News Flash!

My Blog is moving to a new address! You will now be able to find me at jibenow.com/hopeesther

I have come to the conclusion that i have way to many blogs to upkeep so I am moving all of them to JibeNow. What is Jibenow?  It’s an awesome, new place to host your blog with the tools of WordPress the functions of Twitter and Facebook, and the community of Homeschool Blogger! Yes, it was made with home-schoolers in mind although you don’t necessarily have to be a home-schooler to use it. You can check out JibeNow for yourself: www.jibenow.com

I hope you can join me there and start your own blog soon!

Have a very Happy Groundhog day!

A picture is worth a thousand words…

…I hope this is true…Cause I don’t have time to say that many words. I will sum it up in just like four…The. Tournament. Was. Awesome. There, now to explain it I will use pictures, unfortunately I don’t have pictures of the awards ceremony due to the lack of camera battery-ness.

Ben was pumped.

Mike and I were pretty excited too.

I was enjoying some reading on the way.

The Guys after their first round

We were getting tired after round 3...

James at Spangles. No. Comment.

The Guys at Spangles

Attempting to act candid

Mike's awesome flow.

All in all we all learned alot and I had fun trying to capture it. At least the first two days anyway. More to Come.

-Hope

It’s time to go…

Hey Everyone!

We are leaving in T-Minus 2 hours. I am nervous but calm. Last night, I don’t think my sleep got past just shutting my eyes. I am hoping I will get some sleep tonight. (hah! yeah. right.) I can dream can’t I? Anyway, the bags are by the door, but we still have a lot to do yet. If you have a spare minute remember to pray for us. Prelim’s start tomorrow at 8. There are four prelim rounds on Thursday and 2 prelim rounds on Friday. I should be really fun. I am excited to see what God does at this tournament. One of the most wonderful things about tournaments is that I am always shown God’s power in different ways. So yeah, I am pretty excited. I should be able to post again with updates every night, but I don’t think the chances of that happening are very great. Anyway, I shall return to you all on Thursday, maybe even with some pictures. Don’t forget to pray for us!

TTYL,

Hope

My New Favorite

Hey Everyone, today finds me working on debate and freaking out about debate, but while I work on debate I listen to music, so here is my new favorite song.

I don’t post songs very often, but this one is worth it. Hope you find the time to listen to it!

-Hope

Goodbye 2009 and Hello, 2010.

Hey everyone!

This being New Years  and everything I thought it would be best to talk about resolutions we all are setting for ourselves this year.  Comment and share one of your New Years Resolutions!

I will start. One of my resolutions is to get a job. =)

Have fun!

God did something and He didn’t ask my permission either…

How many times have you been hit with the amazing fact that…God did something and He didn’t ask your permission. Today it hit me like a  lead balloon.

I was sitting in my room on the floor with a laptop in my lap for about two hours. When the sudden urge to get up and see what was going on, struck me. So I got up and walked into the main living area; everything seemed normal my mom was on the couch and I sat down beside her and held a small conversation. When my mom made me go look out the window…so I got to my feet and looked out the window only to see a fresh blanket of snow on the ground with more falling! I was shocked and kept blinking to make sure this was really happening. Sudden flashbacks of me as a child looking out the window of our old Kentucky home and seeing a similar scene struck me. I found myself begging for explanation of this weird yet joyful sight. You see, normally I know of these things way ahead of time, I usually check the weather frequently and look out the window as if a child was waiting for a kettle to boil. But this time, God did something without letting me know, or asking my permission and I find its much easier to glorify God when He does something that surprises you. Other then waiting for the snow to fall then when it falls all you can think about is how you waited for ever and ever for it to come…”It’s about time.” Are words that frequently escape my mouth and heart. But when God surprises you, it was all about Him…not me. So moral of the story: Don’t expect things to happen, let God surprise you.

Have a Happy New Years, Everyone! <3

Enter…Fred and Belle

How did I get these really small fishes? My friend Caitlin gave them to me as a Christmas gift…and I love them muchly.

Since my Sister’s recent move to college my room seems rather lonely and nothing could possibly make it feel like she was there but, I am sure Fred and Belle will help keep me company…

and…

So here marks the wonderful adventures of Hope, Fred and Belle.

I’m dreaming of a white christmas…

Well, its no longer a dream, this morning I woke up to about 1 inch is some areas and more than 4 in others of snow, white, powdery, messy,wonderful snow.

“grace, Grace, God’s grace”

Quick note:

This weekend has been an eventful one, my sister Grace had to go to the hospital and get her appendix taken out. She was put in the hospital on Thursday night, and unfortunately it was 6pm Friday before I got to see her, but that night,I spent the night with my mom in the hospital room.  I was just staring at my sister breathing and thanking God for her. Thanking God for His grace and His Grace. Kind of confused? Let me see if I can help you.

This year has been a huge year for my family, in fact if I had known all of the things that were gonna happen to us I would have probably thrown a fit. But thats probably why God didn’t tell me. Anyway, we had two marriages, my two older brothers were married, we moved to Kansas, my Mom’s Dad passed away, and my sister left for college. I don’t know if I have ever had a busier year.  But yet, I never noticed God gave me and my family so much grace to deal with all of it. It came to my attention last night, that I serve such an incredible God. His grace was perfect. He cares for me and my sister. He watched over my sister in the surgery.

I also noticed how God was in complete and total control the whole way through, this year and this surgery. I was so worried and when I saw my sister hooked up to all the machinery and all the color out of her face. I wanted to cry, but then I remembered something my other sister had told me a long time ago. She said “Hope, you just have to remember the same God that is caring for you now, is the same God who will care for you when you think He can’t.” I have never forgotten that and I don’t think I ever will. And here my sister sits in our living room, weak in body, strong in soul. Alive and well. Once Again God gave me Grace. His grace is sufficent for all.  

 

and…

Debate Class

So this is the moment you have all waiting for! Pictures! This is our debate class and amazing students. So without further ado, here they are!

Where the teachers stand.

Where the students sit, thats us in the background getting ready for the class.

Our Mascot, not sure what his name should be, we should vote on it.

One of their first debates. Left to right: Matt, Ben, Austin, Lizzie

Focusing.

 

Debriefing after Debate

 

 

But after all the debating we find time to have some fun, this is Lizzie and Caleb

 

Freeze!

 

Not sure, what this was.

Benjamin and Caleb, I think Caleb was calling the ambulance for Benjamin who was decapitated. hm....should I be worried?

 

 

Well, thats all I have for now, be sure to check out my other pictures on my Flickr side bar, I put more there than I do on my blog.

-Me