A New Season

A new year brings some chapters to an end and new chapters to start. One of those closing chapters has been leaving TriCorps and pursuing some writing projects God has laid on my heart.

It's been a big step of faith as I love working with my husband, but God has shown me it's time to move on to new adventures.

Last day as a TriCorps employee 2.13.15

Not sure exactly what lies ahead and what it will look like. It's tempting to call this a transition phase and get mired down in all those feelings of "transition," but in the words of one of my favorite authors, all of life is basically a transition. (Shauna Niequist-Paraphrased)

So we press on!

But most of all, there are words to be written and I must go and type.

A Year in Photos

Our first year of marriage in photos!

A Noteworthy Year: Twenty Twelve

A blinking cursor.

A big white square. That's what's facing me right now as I grasp for words to outline the past 12 months.

But blankness is certainly not what lies behind:

Lunch at Vast

Among many other things...
College graduation.
Best friend's engagement.
My engagement.
Best friend's wedding.
First devotions published
My wedding.
Also throw in a honeymoon, church change, new house, and new part-time job at TriCorps.

Fullness. Newness. Growth. Dreams reaching maturity and blossoming in my hands.

Numerous words have already been spoken on each of these amazing milestones; I am only left with a humble and grateful heart.

I am married to the most incredible man (for his end of the year blog post, click here) and blessed beyond belief to be his wife. My jobs right now are awesome, fulfilling and challenging- and very different from each other!

I have a beautiful home I get to decorate and fix up with my husband.

We both have excellent families that we get to live life with. I could go on...

Tear off that calendar page

What now? What is God speaking to me to focus on for 2013?

The words that keeps resonating in my spirit are: hungry, learn, grow.

Hungry for more of God.
Thirsty to learn.
Eager to grow.

I've been filled to the brim and even overflowing this year, but in an odd way, that makes me realize I do need God more and more every day so I can constantly learn, I can constantly grow, and I constantly bless and influence those around me. That gives me an appetite for God he promises to satisfy. (Matt. 5:6)

What words are echoing in your soul as you close your eyes on 2012 and open them to 2013?

"For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." Psalm 107:9

Happy New Year!

It Was the Last of Times, It Was the First of Times

Hello readers,

This is Samantha Hanni, the writer formerly known as Samantha Maloy. I would've blogged sooner, but it's later...so whatever. In case you hadn't heard...

I am now a wife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a husband!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wedding photography featured in this post by Valerie Sebestyen.
Check out my or her FB page for the complete album.

And I couldn't be more thrilled, contented, or excited.

Where do I begin? The week leading up to the wedding proceeded smoothly, all things considered. But nearly everyday brought the poignant thought of "This is the last time that..."

The week that never was close, never seemed like it was going to happen was right here: happening, rushing over and past me in a wave that I couldn't control.

However, I did my best to soak in the water from the wedding wave (or hurricane. or tsunami. K never mind that's being dramatic.) and I loved and felt that week more deeply than I thought was possible.

As you can see, the long awaited day started for me bright and early! After that, I don't remember much... except that we got hitched!

No, for real...the day appeared, existed, then vanished.

The day went incredibly smooth though (at least it seemed like that...if there are conflicting stories, please keep those to yourself! Haha.) Many many thanks for all who helped it run so smoothly. Your thank you card will be arriving soon in the mail. I promise!!

Then we were on our own. Finally. Just ourselves, headed to relax in the Florida Keys for a whole week.

Pigeon Key

Reppin' Shimmers in the Atlantic Ocean! 

I don't even know...

Marker 88 Restaurant

Outside our resort

Shark Valley- Everglades

Photographing a cute little lizard 

Self-explanatory

Random signs I found amusing

.together.

By the end of the week, we were both ready to be back in our lovely Oklahoma and start living life again, but living it together. Just two weeks before had been a week of lasts. Now it was a week of firsts. First time to go to the grocery store, first time to plan and cook meals -all by myself!- first time for Kurtis to come home to me, first time to make our bed, first time to come home together after a Thunder game, first first first!

Everything we have planned, prayed and dreamed about, we are living out now, with more and more to come. I can already say it is a beautiful, restoring, challenging journey.

We aren't perfect, but I can say this without a doubt: Kurtis was created to be a husband and I was created to be a wife.  It is an energizing, powerful thing to be living out the role you were created for. Glory to our Creator, and the One who holds our lives and marriage in His hands.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Hanni

Are You Happy With Now?

What if you were completely satisfied with this moment right now?

I started thinking last night how much of our time and energy is spent in anticipation of:

the weekend
next month
November 3 (Oh wait, I think that's just me...)
a different season
freshman year
senior year
another year
another time
another place.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this kind of thinking; anticipation can be good. Planning is necessary.

But are you able to set all that aside as needed and be genuinely satisfied with the present?

If yes, great. You don't have to finish reading this post.
If not, let's chat a bit more.

Truthfully, I'm preaching to myself right now. Truthfully, I am living in GREAT anticipation for that November 3 date when my fiance and I will finally be man and wife, and there is nothing wrong with that. Truthfully, I did not expect it to be so hard to be satisfied with my here and now, and that struggle is refining me.

So I go back to God's Word. Psalm 118:24 says, "THIS is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

I cannot dismiss the utter gift that right now is, because it will never happen again. There is much to do, much to say, much to listen to, much to be each day. Jim Elliot once said, "Wherever you are, be all there." Be all here. In this day. THIS day. Not 2 weeks from now. Not next month. Not 2 months from now. Not 5 years from now.


 I encourage you all, as I am firmly encouraging myself, to finish drinking all now has to offer before moving on to...

...whatever's next.

"Let not our longing slay our appetite for living."

--- Jim Elliot



Joy

There is joy in:

The Son.
Sunshine.
Breath in your lungs.
Rest.
Restoration.
Family.
Speaking truth.
Little kids crawling up in your lap.
Hope.
Trust.
Opportunities.
Succeeding.
Succeeding despite failure.
The Future.
The Present.

Being loved.

Just in case someone needed a reminder.

Love,

Samantha

Happy Birthday Taylor!

This is a birthday post for my little bro who turns 19 today! Thought I'd share a few pics and say some nice stuff...'cause he deserves it!!

This is my best friend. My constant companion for the past 19 years. He knows me...too well. But the above pic doesn't really show the true nature of our sibling-ship.

That's more like it.

                                                                     
Or this.

He always takes my food!


We can have whole conversations with mere facial expressions.

We can start a sentence with "Remember that..." and the other will instantly remember what the other is talking about.

We can tease each other mercilessly and then three minutes later, be launched in a deep spiritual convo.

He makes me laugh like no other, mainly because I'm constantly thinking, "Did he just say that? Did he actually just say that out loud?"

He keeps me humble. He keeps me real. He inspires me.


Now for some pictures from "THE VAULT."                                             

Coke floats and cartoons at Grandpa Ken and Granny Sherry's, 1999

Summer 1995

Sorry for the odd shape, it was in a scrapbook or something, but this pic really sums up our entire relationship.
First of all, you need to realize that this is the face that all big sisters must develop.
Secondly, please note that my hand is on his leg, attempting to quiet him- a battle that was lost before it began.
Thirdly, Taylor's mouth is open.
Like I said, this pic says it all.

I love you Jonathan Taylor!  Have an awesome 19th birthday and year!!

This is my second post.

So my first post was my last editorial of the summer. And this post contains my very first one. It ran in The Vista the second week of June under the headline of "Redefining the Bad Day." Where it mentions summer school, just think "fall semester," and it has the same effect. 

After much mental denial, yes, the summer semester of 2011 is finally here in all its glory.

Ah, summer school.

Maybe you’re jazzed about it…or not. From snippets of students’ conversations, tweets or Facebook statuses, the dreaded biology class or some other such helpless course get bad reps.  In fact, a surprising portion of casual banter and social media fodder is…complaining.

But consider with me, if you will, for a moment.

It could be so much worse.

Since the May 24 tornadoes, I can’t help but think how absurdly lucky and utterly blessed so many of us are and we don’t even take stock of it all.

I dare complain about a little 8-week class, when there are fellow Oklahomans who now have nothing?

When that alarm clock goes off summoning us to our day’s work, do we curse the clock, or choose to be grateful that we still have a bed in house that hasn’t been swept away by Mother Nature’s latest EF-5 special?

It could be worse.

I think about the parents in Piedmont who in one day lost two kids, their home and their way of life until now.

I think about the high school graduate in Joplin, who at the dawn of his next chapter life, never got the chance to turn the page.

That my friends, is truly a bad day.

I propose that we cannot afford the exorbitant price of complaining.

At the risk of sounding flaky or cliché, remember as you drag yourself out of bed for that 8:00 class or toss your books into your 450-degree car at the end of the day, that it could be worse. Before you take a breath to complain about the science class, take another breath and realize that it could always be worse. In fact, take another breath and be glad you could.