When God Breathes

A poem I wrote for my darling Elijah last Fall!! :):) He inspired me with a sweet text he once sent as I was sitting alone on a bench and took a picture of a fallen leaf on "his spot" next to me ;P

When God Breathes

Swinging my bench in harmony I sang,

The song of autumn in the trees;

As I watched leaves change and fall like rain,

My mind wondered in the cool light breeze.

A beautiful chill evening was in turning colors bright,

And the falling sun warmed my heart softly for you.

In all the cherished gifts of this creation,

I still only wished you were there too.

I began to miss you more as the time went on;

My gaze fell to where I wanted you to be.

But there on your spot did a yellow leaf cling,

Claiming your seat normally saved near me.

I wrote to tell tail on this autumn day crime,

And you promised to move that thief one day.

To sit beside me on that singing swing,

Without a near chance of ever blowing away.

We wished to watch sunsets each and every night,

And to take in the leaves descending down together.

Shall we not keep the dried yellow hearts that drift,

And hold close our dear friendship forever?

You wrote back to me happy words from your heart,

As I continued with my gazing and day dreaming;

Like true poetry and romantically real art,

You made my night perfectly gleaming .

There is was, the note you sent,

Wonderfully beautiful and dear.

I read and cried and saw what you meant,

As your poetry was so perfectly clear.

Your sweetness overflowed the long text,

Your words were made for joyful tears to shed.

In such a moment my heart lifted to the clouds,

For in this special memory you had said:

“I feel like God's breath blew us together,

Like two autumn leaves adrift the wind so grand;

I think you could say we're still in the air,

Not sure exactly when, where, or how we're going to land.

But when we do it will be in the same spot,

It will be a beautiful place to rest and to stay.

There may be storms that come along and move us,

But always together we will lay.

We'll land again safe and sound,

No matter where life takes us on the way.

Whether life is easy or times become heavily bound,

We will  be glad to have each other at the end of the day.”

Where, yellow heart leaf, will you find rest for this winter?

What, Autumn, are your waves rolling in for this season?

How, my deer Favorite, does Springtime look like for us?

When, as two flying leaves, is Summer going to roll in?

Watch and see... How the Lord breathes in our lives;

Let us go dancing as two leaves in the autumn wind.

And no matter where we blow or how quickly we land,

Please keep dancing with me, again and again.

Blow us closer Lord God above,

Never let our hands slip apart.

But strengthen us with your Fatherly love,

As we learn about and guard the others heart.

Swinging this life in harmony I sing,

The song of God's breathing on me;

As the winds he sends and the storms that blow,

In surrender I give my life to Thee.

As we drift lower here or fly happier there,

Even if rest isn't around the coming bend;

May we patiently dance with peace in this air,

And move wherever God's breath may send.

But whenever we land may it be together,

To find rest from the tempests we have weathered.

We are safe in the arms of He who has moved us,

And the storms we are not meant for we shall be sheltered.

We are a couple of autumn leaves, and a fine strong pair;

Not all yellow or heart-shaped, but gentle and in Christ refined.

With one another We could be called to blow anywhere.

May we go and flow as the Lord has for us aligned.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    

Elijah, your poetry has inspired me in mine;

You have been the most amazing “heart leaf” that I could know.

I've never flown so high or happily with anyone :)

And I am so very blessed to have you as my bow <3

So be my *hug* forever,

And I shall be your *kiss*.

Can we be autumn leaves together?

For this season with you I do not want to miss.

Love, your special *Kiss*

~Hannah Piotraschke~

For Better... For EVER

SURPRISE!!! I am still alive and I am still here. So very sorry for neglecting this blog.... But I have a rather excellent excuse. I have been planning a wedding <3 Less than two months after my last post, my sweet Elijah proposed to me on our one-year anniversary of getting to know one another/courting. March 4th 2018 I began a long but so very short 6 months of planning the day I would watch my dream unfold before me as I wore my perfectly white wedding dress. So here I am again, ready to (somewhat) get back into blogging/writing, which is (by the way) still my passion. It just comes second to marriage and loving my new husband ;)

September 1st 2018 was the happiest day of my life... On this day I became what I have always dreamed of becoming. The greatest dream of my life came true, and I am now a bride!!!! I married the love of my life and my best friend, and my knew last name changed from the crazy long German last name, to the sweet and romantic last name of "Armour". Elijah is my prince Charming and now my husband, and I am still in awe of the blessing God has given me through this godly and thoughtful man.

Enjoy a peak of what my happily ever after looks like!!!

Elijah's Family 

My Family

Signing out Marriage License 

First Look

On my way to our First Look

Ashlea Snell was our amazing photographer!!!!! My Aunt made the cake. Another one of my Aunts helped do the flowers. And it was all absolutely PERFECTLY amazing <3

https://ashleasnell.com/

Thorns and Flesh

Last night I was reading 2 Corinthians chapter 12. What a beautiful passage! Especially in verse 7 through 10. I was inspired and uplifted by what Paul had to say concerning weaknesses and strengths, and how he put into words the kind of boasting we all need to learn. As Christians, it is important to be reminded of this particular idea... that Christ can not use what we think are our strengths. Through our weaknesses is where He is able to shine in us.

Verses 7-10

I really enjoyed these few verses in particular, because of how Paul is talking about this "thorn" in his flesh, a messenger of Satan. It torments him and he asks the Lord to take it from him. But the Lord didn't... Because He says: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, Paul then boasts all the MORE gladly for his weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on him. Verse 10 says: "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Clearly, when for Christ we boast in our weakness, that is how He can rest his power on us and use His strength through us.

What Kind of Weaknesses?

I am encouraged by this passage, because not only does it refer to weakness like that of being persecuted for your faith. But it also refers to the "thorn of Satan in our flesh." In other words, our *sinful* flesh. Yes the Lord is our strength when we are persecuted for His sake because of our beliefs. But also I am reminded that it is okay to be weak in our own humanly nature; to be tempted, to struggle with sin, and so on. This too is a trial we go through for Christ's sake every single day in our Christian walk.... Because if it weren't for Him, we probably wouldn't notice of care about the thorn in our flesh. If it weren't for the Lord in our lives, we would not even know or understand that sin was our weakness.

How Do We Boast?

No... I am not exactly saying that we should BOAST in our sins ;P BUT... I do think it's good to realize, and in a way proclaim an outward expression of the thankfulness we have that Jesus *saved* us from these sins... These thorns of fleshly desires that poke against the Holy Spirit within us. Our sin is nothing to boast of. But the weakness we have, only when given to the Lord, can be used for His glory and power to indeed give us strength. And through our fight against hardships and sin, our faith is tested and it GROWS. "For His power is made PERFECT is weakness."

THIS... my friends, is something to boast about ;) "For when I am weak, I am strong..." How amazing is that?


If you are struggling against the sin in your life, that means you are convicted of and desiring to give this weakness to the Lord. In this case, if you are genuine, our God can take these weaknesses and build a stronghold of power in you to make you strong. You will then boast is this strength... the strength of the LORD ALMIGHTY our HEAVENLY KING. 

AMEN

Judge Not

Too often I see people being judged. By their actions. By what they believe. By how they act or how they speak... Yes, we can have discernment about a given situation. But never do we have the right to treat anyone with disrespect or judgment. Even if we consider someone our "enemy", we are to treat them as enemies are to be treated, as Biblically commanded... "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you... Heap coals upon their heads."

The main area that I am most bothered by, is the judgment "broken people" often times receive. You never know where someone might be hurting in life. You might not EVER know why people treat others or themselves in a certain way. Their lifestyle may be very different than your own, or how they think may be way out of whack in your opinion. But unless they are doing something strictly against the Law or Word of God, we cannot say that they are doing things wrong or sinful. Because to put it quite frankly, you probably have NO IDEA where they're at in life.

First of all, no one appreciates you believing that the chapter they are going through describes and is  an overall review of how their entire life has been or will be. It is NOT. God places situations of all kinds in your life in order to grow you, and to teach you many different things. We, especially as Christians, are called to stand up beside those who are hurting or struggling... And in turn, you will be blessed and encouraged when you are the one dealing with a painful complication in your long story. It is all about the attitude we give into during our present place of the journey.

Every chapter of every story is completely different in it's own very unique way, because each of us are very unique from one another. DON'T judge someone because they are handling something differently from the way you would. For an example... don't assume that someone hates you simply because they can't look you in the eyes. Look to the possibility, instead, that they could be ashamed and afraid of what you might think of them. Maybe, in fact, they hate themselves.

Do Not Judge, Lest You Be Judged

~Be a Trustworthy Friend~

A part of not being judgmental, is being trustworthy. Be that friend and brother or sister in Christ who people trust and respect and desire encouragement from. Let them know that it doesn't matter how they deal with the mountains bulging in their paths, as long as they are taking them in the direction God would have them take. You need to be the person who strengthens them with your words and helps out in any area, whether it's pushing them forward in the way they are going, or catching them in a clear mistake and then humbly but in a Christ-like attitude encourage them to turn around.

~Understand the Best of Them~

It doesn't matter if you know their whole story or not. In fact, as a true friend... you don't have to know ANYTHING, because it really is none of your business. But, when you are trustworthy and seeking after the best for a person you know, they may open up and share things with you, where in turn you can be of a godly help and influence. When this happens, do your best to understand them and see where they honestly and genuinely are placing their minds. Help smooth out the rough bumps of their unnecessary troubles, and then where they are most clearly needing help, seek to truly understand them. Ask questions that you are okay with not receiving answers to. Listen even when it's hard. Be strong for them though you will cry a LOT. "Understand", even if in personal life experience you could never possibly and completely understand exactly what they are handling or hiding away in their souls. And then, honor this trust you have been blessed with having.

~Treat a Blackened Soul as if it's the Gold that it is~

I believe most people who truly struggle with pain, depression, sadness or any kind of dark strife in their lives truly hate themselves. I think it's very important as an encouraging friend to help remind them of how much they are worth, and of how much Christ paid for their souls and their hearts. Give them the love and respect they need in order to realize that their brokenness could never be too broken to still be gold. One is not blackened by life storms. Life is refined. You can be made into a diamond by all of the pressure you may be within! But one must remember... To love even yourself... as Christ has loved you. Don't underestimate the price that was paid for you!! And don't let yourself blacken the soul that can be golden.

~Don't Treat a Storm as Simply a Rainfall~

If someone is telling or showing you that they are hurting... DON'T tell them that they are not. Don't act like it's not a big deal, or treat them like nothing is wrong. If someone reaches out to you, or you take the initiative to reach out to them, USE it. Honor their feelings and respect the truths that they share with you. Some people can exaggerate or have an issue with drama, I know that ;) But even sometimes the loudest people are hurting just the same as the quietest souls. They simply handle their fears differently. And you can help BOTH types of people through prayer, and in perhaps different ways by using your own "loud" or "quiet" understandings.

~Speak as if you are Listening~

Whether it is a shy and insecure person, or a boisterous and insecure person, there are ALWAYS insecurities within someone! Know your person... listen and be considerate to those insecure feelings. While giving advice or encouragement of scriptural and personal experience, speak in such a way that shows a soul that you are listening to them and their situations. When you are truly seeking to help someone, you must do it in a way that maybe isn't how you would normally do it, or how you would personally need it done to you. But it will show true love and understanding if you speak as if you are truly there for THEM, not for yourself. Be the voice that they already have deep down somewhere... Draw that voice out and help them heal and find themselves with the help of God and his Grace and forgiveness. They don't need to find you, you're already right there in front of them. What they need is to find the part of them that can get through whatever they are going through, and with their hearts and minds set on the peace and love of Jesus Christ, our Lord God.

~Give the Gift of Your Time~

It's precious to you, I know... but your time could be exactly what someone NEEDS.