A Bit of Everyday Life

Everything has settled back into routine by this third week of classes. I'm finally starting to get the hang of my schedule (hooray for planners, sticky notes, and white boards!) and am enjoying my classes. Church Music Philosophy is still my absolute favorite. It's always a fun class, but also super informative and the textbook is actually quite an interesting read! 

We've all been enjoying basketball games, both formal and intramural. Here's a picture with a couple of my favorite people cheering on our team last week! 

Haylie, me, Anna 

I have loved reading through the book of Proverbs this month and plan to start it over in February. It's pretty amazing to see God using those verses to convict or encourage me day to day. For instance, yesterday afternoon I had a particularly rough class. All I wanted to do was call my mom or sister and complain! But I sat down to do my devotions and soon came to Proverbs 29:11, "A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back." Ouch. But such a good reminder at the perfect moment. 

Not this Sunday but the next is our first Magnify concert! We'll be heading over to a church in the early afternoon, setting up, then performing for their evening service. I'm excited to do the songs we've been working on for so long and praying that the words will be effective in the lives of the people listening. 

Alright, back to the books I go. Time to crank out a narrative essay, informative speech, health presentation, and Christology paper! 

~Hannah Grace 

Semester #2, Week #1

Now that I have officially been back to classes for a week, I thought it would be a good time for an update!

It's great to be back on campus and things have moved very quickly back into routine. One of my concerns about this semester was that it would be difficult to get readjusted to the busy schedule (after sleeping through most of Christmas break!), but God has been good in providing times of rest amidst the craziness. Something I realized yesterday is that my least busy day is Wednesday, which is great as it gives me a chance right in the middle of the week to get a little extra sleep and do some homework (and update the blog!).

Speaking of homework, there is a LOT of it! The reading for Life of Christ, writing for English Comp II, practicing for Speech, studying for Math, Foundations of Education, Classroom Tech, Church Music Philosophy, and Health keeps me quite occupied. But I am enjoying the classes so far. Church Music Philosophy especially promises to be a wonderful class.

Music also keeps me busy with four weekly hours of Gospel Heralds practice, two for Magnify, three for Chorale, and whatever I can fit in on the piano for Hymn Playing II. Spending time in the music department is always the highlight of my day though!

The weekend was fun with a surprise birthday party for my lovely friend, Becky.

Sarah, Becky, Hannah 

Rachel, Becky, Haylie 

If you think of it, please keep my roommate, Moriah, from last semester in your prayers. She was not able to come back this semester due to some health complications and is hoping to get the treatment she needs while at home taking online classes. I miss her sweet, fun personality! 

So, that's week one of semester two in review. Back to the books! 

~Hannah Grace 

He Makes All Things New

Happy New Year, everyone! Looking back, it's difficult to imagine so many events being packed into 2012, but I have a feeling 2013 will be quite competitive in terms of busyness. 2012 was a year filled with blessing and trial and I thank God for every moment of it.

The year started with several fun, yet always challenging speech and debate tournaments. I enjoyed competing in Lincoln Douglas debate and Extemporaneous speech for the first time this year, as well as old favorites such as Apologetics and Duo.

Things were tough in March when Dad departed for a planned 8-month deployment with the USS New York.

In May, I was excited to graduate from high school. We had a fun party filled with friends and family. It was a blessing to be surrounded by many new Virginian friends after just having moved to Suffolk a year earlier.

June held an adventure to Minnesota with Mom and Noah for NCFCA Nationals. I enjoyed competing in four events- Lincoln Douglas, Duo Interpretation, Apologetics, and Illustrated Oratory- but I especially loved spending time with friends.





In July I realized that I should probably start thinking about shopping & packing for college! Then, at the end of August, Mom, Noah, Andrew, and Grandmom dropped me off at Appalachian Bible College in West Virginia. It was the beginning to a brand new adventure for which I could never have been fully prepared.

I started to settle into college life throughout September, enjoying classes, joining Chorale, and being elected secretary of the freshman class. In October I auditioned for and was accepted to a spring traveling singing team, Magnify, and ABC's summer singing team, the Gospel Heralds.

November held Thanksgiving break. The news that Dad's deployment was being extended cast a damper over this time at home, but it was still nice to relax and get some extra sleep!

December was a wonderfully busy month. I enjoyed a lovely Christmas banquet at school, my first venture into "geocaching" with friends, final exams, of course Christmas, and last, but not least, a thrilling reunion with Dad on December 20th. His return was definitely my favorite Christmas present!

I wouldn't change anything about this past year because I know that every up and down was part of God's ultimate plan. I stand in awe of His control over all things and look forward to the revealing of even more of His plan in 2013.

~Hannah Grace


"And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" ~Revelation 21:4-5