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?

In Review

The last day of 2012 is upon us, and as each year in my past has come to a close I find myself wondering the same thing...."where did it go?"

Last year I shared 12 things I wanted to work towards in 2012. In September I revisited them, and here is the final look back.

1. Spend more meaningful time with the people I love. I visited friends, called long distant friends more often, and spent much more meaningful time with Aubrey.
2. Love more and better. Even though this one is vague, and something I will always be working toward, I can say I took steps in the right direction.
3. Admit, confess, and explore my doubts in depth. This is a slow go, and something I am still working through, I am however in a place where my doubts don't scare me.
4. Trust. Trust has been and will continue to be regained.
5. Take time to reflect. Hmm, my journaling was sporadic this year, and I found myself filling my free time unwisely a lot. This is definitely something I am still working into my life as a routine.
6. Explore and "define" what I believe. Explore, check. Define, I don't know that I will ever have it defined, in retrospect, maybe its not wise to define it as it leaves no room for growth.
7. Explore how to live a life of love, peace, wisdom, and justice. This one came from a book, One.Life these are things that I will constantly be maintaining and adding to my life.
8. Visit Nashville. Aubrey and I loved our visit to Nashville! Saw sweet friends and ate great food.
9. Use my free time more wisely. Hmm, as stated above, this is something I am still figuring out. I need to figure out how to work 8 hours a day, and come home and not just sit on the couch until I go to bed. Any tips..?
10. Cook and craft more. YES! I have great friends who love to craft, so craft nights were scheduled and crafts executed! I crafted a lot of Christmas gifts this year which was great, and I learned how to knit! I am also doing more cooking as Aubrey and I are now on a more structured budget.
11. Read more, I'm shooting for at least 6 books this year. Definitely read at least 6 this year, and have definitely reignited my love of reading! I finished one last week, and started the first in a currently list of 10 I am hoping to get through!
12. Live healthier. I think I did this! I started running this summer! When winter came I decided that I wasn't one of those hardcore runners who runs in the snow and ice, so I moved to the gym. However, the treadmill and my knees do not get along, so I moved to the elliptical. Also started doing some videos to tone muscles I didn't know I had... ouch! Currently in a healing process after busting my BUTT the first day it snowed this year. Tailbone...bruised. I also cut back SIGNIFICANTLY on how much coke (Dr. Pepper) I was drinking. Water is juuust fine!

These are definitely things I will carry over with my into the new year, but I feel like I made steps in the right direction of new habits and awareness.

How do you feel as you look back reflectively on your 2012?

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.

confession

Hi. My name is Mollie and I am a bad blogger.

I really do think about blogging a lot, like every other day, and then something comes up and two months go by. fail.

Fall was wonderful, winter has made its steady roll in, and now Christmas is just 11 days away. Where oh where does the time go?

So, in the spirit of recap here comes our fall, I will however, save all of my craftiness for later updates! Just because it is more fun that way! but they will probably come at you one after another in the next few days, so be on the look out! Ok, Hogan fall/early winter and go...

My best friend Tay surprised me and flew up for my birthday, this picture is pure best friend bliss.

 

 My mom and I went to see the So You Think You Can Dance tour!

 We had amazing seats!

 We had a lovely Thanksgiving with family friends!

 The Hogan Christmas tree went up!

I got an early Christmas present and the Hogan's are now plus 1! Meet George!

 This is the home George's dad built for him, snazzy right?!

Oh and we also went to Louisiana to visit family and friends and I took no zero pictures, double fail. So, in a blur of the past two months there you go!

I have been pretty busy crafting though, so more to come on that soon!

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.

A-Z

There is a little trend happening in the blogosphere that I, as a survey/questionnaire lover cannot resist! And so here is my A-Z

A. Age: 22, but two weeks from today I will make the move to the big 23
B. Bed size: Queen, and I have tricked myself into thinking that when we do finally get a king the sheet wars will end... right?
C. Chore that you hate: Laundry wins but with a close 2nd of cleaning the bathroom. The laundry is just daunting! You have to wash all those clothes and dry them, but even then it's not over...you have to fold them and put them away? I mean what kind of cruel trick is someone trying to play here? The bathroom is just gross.
D. Dogs: The Hogan's have not ventured into that just yet. We grew up with 2 very different dog styles and have yet to meet in the middle. Plus we are in an apartment that doesn't allow them right now.
E. Essential start to your day: Confession time. An icy cold Dr. Pepper on the rocks. Sad I know. I'm a proud pepper.
F. Favorite color: At the moment mustard yellow. I just can't seem to satisfy the craving to have more and more mustard yellow in my life.
G. Gold or Silver: I break down my jewlery into two categories: 1) life long/classics (wedding ring, pieces I will wear throughout my life, etc) 2) fashion pieces. For life longers its silver for me, but for fashion I will go either way.
H. Height: 5’6"
I. Instruments you play: I played the bassoon (google it and imagine a middle schooler weighing all of 90lbs toting that thing around) in middle school but since then, nothing.
J. Job title: Family Ministry Assistant at Jacob's Well Church.
K. Kids: As the boy would say (as he oodles over cute children we see around town) NO WAY. So... in other words... Yes way, but LATER!
L. Live: Eau Claire, Wisconsin (southern transplant and LOVING it)
M. Mother’s name: Lori Jan. She will be SO glad I included the middle name. She pretty much rocks.
N. Nicknames: Moll, Molls, flailer, spaz, ya know the usual.
O. Overnight hospital stays: None for me, only to watch over my sick brother. (wicked mono)
P. Pet peeves: Bad drivers, people who think rules don't apply to them.
Q. Quote from a movie: "Moses suposes his toeses are roses, But Moses supposes erroneously, And Moses, he knowses his toeses aren't roses, As Moses supposes his toeses to be!" Singing in the Rain
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings: Just the one baby brother, Matt, who will be 20 this year...whoa.
T. Time you wake up: For work: juuust enough time to get ready and RUN out the door! Sleeping in: 10ish
U. Underwear: Well since you asked, I wear one style and brand of underwear. American Eagle classics. And may I just say that I love underwear so much that I bought some new pairs last year around this time....with my birthday money. Judge me if you will.
V. Vegetable you hate: Mushrooms, olives, most of the classics hates, and english peas...I had an "incident" growing up with 2 english peas... I still shudder to think about it, and I bet my mom does too...
W. What makes you run late: The beast on top of my head some people call my "hair" Ya know it has a mind of it's own and it sabotages me sometimes...but thats normal right??
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Toes, knees, hips, nose. Toes and nose broken. I don't brake the more "impressive" things...
Y. Yummy food that you make: I'm just slightly famous for my chicken enchiladas. No big deal.
Z. Zoo animal: I could seriously watch the otters all day. Have you seen how much FUN they have??

Ok well I had WAY too much fun doing that! You should do it too and post a link in a comment! As much as i love filling these things out, i love even more to read them!!

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!

Aubrey moves up north one month from today. wow.

I graduate in a month an 3 days. wow.

we started packing last night. wow.

its really going to start happening. crazy.

wishing I could post pics of just random things, but my cord to link it to my computer is missing. camera fail. hoping it turns up as we start packing.

A rare night of no homework ahead of me! Plan to spend time with the boy and do some packing. maybe watch a movie? only time will tell.

praying for sanity in the coming month.

It has been WAY to long.

A lot has happened over the past month! We have just been running and gunning!

The end of March school started picking up! Lots of papers and tests!

Tay's wedding shower was the first weekend in April! It went so well! I really wanted to post some pictures BUT my camera decided to DELETE all my pictures that have taken over the past month and a half. needless to say I was and am still upset. Really bummed because I had been making a point to take more pictures to document these crazy times! But other than that the shower went well! And the best part was we got to spend all weekend together! It was so good to have that time to spend with her! It had been waay to long!

The next weekend (this past weekend) was Charlie and Jenny's wedding! (Again no pictures.) It was SO beautiful! Loved the place where the ceremony and reception took place! SO gorgeous! And jenny looked beautiful!

Aubrey looked SO handsome in his tux!! So precious. Hope the photographer got some good pics!

We have been working hard to get a snowball stand in Eau Claire running! So excited but we still have a lot of work to do! Summer Snow (aubrey came up with the name!) will be coming soon!

Hoping to get my camera fixed soon so from this point on will be documented!

Starting to pack soon! AHHH

6 weeks away from moving!!

life has been busy the last few weeks, and it is just going to escalate over the next two months.

It blows my mind that in two months time I will be:
1. graduating
2. moving

so much to do for school and moving, but i am trying to make time to see people! I would hate myself if i looked up in a month and a half and hadn't seen the people i love because i had been so busy! SO much to do.

So excited about the future and what it all holds. I feel like getting married was a big "grown up" step, but moving away from everybody with him is an even bigger one! we will have to make friends together, which will be different and new but exciting! So ready to get started on this new chapter in our life!

Closing this chapter brings a lot of mixed feelings. I am ready and have been for a while to leave Ruston, but it is sad. I will miss friends but am glad that Aubrey's parents are here and give a great reason to come and visit!

I will hopefully use this blog to keep people updated after we move! That is my goal! Hopefully i will find some time over the next couple of months to update it and continue to do so after we move!

loving the beautiful warm weather outside.

Thank you God for making the world so pretty. You are the original artist and your works are wonderful.

Taking the time to enjoy the weather, as much as I can between classes, and enjoying my husband being home on spring break!

Loving today!!

sitting in class talking about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Breaking my heart.

talking about the orphans and again my heart just breaks for these children who have lost their parents to AIDS. If I could I would be on a plane this afternoon to go help them.

In another class talking about kenya! My gosh Africa is all over me right now. If I wasn't sure about my calling to Africa I would be now!

God, keep this fire burning in my heart. I want my heart to be broken like yours is for hurting people. Keep this love for the people of Africa in my heart and feed it constantly. Thank you for the reminder of the passion and calling on my life. Never allow me to lose that focus.