Items in Progress ::

What up, friends?! 

Here's a list of what tasks are "in the works". This is, after all, a marathon, not a sprint. ;)

1) Become a Civil War buff - Currently reading Battle Cry of Freedom. I have decided to focus on Robert E. Lee as my favorite general & the battle of Antietam, Maryland as my "favorite" battle.

4) Run a 5k & Half Marathon - 

• I've technically already run a 5k, but I feel like that didn't count because I ran in Brooke's stead. So... Sunday, September 28, I am running in the Bubble Run 5K with these lovely ladies (and a few more not seen here). I have some really incredible friends/coworkers! ;)
  
• Then, October 13th I am running in the Biggest Loser Half Marathon in Seattle with one of my best friends from Seminary, Sara. You will see a pic of her soon. It's going to be FANTASTIC. :) We've been running every Saturday morning for the past couple of weeks; this Saturday is our seven-miler. We got this ;) Be on the lookout for more posts about how my training is going. It's been an awesome and difficult challenge.

5) Compose a Soundtrack of my Life - So good! *sigh* Really looking forward to sharing this.

6) Create, Establish & Maintain a Blog - (obviously).

7) Write something significant and get it published - This task is my third most intimidating. But it's in the works nonetheless. [I realize after talking with friends that certain terms like "published" or "buff" probably need to be defined. At least, in regards to what I mean by them for the purposes of this list. Those terms I have highlighted in green throughout this post. I am still processing through some of these definitions a bit.] In all honesty, I have had articles published already. So I think thus far "published" means perhaps having one of my short stories published in a local/small magazine? This remains to be seen. I have a few other projects that may qualify as "significant" and could be "published". So I have to think through what my aim is here. Either way, I have writings in the works. So this one still counts as being "underway!"

8) Become a wine buff - Again, another term that needs defining. What do I mean by "buff"? In the bottom picture above, the ladies and I are at an afternoon wine tasting at Cana's Feast. It was at this event that I began to flesh out my thoughts on what I mean by a "wine buff". After hearing about Cana's wine club and the classes they teach, I've decided that a buff means pursuing wine education and becoming a special member of a winery (The membership costs me about 8 bottles/year. I can most certainly handle that ;). I live in and around the Willamette Valley - Oregon's Wine Country. Becoming a wine buff begins with "knowing my valley". Understanding what's in the area and making the most of what the grapes have to offer. This will be fun! I am glad to get a clear vision on this. :)

9) Go to Bend - Whoo hoo! Purchased a Groupon with my two closest friends from Seminary - Sara & Alisa - for a resort stay in Bend the first weekend in November. Cannot wait! :) In addition, Brooke plans on skiing there a bunch this winter - I will be in tagging along & learning to snowboard, another long desired dream soon to be fulfilled.

11) Accomplish the first Two Steps of Financial Peace University - It's a discipline, but it's happening. Slow and steady wins the race here and as well as maintaining a "Gazelle-like" intensity (Listen to his series to know what I mean by that last phrase ;).

12) Give away 30 things I don’t need but have been holding on to - I've given away a couple of things already... including a Coach purse I felt was superfluous to who I actually am. It's been nice to slowly make decisions in this area, but I gotta step up my game with this a bit. And perhaps define "what I don't need" a bit clearer. Hmmmm.

14) Try all the food carts in downtown Portland - We've (Alicia, Brooke, myself & other coworkers) been faithfully going to the carts at least one day a week all summer. This has slowed down a bit so I need to get back on the band wagon. But needless to say, every bite has been worth the challenge. I am potentially 1/3 of the way through all of the carts. The carts take up about 1 & 1/2 city blocks, but I will do it nonetheless! It's a good thing I love food...

15) Write 30 cards to 30 people in 30 days straight - I have 11 people on my list thus far for this task. This challenge is becoming more meaningful to me than initially planned. But I am looking forward to it... This will rock my world in the best of ways, I believe.

16) Bike to work successfully all summer and cap off with competing in the Bike to Work Challenge - this may be the next task I complete! I am in the midst of the Bike to Work challenge right now! There will be a separate post on this soon.

20) Be an extra on Grimm - Really fun updates here! Emailed the casting crew, found out who I need to get in touch with, took head shots and full body shots to email in... and met one of the main actors in the bank the other day down the street from where I work. 

He gave me the head nod and said I looked lovely! It was awesome.

21) Become confident at Knitting - My Sonja, a beloved house mate of mine, is making sure this happens and I love it. This, too, will also have it's own post soon. ;)

23) Watch the Godfather Trilogy - This is slated for some time in late October @ my friend's Adam's house! It will be epic.

And lastly... 27) Write my mom a thank you card every month - I have been pretty faithful about this too. I don't always get them out to her in the most timely fashion, but I keep 'em coming. It's been a blessing to see the joy on her face and to hear the thrill in her voice after the card has arrived & been read. It's also been humbling to realize all that I am because of her sacrifice. Thank you, mom.

Suffice it to say... I gots things in progress! Be on the lookout for more posts soon! Thank you for following alongside me as I venture out on this journey. You hold me accountable and it means a lot to know I am not alone! :)

Love, H ::

#24 :: Done

#24 - Read & Finish The Chronicles of Narnia series for the FIRST time ... Check!

So... I finished this a while ago, but haven't gotten around to making that fact known yet. I've been debating how this whole "blog + list accomplishment" thing should work. This was the first item on my list I've completed and I wasn't sure how to "share" that. But after further reflection (and multiple friends asking, "so what have you actually completed on your list?"), I've decided that if I am truly going to "maintain" a blog (#6 on my list), I better report in about what I get done. ;)

So... I finished The Chronicles of Narnia! Whoo hoo! :) And I loved it! 

I finished the last two books - The Silver Chair & The Last Battle - while on my family vacation to the beach in July. 

I spent several days (10 am to 6 pm) out on the porch, in my favorite rocking chair, reading.
(P.S. This is how happy hour should be done in my opinion.) 

And if the rocking chair got too stiff for my plump behind, I would switch it up and read on the beach. It was heavenly!

When I can, I plan on sharing some of my favorite quotes from each book. But I have to say that my favorite books were The Horse & His Boy, Prince Caspian & The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and that in order, too. Prince Caspian and The Horse & His Boy vie for first place in my heart, but I think the latter wins out. I didn't actually enjoy Prince Caspian until the late middle/end of the story. Probably because I was jaded by the horrible movie they made of the book (unfortunately, I saw it first) so it took me a while to warm up to the story. But movies never do their book justice typically and I should have remembered that. Thus, in the end, Prince Caspian won my heart. The imagery of the children following Aslan though they can't see him and don't even believe he is there will never escape me. What a powerful metaphor for the daily walk of the follower of Christ (Hebrews 11; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Romans 8:24-25).

But it was the barrenness of The Horse & His Boy that won me. The desert waste land story turned into a refreshing oasis of redemption got a hold of me. It's the story of a kid who always knew he was different, but couldn't quite place how. Who always felt out of place and was desperate to find belonging. We all love a story like that. But what really makes the book my favorite? Chapter 11, when Corin, the "vagrant-become-prince" is walking in the dark woods alone after finally finding his place after so long. He's sent on an errand to warn his new family that their archenemy is riding fast to destroy them. While on the errand he is separated from his companions. He finds himself alone again, wandering in a wood that seems to enclose him in progressive darkness. The darkness, like the loneliness, encroaches on his being and spirit alike, turning him to despair. He throws a pity party (one I could see myself in so clearly). But then a new feeling overtakes him: terror. He is not alone after all. He senses the presence of someone else. He questions if this emotion is imagined, but soon he feels a heavy warm breathe on his back. This deep sigh validates his fear. There is someone beside him. He speaks and discovers a friend. It's Aslan, waiting to be recognized, proving to Corin that he was never alone - past or present. Aslan listens to Corin's sorrows and comforts him with His warming breath. 

This imagery brought to tears to my eyes. I walk this way all the time: believing I am alone when all along God is beside me breathing his warm protection on me, patiently waiting for me to turn around acknowledge Him. He's never disappointed in me that I go about doing my own thing. He knows I am ridiculous and hard headed. But He does ache for me to turn toward His face and see Him. He eagerly waits for me to turn around and remember He is there. When I finally do, all conviction is found when I fix my eyes on Him, when I remember that I am not alone and that I am definitely not in charge. The Horse & His Boy rings with the truth of God's sovereignty and that truth anchors my wavering heart. 

The book blessed me - the whole series did. And it proves to be a rich and rewarding decision to have this on my list & to have accomplished it. It motivates me to keep pressing forward. And so I shall. Onward & Upward!

H::

"Child," said the Voice. "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own."

Alicia Strikes Again :: ROAR ::

"... Louder than a lion cause I am CHAMPION and you're gonna hear me ROAR!!"

Katy Perry's new song.

I am addicted. 

Thanks to Alicia Harvey. Who, in truth, found the song from Alexis Crowell. So Lex, here's one of your many impending shout outs: THANK YOU FOR THE NEW SONG! Another woman sharing her tenacious spirit. Ah, it's refreshing.

Alicia and Brooke got this awesome opportunity to run in the world's largest relay, Hood to Coast. One literally runs from Mt. Hood to the Oregon Coast on a 12 man team. 198 miles, 12 people, 1 goal. Saturday I drove to the beach to retrieve them from their crazy venture. Saturday night as we were driving home after our British beach bonfire, Alicia broke the silence of our ride with Katy Perry's new song.

I was instantly hooked; the sleeping tiger in me awoke. This song was made for women like me: Fightin' women.

I have been listening to it NONSTOP since Saturday night - on my Sunday run, on my Monday bike ride to and from work and on my lunch break. Even this Tuesday morning bike ride was consumed with the song's prowess. And as I listened to it on my way in, I had a revelation: this song reminds me of why I created my list in the first place - I want the world to hear me ROAR.

My 30 before 30 list is my way of roaring. I want to be heard. I want people to know I was here, that I lived and lived well. I want to leave my mark. I just finished reading Tattoos on the Heart, an incredible book about one man's ministry to the gangs of LA. The book seeps with wisdom but it made me realize how much I (and all of us) yearn for significance - to be and do something significant. Through the stories of his life, Father Gregory Boyle proves we can do and be significant. I believe we can. I know I can. So I am going for it with all I have!

Last night I had $1 margaritas with one of my dearest friends in the PDX area, Sara. Sara and I are running a half marathon together, #4 on my list. This prompted us talk about my list and my definitions for words like "publish" or "wine snob". Again I was reminded that it's not that I expect to finish everything. But that I do need to try for everything. I want to keep pushing forward towards my goals and dreams. Even if I only accomplish 10 of the things on my list, I will be closer to the Hannah God intended me to be because I am finally living into the desires He gave me. That is the end game for me, people. Nothing more, nothing less. Hear me on this and remind me of this if I waver. The tasks on my list are not the end; the end is to fight through my fears to accomplish my goals. In that, I can be a victor. To that end, I will have accomplished much more. Being a champion is a mentality. It's the approach I choose take to my list, for sure. But, ultimately, its the approach I choose to take towards my life. I choose to rock it because I am a champion.

"I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire

Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me ROAR

Louder, louder than a lion

Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me ROAR

You’re gonna hear me roar!!"

You better believe as long as the Lord lets me breathe, I will not quit until everyone hears me roar! 

 

 :: Brooke, Myself & Alicia, Post Hood to Coast ::

:: Me & Leesh, on the beach :: 

(Girls, we got the eye of the tiger ;)