Christmas Time: I am blessed!

My church had their annual Christmas Eve service on the 24th which included a candlelight song and a play. This year the director asked me to interpret the play in ASL (American Sign Language). I wasn't qualified at all, but I worked as hard as I could to sift through the lines and discover what I could do to make the play understandable. I did my best, and my four person audience of Deaf attendants were excited to be able to see the play. And to add on to the nonqualifications, I also danced during the song, "Sleigh Ride". :p It was tough, since I'm not a dancer anymore, but I enjoyed it. What's more is my boyfriend, Noah, surprised me with a visit. He arrived in the morning, and stayed through the performance. It was a spectacular Christmas Eve night. :)

Christmas day was wonderful as well. I started by singing Happy Birthday to Jesus. I heard this idea from a friend, and it seemed appropriate, real birthday or not. :) Our family has an important tradition of reading through the Christmas story before opening presents. This year, Matthew brought a Korean student, Jin, from school, and he was able to read the story in his own language. What a blessing! I was extremely blessed all around this Christmas by all the gifts I received, but also the experiences. Jin and I worked together to make banana bread, and then everyone made a part of Christmas dinner. It was a rather busy kitchen, but it was worth it to be a part of a family effort. :) 

To add a picture to the post: This is what I get when I ask Matthew for candy for Christmas. 

Reese's, Snickers, M&Ms, Lindt Milk chocolate and Hershey Kisses

Thank you, Matthew!

Modesty at it's finest

When it comes to modesty, I think it's bemusing that people say, "this is a hot topic right now"....I think it has always been a hot topic. I won't say much, because I just wanted to link everyone to a post that I think summarizes how to deal with modesty (from both sides) in a Christ-like fashion.

If you don't have time to read it, the most important quote was this, "It is a woman’s responsibility to dress herself in the morning. It is your responsibility to look at her like a human being regardless of what she is wearing." 

I have noticed that other posts/talks have usually been about just one side...usually the girls' side. I've read many posts trying to persuade girls to dress better, and I know of one memorable post to guys saying to get your act together. This post, however, is addressed to a man's son, but he says both sides are responsible. Amen. Why do we push blame on another person?

I'm quite guilty of trying to change other people throughout my life. I've been working on that one. I'm the only person I can control. The work starts on your side. It's just between you and God.

Here's the full article. It is quite straight forward and sincere. I recommend a read through.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865585841/How-to-see-a-woman-A-conversation-between-a-father-and-son.html?pg=all

Sincerely,
Hannah

Clean up, everybody, do your share!

This childhood song is still very relevant for me today.
My roommates and I just went through white glove check, which is basically an end-of-the-year cleanliness check to make sure nothing is left spoiling in the fridge.

My roommate (also named Hannah) put it this way, "Why do they have to do white glove??....*sigh* I'm so glad they do white glove, this place would be nasty otherwise."

...yeah. Exactly. I'm so glad we did a deep clean. It makes the idea of coming back in a little over a month not too bad. :)

NOW IT'S TIME FOR..... TRIVIA!!

Which spot on the floor did I clean first? (not a trick question....)

Yeah, it really needed a good scrubbing. It's all good now. :)

It's that time of year when quite a few college students decide that their rooms are so much nicer to live in when they're clean, and they are, "definitely going to keep it this way next semester!". I feel the same way, but once life gets stacked up again, it'll go back to normal. 

Here's to trying! :)

How To: Get Through Finals!

No matter what school/homeschool/college/computerprogramonline you are a part of, this is pretty helpful.

With stress not really helping focus and memory that much, it is very important to combat the anxiety and nerves with good habits.

1. Sleep.
Yup. I can already see the majority of students saying, "Nope! I'm going to stay up till 4 am so I can get this 8 page paper done!". Yikesss. Please don't. Your brain needs sleep. Let. it. rest.

2. Fruits, Veggies and a whole lotta water. 
Eating healthy will really increase your brain capacity, and in general it will make you feel SO much better throughout the day. Also, eat breakfast. I've been guilty of skipping breakfast a lot, but honestly, it's called break fast for a reason. You need to give your body energy and fuel. Fruits and vegetables will give your body the nutrients it needs. Water helps keep you awake, and your body is made of it, so it's smart to drink. (I've read quite a few scientific articles on this one, and it's pretty common)
Tips:
a. Plan snacks ahead so that you don't snack on something bad for you. b. Nuts are really good for you. c. Get exercise! (walk instead of taking the bus) d. Get healthy portions and chew slowly.

3. Take Breaks
And then everyone cheered. Haha, but really, giving your brain a break really helps. But....only take breaks if you deserve it. Reading half a page out of 100 really won't leave you feeling productive, will it? Set goals for what you want to accomplish, and then take breaks. (Ex: Study for 30 minutes, take a break for 5 minutes) You can color, clean, eat (healthy!), exercise, or make a craft. Notice I didn't say "browse facebook" because we all know that goes longer than 5 minutes, let's be real.
Here's my personal example. Recently my leadership gave me a personalizable mug, and during my break I have decided to color (very relaxing).

This exam is for theater, just filling out a study guide. :)

4. Find the Right Place

Honestly, the most counter-productive action you can take during finals is to put yourself in an area where you know there will be distractions. Try your hardest to be in a comfortable place (not your bed), have good lighting, and have what you need with you. (and having a water bottle and trail mix doesn't hurt!) Be smart about location. Know where you can focus. And then be honest with your friends who just want to chat and hang out. 

Good luck, everyone! I hope you are able to get some work done! I know it's tough to buckle down and do homework, but it is SO rewarding. 

You can do it!

-Hannah Silver

Every Day Resolution

That's an interesting thought, now isn't it?

Why do we start resolutions at the beginning of a year? As if having a special day will somehow give us so much more motivation to start doing something new. It gives you an excitement, for sure. But if you're anything like me, if you fail just one day out of the hundreds of others, you say, "Rats! There goes that resolution." and a part of you (or a lot of you...) feels like a failure. 

But God renews us, not just in the very first hour of each year, but every day. "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16) We may mess up once in a while, because, well, life happens. If you spill water on your Bible and have to keep it in the freezer (which helps, by the way!), you may have to resort to reading a devotional with a snippet instead of a passage of the actual book. My Indiana brother Jon once said that Christianity isn't about filling up your quota for the day, it's about being in a relationship with God. 

Your goal may not be Bible-reading related, but the same message still applies; if you truly want to create a habit (eating better, working out, reading a book, cooking more, etc.) it'll take some effort and an actual desire. Just like having a relationship with God. 

When I talked with Aaron in the vacuum shop the other day, I asked him if he prayed. 

Aaron: Nah, I just live the best I can the way I am. There's no need to pray, God already knows what's up with your life. It's more of a "from afar" thing.
Me: Well, if you're in a relationship with someone and only choose to talk to them if you really need something, aren't you just using them?
Aaron: God would be the best boyfriend ever! He'd know everything that's going on.

....the point I was trying to make, that Aaron didn't quite get during our conversation was that in a relationship with anyone (and God!), there has to be communication. There has to be emotions and love. God loves it when we thank Him for what He has done. (wouldn't we?) 
It's because of this relationship involving communication that we can attain goals and strive after them, even if we've tripped a few times. But there's no need to start on a specific day. Start a new habit now, and you can be used to it by the time others around you are making goals. :)

MerryGiving

The War Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

You may be familiar with this particular war that occurs every year around the Fall season, when Walmart puts out Christmas decorations and Santa Clause chocolates the same day they put the Halloween candy on sale the day after. "What about Thanksgiving?? Hey! Why are you playing Christmas music?? Let the turkey have it's turn!!!" 

I love this: 

This picture courtesy of a search on Google "Turkey and Santa Cartoon"

I'll admit, having the Christmas decorations overpowering me is a bit annoying when I'm trying to enjoy the colors of the leaves outside. 

But when people get all wound up about the holidays colliding, I kind of wonder why. If Halloween were interfering with Christmas, I'd be a little more concerned. But, since Thanksgiving and Christmas work together, I don't think there should be a war going on. Think about it: Thanksgiving is a time to praise God for the incredible blessings that we have been able to receive. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ, and the amazing blessing that His life on earth is for us, and how we can now reflect what He did. 

(Side note: X, as in Xmas, actually represents the Greek symbolism for Christ.) 

So these two holidays are meant to celebrate blessings and our God who is so generous. 

That being said, I think we should start decorating for Thanksgiving early. The first day you need to put on a sweater you should decorate the house with leaves, red candles and bake pies. That way, you can enjoy Thanksgiving well before it comes around. And you enjoy Fall. 

I'll just say this about Halloween decorations: One of my neighbors literally put a gallows in front of their house as a decoration....that's more than just a tad creepy. Why not celebrate the colors of the season instead of the freakyness of death?

I'm going to be that type of person that has Christmas lights (white) on all year. They are classy, and bright and beautiful. But I'm not going to put the Christmas tree up too early, I think there's only so much you should prepare ahead of time. But I also love the hot apple cider, hot chocolate and pie, so that'll be a part of Fall too. :)

In conclusion....why not have a MerryGiving? Why not let the festivities overlap a little and play some Christmas music while you decorate pumpkins. *can just feel people's minds explode*

I was going to say "Until there's a Thanksgiving song, we might as well go straight to Christmas", but then we sang a song of thanks during church this Sunday....so that idea is out. 

Let's not make this a war...let's make it a festive time of year!

*goes back to listening to Christmas music on Spotify* 

Update: Some pictures. :)

                                     First of all, my dad made an awesome apple pie. :) 

     Secondly, you can like Velveeta on Facebook! You know you want to....hahah....

Mom: Forget the rest of Thanksgiving, let's just go like velveeta on facebook! 

She has an awesome sense of humor. :)

That is all. :) 

Vacuum Shop

To Do List: 

1. Buy groceries for mother.

2. See how much developing film costs.

3. Buy a new vacuum bag.

            Well, what began as a non-eventful errand day turned to hours of theological discussion (my favorite!). First, I went to a Rite Aid store to figure out how much it would cost to get my rolls of film (found in my mom's desk drawer) developed. As my mom had predicted, it costs a fortune (around $20-30/roll, with about 5 rolls). *sigh* At least I asked. And now, if I win the lottery, that will be one of the first things to try; I'll go straight to the store and ask for the expensive photos that will reveal what our past contains (knowing my younger photographer skills) possibly random pictures of the cars in my neighborhoods...but they were overseas, so that makes it better, right? I digress.....

I politely said "thank you" for all the information the man at the First Aid had given me; mostly telling me how old the film rolls are and ensuring I was reminded that they don't even sell the film things anymore. :p Next I went to the Shoppers across the street. I only had a few things on my list, so it wasn't too tough to shop, I probably only took about 10-15 minutes. Happiness. :)

When I came home, it was still light out (though verrry cold), so I decided to vacuum out my car. Unfortunately, there was no bag in the vacuum. My mom recommended that I go to a vacuum store a few minutes from the house, or the Ace Hardware store. I chose the vacuum store. 

And thus it began....

When I entered the store, there was a gentleman at the front counter with a broken vacuum, so I politely looked around the store looking for the type of bag that I needed. I found something that I thought would work and I patiently waited a few more minutes until the man was taken care of. The man running the counter was very polite and took care of business. When it was my turn he showed me exactly what I needed (though this hasn't been confirmed yet since I haven't tried the bags yet). 

When I was signing the receipt he mentioned something about being smart, and I commented that my brother was the one who was smart and went to Oxford. I mentioned that he is political science/philosophy major, and he just kind of leaned back. He summarized philosophy as Aristotle, Plato and Nietzsche. Indeed, it seemed he had done some reading himself. We very quickly reached the topic of absolutes, which I knew would shoot right into Theological discussion. I was already happy. 

He began saying there were no absolute truths, then we got into figuring out how the world worked. He seemed to believe that if he brought up amazing science and explained all the history he knew, then he'd "win". I wasn't interested in winning, I just wanted a simple discussion about who God is. He kept saying, "If God exists", "If God is real"...etc. It feeds my mind to have people not directly agree with my point of view. I asked him if there would be a difference in his life if God did not exist. 

It was quite interesting that he wanted to establish a basis that assumed God was in control and that life is about Him, but he kept on describing the purpose of life, "To build your own empire. Life is all about people." Hm...so when I brought up God, saying that He is the reason for everything and that the Great Commission guides us he said, "So it IS about the people!". I was perplexed at how I could explain that our purpose was to show others about God, but that life isn't about them. He was quite surprised when I mentioned that everyone deserves to go to hell, "Me too." "What...what have you done?" "Sinned." Oh snap.

I was a little sad whenever he took a break from our main discussion and trailed off to something about science. 

Did I mention I eventually asked his name? Yeah, near the end. Aaron.

He would work on helping customers every once in a while (more often than I thought, considering it's a rather small shop....for vacuums). He was rather good with customers:

Woman: Hey, I'm hoping you can fix this. (carrying in a leaf blower)

Aaron: I hope so too! Let's take a look. 

He discovered that it was Asian made, which got him talking about language, so I figured I'd share that my major is American Sign Language and Interpreting. Turns out his mom works with an interpreting agency, which is actually rather awesome! He exclaimed that he had probably seen me before....probably not knowing that I don't interpret yet. :p 

I entered the shop at about 3:25ish, once we had finished talking (forgive me, I've forgotten quite a lot of the dialog) it was dark outside and he was closing up shop at 6:30pm. So there you have it, what a discussion!  

Junior Year!

As you can see, quite a lot has changed since freshman year. :) This is my boyfriend, Noah Richardson. He is currently a senior with a major in Biblical Studies; Languages. He has five wonderful younger sisters and a younger brother. I'm currently 21 and he is 23. We met last year after Fall break, and by this time last year we really started talking and getting to know one another. 

The Story

My roommate Jessika went on a short mission trip with Noah during Fall break of last year as a part of their Evangelism class. When they returned, I heard many stories of the whole team and everything they were a part of. This "Evan group" became a wonderful friend group for Jess and I to be a part of for the remainder of the year. I saw him for the first time in front of the Dunkin' Donuts on campus (very romantic, I know!). Later, while Jess and I were attempting to study in the laundry room another friend of our's came to join us, and Noah came soon after. We shook hands and started to talk some. Over break we started chatting on facebook and discovered many similarities that we had, including the wonderful state of Colorado! By the time Spring semester rolled around, we were already wonderful friends. 

On February 3rd, 2013 we sat in the prayer garden together, and just as it began to snow, he asked me to be his girlfriend. According to him I replied rather suddenly with a "Yes!" I must have been excited.

Now we have been in a wonderful, growing relationship for over 9 months. God has taught us and blessed us throughout, and I couldn't be happier!

Speaking of relationships...Kim and Joshua from freshman year are now engaged!! I am so incredibly excited for him and I am so thankful to have the honor of being Kim's Maid of Honor. 

My major!

So, Elementary Education had been my major all the way up to Sophomore year. But, the tests became tedious and the lessons became stressful. It was then that American Sign Language and Interpreting became an official major! I did not jump on the boat right away, as I had my doubts about switching my major halfway through, but I felt that this was truly what I had a passion for. Now I am officially an American Sign Language and Interpreting major, with a minor in Family And Consumer Sciences.  FACS majors are teased almost to the equivalence of Worship majors for men here, but I'd like to see people tease me when I learn about how to understand life far better after some of these amazing classes! 

So yeah. 

:)

Now for the same ol' "I'm really tired, but there's way more to mention" type of ending. Goodnight one and all, and we'll see what happens next!