Hannah's Heartstrings

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking So that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.”
-Nelson Mandela,
1994 Inaugural speech

1. I can almost see the High Places
Shining bright in the sky
But suddenly, the path takes a turn
And I can’t understand why
I call for the Shepherd, He comes to me
And holds me as I cry
When I ask Him His reason, He gives me a smile
And ever so gently replies…

Ch. Do you love me enough to follow me?
To turn away from your heart’s desire?
Do you trust me to make it right in the end
Even when your heart’s on fire?
Though the desert seems long and the goal seems so far
I promise you I will be there
Though your tears fall and heart breaks, look into my eyes
And see my purpose everywhere

I will never leave you alone
Cause you are my very own…

2. So as I walk through the desert
I’m praying it comes to an end
Then I open my eyes, see what I’m becoming
Getting strong and less likely to bend
Something about me seems better
My desire has grown deeper still
My resolve in now stringer, my purpose more real
As I find grace to trust in His will

Ch 2. Lord I love you enough to follow You
Even to turn from my heart’s desire
I know You will make it right in the end
Cause You’ve set my heart on fire
Yes, the desert is long and the goal feels so far
I will keep on because You are there
I am better because of the journey I’m on
Your purpose is everywhere!

I never feel alone
I know I’m Your very own…


Copyright 2010 Hannah McMichael

*Inspired by Hannah Hurnard's "Hinds' Feet on High Places"*

One night I prayed
“God, can I have a hug when I get there?”
Daring to believe that
The Lord of Heaven
Might bend to hold me in His arms.
Then my parents hugged me goodnight
I cuddled my sister when she was sad
I looked and saw the shining eyes
Of my friends as they wrapped
Their arms around me.
And God said, “You can have one right now.”


(c) Copyright Hannah McMichael
June 28, 2010

Vs1: Tears pour and hearts fall
The wound is running deep
The question unanswered
Am I more than what I see?
No cause is a lost hope
Even when the fire’s dying
There’s more to life and more to love
More than just surviving

Ch: I believe in redemption
I believe in the touch of God’s grace
I believe in forgiveness
I believe in a smile on God’s face
I believe in renewal
I believe in every day’s dawn
I believe in a second chance
I believe in redemption

Vs2: When friends forsake me
When love turns out wrong
I look with weary eyes and see
I still can have a song
A new smile, a new dance
A new song just waiting
For me to stand and take His hand
With a bright and new beginning!

(Repeat chorus)

(c) Copyright 2010 by Hannah McMichael


*I am still working on the Bridge...so this is a work in progress. :D

Here's a few reviews for some magazines I've been reading lately! :D Check them out! Enjoy...

Eating Well (www.eatingwell.com)
Very good articles and recipes. A lot of ads, but on the whole, I’d say worth the price.

Vegetarian Times (www.vegetariantimes.com)
I wouldn’t buy this one again. Yes, some good recipes, but there is a very strong “animal rights” message throughout the whole magazine that I find disturbing and would rather not knowingly support.

Back Home Magazine (www.backhomemagazine.com)
I like this one. Tons of great information on farming, raising animals, “green living” (i.e., solar energy, etc.), with a seemingly good outlook and without the “in-your-face” animal rights message.

Organic Gardening (www.organicgardening.com)
Very good information, articles and recipes. Not too “green”, just good gardening/farming/animals stuff presented in a healthy, organic perspective.

NGJ (www.nogreaterjoy.org)
Though geared towards child training, marriage and family, this great magazine never fails to have something in it about herbs, gardening/farming or some other form of outdoor or nutritional information. Also, two of the Pearl family’s other ventures, The Bulk Herb store, and Shoshanna’s Herbs, are great places to buy herbs and herbal remedies from.

In progress.

"The Farming Game", also in progress.

Finished product.

Charlie and I sat down afterwards and figured out the approximate cost of our entire meal. We figured, including all our veggies, the meal cost about $9.72 to make. :D And that feeds 7 people, with leftovers.

So...inspired by my post yesterday, I decided to make pizza today! :D I used all millet flour, just to see how it worked. It make Beee-yoo-ti-full dough, but being that it has not gluten in it, it was slightly hard to roll out, because it doesn't hold together real well, and doesn't stretch like wheat dough. It was easier to work with that rice flour dough, but still a bit difficult.

Besides that, it tasted good! I still like the taste of the rice flour, but the millet has such a pretty color! It's more yellowy, almost like corn.

And alas, my siblings were starving and waiting with forks and knives when I pulled out the pizza, so I spared them a photo shoot. Next time... :P

Pizza Crust
2 cups water
1 ½ Tbsp. arrowroot
2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cups flour (rice or millet)

Dissolve arrowroot in the water, and add the remaining ingredients. Mix until a dough ball is formed. If it is too dry, add a little more water; if too wet, add a little more flour.
If you use rice flour, the dough will not hold together for rolling like traditional pizza dough. So what I found that works is making a deep dish style by pressing the dough into an oiled 9x13 pan and piling the toppings on. :)
Millet flour holds together much better, though at the moment of typing this, I haven’t yet made an all-millet pizza.

Our special blood-type pizzas:

For A’s and B’s: mushrooms, onions and garlic sautéed in olive oil spread on the bottom, with Mozzarella cheese, cooked crumbled turkey, oregano, paprika, basil, parsley.

For AB’s and O’s: mushrooms, onions and garlic sautéed in olive oil spread on the bottom, tomato sauce, Mozzarella cheese, cooked crumbled turkey, oregano, paprika, basil, parsley.

We had a feast today.

We put pure olive oil in our deep fryer, sliced up various vegetables super thin: beets, parsnips, onions, butternut squash, kale, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes.

And we had veggie chips.

We tried to find veggie chips at the store. But they all---ALL---had something bad in them. Even the ones I thought were the best had maltodextrin in them. :(

So we made our own. They were delicious. :)

Sadly I don't have a picture. They were eaten too fast.

Here is a recipe I created for blueberry muffins this week! It was totally an experiment, and I was not sure if they'd be flat or not, but they worked great and are just perfect.



Blueberry Muffins

3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup honey
splash of vanilla
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. arrowroot
dash of salt
1 cup frozen blueberries (I put in a bit more than a cup) :)
2 cups water
6 TBSP. olive oil

Mix it all together. I didn't use muffin papers, becaseu I didn't have any, so I just oiled the muffins tins and it worked. The thing is, you have to re-oil them with each batch or they stick slightly. Bake at 375* for about 15 minutes. They come out of the tins best if you let them cool first.
Good served warm. Better served refridgerated. :D

Hey there! Welcome to my kitchen! I'm really excited to be able to present you all with this glimpse into one of my most important daily activities...the creation and preparation of food. So come along, pull up a chair and stay for dinner!!

p.s. By the way...my name isn't really Bethie. It's Hannah Elizabeth. Bethie is a nickname given to me by one of my very dear friends. :)

Vs 1: Waking to the radio
Don’t get up/ just let it go
Till I can’t stand it another minute more
Beginning the day
Trying to find a way
To figure out what on earth I’m here for

Ch 1: And so goes the story of my life
Spending the pages just trying to get it right
God I can’t do this alone
I give You all my own
If only You will help me to write
The story of my life

Vs 2: Rushing through my time
Saying everything is fine
When really my heart is filled with doubt
Then it occurs to me
There’s something I’m missing
Something maybe I’ve been leaving out

Ch 2: (repeat chorus 1)

Bridge: Why is it I always miss what’s right in front of me?
I always loose my way and come up empty when I fail to see
There is so much more and it’s alright and I don’t have to know it all
My Jesus will be there for me to pick me up when I fall!

Vs 3: I whisper a prayer
Because I know you’re there
I don’t know what I’d do without You
Tomorrow take up my pen
Please do it over again
I know with you I can make it through

Ch 3: This is the story of my life
Because of you I know its right
I am never alone
Don’t have to do it on my own
Thank you Lord for writingThe story of my life


Copyright 2010 Hannah McMichael

Once upon a time, there was a girl. This girl was a part of a generation unlike any ever seen before in history. She rose above the normal expectations of the world and chose to live life differently. Her parents protected her and gave her opportunities she never would have had otherwise. Though there were those that would stand in her way and try to discourage her, it was then that she learned perseverance…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a friend that hurt her feelings and tried to make her feel inferior. She decided to hate this friend and did so successfully until she realized that her hatred didn’t change anything. It only made her bitter. Here, the girl learned her first lesson in forgiveness…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted above all things to have a little sister. She prayed and dreamed for years. Finally, when she had nearly given up all hope, her mother gave birth to an adorable blue-eyed baby girl, and she saw that all the while that she’d been waiting, she’d been learning patience…

Once upon a time, there was a girl whose friend became her unspoken enemy. All too soon and with a heavy heart, the girl realized there was nothing she could do to reconcile the relationship. She mourned the loss, but in her disappointment, she learned the true meaning of loyalty…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was faced life changing decisions. Two paths were before her. One led to her compromising her beliefs; the other led to her heart being broken and left alone. The choice was the most difficult she’d ever had to make. Yet even in the midst of her hurting, she knew what the right thing to do was. And it was in that decision that she found love in the grace of God and learned a lesson in determination…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who found herself surrounded by dozens of the dearest friends anyone could dream of. They loved her, encouraged her, danced with her, made her smile and laugh, talked with her and cried with her, inspired her and made her life more beautiful in every way imaginable. She felt so immensely blessed by God having allowed her to know them all and cherished every smile, every hug, every sparkling face and every little moment she had with them. With joy overflowing within her, she learned and strived to live the real meaning of friendship and love…

Once upon a time, there was a girl who learned to live, to love, to glorify God, to dream big and to be herself.
How do I know all this? I know because that girl was me.


Copyright 2010 Hannah McMichael