Tis So Sweet

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!” 

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.


This past year one of my goals was to rebuild my trust in Jesus. Long story short, because of  insecurities and doubts I had lost my trust. I wanted it back, but I knew it would be a slow process. I feel like this past year was healing for me and starting off the new year at church with this song was just right.

It is so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, just to rest upon his promise. O for grace to trust him more...

In my past I had taken that for granted, and yesterday was a gentle reminder of just how amazing that is!

Begin Well

Cheers to the New Year! Let's make 2013 a great one! Here are some things I want to work toward:

1. Fall more in love with Jesus.
2. Walk closer with the Spirit.
3. Get God out of any boxes I have put Him in.
4. Use our resources more wisely. Money, time, influence.
5. Get organized. House, work, hobbies, cleaning. 
6. Work on being content. 
7. Pay off the truck.
8. Feed current friendships and create new ones
9. Make time to reflect.
10. Find my rhythm. God, work, home, friends, hobbies.
11. Blog at least once a month.

I decided not to do 13 in 13 like last year, mostly because it is an unsustainable pattern as the years keep going...!

A few of mine came from a great article by Relevant magazine about things to do/know by 25ish. Check it out!

What are your goals, resolutions, hopes for this new year?

Fresh Fall

Well once again fall is upon us! I love fall. I love the crunch of colorful leaves, the sudden crispness of the air, the smell of fireplaces warming homes, and the yellow blur of school buses filled with the buzz of excitement.

Although the world around us seems to be shutting down for the eminent cold of winter, for me there is something fresh and new that comes with fall, the same feeling I get at the start of a new year.

So let's start fresh once again this fall! Already nine months into this year I am taking some time to revisit my 12 in 12 list from January. How am I doing, you ask? Let's do a quick check-up!

1. Spend more meaningful time with the people I love. -- Something I will constantly work for
2. Love more and better. -- Another constant goal in my life, but right now concentrating on falling back in love with God
3. Admit, confess, and explore my doubts in-depth. -- More coming soon
4. Trust. -- Trust is being rebuilt, and it's a wonderful thing
5. Take time to reflect. -- Improving, but inconsistent
6. Explore and "define" what I believe. -- On this journey
7. Explore how to live a life of love, peace, wisdom, and justice. -- Constant exploration
8. Visit Nashville. -- YES! Aubrey and I visited the lovely Nashville this past March!
9. Use my free time more wisely. -- Uh oh, naps count as wisely right...? Oh alright, progress needed
10. Cook and craft more. -- Cook yes, craft, not so much. Working on fixing that soon and very soon!
11. Read more, I'm shooting for at least 6 books this year. -- I have read 6 books already and I am truckin' on!
12. Live healthier. -- Another tangible one! Yes, against all odds, I, Mollie Hogan, am now running, and ran my first race this summer! Miracles do happen people!

 How are you doing on those goals set so many months ago? Start fresh with me this fall!

Don't you hate it?

Don't you hate when a blog you follow suddenly drops of the radar for months on end?

And don't you hate the excuse filled-apology begging post when they finally resurface from whatever the heck the have been doing for the last 5 months?

Me too.

Life happens. Things get crazy. And blogs get placed on the back burner.

Life's a journey and I'm blazing on. Hope you will join me.

The Gap

It can't really be March already can it? No, my last post surely wasn't in January... Eeek.

But instead of feeling guilt ridden like usual, I am actually finding some happiness in the gap, because the gap is not filled nothing, my gap is filled with something...something great...life.

I cannot say that there haven't been nights where I curled up on the couch to watch a show, or afternoons spent reading a book... but there have also been nights filled with great conversations that lasted until midnight and afternoons spent with dear friends celebrating the next phase of life.

So, instead of apologizing for the gap, I am choosing to celebrate it. Because I was living life, and while I do wish I had written about it more than I did, it was great.

Life. It's short and it's beautiful. Go live it. I am going to...and not only am I going to go live it, but i'm going to try to write about it more too...!

Dream On

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

    
       -excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech.

What is your dream?

Martin Luther King did not have a dream for 10 years down the road, "I have a dream today". What would happen if we dreamed like that?

Martin Luther King looked at where he was, saw a problem, and dreamed big. I think that is what we are called to do as well. It is so easy to have a dream, but then say, well maybe someday I will be able to do something about it. Look at where you are RIGHT NOW, not somewhere you hope to be 2 or 5 or 10 years from now, and DREAM.

Dream big and dream present tense.

New Year

"the years go by, like stones under rushing water, we only know when it's gone..." Stones Under Rushing Water by Needtobreathe

Check out my boy's blog. In the same light as his, here are my 12 in 12. 

1. Spend more meaningful time with the people I love.  
2. Love more and better.
3. Admit, confess, and explore my doubts in depth.
4. Trust. 
5. Take time to reflect.
6. Explore and "define" what I believe.
7. Explore how to live a life of love, peace, wisdom, and justice.
8. Visit Nashville.
9. Use my free time more wisely.
10. Cook and craft more.
11. Read more, I'm shooting for at least 6 books this year.
12. Live healthier.

Grateful for the years I have been given, and determined to live this one for Him.

What are your hopes, dreams, resolutions, goals, looking forward to's for this new year? Don't let this one slip by like they tend to do, make it count.

Miss ya Murph

5 years ago a little ball of fur entered into our lives after the loss of Maggie, the first dog that made its way into my heart (Annie, the evil beagle, did not make her way into my heart and pretty quickly made her way right out the door!)

Our hearts were broken when Maggie died at the young age of 5 and the four-legged void in the house was too much to bare. So, soon came along a little ball of fur, who quickly became a BIG ball of fur that we called Murphy.

Murphy was nothing short of a character. He had as much personality as he did fur and he quickly became the second dog to work its way into the part of my heart where dogs seem to reside. He was big, he was fluffy, and he was funny. He would look right into your eyes and you knew he was trying to say something. Murphy was not long after joined by another less furry four legged friend. The little guy was found beaten, abandoned and quickly welcomed into our home and hearts. Murphy found his his other half when Little Bill entered the picture.

Nothing short of the odd couple, Murphy and Bill became best buds. Murphy; the uncoordinated pretty boy, and Bill; the rough and tough athletic stray.

A little over a month ago, we lost Murphy, at the all too familiar young age of 5.

The all too fresh memories of losing Maggie flooded into my mind. Our hearts were broken again.

I was heartbroken, but I quickly became heartbroken for a different reason. Little Bill's other half was gone, and he didn't know what to do. The following week was agonizing as Bill stopped eating and would sit and whine. He didn't know how to be by himself. Although the two legged family members weren't really ready it became apparent that we had to fill the void left by Murphy, for Bill's sake.

Enter our new ball of fur, Millicent Louise (Millie). The affect on Bill was immediate. It was clear that Bill just needed a friend.

Millie has quickly made her way into my heart and is shaping up to be quite a character. She's not Murphy, and I am not looking for a replacement. There is a place in my heart for them both.

Murph, bud, I miss you. Bill misses you. I miss seeing your big ole' face in the window when I pull in Mom and Dad's driveway. I miss watching you and Bill play. I miss looking out the window and seeing you taking a nap in the snow. I wish you could meet Millie, you would like her!

The part of my heart where dogs reside must be pretty big. Maggie and Murph are there together along with Bill and Millie, and I know there is room for more.

Hi there stranger(s)

Ok, ok, i will spare you the excuses of my absence. To be honest summer was busy but not so busy that i couldn't have blogged. i guess i just need a break, a real break from the normal ebb and flow and that is what i got! summer was great, but now fall is here! Summer was just buzzing along and then BAM the air was crisp and the first leaf was crunching beneath my now closed toed shoes! But before i just give in to the ever creeping closer fall i think i will relive my summer, in warp speed! How about some pictures?!

my man ran MORE than a marathon! (see previous post!)

i got to go to Texas for work and see my bff tay. awesome duh.

we declared Sunday afternoon/nights Hogan-Eiselt hang out days and so we got to see our sweet friends and their precious (dancing) children!

we went to Pine Lake for the day 4th of July weekend. gorgeous!

oh yea we added on a new building at church, had over 500 volunteers from across the country that came on their own time and money to build us a new youth wing. Go God.

The Hogans (all the non-marrieds) ventured north! Fun family times

Jordy came (and this is the best picture we got) and we went to the Harry Potter midnight movie premier, duh.

we got to see our sweet sweet friends John and Jill get baptized! Super cool!

Aubrey and Ben were reunited!

and they quickly picked up where they left off (acting like children who refuse to grow up)

So much fun with sweet friends! Good thing Lindsay and I like each other because i think we would just have to put up with each other anyway! :)

OH YEAH, Mom and I went to Hawaii...no big deal.

and it was BEAUTIFUL! And so we find ourselves on the brink of fall! Can't wait to see what fun adventures it will bring! Hope your summer was as wonderful as mine!

bucket list

aubrey and i have each been working on a list of 50 things we want to do before we die. we were inspired to make these lists by my sweet friend Molly Bailey. aubrey and i are at a sort of cross roads in life trying to figure out what we want to do with our lives. making these lists has been such a cool process not only dreaming, but dreaming with God, and who else better to dream with!? the lists have also opened our eyes to what we truly value in life.

through this process i found a website that i think is pretty cool! not only did it get my wheels turning looking at other people's "bucketlists" but it was also cool to see things on people's lists that i have already done in my life!

it is so easy sometimes to think that our lives are so meaningless and ordinary, but i think just the opposite is true! if you are ever feeling like you haven't done anything in your life i encourage you to check out other people's lists and see what things they are dreaming about doing that you have already done! also, i really encourage you to make a bucket list of your own!

hope it adds a pinch of sugar to your day!

new directions

I have decided to (sort of) take this blog in a new direction. Or maybe just A direction, since as of the last 6 months it has been going nowhere.

I found inspiration in my friend jill's blog. She has so much fun stuff on there!!

So, this blog is now going to encompass several different areas of my life, from personal ramblings, recipes, crafts, to tips and tricks that I have discovered!

The inspiration behind the name, "a pinch of sugar" is multi-faceted and will hopefully be revealed as the blog grows!

it is now July 8th and we live in Wisconsin.

It doesn't feel real at all. It still feels like we are just here visiting for the summer! Crazy. Once we get our own place I am hoping it will feel more like home! (for now Aubrey and I are living with my parents!)

SOO much has happened since I last blogged the best way to summarize is with pictures so here we go!

the boxes continued to take over our apartment



furniture started disappearing in order to make room for more boxes



we hung out with friends... a lot



fury theory had a concert



we had a going away party



aubrey packed up everything we own and drove off in a BIG yellow truck



i hung out with friends some more



and more



i graduated college



we started a business!



i flew to Texas and got my best friend all married off!



and other than all that...we have been so busy with Summer Snow (our snowball stand we started) we haven't had time for much else since we moved up here!

It has been hard to really make it feel like home because we have been so focused on getting Summer Snow running, but now that we have done that we are both hoping to find some time to meet people, do fun things, and find a place to call our own!

I will update (hopefully sooner than later) when we have more to share!

it is May. We move this month. I can't believe how fast time has flown by.

Good news is that i found a camera cord! and my camera situation is fixed!

So: PICTURES!

Aubrey and I had our eyes dilated, so this was our protective gear!



Lindsay and I found these amazing jumpers at the cabin in Arkansas that we stayed at for her birthday weekend!



Ben and Aubrey are trying to fit in all the last minute rapping they can!



The boxes have begun to take over our apartment...



Me and Linds on her birthday!



Some of the HUGE...(tiny) fish we caught at the cabin in Arkansas!






well i was going to upload some more but it is taking forever and my computer is about to die! I will add more later!