Posts
Hannah Morrell
Loving Enemies

Jesus said some pretty crazy things through the Gospels, and most of them didn’t make sense to any of the people listening at the time. One that really catches us off-guard is when He mentions how our ancestors have been taught to love neighbors and hate those who hate you, but He says to instead love your enemy. That’s nuts! There is nothing in me that wants to love someone who has set themselves against me. And I suppose that’s part of it—I can’t do this on my own.

Most of what Jesus calls us to do is completely impossible on our own. We can’t forgive, we can’t bless those who curse us, we can’t rejoice in trials, we can’t not be afraid. Yet with His Life in ours, He is saying this is possible, and even further, will be true of us as His living water of love gushes out through us to others.

Often when I get mad at someone because they’ve hurt me, or because they’ve hurt someone I love, I want to punish them, reject them and hurt them back. Most of this I suppose I do in my head, not in reality, but the attitude is definitely there.

Loving Enemies
Posts
Hannah Morrell
Wisdom

I have been reading Proverbs the last few months, and God is definitely talking to me about wisdom as I read this book. It is a pretty major theme throughout after all, but I’m seeing it differently than I ever have before. Someone asked me what I thought the difference between wisdom and knowledge was, and I’ve been asking God the same question.

Often we focus on knowledge, gaining information ad nauseum, hoping that enough will allow us to control our environment, to be acceptable to God, to prevent pain. But no matter how much we know, we can’t control our circumstances, we already are acceptable to God (based on His work not ours) and we can’t prevent pain. Now, there’s nothing wrong with knowledge, but I think it is only half the battle.

I would define wisdom as the revelation of God’s perspective on the information we have learned, and His definition of application to our lives. Wisdom, after all, is Jesus Himself. When we recognize we are in Christ and already have all of Him, we also can ask for wisdom at any time, knowing that He will give it. James 1:5 says, “And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace.

Wisdom
Posts
Hannah Morrell
Trust & Fear

As I pray and soak in the presence of God these days, often the question that forms in my mind from Him is, “Do you trust me?” And generally my answer is, “Not really. But I want to. Will you help me?” What I’m discovering is that this continued building of trust by Him in my heart is a very slow process, and I feel like I’m moving backwards quite a lot. I know I’m in good company with that as well, so it’s not something that’s shocking to Jesus as He shepherds me.

Some days I feel like there are weights on my feet as I walk this road, and I am realizing it’s not pressure from God for He never demands trust. I get really down when I believe I’ve failed and disappointed Him again. But that’s not His perspective. He always invites—never demands. He doesn’t use condemnation or shame to get me to move the right direction. If any of these voices exist in my head it’s from the enemy, and I must dismiss it as a lie.

Trust & Fear
Posts
Hannah Morrell
Living Water

I was recently traveling through western Colorado with my family, and noticed the beauty of the water cutting through rocks everywhere we went. In some places, it became a rushing waterfall, wildly dancing down massive rock walls. In others, it had caressed the rocks so many times it had made them smooth, carving out little bowls and baths along the way. Minerals and varieties of rock were revealed as well, as colors of all sorts showed through the places the water had run over so many times.

The beauty was everywhere, and God spoke to me about how the streams of living water flowing through us were just like that. This stream is love rushing over hard hearts, difficult circumstances and places of defeat and discouragement. His love cuts through the rocks, bringing forth joy, beauty and even gentleness. The rocks were no match for the steady faithfulness of the water as it continued to pour over every day.

Living Water
Posts
Hannah Morrell
Opinions vs. Trust

I have been praying a lot recently for God’s voice on matters in my life, rather than relying on my logic or experience. I tend to want to figure something out, thinking that I solve problems by making them make sense. But I have been meditating a lot on Proverbs 3:5-6, and realizing that’s exactly the opposite of what God wants me to do.

The thing is, no matter how much I know or think through something, it often is never going to make sense, and I will be limited in my ideas by my own creativity. If I, instead, trust Him completely and don’t rely on my own opinions, He promises to guide and lead. This isn’t about gathering more information about God, but rather going deeper in intimacy in relationship with Him.

This means that no matter what the situation, you are not limited to your perspective or what you can figure out about it. Rather, we get to rise above the circumstance, and see things from His perspective as we are already seated with Him in the heavenlies (Eph 3:1-2) What seems true right now is only a fraction of the truth, and we get to trust Him to guide us in all truth. He cares deeply for us, and His main goal in this life is that we go deeper in knowing Him—deeper in intimacy with our Father.

Opinions vs. Trust

Christian life

Loving Enemies

Loving Enemies

Jesus said some pretty crazy things through the Gospels, and most of them didn’t make sense to any of the people listening at the time. One that really catches us off-guard is when He mentions how our ancestors have been taught to love neighbors and hate those who hate you, but He says to instead love your enemy. That’s nuts! There is nothing in me that wants to love someone who has set themselves against me. And I suppose that’s part of it—I can’t do this on my own.

Most of what Jesus calls us to do is completely impossible on our own. We can’t forgive, we can’t bless those who curse us, we can’t rejoice in trials, we can’t not be afraid. Yet with His Life in ours, He is saying this is possible, and even further, will be true of us as His living water of love gushes out through us to others.

Often when I get mad at someone because they’ve hurt me, or because they’ve hurt someone I love, I want to punish them, reject them and hurt them back. Most of this I suppose I do in my head, not in reality, but the attitude is definitely there.

In Christ

In Christ

In Christ, I am safe and protected.

In Christ, I am loved completely without pretense or meeting a standard.

In Christ, I have worth bestowed on me through sacrifice.

In Christ, I am a new creation.

In Christ, I am not controlled by sin or evil.

In Christ, I have power to live the impossible Christian life.

In Christ, I am complete and whole, lacking in nothing.

In Christ, I have all my needs met, physical, emotional and spiritual.

Fairy Godmothers and Being a New Creation

Fairy Godmothers and Being a New Creation

As a little girl, I dreamed of the princess transformation like Cinderella’s done by her fairy godmother. I think even as adults, women (secretly) would love to have a magic wand waved over them to change their hair, their dress, their shoes and then whisk them off in a carriage to a ball with a handsome prince. And little boys (and sometimes girls too) dream of being the best baseball player and winning the championship, or being the strong knight in shining armor who heroically rescues the damsel in distress.

The Pressure of Doing Everyday Life

The Pressure of Doing Everyday Life

Do you ever feel the pressure of living out your calling, and wonder how you are going to be what everyone needs or wants you to be? How are you going to raise these kids? How are you going to preach on Sunday? How are you going to show up to a marriage which requires so much? How are you going to do one more day in a menial, thankless job that barely pays the bills? How are you going to love a person in your life who keeps responding in bitterness? How are you going to listen to the question of an aging parent and answer with patience for the hundredth time today?

Light in the Darkness

Light in the Darkness

Sometimes the darkness feels so scary and bleak. The unknown staring at us makes us feel as if we will never get through, and even if we do, we might hate what’s on the other side. Sometimes the pain seems too much, the loss too great. We feel alone, discouraged and filled with anxiety.

Choosing to Remember the Truth That Sets Us Free

Choosing to Remember the Truth That Sets Us Free

Who am I? Apart from Christ, no more than a broken woman with no special powers or intelligence. A mother who gets impatient with her kids and lives in regret often over the reactions. A wife who loves imperfectly and sometimes focuses on the flaws rather than the good. A person who beats herself up often for all the lack, forgetting to remember the Source for any good thing.

Walking with the broken to find hope in Jesus