Hand-lettering // Hope Hickman @sincerelyhope.designs Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 I have such wonderful memories of Easter growing up. I loved dying ...
Busy Isn’t a Badge of Honor
Photography // Hope Hickman @sincerelyhope.designs I’ll be honest. I have no idea how often I say that I’m busy. I probably say it a lot because I like to be busy. I’m better when I’m busy. I’ve been like this since I was young. But that’s a story for another day. Several Sundays ago, our preacher gently encouraged us to stop using busy as a badge of honor. I’ve never quite thought about it that way. How often do you ask someone how they are and they reply by saying they’re busy? And how ...
Running, Faith, and Endurance
I finally went to the gym after about three weeks of not having set foot in the door. To ease myself into it, I went to a morning hip hop class (thanks spring break!), and the next day I decided to hit the treadmill. Hip hop is certainly a cardio workout, and it also works my leg muscles. I hadn’t been to class in a few weeks, but I knew this would be a good way to get back into the groove (pun intended). The next day, I made good on my promise to myself to get a short run in. I knew a run ...
Life-Giving Moments
As many of you know, my brother just got married! I definitely consider myself a words person, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to articulate just how sweet his wedding was. My brother has such a big heart, and he found his true match in his now wife. So it seems inevitable that their wedding would be the sweetest celebration uniting two of the sweetest souls together in marriage. Their wedding was filled with precious moments and cherished time. To say it was perfect will never do it ...
Packing for a Winter Getaway
I love the mountains. East Tennessee is a place near and dear to my heart, and my family still vacations there quite often. We just returned from a vacation in the Smokies about two months ago, and now we're headed to a different set of mountains in less than a week for my brother's wedding! Everyone is so excited! Considering that it's March, we all assumed the weather would be cold, but with our ever-changing temps, at this point, who knows. Regardless, my packing list changes depending on ...
What Seasons, Possessions, and The Originals All Have in Common
This week, I spent time trying to decide what piece to post to my blog. I was back and forth on a few topics, and by about Tuesday, I started to see a running theme in my week. And when your week has a theme, you go with it. First… On Sunday, my church finished a series on Ecclesiastes. It was a series that went faster than I had hoped. But you can’t really go by me because Ecclesiastes is my favorite book of the Bible. We could have practically spent the entire year in this book (and then ...
Traditions and Change
I don’t like traditions, but I have a hard time with change. It seems oxymoronic really. Like ordering jumbo shrimp. Or standing alone in a crowd. Or watching an awfully good television show. But like all oxymorons, though this idea seems contradictory, it actually does make sense. Traditions can present problems for a number of reasons. First, they can become obligatory duties rather than pleasurable activities. Maybe you’ve eaten at the same restaurant on the same day of the week with the ...
Share Love
Photography, Hand-lettering, and Artwork // Hope Hickman @sincerelyhope.designs When we feel love, we want to express it. It’s why we have friends over to our house for a meal. It’s why we give hugs. It’s why we feel warm and fuzzy at Christmas time. Love is more than words or gifts. It’s compassion and empathy. It’s sacrifice and a willingness to do for someone else. True love is putting someone else’s wants above your own. First and foremost, love comes from God. 1 John provides much ...
Why You Should Cherish the Places You Love Most With the People You Love More
Photography, Hand-lettering, and Artwork // Hope Hickman @sincerelyhope.designs I grew up vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains. My parents owned an R.V., and we would take off for sometimes weeks at a time to stay in the same campground each visit. I first went to this campground at the ripe age of two; my brother was an infant his first vacation. Over time, my family became friends with the people who own (and live) at the campground, and because of our frequent vacations to East ...