduation, in regards to Keynote.

I've got a lot people in my life who are extremely loving and supportive, and I feel so blessed to have them in my life. However, none of them can make this decision for me, though I wish they could. So please ask that God would guide me in this decision and that I would be listening for His voice. 

Thanks everyone! And good luck on finals if you've still got them. I'd better get back to studying.

Oh and here's a couple pictures from Bean and Lindsay's respective weddings! :)

It Feels Like It's Rainin' You...

I was awakened this morning by the biggest thunder clap I've ever heard. As I peered through my sleep covered eyes into my dimly lit room, I felt like I was in Indiana. I haven't experienced rain like today since then.

Most of you know that I love rain. What you may not know is that, truthfully, I adore rain. Rain says so much more to me than "water falling from the sky" or "Dang, my hair will be ruined on the way to class". When it rains, the air is cleaned and smells beautiful. All the grime of the previous weeks and months is washed away in one fail swoop.

It might sound cheesy, but I view rain washing away that grime like I view Jesus washing away our sins. It just seems like the perfect metaphor to me.

When it rains I feel like it's a gift from God, just to bring joy to my heart. I've heard of people being romanced by the King and that's what rain is for me. Almost as if God is saying, "Hannah, I love you so much!" A simple thing, rain, but it means the world to me. 

I'm sitting on the floor in my living room, wrapped in a fleece blanket with the sliding glass door opened so I can hear and see the beauty God causes to fall from the sky. A few minutes ago, a giant lightning bolt flashed across it. It was absolutely breathtaking. I honestly, wish a picture could do it justice.

I wanted to share a song with you all that I listen to when it rains. It's by Brad Paisley and I know it's not a Christian song, but when I hear it, it sounds like worship to me. It encompasses exactly how rain makes me feel. I'm going to leave the lyrics here, so you can see them. :)

- - - -

When I looked out today,

Saw that the sky was gray,

I thought about the way You love days like this.

Driving into town,

It really started coming down,

Bringing me back around to all that I've missed.

- - -

It feels like it's rainin' You.

It feels like it's rainin' You.

- - -

I didn't even run inside,

Or worry about staying dry,

Besides there's nowhere I can hide from these feelings now.

Runnin' my face,

Takes me to another place,

I can't think of a better way to drown.

- - -

It feels like it's rainin' You.

I can't explain, but I am baptized anew.

It feels like it's rainin' You.

- - -

If I had my way it would do this everyday,

I would never see the sun.

Because the closest I get to holding You again,

Is everytime that sky opens up.

- - -

It feels like it's rainin' You.

I can't explain, but I am baptized anew.

It feels like it's rainin' You.

It feels like it's rainin' You...

--"Rainin' You" Brad Paisley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxACycsuNoQ

 

Lost For Words

Last Thursday I was sitting in Starbucks on campus, and I'd spent the last hour agonizing over what should be one of the easiest writing assignments ever made in the university system.

The assignment was to take a piece of music and technically describe it. Not even really draw conclusions from it, JUST describe it. It was supposed to between 600 and 1800 words long.

Mine? Topped off at a grand total of 626 words.And I kid you not, it was the most grueling and boring 626 words I have ever written in my entire life.

How pathetic is that, right? I can sit here and culminate a blog entry that goes on for thousands of words, or type out a text message that is at least 3 pages long, and when asked to describe a piece by Robert Schumann I falter.

Ridiculous.

And all this nonsense got me to thinking that I am so thankful that God doesnt require us to be eloquent or wordy when we pray. I feel like we try so hard sometimes to impress who, exactly? God or the people we're praying for? Either way, for me, the result is rather abysmal.

The other night I was talking with my roommate and we decided to pray together. I prayed for her, and I stumbled over every single word, thought and "Father, just..." in the entire prayer. I kind of laughed afterwards as she began to chatter off an eloquently pieced together prayer. Why does that bother me? Because I'm afraid that people will think I sound stupid when I pray outloud.

I've certainly come a long way since my high school Bible Study days. I remember refusing to pray outloud, because I was so afraid that I wouldn't have the "right words" to say, but it still lingers.

Being a Bible Study leader has brought a certain amount of nervousness in this area, because I feel like there is a certain standard I have to uphold. After all, people are looking at me more closely now. I'm a "leader". It puts a lot of pressure on the situation, truthfully.

Now, I wholeheartedly agree that leaders should be held to high standard. That we shouldn't go out and get drunk with our friends, just because we're 21. Or that we should be swearing up a storm or something like that. But eloquently praying? Thank goodness, God didn't ask me to have a beautiful poetic prayer, because let me tell you: I fail nearly everytime.

I fail even worse when I'm trying. Isn't that funny? How when we try so hard at something we almost indefinitely fail? Ugh. What an uphill battle.

Last night at church the pastor was saying that the Bible says that Jesus made him self "nothing", but becoming human. This would indicate that humanity is nothingness when compared to the glory of God. The pastor went on to say that when we strive for academic standing, a relationship, popularity, lots of money, or whatever we deem as success--we are essentially trying to acheive the highest amount of...nothingness.

So I say again, why do we stress about trivial things, like what ours prayers SOUND like to others? Shouldn't we be a little more focused on the One we're talking to and not the ones listening?

Just some thoughts...

This weekend is our Fall Retreat! This means there are 24 days until I head out to Indiana! (SO EXCITED!) And it also means that this weekend starts the epic 6 weekends in a row insanity I mentioned in my last blog. Please pray for my sleep, balancing my school work, and above all that I would not try to pull all of this off in my own strength. We all know how that will turn out. :P

Thanks everyone! Tune in next time!

Also, this blog post is a total of 656 words. In case you were wondering. ;)

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings!

Hey Internet World! It's been a while. I've been ridiculously busy. Honestly, it's been kind of stressful, but it's definitely been awesome.

Besides the normal schedule of school and Cru, the biggest thing going on in my life right now is weddings. My best friend, Bean, and my friend and discipler from Keynote, Lindsay. It's definitely exciting!

This past weekend I got to go home and be involved in two Bridal Showers for Bean. One I threw and one her sister threw. They were way fun. We dressed her up in a toiler paper wedding dress (which didn't come out half bad, actually.) Then we got to tell the story about how Shem came to surprise her in Calfornia.

The shower that her sister Michelle threw was so fun. There were loads of cheesy bridal shower games that I am terrible at. It also gave all of the bridesmaid an opportunity to hang out. There are six of us: Bean's little sisters Michelle and Andrea, her honorary little sisters Mallory and Lydia, and two of her best friends, Beth and me. It's going to be a fun wedding. :)

The wedding is in 30 days. Wow! 

The second wedding that's going on is Lindsay's! Exciting news update: After much prayer and planning I am going to be able to attend Lindsay's wedding in Indiana! 

However, it's not just a wedding. I'm flying out and everyone from Stop On Green will be there. Words cannot actually describe how excited I am! There are 36 days left until I make the flight out to Kansas City, Missouri. I'll be staying the night with Natasha and the following morning, Corey and Tim are going to pick us up and we'll make the 8-hour drive to Indianapolis. From there we'll hang out and the wedding is 2 days later. 

It feels like a dream, honestly. Corey and Natasha both called me last Thursday to tell me that it had officially worked out. I think I said, "I'm so freakin' excited!" about 50 times. Haha! I had no idea that I was going to be able to see my team so soon, much less getting to see all the Keynote staff that I love so much. I'm so stoked that God orchestrated it to work out the way that He did. :)

If you did the math with those numbers, you may have noticed these weddings are really close together. In fact, they are 10 days apart. But not just that, in about 3 weeks I have something going on every single weekend for 6 weeks.

October 22-24: Fall Retreat with Cru (Mountains)

October 29-31: SDWC Worship Band Auditions (Fresno)

November 5-7: Bean's Wedding Weekend (LA and Bakersfield)

November 11-15: Lindsay's Wedding "Weekend"/Reunion (Indianapolis)

November 19-21: Crossroads Conference with Cru (Anaheim)

November 25-28: Thanksgiving Break

Yeah, I'm a little overwhelmed. Everything is awesome and very exciting, but I'm definitely a little nervous about how I'm going to stay on top of my studies. I'm a pretty high-stress person, so I know how hard it is for me to fight the desire to worry constantly about things I can't really control. I'd really appreciate prayers during the coming weeks in this area.

On another note, Sam and I have officially stared out Bibly Study. Last night was the first night that I actually helped her lead with our study. Honestly, it was so nerve-wracking. I thank God that He doesn't call us to be perfect, because I'd definitely be failing. ;) 

I'm so thankful to have Sam as my co-leader. She has a very calming presence, and I felt so encouraged everytime she chimed in last night. 

I also found at last week that I'm going to be discipled by my friend, Arggi. She's a senior who is interning with Campus Crusade for Christ this year. She's going to be discipling me and my friend, Michelle. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to grow with them and also grow in my relationship with both of them. They're awesome women. 

Just wanted to give you all a litte insight into my schedule. Thanks so much for your prayers and for reading! :)

Until next time!

--Hannah

Back In The Game

Hey friends! I've been back in Irvine for 3 days now and today was the first day of official classes. However, Campus Crusade for Christ has been busy prepping for the upcoming year and meeting people. It's been nice to see everyone so excited for the new year. I know it definitely helps me get excited.

I unfortunately couldn't make it to the Club Fair on Monday where we did a lot of interacting with new Freshmen. We passed out "Freshman Survival Kits" to any student that would take a minute to fill out a Spiritual Interest Questionnaire. These FSKs, as we've been calling them, had a Bible and the Donald Miller book, "Blue Like Jazz" in them. Apparently they were a hit, because we passed out over 1,600 SIQs. We'd be praying for 1,400, so it was super exciting to see God in that. :)

On Tuesday and Wednesday we had an SIQ callback party, which means that we took all the cards of people that said they were interested in knowing more about Cru and called them.

I'm not going to lie to you, people; I was petrified. I've never been a huge fan of calling people I don't know, so throw talking about spiritual things into the mix, and I was practically immobilized. I texted one of my friends from my band, Corey, and told him "You would THINK that talking in front of prisoners for 3 weeks would make a phone call easy, but NO!"

It was crazy, because I kept hearing all of my friends leaving voice mails over and over, while I kept having every single student pick-up. I thought, "Really, God? Are you trying to teach me something?" Of course. And ultimately, as scary as it was, it was really rewarding. I even made an appointment to meet with a Freshman commuter for lunch on Tuesday, so she'll know some more people. Her name is Annie, so you guys can be thinking and praying about that. :)

My friend Sam (I'm co-leading a Bible Study with her this year) has this sweet wall at her apartment that people can write on. Everyone who comes over writes on it. Someone had written these on the wall. I took these pictures because I thought "Stop On Green" would appreciate them. :)

Nacho: "I'm not listening to you! You only believe in Science. That's probably why we never win!

Esquelito: We never win, because you are fat!

"Get that corn outa my face!"--Nacho Libre

I laughed so hard. :)

Last night we had Interfellowship, a worship night where all the Christian clubs on campus get together so all the incoming students can check them out in one place. It was super fun having so many students all in one place talking and worshipping. Definitely cool.

Today was my first day of class. I had an upper-division writing course called "Writing About Music" and a music cultural course called "Beatles and the 60s". I'm going to be completely honest and say that I'm not sure I'm going to enjoy either of them. The writing class is all about how to write weird stuff in the music field, like newspaper releases and program notes. It's kind of dull, but it beats writing some sort of research paper.

It hit me today as I was sitting in class that coming back to school has been kind of strange. Not just because I've been outside of the educational system for like 15 weeks, but because I feel so different. My view on school is drastically different. I think it comes down to labels.

When we think about the people in our lives, it's really easy to put a label on them. In fact, everyone puts a label on themselves. People can definitely themselves in all sorts of ways, and do. Woman. Man. Singer. Dancer. Student. Career Driven. Mom. Daughter. Single. Married. It's the thing that you esteem as being the most important thing about you.

And I got to thinking today, while I was trying not to fall asleep in lecture, how cool it is that we get the option of defining ourselves in terms that are eternal. That we get to allow Jesus to be our label, if we want Him to be. It's given me a completely different outlook on school. Classes seem dull, but it's the life that occurs in between the lectures that I'm excited about. :) I was excited about it last year too, but this year feels so much better.Summer Project was really life-changing. 

Everyone I've talked keeps saying the same thing, "It's going to be a really good year. I can feel it. Something big is going to happen." 

I would have to agree. :) 

Thanks for reading everyone! Tonight is our first Cru meeting and tomorrow we're having a fun bonfire at the beach to continuing connecting with new students. I'll keep y'all posted! 

--Hannah

At Keynote, We're All About Life Change...

Hey y'all! Wow, it's been so long since I wrote. I started this blog to keep my friends and supporters updated during Summer Project, but I kind of failed at doing that. I was so busy that I rarely got a chance to write. Insane, right?

I'd like to do a bit of a wrap-up of Keynote, because I would love to share with you all that God did this summer, in my heart and in the hearts of others.

I remember sitting in Ball Room A at the San Diego Winter Conference and listening to James White ask the audience, "What has God given you for the glory of His kingdom that you need to give back?" As it hit me that I was absolutely 100% supposed to go on Keynote Summer Project, I remember feeling like I was finally right where God wanted me to be. 

A few months later I was elbow deep in support raising. I was discouraged, but knew two things for sure: One, that no matter what the price I was going exactly where God wanted me to be. Two, that this summer was going to answer a lot of questions about my life.

On June 7th, I was driving around Indiana with my aunt, uncle and cousins. The incredible green landscape rolled by our car windows and the most gorgeous white clouds floated lazily in the sky, as we drove home from church. I was overwhelmed with the strangest and most comforting realization: I was home.

Weird, right? Little did I know that that feeling would only intensify as I dove head-first into the most incredible summer of my life.

Going into Summer Project, I expected God to show up in miraculous ways. Did He ever! I learned not only practical things like how to communicate from stage and share my story, but God also penetrated into the deepest parts of my heart. I learned how to communicate my heart to others, and allow others to see me for who I truly am. 

On tour, I got to talk to people with some of the most incredible stories of God's redeeming love. Literal prisoners who had been saved by Grace. How insane is it that these men and women have lost it all, but as they hit the lowest of low God found them and picked them back up?

As a result of STOP ON GREEN's concerts, 87 people made the decision to follow Jesus. I feel so blessed that God allowed me to be even a small part of seeing that happen. Real life change. 

Let me tell you a story about a woman in the Indianapolis Women's Prison. We'll call her Betty. Betty had been in prison for 21 years, and was actually getting out soon. If that wasn't amazing enough, she had previously been on death row for attempted murder. She heard about Jesus in prison, and it completely changed her life, 100%. She's so changed, that she's off death-row and getting out of prison. :)

I will never forget the people we met in prisons, but even more than that I will never forget the people on my team. I know I made not just good friends, but life-long friends this summer. We're still talking and it warms my heart to have them as such a huge part of my life and my growth. :) I miss them more than I can actually put into words. I'm hoping to see them again soon! 

Me with my Shawna, Natasha and Lindsay. :)

Trevor and Corey: The Plain White Tees ;)

Chelsie and her love of beards always made me giggle. :)

The redheads! Me and Tim, our awesome sound guy!

Swerve, our wonderful "sister" band! Allie, Gray, Mike, Nate, Tess, Lauren, and Sam.

Dan, our awesome and hilarious music director. No, that's not real poop...

Ethan on electric guitar, and Corey behind him on bass. This guy was an excellent Team Director with Lindsay. :)

Mel, our tour manager and his son Andrew. Andrew was our band mascot. :)

Corey, me and Natasha before our last concert. This is my favorite picture of the whole summer. :)

"Stop On Green" in Virginia. I love this band!

It was really hard to come back to California after having this wonderful summer. A couple weeks ago, I was feeling frustrated with having to go back to school. Two more years of college sounds like an eternity when you want so badly to be somewhere else, much less a place where you felt so purposeful. Not that I don't absolutely love my family and friends here and in Irvine, but I also feel like I finally know what I'm supposed to do. I was encouraged by a verse in James that said:

"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:4

With this verse in mind, I'd love to continue this blog into the next couple years of school. I know God has a lot to teach me in these next two years. I'd love to share this journey with my family and friends, so if you're up for it, please continue with me. 

Thanks again all of you for reading, loving and supporting me this summer. It was incredible and I know I couldn't have gone without you. 

Bring it on, Junior year. I'm ready. :)

--Hannah

Story Retreat

Hey supporters and friends!

Wow, the last couple days have been an absolute whirl-wind. We've been doing so much work and I've been exhausted, but it's been incredible.

On Friday afternoon I found out that my band directors had chosen me to give my testimony from the stage. Just a thumbnail sketch about what this means: Our bands are using secular music, but then one or two band members are asked to share their testimony and the gospel from the stage during the course of the concert. It's really incredible how it fits in with the music that we're doing.

So on Friday I was asked to attend to share my story and attend the Story Retreat. To be honest with you, I was shocked. I didn't think anybody would want to hear what I had to say, because I had heard the testimonies of the other girls in my band, and I thought they were really powerful. I was completely blown away at the idea that God wanted to use me in this way.

On Saturday we went back up to Camp Otto for a 24 hour "Story Retreat". Everyone that attended spent 24 hours figuring out how to write their testimonies in a style that could be presented from stage. I was pretty stoked about it at first, but as the weekend progressed I started to feel really discouraged. I couldn't figure how to write out my story in a way that really conveyed the emotional turmoil I was going through last year. I left the retreat with very little written and heavy heart.

However, on Tuesday morning I got the chance to talk to one of my Comm coaches, Dana Russo, about my story. She opened up my eyes to an angle that I never seen before. It was incredible, and my story began to take form. I was so amazed at how God still wanted to use me even in my complete weakness. :)

In other news, last Friday we had our first coffee house. What this means is one of the Keynote staff bands, Blue Sky Nine, did their concert for us and then they opened it for open mic. The concert was INCREDIBLE. They actually played a few of the song that Stop on Green is doing. I was super excited to hear them. Here's some pictures of the concert.

Then they opened it for us to perform. A couple of the kids from Impact did raps and sang songs. It was SO awesome. And then two of the girls from Stop on Green last year, who were in town visiting, did "Sign, Sealed, Delivered" with my Uncle. It was hilariously awesome. :) Here's a picture.

This week our coffee house is featuring David Pendleton. He's a ventriloquist on staff with Keynote. I've seen his DVD and he's HILARIOUS. I'll make sure to take pictures of him and his crazy puppets. :)

We got to go this frozen yogurt place last night, which was SUPER exciting for us three Californians. :) We miss frozen yogurt. This place wasn't nearly as good as Yogurtland, but it satisfied a craving. Here's a picture of all of us there and a picture of Brian and his epic yogurt. He's a frozen yogurt professional. 

This is Allie, Lindsay, Tess, Chelsie, Lauren and me eating our yogurt.

Let's see...anything else you all should know? Our rehearsals have been going great. We've gone through almost all of songs, and our band is really gelling well. I love it. I can't wait to get some sort of video up here, but right now the Internet can't really handle it.

Until next time, friends!

This Update Is Long Overdue

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I've talked to you guys. Honestly, we've all been so busy there has barely been time to breathe. However, God has really been moving in the last week that I've been here, I'm so excited to let you guys know some of the highlights of the last few days.

Some of the cool things we've gotten the opportunity to do are a Day of Faith outreach, band Bible study, band hang-out time, classes, rehearsals, and the men and women's retreats. All of them have been an incredible time of learning and growing in our relationships with one another. Everyone here feels like even though we've only been here for a few days we've already made life-long friendships. It's incredible what united passions and a love of God can do for the outcome of relationships. :)

Last weekend all the girls went up to this camp called "Camp Otto" for a women's retreat. The camp was muggy and buggy (Ha!) but really beautiful. Here's a picture of the lake. I thought it was absolutely breathtaking.

The retreat was really great for me, because it allowed me some time to really get my mind focused on God. Arriving here and seeing everyone for the first time was so much fun, but it was also a little overwhelming. On the women's retreat we really focused on who we are as followers of Jesus. God spoke a lot of encouraging truths into my heart and used my friends to show me His unfailing love. It was refreshing to my heart. We also got to dress up on our last evening there and participate in a fun event. Here's a picture of us girls all dressed up. 

From left to right: Jessica, Natasha, Lauren, Danielle, Lindsay, Me.

Also last week we got to start to rehearsals. They have been AWESOME. We are having such a blast playing together, and I feel like the band is really meshing musically. We found out the songs we get to lead today. I'm leading "Consider Me Gone", "Blue Sky", "Rain", "Way I Feel" and "Many The Miles". I'm SUPER excited about all of them :) I wanted to post a video, but it's really not working yet. 

On Tuesday this past week we got to go to Vision night at the Bongards' house. Basically, it was an opportunity for the staff to tell us more about Keynote's mission statement. It was awesome to hear more about what they do as a ministry. Keynote isn't just focused on music, but also media and the arts. We got to watch some student made videos from some previous projects, and they were INSANELY awesome. 

There were also awesome snacks. I know that doesn't sound like much of anything, but it was so funny, BECAUSE I had really been stressed out that day. When I walked in there was a CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN. Delicious. Here's a picture of what the boys did with the chocolate fountain. 

This is Mike, Trevor, and Gray all with their chocolate mustaches. Nice...

Anyway, that's just a bit of an update about what we've been doing. On Monday we had band hang-out time. We went to Paradise Bakery for dinner (I bought extra cookies. SO GOOD) and then we went over to Mel's house to watch the old-school Batman movie. "Holy Stop On Green Bonding Time, Batman!" Seriously, that movie was hilarious. We've already been saying "Holy such and such, Batman!" the whole week. Tour is going to be awesome.

Oh! Speaking of tour, Stop On Green will be spending most of its tour in Indiana, with a few concerts in Ohio, Michigan, and I think Virginia. I'm really excited, because our band is going to be playing at a lot of prisons and detention facilities. I know that sounds weird, but I'm really stoked.

There's an update for you all. Thanks for all your prayers and support. They've been such a blessing to me. Until next time!

Hannah

Stop on Green Goes Bowling

Hello from Indiana, everyone! Today was awesome. Wow, it just keeps getting better here, honestly. I'm so in love with this place. :)

So we had to be over at the Keynote Office at 10:25 this morning, which was excellent. Jessica Russo, the staff kid and my awesome roommate, was in our car, so we couldn't get lost. BUT we did anyway. It was quite the adventure. I'm pretty sure she, Alesha and I now know 3 different ways to get to the Keynote Offices now. Haha.

When we got there one of the guys on staff with Impact Ministries, the African-American Campus Crusade ministry, was giving a talk entitled "Am I A Loser?" It was all about how we have complete support and love through Jesus Christ, and how because of that we don't have to worry about comparing ourselves to others. It was really encouraging, since this summer is a performance ministry and it's really easy to get caught up in the "Am I better than them?" mentality. I loved it.

After some quiet time with God, we had Summer Project orientation. Here they informed us that we are not allowed to jump off any balconies, high cliffs, or run in front of speeding trains. Oh man, I love Keynote staff. Apparently, someone jumped off a three story balcony into a pool once, so they had to enforce this rule. Holy mrak.

Lunchtime took us to Panera Bread. Here's a picture of everyone. :)

After lunch we headed back over to the Offices where an epic game of Ninja commenced. I, however, am terrible at this game so I mostly got out on the first move and took some pictures. It was super fun to watch, though.

Our second class of the day was called "The Art of Biblical Communication". It was all about how people have different languages (not just literally). Meaning, they have different ways of understanding the gospel. We talked about how for us that means playing a concert at a prison has a completely different interpretation than playing a concert at a military base, for example. I can't wait to see how God is going to use us this summer, and this talk was just so exciting.

After the talk we went back Meijer to buy some more essentails. Excellent trip was had by all.

Then our bands split up to have "Team Dinner and Hangout Time". Let me introduce the band to you guys:

On Vocals we've got me, Chelsie and Natasha. Chelsie is a Speech Pathology major from Wisconsin, but she goes to school in Minnesota. Her accent is pretty slight, but it definitely comes out on her "oh"s. I love it. :)

Natasha used to be a Vocal Performance major, but God changed her direction and now she's a Religious Studies major from University of Central Missouri. She spent last summer on a Summer Project in Cameroon.

Corey is our bass player. I am blanking on his major now...ooops, but he's super awesome and he's the only other "going to be a Junior" in our band. Woot!

Trevor is our drummer, and he's a Music Technology major from Ball State in Indiana. He really loves recording and has a pretty sweet Station Wagon.

(Trevor's the one in the turquoise. Tim is in the khaki-colored shirt. And Shawna is the gorgeous girl. :D )

Tim is our sound tech. He's also from the University of Central Missouri and I'm failing at remembering his major as well. He's also a red-head! Woot!

Our staff members that are playing in our band are Ethan (also one of our Team Directors) and Shawna. Ethan has been on staff with CCC for 10 years, and Keynote for 3. He'll be playing guitar. Shawna has been on staff with Keynote since September and she'll be playing Keys. 

We've also got Lindsay (our other Team Director and one of our Communication Drills coach). She's got "sweet hair" as Andrew says, and plays the drums like a rockstar. Dan is our Music Director, and while he's got many incredible qualities, he's also hilarious and looks like Robin Williams. (Sorry, Dan. It's insanity!)

(This is Dan, doesn't he look like Robin Williams?)

And Dana Russo is our main Communication Drills coach. She's been on staff with Keynote forever, and her daughter is my roommate. :)

As for our Hangout time, for us, this meant Stop on Green, plus our staff directors went to an awesome Mexican restraunt and then BOWLING. 

Now, let me just explain to you guys how awesome I am at bowling. Pretty much I'm lucky if I hit some pins...yeah, that's about it. We played two games and in the FINAL frame I FINALLY managed to pull off a spare. It was RIDICULOUS. I was jumping for joy I was so excited. Haha!

Anyway, that's Day 2 for you guys. Thanks for reading. I know this are kind of boring right now, I'm sure they will get much more involved. I'm absolutely loving everyone. The girls in my band are super awesome (as is everyone else) and I'm already really enjoying spending time with them. :) Until tomorrow!

Day 1 of Keynote Summer Project

Wow, this has been an awesome day. Last night Andrew brought over his friend, Jay, (a Summer Project returnee) over for one purpose and one purpose only: making bacon. 

Yeah, it was beautiful thing. We fried up the bacon and then ate. I convinced them that eating a bite of bacon with a bite of chocolate chips would be a good idea. Yeah, it was delicious. :)

At around 2:00 Tina took me to the hotel we're staying at, and I was instantly greeted by loads of friends. Some I already know, like my friend Brian from the San Diego Winter Conference worship band, and some I have been getting to know via Facebook. It was so encouraging to see everyone, and to be welcomed with open arms. God totally calmed my fears. 

I'm rooming with 4 other awesome girls named Alesha, Jessica, Lizzie and Tess. Jessica and I are roommates, which is super sweet. I'm stoked.

Chelsie, Natasha, (they're in Stop on Green with me, so you'll see their names a lot), Derrick and I then loaded up into Brian's car and almost died attempting to play Chinese Firedrill. Well, correction, I almost had a heart attack watching Chelsie and Derrick attempt a Chinese Firedrill. But here's pictures of us before the maddness ensued. :)

We got to the Keynote Office and talked with a lot of people. It's so cool to meet everyone, and hear all about how they decided to come here. I got to see Seth, our staff guitarist from San Diego, which was super fun. Here's some picture of the people at the Keynote building. 

Dinner was catered from Big Hoffa's so I was super excited about that. Big Hoffa's two days in a row? I think so. :)

Keynote put together a staff band for us of all of the team directors, so after dinner they led us in worship. It was so awesome. I wish I had pictures, but I don't. 

After that we all headed back to the hotel and chilled for a little while and then decided to go on a Wal-Mart run, which really turned into a "Meijer" run. This store is seriously just like Wal-Mart...only...Meijer... Anyway I took pictures of it, because I'm trying to document everything. Here's Chelsie jammed into a child's car stroller thing.

Now I'm back in my room, and I'm super excited about tomorrow. In the morning we're having official orientation and getting all of our music charts and stuff. Super stoked. :)

I've Arrived in Indiana!

Hey everyone! Well, this marks the first blog entry in my Keynote Summer Project blog. I'm really excited to be able to share my summer with all of you who are or have supported me financially, through prayer and love. It's going to be an incredible summer, and I can't wait to see what God is going to do. Thanks for following along!

So I arrived in Indiana last night just before midnight. The flights were good, except for the extra one hour delay in Dallas-Fortworth airport. Apparently, something was wrong with the airplane, so we after waiting for 45 minutes to board, we hear, "Flight 1996 to Indianapolis. We're going to moving you to a different plane. So please make your way down to Gate A38" over the loud speaker. We were at Gate A9, so that was fun. :) But all in all, it was good that we didn't have to fly in a plane that might crash.

My aunt, uncle and cousins Christina and Andrew picked me up from the airport. I got to see Christina in December at the San Diego Winter Conference, however I haven't seen Andrew in close to four years, so it was super exciting to see them. We all headed back to the house, and Christina and I spent a ridiculous amount of time catching up.

Church this morning was really great. Andrew was playing in the worship band, as was Jessica Russo, (another Summer Project kid. She'll be in the band "Young Isaac" this summer). The message was all about living in a way that passes on your faith. It was encouraging to hear right before we begin this incredible summer sharing our faith with others.

After church we went to an awesome Mid-West BBQ place called "Big Hoffa's". It was delicious. I could get used to eating like this all summer. Pulled pork sandwich? I think so. :)

Here are some pictures of the Fackler's backyard, and some pictures of Indiana skies. I hope it gives you all a feel for how beautiful it is here. 

We then went to Indianapolis proper to go visit JD, my other cousin, and his wife Joy. I'd never met Joy and they just had a precious baby boy. His name is Caleb Fackler. :) He's absolutely adorable. The top picture is Joy Fackler holding him, and the bottom one is me.

 

That's pretty much the gist of today. Currently, I'm watching Sherlock Holmes with my family and eating pizza. Mmmm...

Tomorrow the actual project starts, so there will be much more to talk about. I'm so glad to be here, and I can't wait to share this incredible journey with all you. Thanks for reading! :)

--Hannah

How Friends Happen

I'm not even sure if I'm going to keep this blog up. Honestly, I just wanted a place to post this. I wrote it over the weekend after hanging out with some of my very close friends. Every once in a while I get introspective, and when that happens I end up doing things like this.

I don't really want to keep the blog up permanently. I sometimes feel when I blog that I end up writing to an audience and not being truly honest with myself. However, in this instance, I wanted you all to see what I'd written. I hope you like it. :)

How Friends Happen

Do you ever think about that moment? The moment when two people meet for the first time, completely undistinguishable from the moment before, and suddenly your life is altered forever. I'm not talking about soul mates. I'm not even talking about members of the opposite sex in general. I'm talking about people: Relationships that somehow have altered the course of your life, for better or for worse, no matter what you could have done.

I've been thinking a lot about my friends, lately. How much they mean to me, and how I have a handful of people in my life that I know I can depend on for practically anything. And I know they feel the same way about me. I take it for granted sometimes when I think about our relationship, because I never stop to think, "How did this happen?" 

Well, last night, I did.

How does it happen? In college, you meet new people every day. Multiple new people EVERY DAY. How is that of all those people you meet, some person can come across your path and become your best friend? Your mentor? Your worst enemy? 

When I look back at the moment that I met most of my friends, I'm blown away. Not many of them have a fun story. But somewhere in between that seemingly insignificant meeting and now, we've become fast friends.

College was a hard transition to me. For at least the four years of high school, I never had to walk up and introduce myself to anyone. I usually had a friend with me that was more outgoing, and he or she would do all the work for me. When I moved away, I didn't have that anymore. I was forced to get brave and introduce myself to people. I had to physically discipline myself to muster up the courage, turn to a stranger and say, "Hi, I'm Hannah." 

It's scary, because with those three words, you're not just introducing yourself, but you're giving someone the opportunity to enter your life. In that one moment, you are completely vulnerable to the person on the other end of that conversation. It was never easy. The results were mixed, of course, but all those relationships started the same way.

It's so incredible, how in these seemingly simple moments, my life was drastically changed.

And it got me thinking, what would happen if we knew who these people were before the introduction? What if when we met a person for the first time we knew if they were going to be our best friend? Would it make us run toward them with fewer reservations? Would it be comforting to know that no matter what this person was going to accept us? Or would we run the other way, being afraid of commitment, or afraid of finally meeting the person that we know would help change our lives?

Maybe that’s how we feel about Jesus. When we realize that this man can change our lives forever, when we realize that this person already knows absolutely everything about us, when we realize there’s no pressure to be someone we’re not, half us run toward Him with open arms. The release from the pressure and pain that has haunted us our whole lives is gone in that one moment. Our best friend, our soul mate, our Father, the person that we have been missing and searching for our whole lives is finally here. 

And some of us run the other way, because the thought of one person knowing absolutely everything about us scares us more than anything in this world. So we hide. We search through life alone, hoping that one day we’ll meet someone or something else that will fill us in the way we never could.

What if we stopped running? What if we finally walked up to the One who is waiting to make us whole, the One we knew could change everything? What if we finally got brave and said, “Hi, I’m Hannah.”