What if there were more Mother Teresa's?

To answer the question above, this world would be a much better place. During some readings this morning, I came across this quote

"A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace."- Mother Teresa. There is so much truth in these couple of sentences and this morning it has been rocking my world.

Little quotes like this, song lyrics, a bible verse, a sweet hug from a sweet friend that makes a terrible day turn back around when they had no idea it was going terribly to begin with, a kind act of a stranger, a smile from someone walking past you- all of these things have a way of turning my mind straight back to Jesus when I get wrapped up in this crazy human world. Something about these things that make me want to jump out of my skin and to thank Him for giving me these little pleasures of life. 

Yesterday I had a good friend of mine text me some verses because for some reason I was having a bad day. For no reason in particular, I just was in a bad mood. But she knows my heart and she knew exactly what I needed. Not because she could read my mind or anything, but because Jesus loves me. Reading these verses didn't necessarily turn my mood completely around, but they made me thankful. They made me thankful for a God who loves me so much to give me friends who care about me a fraction of the amount that He does. He knew what I needed to read. He knows everyday. I forget way too often about the blessings that I am given. I take my friends for granted. I take simple conversations for granted because I think that because we are friends, they tell me what I want to hear. But then days like yesterday when I got my encouraging text, that I am given these friends for a reason. They don't tell me what I want to hear, but what I need to hear. It is just another way for Him to communicate with us through others. I learn so much from everyone in my life and I wish so badly that I could thank them for everything that they do for me. I can only hope that they know what Jesus is doing for me through them. 

I encourage all of you who happen to get bored and read this, to remember that Jesus is working through each of us. It may not be clear, it rarely is, for me at least. But I know that He loves me. And I know this because of what is around me each and every day. How did I get so unbelievably blessed to have the most amazing people in my life who continually remind me of who Jesus is? They encourage me. They are my rocks. And they are this way because of who Jesus is and what He did for each of us. 


Today is going to be a good day, because I am sitting out on my porch and feeling this amazing breeze and knowing that God is here. I have good coffee in my hand and a book of truth sitting in front me. Because I have friends who would be by my side the second I need them. Because God loves them, they love me. Do me a favor and go about your day today with the thought of giving one stranger a smile. Because if you can give somebody the amount of love from Jesus that you all give me everyday, then one smile is worth it.


Ephesians 3:17-19 "and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.  I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

To practice day by day, love, honor, truth...

 Do yall ever wonder why we are seriously so blessed? I honestly just don't get it. I don't understand why I have such amazing people in my life or why I get to spend each day taking in a beautiful world that I don't deserve any part of. I am overwhelmed right now with a feeling of being consumed in grace because I am not worthy of any of it, in any form. In the past few weeks, I have moved into a perfect house, with the perfect roommates, and the most perfect dog. What else could I want? I am surrounded daily by 4 girls who would do anything for me. It blows my mind to think that a God loves me enough to give me these people. And unlike the majority of the people my age who don't talk to their high school friends anymore, I am closer today with my high school "besties" than I was back in the day. They are my rocks and they are my heart. I can only hope to be half of the friend to all of them that they all are to me. The past few weeks are just the beginning to a wonderful year. This is the first time in my life when I can say that I am 100% happy. No I don't have a boyfriend, don't ask me about it. But ya know what? I don't think that I would be able to be having as much fun as I am right now if I did. Timing is everything, and the Lord has continually been showing me that on a day to day basis. He has taught me patience with His will and a longing to want what He wants for me, and with that comes waiting patiently. I am single, I am happy, I am free, I am literally loving every second of life.

I just had to brag about my life for a second. It's too good not to.


It's almost been two weeks since recruitment has been over and I still don't think that I have caught up on sleep. I could sit here and complain about all the petty little things that get to me, but it would be a waste of my time. The two weeks I spent in that recruitment room were two weeks that I will look back on for the rest of my life. It sounds corny, I'm aware. I know how cheesey and "legally blonde" like whenever I talk about Phi Mu and I do it a lot and I KNOWWW. I only have one more year to be annoying and talk about Phi Mu as much as I do so just bare with me and deal with it. No one gets it though. You don't get it unless you've been apart of it. If you are a boy, I'm sorry. You just don't get it. If you are older and aren't in greek life, you don't get it. People may be apart of something bigger and something great, but they haven't been apart of this. I wish I could explain it to everyone and I wish everyone could experience what we get to. I wish I already knew every new members name and that I could just tell them how lucky they are to be starting off their college experience. I get jealous anytime I see a new girl wearing a Phi Mu shirt around campus just knowing that they are about to have the best four years and I won't be here to experience it with them. (It sounds like I'm dying, my gosh.) I am so thankful that I have gotten the opportunity to be the one to pledge these girls in and I am even more excited to be the one to get to initiate them so soon.

During recruitment, I had to read a senior letter during one of the Preference Ceremonies. We read it to the girls coming through recruitment to try and maybe be able to bring it all to words. I practiced a few times in front of the chapter to see how well I could hold myself together and they will all be the first to admit that I am a whimp. I cried before I even started. But if I could let you feel a little bit what these girls mean to me and how much they have molded and shaped me, you would understand why I am that whimp.

My senior letter wraps it up and if you think it's corny, I'm sorry. If I wasn't apart of this I would think I was lame too. But thankfully, I am apart of it...

As I begin my senior year at Georgia College and as a Phi Mu, I am now finally realizing what is all coming to an end. Slowly, things are starting to be known as “the last.” Last recruitment, last bid day, last formal. But what I know and can say with every part of me, is that these friendships and the love that I have grown for this chapter will last a lifetime.  As we start to part ways after our senior year, there will be one thing that will always hold us together.

 I took a chance and decided to go through sorority recruitment my freshman year even though I knew nothing about what being in a sorority meant. I took an even bigger chance and ran for President. What these girls around you don’t know is that I have learned way more from them than they will ever learn from me. They have taught me what having family away from home is like and each girl in this chapter has taught me something different about myself that I may have never learned otherwise. Sarah has taught me to be caring and genuine. Amanda has taught me to have more fun than I ever knew I could have. Reb has taught me to not take life so seriously. Bri has taught me understanding. Lindsay has taught me to love the Lord more and more each day. Kelsey has taught me to remain calm and carry on. Kristina Cherry and Kaitlin Brannen have taught me to be a leader. Caitlin Buttimer has taught me patience and gentleness. Shelby has taught me compassion. And Joanna has taught me to strive for selflessness. My pledge class of Fall 2009 has taught me about commitment. The younger pledge classes have taught me encouragement. The executive board has taught me to be apart of a team. And this chapter has taught me what being apart of a sisterhood truly means. There are girls who have graduated and left me changed and I hope that you come to have a special place in my heart and in this bond as well. What I am trying to say to each of you is that you can be apart of something that can teach you these kind of things about yourself, too. My list isn’t limited to this handful of girls but extends to over one hundred who stand around you right now and who I can confidently call my friend and wholeheartedly call my sister.  

What I wish I could show you is what happens when the doors close after a day of recruitment is over. I hope that you were able to get a glimpse this week at what I get to experience everyday. I get to experience laughter and a lot of it. I wouldn’t trade a single moment with these girls for anything and those moments are all starting to mean a lot more as they soon will come to an end. Even though the events, the snap cup, and the chapters at grits may end, the laughter won’t. These ladies will be apart of me forever.

It blows my mind to think that just three years ago I sat in the same seat you did and had to make a decision that I had no idea then would change my life. I went from not knowing a thing about sororities to not knowing who I am without one.  But what I do know now is that I am loved by way more people than I have ever deserved.  This group of girls make me a better person every day because they believe in me and we believe together that 167 is better than 1. We hold each other when we cry, we celebrate together when we win, and we support each other in everything we do. A sister who stood here and read her letter last year said, “There are two things I know I will always have in life, Jesus and Phi Mu,” and no sentence has ever held so true to me.

Phi Mu has turned into something more than just a group of girls that I get to spend my Monday nights at chapter with. It has turned into a lifestyle. I’m not just Hannah, the girl trying to find her place, But I am a Phi Mu, and that means something much, much more. I hope that you get to experience the love and support that I have gotten in these past three years from these girls. My college experience would not have remotely come close to be as amazing as it was without the girls you see here in this room. I have one more year left to make the best memories that I can with these girls that the Lord has blessed me with. Gamma Sigma, I promise you that this year will be one for the books and that we are going to have the time of our lives. We have to make the best of every situation and know that together we can do anything. I think we have proved ourselves to everyone on campus and to everyone we spread our light to. And I can promise to all of you who have a heavy decision to make tonight, that you will get to be apart of something bigger if you choose Phi Mu.  I have one more year with you all, so lets make it one to remember.

Phillipians 1:3 says, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I pray with joy.” Choose joy, and choose Phi Mu.

ONLY 172 UNTIL GEORGIA COLLEGE MIRACLE 2013!!!

Alaska Grown

Now that recruitment is over, I actually have a moment to sit down and catch up on my life. My trip to Alaska seems like a lifetime ago, but the friendships and memories that were made are just as fresh as if they happened yesterday. I have never been somewhere so beautiful before in my life. It was just a breath of fresh air to be somewhere so visually beautiful along with beautiful people who changed me.

I went with an organization called 963 Effect. They want nothing more than to spread the love of God anywhere they can. Being around each member of this team humbled me every single day. While we were there, the sun would never set. It was light all day everyday which was definitly a shock when we would walk out of the Church that was housing us at 11 at night to find that it only looked as though it was just about to be 6 o'clock. The weather was perfect. It never got terribly cold, although there was still snow on the mountains when we would go hiking. The kids we met gave me a new perspective on life and made me realize how much I complain about silly little things when they are running around in tshirt and shorts in 50 degree weather.

For the first five days that the team was there, we helped the Rabbit Creek Community Church in Anchorage with their Expedition Day Camp. It was basically a traveling VBS. It was open to the community so there were a handful of kids who had never heard of Jesus before. Throughout the week we would take our groups to different places in the area. We went on a hike and glacier sledding and we also went to the Anchorage zoo and to the botanical gardens. To try and describe the beauty in this place is impossible. It literally took my breath away to even try and think how our God loves us that much to make a place so beautiful for us to take in and be apart of. These kids were wonderful and loved having us there with them. Each person in our group taught me something different about myself and the Lord's love for me.

Each night, we would head straight to the Boys and Girls Club. These kids know how to have a good time. We would sing and dance and love on each other until it was time to leave. It was so cool to see how the Lord worked in bringing kids to know him. The first day we were there, there was maybe a handful of kids that came. By the end of the week, there were more kids than we knew what to do with! We had gained amazing releationships that will never be forgotten. These kids grew to trust us and to confide in us. I will never forget any of them.

We also did some yard work at a local Boy's Home where boys with behavioral problems would stay while they are waiting to be adopted. They all expressed to us how it was the best day just because we were they. They all came out and helped us and we spent the day playing in the dirt and cleaning up their daily environment.

For the rest of the weekend, we were blessed in getting the chance to just tour the area. We went on a 26 Glacier Cruise where we made friends from London and got to witness the most amazing sites. We got to go to the Saturday market in downtown Anchorage and see how people spend their every day lives.

What I will never forget about this trip is the people that I spent it with. They were so encouraging and they have the best hearts of anyone I have ever met. All they wanted to do was to pour into any one we met in Alaska and to do so by loving them for who they are. I learned so much about the culture and how people are just by spending time with the handful of them that I came into contact with. I cannot thank the people who supported me in going on this trip enough. They made it possible and did so by beleiving in me and wanting me to experience the greatness of this world that God has provided. I wanted to be able to share a little bit of my experience as best as I could with everyone so here are some pictures! It doesn't give my trip much justice but it will show you all a little glimpse at what I got to see. Enjoy!!

                  

                                                                      Crazy Andre.

                                            On the cruise with our new London friends!

                                                   Our expedition Backpacker group!

                                                 All of the sweet kids at the Boys and Girls club

                                                   Most of the team. Missing them all every day.

Everything's bigger in Texas!

I arrived in Texas two days ago for Phi Mus IMPACT. I was not expecting to experience any of the emotions that I have the past few days. Not only am I learning how to be a better leader but I'm learning how to be a better servant. I am learning something new in every person that I meet. I have done leadership programs before and I have always learned something but here it's different. Being able to talk about Phi Mu, something that is such a huge part of me, with 120 other girls who hold the position of president just like me from across the country is not only inspiring, but comforting.

Now that my first semester as president is over, I can whole-heartedly say that it has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I'd be lying to say there weren't any times when I didn't think that I could go another day with this title. But because I do have those days I am able to appreciate the ones where I am tearing up because I am so proud of my chapter. I love this job and my chapter with every part of me. Yes, sometimes I want to pull my hair out. But the times when I get goose bumps because of our ritual, the times I'm laughing uncontrollable with 170 other girls, the times im cheering on our flag football team during Greek week, the times we are all simply just being in fellowship with one another all outweigh the times that I want to scream and they make every single second absolutely worth it. Everyone needs a simple reminder sometimes and that is what the past few weeks have done for me. It's reminded me of the reason why I joined this amazing organization and more recently why I took on the risk to lead this chapter. These girls took a chance on me and I can't let them down. I have been reminded that not only am I here to leave it better than what I found it, but I am here to serve them with every ounce of my heart and my being.

And let's just talk about how I am in Texas on the 4th of July. How cool is that? Ill be honest and say that I felt like a classy redneck tonight on the ranch watching the rodeo and line dancing but of course I loved each and every second of it.

Now that IMPACT is over and convention is beginning, I can already tell that I'm going to leave here changed. It sounds so corny, I know it does. But I don't care! Tomorrow morning we will have initiation and a memorial service to honor the ones we have lost this past year. And after that, Convention will continue until Saturday night. The best part about this entire experience is that I am meeting so many wonderful people. The fact that they are Phi Mu's does make them automatically sort of wonderful but that may be because I'm a tad bit biased. I have been trying my hardest to take in a little bit of everyone to get an idea of what this organization looks like all across the country. I wish you all could be here to see what I see because I what I see is humbling and sincere. To be honest, what I am seeing is a little but of Jesus in each of these girls and a lot of Him in this experience and fraternity as a whole. Our values and ideals, along with our creed and ritual really do mean so much more when you see it through the eyes of its true maker and the reason we are all apart of this amazing organization. We are based on Christian values and being stuck in a college town, those values can sometimes be seen few and far between. But looking at it outside the normal collegian view and as something that is lifelong and so much bigger than we realize, those values seem so much larger.

I am banking on a wonderful next couple of days and another amazing week next week in Alaska. I'm on a roll y'all. Traveling the USA like a champ and loving it.

I'm a blogger?

I finally caved. I have always wanted to be one of those "cool bloggers" but never thought I could pull it off. Well I guess I technically don't know if I even can, but hey it's worth a shot. I guess the whole reason for me even considering doing this is because it's just another way to show another perspective. Mine may not be the coolest, smartest, funniest, or wittiest perspective around but it's different. All I can ask for in this life is to love and to learn. I am constantly being changed and humbled and I want to be able to share what I can.

Tomorrow marks my last day of my maymester and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. Even though I was taking a stress management course (no, I did not learn the secret to keeping stress away, but I can tell you that Jesus and wine do help) it was still unwanted school work during a summer month. Tomorrow I am home free and have the rest of the summer to play. The funny thing is, I was actually kind of dreading this summer. Everyone thinks that summer is the best time to hang out with friends, go to the pool, yadda yadda. But let me tell you something- if there are no friends in town to go with you to that pool, it isn't as fun as you would have hoped. All I could picture for the upcoming three hot months (cicada free, thank heavens) was a summer with all of my friends not in the same town as me. Not only are they not in the same town as me, but they are gallivanting over in other parts of the world. #normal. And now since there is flesh eating bacteria swimming around in the lake, I guess that's out as well. I would consider Milledgeville unlike any place in this world but it just isn't the same when the best parts of you aren't there to share it with. So with all of my friends heading off to cool places over in Europe, to camps, or even just to their hometowns for a while, I was anticipating a very lonely summer. Like I said earlier, I am continually being humbled and God has showed me nothing but grace in the past few weeks. Instead of dreading a couple of boring months ahead of me, I am now looking forward to a very busy and blessed season. Within two months I will be a camp counselor for two weeks, moving into a new home with four of the worlds greatest, traveling to San Antonio with three of the greatest people I have ever met and to meet some Phi Mus from across the country, spending some time with my sweet Grandma in Ohio, and traveling to Alaska to serve the Lord and his wonderful people. I am overjoyed by the amount of blessings I have received in such a short amount of time. God is so good to me, every single day, and I am reminded of this daily. Not only am I being blessed with these trips and experiences, but I have made new friends and become closer with old friends who I can all say have the most wonderful and heart filling spirits. I don't deserve to have any of them but they all teach me new things about myself and show me how to be a better person and I thank my God for them each and every day.

My summer may not consist of Paris but it already has and will continue to have lots of laughter, new friends, and new stories. This summer is going to be one for the books. Here is just a little bit of what these past few weeks has been for me!