Hannah Morrison

True To His Word

Have you ever had to keep a promise even when you really didn’t want to?

When I was a little girl, it didn’t take much to make me happy. All I needed in life was my stuffed animals (we are talking, like, ungodly amounts), a karaoke machine, and puppies. If you think I am kidding, well, I am not. I literally sang from sun up to sundown about anything I could come up with. I would make up songs on the spot about running, my goats, puppies, being a princess… whatever it was, there was surely a Hannah song about it likely to the tune of a song from Sound of Music or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

When I was 7, my parents surprised me with a puppy. Cue, Snickers AKA Snickerdoodle. I promised to take care of this puppy, feed him, watch him, play with him, and make sure he was just the happiest doggy there ever ever was. Eeeeeasssyyyy… right? So night one- Snickers is in the laundry room howling, and I could hear him from across the house like a blaring horn. And I knew that if I could hear him, mom and dad definitely could. So, I grabbed a couple of my stuffies and headed with haste, probably with pink soft curlers in my hair, to the laundry room where I laid on the cold floor with a tiny pup next to the dirty laundry just to keep my promise that I would take care of this puppy. Plus, I was scared to death that mom and dad would decide to take him back if he didn’t keep hush hush through the night. Night after night I would wake up to howls, grab another stuffie and make my way through the dark (let’s be real, running because we all know the monsters that jump out from under the bed and the sofa at night), lay down beside my tiny pup and sing him songs.

I was faithful to my word even when it sucked, and definitely didn’t want to. Sure, night one was semi-sweet. How cute to take care of a crying dog who needs me. By night 5… not so sweet. Sleep would have been nice, but I promised to love this puppy and love him I did.

I reached out to you guys to hear stories about things you made promises to do, but didn’t want to always keep. I heard stories about fulfilling duties for school, keeping promises to friends to be at events you didn’t want to go to anymore, and I heard a lot about love and marriage. In marriage, choosing to keep your promise -your vow to one another- is a daily undertaking. There are definitely days you won’t feel like loving your spouse because you are angry at them for… whatever it is for you that day. But, you choose to even still.

God’s love is the same way.

In Deuteronomy, the people of God were wandering in the desert and failed to follow God’s commandments over and over. Like, guys, come on. Don’t you get it? Follow God, trust him, see Promised Land. It was a feasible and seemingly simple plan. Why couldn’t they keep it together? Time and time again they failed him, and definitely did not deserve his favor. I mean, they were grumbling and angry- he rains down manna for them. Did you know God even made it so that the feet of his people would never swell or blister during their 40 years of walking in the desert? (Deuteronomy 8:4) I just read that the other morning and giggled. Like, what a compassionate God. Even in his teaching and pruning, he cares about the details. He writes them rules to abide by that will allow them the fullest life, and they were building golden Gods. Yet, Moses petitioned God over and over, reminding him of the promises he had made to their fathers and begged him to remain true to his word. And God chose to remain faithful. Not because Moses was that good at arguing with creator of the universe… definitely not. But, because that’s simply the heart of God. He is who he says he is, and that cannot be changed. God made a promise, and he was sticking to it. Even when mankind failed, even when they really messed up, God remained faithful and true to his word. He kept his promises.

Deuteronomy 7: 6-9

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that He set his love on you and chose you. For you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”

God had every right to say, “forget you. you can’t keep true to any of my commands despite the fact I just saved you from a terrible life under slavery, and you’re really just annoying me at this point”, and simply just turned his back on them. But, even still, he showed faithfulness.

I read this story and gasped. I think so often we read the New Testament and see grace and faithfulness through Jesus’ life and works on Earth. Reading a story of victory and the fulfillment of Jesus is sugary and sweet. Even in his death, there was hope and celebration. But, God of the Old Testament… that’s a different story. The dude wiped out people groups for hating him. YET, there was still compassion and loyalty. There was fulfillment of promises and grace. I think we forget that God is the same God then as he is in the New Testament through the life of Jesus. They are one in the same, so of course they possess the same characteristics. But, we forget this. At least I know I certainly do.

I have loved reading the earliest books of the OT the last couple of weeks. My history loving self has geeked a little bit reading the history of mankind, and putting the puzzle pieces together. And most of all, I have loved seeing the heart of God as constant and true. He is who he says he is. He was, is, and is to come. He keeps his promises. And now, because of Jesus, we get to be part of that story. We get to be part of his holy people. We are set apart, righteous, and holy because of faith in the works and life of Jesus. The way God wiped out people groups in order to provide land for his holy people in the OT, that’s the same way he fights for YOU now. That’s pretty sweet. Obviously, because of Jesus, things look a little different. Jesus took on the wrath of God at the cross for the sake of the world. But no doubt, God has the same fury and passion to fight for us. That has not wavered. He wants us to have the best, because we are his.

So, here’s my encouragement. You literally cannot do anything, NOT A THING, that will turn God’s back on you and make him take away his promises to you. Like he remained faithful to the people of Israel, so will he be to you. It might hurt sometimes and you might be thinking “God, have you led us to the desert to simply perish?”, but I can assure you that the Promised Land is coming. It’s on the other side of the lesson. It’s on the edge of repentance. It’s in humility. It’s in forgiveness. It’s in surrender. The Promised Land is available to you, whatever that Promised Land is in your life. What are you praying for right now and wondering if God has stopped listening to your cries over it? Has he finally said, “I am done waking up at 1 AM to go lay down beside you as you howl over and over again”… no! Never. He hasn’t stopped and never will. He is constant and faithful. He is true to his word, he keeps his promises.

Keep praying toward the promise. It’s coming. Love you sweet friends.

xoxo- Han

Favorite Places to Eat In/Around Mckinney

It’s no secret I love my little city of Mckinney. Have I mentioned before it was on a list of cities most like Stars Hollow in America? If you watch Gilmore Girls, you understand my excitement over this honor. If you don’t watch it, shame on you. Mckinney is quaint yet fairly large, and you get equal parts of city as you do small town front porch living depending on where you’re at. Head up highway 5 and it’s farm land and small town. Go west of 75, and it’s suburbia. As a small town girl at heart, living in Mckinney just feels right. The little downtown square is my favorite spot, and I actually wept the first time Paul and I walked around the square after we met with the Anchor Church staff for the first time. In addition to the square, new places are popping up around town and just beyond that I am so thrilled about.

Below is my top favorite spots for date nights and lunch around town. You gotta come up and try them out!

Our Favorite Spots:

1. Sugar Bacon: located on the Mckinney square.

Must Try: The Sugar Bacon Appetizer (duhhh) and Bee Sting cocktail

2. Mod Market: Located off 121 at Preston

Must Try: The sweet potato hash OR the prosciutto pizza!

If you have food allergies, you can order GF which is not only gluten free but also yeast free, and it’s so yummy.

3. Sprinkles: Located in Legacy West (opening soon!)

We are legitimately too excited about this one. Sprinkles in Dallas used to know our names because of how much we went.

Must Try: Flavor of the month or Red Velvet!

4. Toulouse Cafe and Bar: Located in Legacy West (opening soon!)

Must Try: The Crispy Duck

5. True Food Kitchen: Located in Legacy West (opening soon!) There is one currently in Preston Center- Dallas

Must Try: Spaghetti squash (the sauce is amazing!!!), kale salad, and any of the cocktails

6. I Love Juice Bar Allen: Located at Stacy and Watters

Must Try: Sweet Greens Juice or Green Smoothie

7. Patina On The Green: Located on Mckinney Square

Must Try: Tomato Soup

8. Spoons: Located on Mckinney Square

Must Try: The breakfast plate and biscuits & gravy! It’s our favorite little diner for breakfast dates!

Plus, you feel like you are in Luke’s Diner. So that’s a major win. 😉

Now for this look- how stinking cute is this jumpsuit?! As soon as I saw it I knew that I needed it. You can pair it with a heel, a gladiator sandal, or even some kicks depending on your mood that day. I am a big fan of the rompers and jumpsuits during the spring, and this one will definitely be making as many appearances as it can. You can shop it here from Tobi.

Let me know if you try out any of my favorite spots! Mckinney is the best for a little day trip with your girl friends or mom. You can grab breakfast at Spoons, then lunch at Patina, afternoon wine at Landon’s, and then grab dinner at Sugar Bacon. It’s a full day of shopping, small town Gilmore-esque type feels, and the nicest people.

xoxo- Han

All photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah

 

10 Things You Don’t Know About Us

 Hey babes!

I have had so much fun getting to know all of you over the last year and a half. It seriously is so much fun hearing from you, writing posts for you, and creating a genuine community with all of you. I thought that since I see so many new faces (or Insta-handles, I suppose) it could be fun to share 10 facts about me and Paul you might not know. I have felt pretty MIA lately with so much traveling and being sick, but I promise I am getting back into my groove and I can’t freaking wait to share so much exciting news with all of you soon. Life is so fun, and I love getting to live it with ya.

T E N  T H I N G S  T O  K N O W

1. I am the baby of my family by 5 years, and Paul is the oldest. My siblings are barely a year apart, and then I was a surprise while Paul and his brother are barely a year apart. We definitely embody a lot of the cliche sayings about the baby and the oldest, which keeps things pretty interesting around the Morrison household. 😉

2. I was a dancer in high school and Paul was a hockey player. We always joke about how HAPPY we are that we didn’t know each other in high school, because we would have hated each other. (Although, Paul thinks he could have shmoozed me. I beg to differ.) I was a goody two shoes and Paul was a rebel.

3. My favorite show since I was 5 years old has been I Love Lucy. I watch it almost daily, and I can probably tell you the entire plot line of every episode within 10 seconds of the show starting.

4. Everybody thinks Paul and I went to college together, but we didn’t! We went to different schools and met through a mutual friend at church. I happened to sit behind him, and he left church that night telling his friends he was going to marry me.

5. I am an INFJ, which people are always like “Nooo, there’s no way you’re an introvert”, which gets me on my soap box about personality types. Extrovert vs. Introvert in most cases is less to do with social interaction, and more to do with how you connect with people and how you best rejuvenate after a long day or with big crowds. I am definitely a glass of wine and a book or Netflix at the end of the day kind of girl, and I have to challenge myself to go out with people more than once a week. Paul is the opposite. He loves being around people all the time.

6. I studied Broadcast Communications in college with a minor in writing, and my internship was at D Magazine as the Weddings and Mom blogger. It is what gave me a love for this blogging thing, and I learned a lot from that. I had to write as if I was a mom, making meals for her kids with a column “What’s for Lunch and Dinner” and wrote the column “Dress for Less”.

7. I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth- I would totally eat ice cream and cake for the rest of my life- while Paul could care less about chocolate and sweets. But, funnily enough he loves sweet and savory stuff like pineapple pizza or sweet ham.

8. I love each season individually- I get giddy as each one’s distinct smell starts to fill the air. But, by far, Christmas is my favorite time of year. I live for Christmas. My best Halloween outfit ever was dressing up as Jovie with a friend who dressed up as Elf, and we won best costume at a sorority event. Paul is equally as much of a Christmas fan, and it was genuinely something early on in our relationship that we both knew we could date one another because of our ridiculous amount of excitement for Christmas.

9.  My most embarrassing moment was during high school in my AP English class. We had weekly themed journals we had to write for a final grade at the end of semester, and we NEVER had to read them out loud… until the worst possible moment came along. Our prompt for that week was to write a piece about something you regretted. So I wrote a great piece about a horrible date I went on with the biggest jerk of the school. The voice of it was great and my descriptives were on point…

Yes. I had to read out loud. Yes. Everyone knew who it was about.

I was absolutely mortified.

10. When I was a little girl, I refused to eat pizza. I know- tragic. I swore I hated it. I also didn’t eat cheesecake until I was a teenager, because I thought that meant it was made out of cheddar or swiss cheese. Now, I would give anything to be able to eat a slice of pizza and cheesecake with my food allergies. I actually have vivid dreams about thick crust pepperoni pizza at least once a week.

Love this two piece set I am rocking? It’s so so cute, and I felt on point for Easter weekend with it. Pink AND gingham? Yes please!  You can find it here from Tobi.

xoxo- Han

All photos for The Cake by Hannah by Cottonwood Road Photography

Walk Humbly

It was one of those mornings after a huge blow up. The kind of mornings you both wake up still furious, and you can slice the tension with a big fat steak knife. It was the same fight, same story, different day, and I was emotionally exhausted over the repetition of this same topic and the harm it was causing us in our marriage. But, I wasn’t done yet and I certainly wasn’t waving the white flag. I sat in the middle of the sofa, crisscrossed with my coffee, making certain Paul could see I was still angry as heck at him, and we both know I am not over something when I just make eggs for me. Ughhh, I hate mornings like this- yet, it’s as if my inability to pick battles just welcomes them with open arms.

Been here before?

Maybe it’s with your husband, maybe it’s your roommates, maybe it’s your parents. No matter who your repeating fight is with, I think we can all agree on two things: 1. We don’t actually enjoy fighting over the topic (if you do, you need to do some serious counseling and soul searching.. haha) 2. We hate that we care so much to win, which is what causes the fight on repeat in the first place.

I am really into personality tests, like REALLY into them. I have probably taken just about every kind there is. And, I know they are fairly accurate, because I always test the same personality, perhaps just named different depending on the test, for every single one. I recently took one called 16personalities, and I tested once again as an INFJ-T. (The ‘T’ addition is specific to the 16 personalities test.) I was reading through each little section about me out loud to Paul, and felt so justified. Everything was so on point for me, and I was like “See Paul! Look, this is just who I am.” Then it said my personality type is the kind who are often soft spoken, but when they have an opinion they fight to the death for it. And, we see every little thing as an injustice, no matter how big or small, so picking battles is tough because we want every little injustice fixed for the greater cause of humanity.

This is SO TRUE. But, guys, gut check, come on. No matter what a personality test says I am, and no matter how accurate, this doesn’t justify or make it okay that I don’t pick my battles and turn on the spice easily when I walk into battle. Just being real! Y’all, sassy is my middle name, and I am not always proud of it. Sure it can be funny in the right time, but when it comes to being sassy in a fight, it’s never going to end well. We can’t always chalk up our sinful patterns or tendencies to simply “that’s just who I am, and you have to be okay with it.” See, with maturity comes an understanding of “yes, this is who I am and these are my tendencies, so what I am going to do about it to tame it?”

See, me fighting for justice and seeing where there could be cause for hurt isn’t a bad thing. It’s what drives me and, when it’s used well, it is a great asset to contribute to a team, because I can see and feel all different possible outcomes of situations and I consider how this could effect people’s feelings. What I have had to learn the hard way over my first three years of marriage is I can’t pick every battle and I am not going “win” every single one I do go for.

The Bible says “Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.”

(Part of Micah 6:8)

Seek justice: check. I am real good at that. My personality test even said so. 😉

Love mercy: Yeah, I like that I don’t get everything I actually deserve, and that God extends countless amounts of grace on me.

Walk humbly with your God: Womp. See, to walk humbly means you don’t need to win every battle and, dare I say, be right in every single one?! Self reflection before coming to someone in confrontation is the first sign of humility. Asking yourself “Is this an injustice that is causing real harm to me or others? Or am I just annoyed?” That’s maturity, that is humility, that is what it means to walk humbly with your God in the setting of confrontation and picking battles.

You don’t always have to win.

You aren’t always right.

It’s not always worth the picking.

Gasp. I know. If you’re like me deep at the core, you’re thinking “NO. It’s worth the fight to see that person grow and get better…”

Ah but sweet thing, we need to check the plank in our own eyes before pulling the one out of your neighbor’s. I am with you, that’s me. I am literally speaking about myself above all else right now. I originally wrote this post a week and a half ago, and am reading through a final time for edits… and I am laughing/cringing BECAUSE THIS WAS US THIS MORNING. Ugh, the sofa, the coffee, the eggs… EVERYTHING.

I so often want to pick the planks out Paul’s eye or family and friends, but often when we look at the core of things, we have the same plank in our own eye to work on, which is why we can see their’s so strongly. It’s the same one.

My prayer for the last month has been “Help me to care less, God. I don’t need to win. I have already been justified through the cross for everything I need.”

This has been a game changer. It’s truly changed my view of the topics that Paul and I have had on repeat battles for the last three years. Truly, it’s been a shift. We haven’t fought about these things since I started praying this prayer. (LOL- until this morning.) Do the topics still boil up, and I have to decide before speaking how I want to handle it? Yes. Duh. The battles don’t go away, but how we choose to pick them and approach them causes a shift.

Taming the spicy, y’all, and not having to be right. That’s a battle in and of itself. But, it’s one worth taking. Pray that prayer with me, if this resonates with you.

“God, I don’t have to win. I have been justified through the cross.”

Love you guys so much! I have worked so hard to get back on my game after a month and a half of being here and there, all over the place, and I planned literally the next 3 or 4 months of content. It’s going to start rolling out here in the next week starting with this post. I know I have been MIA, and it’s because of a plethora of things, but I will share about it all with you. Adulting is real y’all, haha, but there are some fun things on the horizon!

This awesome striped dress, perfect for Spring and Summer, is from Landry Kate! I styled it up with some fun wedges (literally, these wedges are freaking tall), but you can wear it with some kicks and a ball cap for a casual look, too! Call them up to order yours: 469.307.3770. Ask for the Jacey Tie Dress. 🙂 I am in a Small! Tonight I am hosting a fashion show at Landry Kate with my sweet friend, Lindsay Smith in celebration of her brand new book, Be Clothed. It’s going to be such a fun night, and I cannot wait to share more about it and the book itself. Some of my students and I have read through already, and we will be sharing our thoughts about it for all of you.

This lip color is actually Caramel Apple from Lipsense. I thought it was time to try out what all the talk is about, and so far I am a big fan. I got mine from my sweet friend, Liz Larsen (@accessoryjane) who is a distributor. I love supporting my friends and watching them succeed in their businesses!

xoxo- Han

The Perfect Blush Easter Dress

It doesn’t get any more feminine or beautiful than this Gianni Bini dress. The second I saw it, I knew I needed it. It’s basically all of my favorite things on one dress: blush, delicate tulle, past the knee, sequins, and ruffled cap sleeves?

You. Must. Be. Joking. 

Truly this dress should have been named the Hannah Morrison dress, because it’s literally the dress of my dreams.

I paired it with a lower funky heel by Steve Madden to casual it up just a hair and add my own flare. But, depending on your church or Easter Sunday plans, you can rock it with a higher heel or pump or even a nice flat sandal. Your call, sister, your call.

I absolutely love Easter, and I can’t wait to celebrate with my church family at Anchor here in Mckinney. We will be singing some great worship and hear an incredible message. We may or may not be doing an awesome cover to kick off the celebration by my favorite husband and wife duo band.

Don’t miss it! If you’re even SEMI-local and have nowhere to worship on Easter Sunday, please email me. I would love to meet you and give you somewhere to sit. You’re so welcome here at Anchor, and I can’t wait to show you around. These people and doing life with this community truly changed Paul’s and my life.

You are loved, known, and valued. We want to pull that out of you in ways you didn’t even know possible.

Happy (almost) Easter, sweet friends.

xoxo- Han

Post C/O Dillards

All Photos by Lindsay Davenport Photography for The Cake by Hannah

Shop my whole look below!

***Size reference: I am 5’2 and wearing a 0, and it fits just a little big in the chest area. Usually wear a true to size 0 Petite in dresses.***

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