Tag Archives: God

Starting over daily

I am sitting on my front porch this morning watching the amazing creation of my Papa God come to life. Each morning the sun rises and a new day starts over. I was thinking about how we get that same opportunity each day as well. For that matter we get that with each breath we take in and breathe out.

See my Papa God gives us forgiveness that happened already on the cross. All we have to do is accept it. So when we recognize we just messed up and sinned against Him, we take a breath in and breathe out that past mistake. Then we walk right back into the knowing of being His child and being forgiven. I do not know about you but I have to be reminded of this all the time.

I am in a place in my life where I am trying to find my place again. Ultimately my place is with HIM, as His daughter and servant. However, finding my place in the community, in friends, in my purpose, in a role as a mom and grandmother is not always easy. But I get to start each day over as I discover what is not my place and what is.

See for several years my place was a codependent person, always doing for others so I would never lose them in my life. Doing for others is a good thing unless the reasoning behind it is not healthy. As time and hurts have went by, I have broken that cycle. Breaking this cycle left me at a place of discovering what is healthy and where my place is in life. So each day I start over with what I have learned and where I am at in this area. I have to let go of those years I was not aware of my sins and addictions. This is not easy when I still see the residual effects left on others lives from my past. This is when I have to trust my Papa is their Papa and He will heal what I broke.

I also spent at least 6 years in ministry, traveling almost every weekend with others. A life I felt so apart of, and loved. When my marriage fell apart I also lost that part of my life. I was a little wore out with it when I first came back to Oklahoma so a rest was great. As time has gone on, I have started missing that life. So here I am now trying to figure out where I belong in this part of my world. I am starting over each day with new opportunities and I just need to open my eyes and recognize them.

The last two years I have been finding myself again. Somedays I do not like the self I have found, other days I feel so strong. I have compromised somethings trying to fit in, trying to numb my pain and empty feelings. BUT each day I see that my Papa says it is a new day so you get to start over. Some of those days I end up repeating a past day, but each day I make the right choices I know He says way to go baby girl. The days I do not start over the right way, He says you will get it tomorrow, just DO NOT QUIT BABY GIRL!!!

SO WHATEVER YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH I AM HERE TO TELL YOU

YOU GET TO START OVER! RIGHT NOW!

DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT STOP STARTING OVER AND WALKING IN HIS NEWNESS EACH SECOND, EACH MINUTE, EACH HOUR AND EACH DAY!!!!

Dreamcatcher 3:20

Eph 3:20

Dream wild dreams

Live wild lives for Him

Cassie Gilman

Mary Magdalene

This was our week 3 from the email list!

I was thinking about how so many things in our past hold us back from ALL HE HAS FOR US!
Mary Magdalene was a woman possessed by not 1 but 7 demons. She was known as someone insane. It only took ONE touch from His love to set her free. 

Luke 8:2 New International Version (NIV

and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;

I wonder when she was worshiping Jesus, ministering to His needs and sharing His resurrection was she thinking: oh I can not be doing this! I had 7 demons so I am not qualified.
Oh BUT she was!! Jesus qualified her just like you and I. The first one to declare His resurrection was Mary Magdalene!
John 20:1-18 New International Version (NIV)
The Empty Tomb
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
Just like Mary Magdalene we have ALL been touched with Christ love! We have been set free from our own demons and issues. If we have issues remaining we know the ONE who will set us free!
Never give up! Never shut up from the truth! Never put up with the enemies lies!
Worship like Mary! Spread His love and resurrection power like Mary!
♥️♥️♥️♥️
Cassie G

Hannah Hogner! She’s Living Her Dreams

I am beyond blessed to be a part of today’s blog. Huge thank you to Cassie for allowing me to share today. One of the biggest things I know about Cassie is her desire to Dream Big! Dreaming Big is contagious and I want to share my Dream Big story. A little over 3 years ago I headed out on a dream of mine. I have had this love of fashion since I was in high school, I think when I began getting the fashion itch. I wanted a Roxy top, Lucky Jeans and Dr Martins because that’s what the cool kids wore and had. Here is where I insert a huge thank you to my parents because that Christmas that’s what I got. It might have been all I got. I don’t remember but I was so happy. I also desired to model but I lacked the confidence to try and it was always that secret desire stuck in the back of my mind. So now fast forward to January 2015. 2015 found my love for fashion growing and my desire to help and inspire others mixed in with my confidence in who I am and (more importantly) who I am in Christ. I set out on my blogging dreams and started Living In Grace & Style with Hannah Leigh.

It is a little bit of a leap of faith to put yourself out there for the world to see and for them to read your pieces. More like a little scary, but I told myself if I can help one person then it was worth it. Over the past 3 years God truly has blessed me with meeting some incredible people and given me some amazing opportunities. You see when you finally decide to go for your goals and dreams there are a few key elements to help you along the way.

1. Believe in the dream God put in your heart and strive for it each day.

2. Knowing who you are in Christ (this will only continue to grow)

3. Never ever give up.

Some paths are harder than others and things and doubt will try to come up against you. But you have to keep pushing towards your goals and what God put on your heart. Let me show you a little how it worked for me. I did my own blogging thing for about a year and tried to stay consistent and learned as I went. As the NFR came around that year I then began to struggle a little with my confidence. The western fashion blogging/ influencing was really starting to take off and I struggled trying to be me and be different. I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes or have them think I was copying them even if we might have had the same idea. They just acted on it before me. About 3 days in I finally took a chill pill and took it to God instead of trying to fix it myself or continue to feel the poor pitiful me’s. I took a turn for the better and kept doing my thing. About a year and half later I saw a dear friends post about wanting to start a group of bloggers and influencers called The Bleacher Babe Squad. I sent in my request and was elated to be selected along with some pretty amazing other women. I was beyond grateful for the opportunity that Brianna gave all of us. It helped me get out of my shell some and begin to talk to other brands and people. I was then given a huge opportunity to work with Wrangler and Cowgirl magazine on a fun shopping style commercial by the next NFR. I can not even begin to tell you how amazingly fun and what a cool opportunity God blessed me with. See, instead of having the poor pitiful me’s and giving up at the first NFR, I sucked it up and prayed. I gave it to God and continued on the path He laid on my heart. Not only did it bless me, it blessed so many other people as well. They saw a plus size, curvy girl, real size whatever you want to call it girl rocking what she’s got and it inspired them that they can do it too!

See, our dream big goals are not only to bless us but to bless others as well. Our journeys may all be different but, in the end, inspiring others and helping others in my opinion is what it is all about. I am now up to 2 years in and year two was another growth year for me and another huge blessing. I saw another opportunity to be a part of a Style Team that was part of the Boutique Hub. This team got to write blogs and style outfits and collaborate with an amazing amount of boutiques and brands. I was blessed to be selected and a part of this team put together by Ashley Alderson and Jessie Jarvis. It helped me in so many ways by growing and learning more about being a great fashion blogger and influencer. Along the way in year 2 a dear friend of mine along with her best friend started up a marketing and design business. Well this awesome business need models of course and guess who finally got the call to be a paid model! Yes this girl right here!!! I was completely elated as it had been a secret dream of mine since I was probably a sophomore/junior in high school. I remember my first shoot like it was yesterday! This again opened up another door of opportunity and by the NFR last year I was completely blessed to model in my very first fashion show!

I know this little blog has gotten lengthy but I wanted you to see what God did and is doing in my life, that He can do in yours too. If you see an opportunity and have peace. follow it! You don’t have dreams and desires on your heart just because God put them there so run with them. He said He will never leave or forsake you so even if you feel alone on your journey just know you are not. He loves you and believes in you and so do I! So keep dreaming big and never give up, for your journey will inspire not only you, but many!

xo

Hannah

A New Year A New You!

This year I have walked through a lot of negativity and hurts. I have had dreams smashed into pieces, along with my heart. This last month I have began to recognize wrong mindsets and habits that allowed some of these life sucking things into my life. I have been working on changing these habits and mindsets and I believe 2018 will be a New Year as well as A New Me!!

I have had failed relationships in my life; both friends and marriages. So in 2018 I’m going to discover myself. I am changing my focus to learning who God says I am, what my true likes and dislikes are, be true and honest to myself and fall in love with life. Below are some goals and tips to make this happen.

  1. Doing more things that I love! In 2018 I want to do more of what I love with out anyone complaining or detouring me to their thing! I want to drive down to the beach and put my toes in the sand! I would love to drive to Colorado and take my time stopping at little markets or historical markers. Of course there will be a lot of grandbaby loving this new year.
  2. Stop feeling like I have to explain why I’m single again! I am not happy that I’ve found myself single again and “divorced” but I have to accept it and embrace it as it is! My motto for this is I have nothing to hide, nothing to defend, nothing to prove and nothing to protect. It is what it is! I will embrace all this season brings. I get a bed to myself, I can eat what I want, I don’t have to check with someone else before I make a decision WELL BESIDES GOD! So these are the things I will focus on!
  3. Learn to Love Me! Gods commandments tell us to Love God with ALL our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves! I can not truly love others until I know how to Love God with ALL MY HEART AND MYSELF! I need to learn to love me flaws and all! Then because I know just how much God Loves me and that He will never leave me in a mess, I will love myself right out of any messes I created!
  4. Enjoy my married friends! Sometimes as a single person we can feel like a third wheel! We avoid events and friends because we don’t want to be that third wheel. I’m going to be me and enjoy my married friends.
  5. Embrace my single friends! This next year I’m going to embrace my single friends. I know I am not the only one who finds times when all their married friends are busy with their significant others. I have found myself wondering who can I get to go out to eat with me or go hang out with. In 2018 I’m going to reach out to other singles. I want to make sure that they know they are not alone. I’m going to have get togethers at my home! I’m going to holler at them last minute and say let’s go to town and get out. I’m going to embrace both single male and female friends into this next year. Sometimes we forget that the opposite sex goes through the same things. They don’t always want a dating relationship but healthy relationships just like we do!
  6. Avoid all Drama and Negativity! The last two years I have had major negativity and drama. These two things can be addictive and life draining. This last month I have literally felt life drain out of me when I’ve been around it or been an instigator of it! So if I hear or see this in any area of my life I will do my best to speak and bring life into it! If for any reason that life isn’t received, I will high tell it out of that situation. God is LOVE AND LIFE! That’s all I want in my life!!
  7. Become A Whole Person! My daughter attended ORU and their focus is the whole person. Mind, Body and Spirit! So the things above I have set as goals for a New Year A New You, these are all things that I will be doing to achieve this goal. I will include healthier life choices in what I eat, exercise, and stress levels to reach this goal! I will spend more time in prayer and the word, take another Bible college class and just enjoy Gods creation!

So this is my New Year goals and more than that, my life commitments!!

I would love to have each of you join me on this journey!

Dream Catcher 3:20

Cassie Nations