One Glimpse

Three weeks ago Master's Commission attended a retreat with youth and young adults of Antioch Church in Overland Park, Kansas. We planned to head home Sunday after lunch, but an hour before we were set to be leaving God redirected our course. We were given an opportunity to stay with a family from the church for an extra day to help with an inner-city outreach through IHOP.

Something I love about working with Zach Fox is that he is Spirit-led all the way. We didn't have details and we didn't need them. We were ready to run with this Wild Goose chase!

Hope City is where we landed.


When we pulled off our exit we plunged into the deeper recesses of Kansas City. Just minutes after driving past the city lights of downtown KC we were parking by a brick building with no aesthetics worth noting apart from it's name, "Hope City," above the doors. Standing on the sidewalk were a few older men getting in one last cigarette before service as other men, women and children exited the shuttle bus and headed through the church doors.

Once inside we walked through the multi-purpose dining area toward the kitchen, where we split into groups to receive assignments for meal preparation. We entered the prayer room and as worship began I had a "moment". I'll pause for a minute and ask, have you ever had this kind of God-moment? An instant in which you were keenly aware that you were designed by God for this very thing?

When I walked away from God years ago I let go of many of the dreams I once had. Remembering my God-dreams has been a process, and a lengthy one at that. But all in one moment at Hope City, God was faithful to revive a dream He birthed inside of me many years ago: to plant an inner-city church. A church that invites the outcast, feeds the hungry, serves the poor, and joins together as a family to the lonely. A church that is where the people are.

We spent only a few hours at Hope City, but my God-moment there has been impacting me every day since. I've felt my heart once again becoming the target of Scriptures and songs about God's heart for justice for the poor, the oppressed, the widow and the fatherless. I am striving to partner with the Holy Spirit each day in intercession for people I do not know, in places I have not been. In one moment in God's presence He gave one glimpse of my future... and sometimes one is all that is needed to get me moving.


Have you ever had a God-moment where you caught a glimpse of your divine destiny? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment or email me at megan.munro7@gmail.com.

*megan

My God is a Chain Snapper:)

This Thanksgiving eve I find myself wanting to write about only one thing: the testimony of what Jesus Christ has done for me!

One of my favorite Psalms in this season of my life is Psalm 107.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies. Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery. "Lord, help!" they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains.

(verses 1-2, 10, 13-14)

I love this Psalm so much because I feel as if I could have written it myself, concerning my own life. I've been on a transformational journey these past few years and today I want to testify about the chain-snapping power of God in my life! It's the blogger's version of speaking out!

This time 2 years ago...
I was sitting in that place of darkness and deepest gloom that Psalm 107 speaks of. I was entrapped in sin, exhausted from the sick cycle of striving to get it right but always failing. Hopelessness set in, and I came to place where I honestly believed that redemption was a lost cause for me. Over time my conscience became more seared, so I was no longer ashamed of my sin. I was actually determined to enjoy it since I "couldn't" get free. I told the Holy Spirit to shut up so many times that in general I stopped hearing from Him.

Those iron shackles of darkness and gloom were not formed overnight. The formation of these chains began for me at a very early age but took a turn for the worse in 1997, at the age of 13. By 2008, after over 10 years of addiction that left me battered and exhausted, I gave up on my relationship with Jesus.

The great news is He never gave up on me.
He just kept waiting for me to give Him permission to invade my broken life with a holy invasion.

In December of 2008 my life hit an all-time low and I re-dedicated my life to Jesus. I didn't want to because I felt too messy, too broken, like I needed to have a few clean months before coming to Him. But I'm so glad I didn't wait! If I had waited until I was all cleaned up, I would still be sitting in that dark prison of sin. And though those first several months of confession and accountability were pretty ugly, He was so committed to me. He gave me wonderful friends- one in particular, Charity Starr Ramlal, who committed herself to seeing me restored to wholeness in Jesus. She even took me into her home and let me live alongside of her, keeping me accountable and calling me forward when I felt too weak.

The journey since December of 2008 has been full of challenges, and I did not change overnight. But when I finally had a love encounter with my Father, unbelievable things began to happen to me. God removed the shame of my sin, so that I could actually view myself as a pure, untainted, whole daughter of God. Like a little girl whose father just cannot help but delight in her! He filled me with joy in His presence, a joy that on several occasions has overtaken me so that I cannot control my laughter. He let me step into His presence and experience just a taste of His glory, so heavy that I could not stand up under it. He baptized me in His Holy Spirit and with fire and gave me boldness to share His truth with the lost. These outward manifestations are simply the overflow of the deep inner healing and redemption that have taken place.

So when I read Psalm 107 I think back to my prison chains of shame, fear, addiction, and hopelessness. I remember that He has snapped my chains, He has restored my soul. Anytime I sit down and meditate on all He has done in my life my heart literally feels as though it is going to burst out of my chest. No exaggeration, seriously, He overwhelms me! And when I worship through a song that speaks of redemption the song resonates with my restored heart, and I cannot keep myself from going crazy! How can I do anything but dance, sing, and shout when He has done what I thought was impossible for me?! Extravagant worship, generous giving, and abandoned lives are a normal response to that kind of miracle!

So this Thanksgiving I'm thankful for the past 2 years of miraculous transformation He has brought to pass in my life. I'm thankful that He did for me what I could not do for myself. He transferred me to a new kingdom, He restored my soul. He snapped my chains and set me free! Hallelujah!!

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.

-Psalm 40:3

*megan

Go Through!

Two Sunday nights ago Pastor Paul spoke on being a "Go Through" Christian.

The message has really impacted me! It challenged me to think about how many times I've deliberately avoided situations that could have really refined me.

I must admit, I have become more of a "Go Around" Christian than I ever should have allowed. I've avoided trials and tried to ignore painful memories in need of His healing. I have all too often "medicated" myself with constant activity, relationships, food, work, shopping; things which seemed like the easy way out of going through any sort of pain. I realize now that in going around instead of going through I was robbing myself of opportunities to be refined; depriving myself of potential growth.

I'm not trying to be sadistic here; we as Christians don't need to go around looking for an opportunity to experience pain. But we must not seek a way around a God-ordained trial when He brings us to it. We must go through.

Consider James 1:

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
-James 1:2-4 (NLT, emphasis added)

James 1:2-4 tells us we should consider trouble to be an opportunity for great joy.

Not just joy.

Great joy.

Troubles and testing are the fertilizer for spiritual endurance. Maturity is forged in the fire of testing. So let it grow (don't avoid it!). Go through.

Similarly, the author of Hebrews writes:

"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised."
-Hebrews 10:36 (NLT, emphasis added)

How can we mature unless we go through?

Honestly, we won't.

And deep down I think we know it.

When you "hit a wall" spiritually will you pull back, or will you press through?

This is truly my season to go through, considering trouble as an opportunity for great joy. Patient endurance is what I need now, so I can continue to walk in His will for my life. It is my season to advance in the face of trials instead of pulling back.

And my guess is it's yours too.

If you take His hand and go through, you will know a great joy! He is refining you in that trouble. Strengthening you to endure the years of ministry, marriage, parenting, evangelism in your workplace, and/or whatever else He's called you to! He will make you perfect and complete, needing nothing!

Let's encourage each other as we go through today.

*megan

If you shortchange the process, you shortchange the promise.

[got this from my friend Charity Ramlal,

I'm not sure whose quote it is originally!)

Resolve

From my journal on 3/2/10:

They are a people of purpose.

They live above the fleeting feelings and emotions that characterize their peers. They are not cold, but controlled.

They love deeply, weep when life is lost, grieve when one loses their way, and are familiar with the sting of rejection. Yes, they are deeply touched by emotion, but they refuse to be defined by the feeling of the moment.

Their hearts are touched but never dissuaded from their sole purpose

to serve their God with abandon.

Any feeling that threatens to undermine that purpose is immediately taken captive and brought under control. Their passion is for their God, their life in Him alone.

They possess a singular, eternal perspective; setting them apart from a generation who survives as nothing more than a wave driven and handled by the sea of culture.

This chosen generation -

they are a people of resolve.

*megan

She laughs

Ohhhhh, I love to laugh.

I'm really pleased to say this, because it hasn't always been that way.

As a young kid I'd laugh so hard with my siblings that I'd get hiccups. I'd continue laughing, gasping for air, unable to breathe. The hiccup-gasp-laugh cycle would continue until I'd nearly throw up from all the excitement. If I remember correctly, that's about the point I'd beg Rob and Melissa to stop making me laugh. True story. They had a lot of fun encouraging and laughing at this strange behavior:) In retrospect, I can't say I blame them.

Throughout my teen years I was insecure about a lot of things, my boisterous laugh being one of the many. I did my best to subdue my laughter, and eventually mastered the art. I continued for long enough, in fact, that I actually forgot for many years that my laugh is by nature LOUD and even a little OBNOXIOUS!

My insecurity played a large role in me "losing my laugh," but it wasn't the only contributor. I surrendered much of my joy to unpleasant circumstances. I do wonder if in suppressing my laughter I actually robbed myself of joy in those difficult seasons. I don't believe that laughter is in and of itself a holy thing. But I absolutely believe that the expression of laughter can be holy, bringing joy to our Father's heart! Laughter lifts and encourages the soul!

Here's just a few things that have made me laugh (h-a-r-d) this past month:

• The day I asked Brittany what music she had on her computer.
  She said "Desperation Band."
  I heard: "This Persian Man."Commence laughter.
  
• The day I "pocket called" the Charles City Police Department and had no idea where a man's voice was coming from. All of the girls were with me as I tried (and failed) to contain my laughter on the phone with the officer.
  The laughter that followed that call was so loud it hurt my throat and made my lungs burn:)
  The laughter erupted again when Zach called me and said, "Megan, there are two cop cars waiting for you in the church parking lot..."
  
• The day Abby, Danae and I took a walk on our lunch break and ended up jumping on the Bluhm's trampoline.
  I giggled the whole time... I hadn't been on one in years!
  
• Every improv drama training with MC, especially when Ethan and Tim are all warmed up and begin to let loose.
  They are so creative and naturally funny!
  
• Before leading worship for an MC chapel a few weeks ago, we were all in such silly moods. I just laughed as we invited God into our joyous gathering, and sang "How He Loves," because it's okay to laugh during that song sometimes.
  (Kim Walker did!)
  
• And of course last night in church when Pastor Greg said "all the sand which is on the shore."
  I heard: "all the sandwiches on the shore."
  I could barely contain myself.
  (I technically didn't laugh out loud. But if I had, it would have been ridiculously loud and highly disruptive! I had to cover my face and think of sad things to get myself calmed down, then apologized after church for my silliness!)
  

I'm so thankful that joy and laughter are among the things God has restored to me in recent years! I'm incredibly grateful to God for giving me a wonderful family and friends to enjoy life and laughter with!

*megan

It's the middle of the night...

One of my absolute favorite pastors is Mark Batterson of National Community Church in DC. I haven't met him yet but I hope to before I'm 30 (a fast-approaching deadline)!

Mark's blog is a daily must-read for me. I almost always glean something from his experiences and insight, but this past Tuesday's post caught my attention in a major way: Womb of Imagination ...I just keep going back to it. I've probably read it 6 or 7 times in the past several days.

For most of my life I did not consider myself to be much of a dreamer. From a young age I tended toward cynicism, and this had quite a negative impact on my self-perception. In recent years I've realized most of what I considered myself to be for most of my life was based on skewed thinking.

For if I look back far enough, I recall that I was indeed a wildly imaginative child, and creative too. When I was 3 I regularly set up tea parties for my stuffed animals and I. My sister and I created entire worlds and "tv shows" with highly developed characters, relationships, and plots. I got an indoor "tree house" of sorts when I was 6, and would spend hours in it playing house and reading books with/to Teddy Ruxpin (80's children, remember him?). I was writing poetry and short stories for fun in second grade. I loved nature and science, and in third grade my greatest dream was to go to California to see the giant Redwood trees. I do remember thinking that was something that would probably never happen for me, though I believed it to be possible for others. By high school I was a full-blown cynic, passing judgment on "dreamers" while secretly envying their optimism.

All this to say, for years I falsely considered myself to be a non-dreamer. I now understand that it wasn't that I didn't dream, but rather that I allowed my insecurity, fear and feelings of inferiority from even a young age to squash my dreams before I could get my hopes up.

Now, back to Mark Batterson's blog. I've been captivated with these lines for days now:

"Almost like the moment of conception, dreams are single-celled organisms that so often don't make it to full-term. Most dreams miscarriage because we give up on them while they are still in the womb of the imagination. But when a God-ordained dream becomes reality, it's like the birth of a baby. Joy unspeakable!"

I don't want to be the poster child for miscarried dreams! I don't want to give up on a dream if it is a "God dream"! I don't want to be led by fear and dismiss dreams in the womb of the imagination. I don't want to put limits on myself, because the Spirit of God lives in me, and He is without limit. I want to be one through whom the Spirit of God dreams BIG- dreaming dreams that are impossible apart from a collision with the Divine! Dreams that necessitate His intervention every time!

I want to be one who nurtures and carries these God-ordained dreams to full term, laboring to see them come to fruition for the glory of God.

(I forgot about my dream of seeing the giant redwood trees for probably 10 years, right up until the brisk spring day in 2004 when I stood before hundreds of those wooden giants. It was surreal, remembering my dream at the very moment it came true. I still have bark from that first Sequoia I touched, a momento to forever remind me that dreams do come true.)

*megan

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deep inside this armor...

"...the warrior is a child."

As a little girl I would sing this song at the top of my lungs, right along with our family's Twila Paris cassette tape. It meant something to me then, even as a child. But twenty years later I'm singing it from my heart like never before.

It is a confession of sorts: I'm weak. I'm not as brave as you think.
Or, if I was to be fully transparent: I'm not as brave as I wanted you to think.

So tonight I admit, with eyes full of tears, that the only thing holding me together from one day to the next is my precious Papa in heaven. Today I'm not afraid to confess that He is the only strength I have. For if it is truly in my weakness that His strength is perfected, He's never looked stronger than He does right now.

*megan


*The Warrior is a Child*

Lately I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing
Strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child

Unafraid because His armor is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I'm amazing
Never face retreat
But they don't see the enemies
That lay me at His feet

-Gary Valenciano
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Encourage yourself!

My Dad was my rock my second year in Master's Commission. It was a rough year of ministry, and I often found myself overwhelmed with discouragement. Every Tuesday I'd call Dad on my lunch break, pouring out my heart and often quite a few tears. He usually just would listen then pray with me, but one particular Tuesday he gave me an unforgettable piece of wisdom. Years later, I still consider it to be some of the best advice I've ever been given.

He said: "Megan, you are not always going to have your Daddy or someone near you to encourage you. You have to learn to encourage yourself in the Lord."

God has blessed me with friends and family who believe in me and lift me up, but there truly are times when only God can bring comfort and strength.

There are times when no one will have the words to lift your spirit besides His Holy Spirit. His words will speak life.
There are dark hours, lonely seasons when we must look to Him alone for strength. He must become our joy, the One who causes us to smile.

I do not mean to diminish the role of the Church in any way! Fellowship is essential for believers, as we are relational beings through and through. But we must not go to others with our burdens before we've received the comfort and strength of God's Holy Spirit. We are not to place on someone the weight of our heavy burden. That being said, we ARE called to "share each other's burdens"(Gal. 6:2).

Share, not transfer.

And if we have first sought Christ to encourage, strengthen, and lift us, we are able to share our burden with a brother or sister without overwhelming them, and vice versa. God does the heavy lifting!

We must learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord. He is all-sufficient. He is. Don't doubt His ability to work on Your behalf.


*megan



"Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer."

-What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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country livin'

here are a few things i really enjoy about living in floyd:

• in summer we dry our clothes on the line, and they come down smelling like sunshine!
• i have horses in my backyard. literally. i look out the kitchen window and see my home openers' horses running around!
• i don't have to lock my car doors. being a compulsive door-locker, you'd think i'd lock them anyway. but my driver's side keyhole doesn't work. leaving the doors unlocked keeps me from having to walk around the passenger side and turn the key multiple times to finally unlock all the doors. i like this.
• we recycle anything we can, and burn the rest.
• there is a beautiful river, clean enough to swim in (be jealous, hoosier friends).
• next weekend is the Gospel Sing, 2 entire days devoted to fellowship and enjoyment of southern gospel music!
• my new friend ruth ann is going to take me to buy goat's milk! she and other ladies make their own laundry soap, too.
• we have thrift stores that are so boss, you can't even imagine.
• it is just plain beautiful here. i never would have imagined what a beautiful, peaceful place this would be! so much more than cornfields.
• every night i can go sit outside, look up and fall more in love with the Maker of the stars.
• the people here possess unparalleled kindness. in just a few weeks i have found myself feeling so at home with the loving people of floyd!

(for those who were wondering, the things i don't like involve having zero at&t reception and being 30 miles from taco bell. i'm sure i will survive such tribulations as these).


*megan

Not a Guilt Trip

Close your eyes and picture that rugged, jagged, rough cross. Picture the broken, bruised, bloodied body of Jesus as He hangs in agony.
Envision it.
Let the reality of those dark hours invade your mind.

This isn't a guilt trip.

It is, in fact, quite the opposite.

On that cross He carried our guilt. He carried the heavy burden of our wrongdoings. He hung on the cross naked in shame; yet this act provided the way for us to live without shame.

It seems foolish, really, to the natural mind: His shame paving the way for our restoration. His blood providing our only hope of salvation.

It is a haunting, beautiful mystery. Such a seemingly foolish exchange. His life for mine. His perfect heart given in exchange for my pitiful state, my corrupt mind, my perverted nature.

Picture that jagged cross once more, see Jesus laying His life down for you.

It's not a guilt trip.

It's not.

It is more fascinating and wonderful than any other act in all of history.

He bled; not to condemn the guilty, not to shame the impure, not to accuse the failures.

He bled for freedom. He bled for restoration. He bled so you might know Him, and intimately, at that. He bled for your future.

He bled for love.

He bled for you.

*megan
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love at first sight

this past tuesday evening i arrived at my new home: floyd, iowa.

the last hour of my drive i found myself overcome by a deep sense of awe and wonder at the beauty surrounding me. the sunset was breathtaking, the clouds putting a 3D spin on the sky's every hue. brilliance. the hills, the farmland amazed me. my eyes kept filling with tears. after 5 years in indiana you'd think i'd be used to it- but this was beautiful beyond beautiful to me!

i knew i was almost home!

when i saw the "welcome to floyd" sign my heart pounded in my chest and i got butterflies in my stomach. i was overjoyed, my heart was melting; it was pure love! love at first sight. i've never experienced this before- it was simply glorious!

such a thrilling first meeting!
but i can say that i do not know that it would have been so powerful if i had not first yielded myself to Lord for this season.

i've been super emotional since about mid-june. i decided when all the tears began to let myself take this emotional journey- to feel, to hurt, to be overjoyed, to grieve, to remember- whatever i needed to make a healthy transition. still, in all that emotion i sensed a deeper, Spirit to spirit change taking place. a mysterious, holy preparation i could not even comprehend. over the past several months my prayer language changed, and the Spirit is manifesting in some new ways i haven't experienced before. it was only in my last few days in lafayette that i had a quickening, a sudden and clear understanding of what these emotions and spirit changes were for.

i sensed all at once on monday that i had to say goodbye to indiana as "home" for good. more than a goodbye, i sensed a "do not" from the Lord.
"do not call lafayette home anymore. My heart will be your home, and wherever i lead you, you may call home for the season in which i call you there."
i lived out 5 beautiful, tumultuous, blessed years in indiana. God has done everything He intended to do in my heart there, and now i must go with all my heart to where He is leading. i must choose to trust that where He leads, He will sustain. no man-made clauses, no loopholes into getting my way or my plan in the process.

giving up, letting go
never was i in control
falling into love again
a love that demands my everything
be given

i penned those words over 2 years ago, but they are as real and fresh to my heart today as the day i sat down in tears, grabbed my guitar, and sang them for the first time.

He loves it when we yield. on monday i chose to yield the final things i held onto so He could release me into the new. i left lafayette well. on good terms with all, with all lose ends tied up.

i was ready.
fully yielded.
fully obedient.

maybe that's why it was so easy to fall in love with floyd at first sight.

maybe it was so easy to say "hello" because i took the time to say "goodbye".


*megan

Heat wave!

Right now I'm in Louisville, KY fund raising for MC at the Hullabalou music festival.


So far things are going well! I enjoy being outside, though the 100 plus degree heat index days are slightly beyond my ideal temperature;). The work is not bad at all! Though it's menial work I'm determined to keep my shoulders back, chin up, with a smile on my face!
Why?
I know Whose I am.


We are catering for the VIPs behind the mainstage, serving tech crews and some band members who are here with Train, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Dave Matthews, Dierks Bentley and more.


Though it is exciting to meet or at least see from close up some of these famous folks, I know that they're just humans. These stars will one day lose their luster. Popularity, beauty, riches, and fame will eventually fade. No one will take anything from this life to eternity, except souls won for the Kingdom.


So I endeavor today to take any opportunity afforded me to win a soul.


*megan
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Wow!

One month from today I will be in Floyd, Iowa, venturing into a new season of my journey with the Lord. It is unreal!


I haven't been in full time ministry in years! So much has changed inside of me since the last season of ministry. So much that I hardly know what kind of leader I'll be! I know I'm not perfected in the areas of aggravation, temper, entitlement and other unlovely characteristics that defined me my second year of Master's Commission in Lafayette. But such inner changes have been brought about over the past 2 years... I'm not even the same girl!


My greatest desire for myself this year is to be characterized by love- the first fruit of the Spirit. Fruit needs to be cultivated, and cultivation equals work! Lord, cultivate love in me! I desire such love for the students that even in the most stressful moments I would respond in pure love. Respond, not react. I desire that my love for them would be sacrificial. That I would learn to lay down my life for those whom God has entrusted to my care. That I would cooperate with God's loving will for their lives and seek His leadership in how to love and lead them well.


Yes Lord. Teach me to love and lead well.


*megan
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Older

I'm 26 today!

This past year was probably my best ever. Lots of heartache tempered with sweet victories. So thankful for the ugly days that taught me of grace that allows me to endure well. I'm also quite thankful for lovely days that taught me more of His grace that allows me to enjoy this life!

I'm excited for a new year.

Maybe I'll write more later. But it's just after midnight right now and I need my rest so I can fully enjoy the BEACH later on today. Goodnight/good morning, and Happy Birthday to me. Thanks God for giving me breath today.

*megan
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All I Want

I was organizing some of my old chord sheets today (all part of the moving process!) and came across this song by Jeff Deyo (chorus and bridge):

All I want is just to see You, Jesus
And I long just to hear Your voice
I need just to be near You
'Cause Your presence is all I want

One day we'll look on Your face
We'll see You in all of Your glory
And we won't need the sun
And we won't need the moon
All we will need is You!

Wow! Just reading the lyrics I got goose bumps just as I did years ago when I first heard this song. If the lyrics alone don't grip you, you've gotta hear the passion in the music and vocals. Wow (again).

I love when a song compels me to look away from my situation and toward the Lord.

Sigh:)

*megan
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The Lifetime of an Opportunity

Linda Ravenhill once said, "The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity."


What a challenging statement.


Today I read Acts chapter 3, when Peter and John encounter a crippled beggar. Peter says "I don't have any money for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" He takes the man by the hand and helps him up, and he is healed!



Today I find myself impressed with what happens next. In verse 12 it says "Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd..." I love that Peter was not content to see only this former beggar giving God glory. He seized this opportunity when many people were watching in wonder and amazement, and every person went home having heard the message of Jesus Christ.


The lifetime of some opportunities lasts for only a moment. May God give us the wisdom and courage to see our opportunity and to speak boldly by His Spirit.



*megan

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Perfect Pancakes!

It is official, I have perfected the pancake recipe I have been working on! Ready to share it with the blogger world.

Whisk together:
3/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raw oatmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together in another bowl:
1 1/2 cups milk (these turn out great with plain soy milk or 2% or whole cows milk!!)
2 eggs
3 TB olive oil
2 TB honey (haven't tried agave, but that might be yummy too)
1 TB brown sugar (mixes better with the wet ingredients than the dry ones)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix wet and dry ingredients in the large bowl, then commence griddle-ing!! I use 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter per pancake. The key to light brown yummy pancakes is patience! Medium-high heat, WAIT for the bubbles, flip... And a few minutes later, enjoy!!

Let me know how they turn out for you!

*megan
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Blogging from phone?

I'm trying to blog via email via my blackberry. I feel this is an important step in being a better blogger. Let's see if this works!

*megan
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On the garment of praise, from my journal. 4-22-10

4-22-10 journal entry

It's amazing how worship beautifies life's difficult situations.

Worship puts things in perspective- we acknowledge the holiness, worth, sovereignty, love, glory, power, favor, provision, kindness, mercy, and faithfulness of God- and before we know it our troubles become so small. That is, when we push past the tendency to dwell on these things and place our attention on Christ.

The garment of praise may seem a strange fit in times of suffering, yet it is the most glorious and beautiful piece in our wardrobe. Even in distress the garment of praise does not fade, tear or wear out. It is a trustworthy tool in battling despair. When we wrap ourselves in praise our focus shifts from self to Christ- there He meets needs, lifts hearts, restores dreams and pours out His love to nourish thirsty hearts. Praise releases the mighty force of His healing in a special way. I believe this! We give our attention to Him alone and He is able to do great things in our hearts.

May I wear the garment of praise in faith and belief that my God is everything His Word declares Him to be!


The garment of praise must be made of Lycra. In both times of famine and feasting it is a perfect fit.


*megan

5-11-2010: what's worth more than dreams?

The will of the Father.
Intimacy with the Son.
Response to the Spirit.

On March 22nd of this year I finally admitted out loud to my sister Melissa and dear friend Charity: "I think I want to go back to Master's Commission."

Whaaaaaaaat???

Yeah, you read that right. In my heart I had an idea for what this would look like. Join the staff of a Master's Commission in a big city… Vegas, perhaps? After all, I'm a city girl in my heart of hearts, unafraid to move close to city lights and prostitutes. I love city people.

But God saw fit...

God saw fit to align my path with that of Zacharia & Beka Fox, friends who attended MCKC with my sister. Zach and Beka were casting vision for Floyd Master's Commission the very night I admitted to Melissa what I kept locked away for so long! Floyd, Iowa, a “teeny tiny town” in Beka’s words.

I was challenged in my spirit the next morning, "Would you be willing to leave your job? Your home? Move somewhere far from city lights to a place unlike anywhere you’ve lived before?"... Talk about being put on the spot. Having said "NO" to the Lord so many times before and seeing the damage it caused I answered, “Yeah, I could do that!” I told Him that He is worth more than even the dreams He gives.

Now, months later I’ve made it official: my heart has not been able to let go of Floyd, of Master’s Commission, of Zach and Beka’s precious hearts. My heart and my soul say “YES!”

There’s something bigger than big city dreams: Kingdom dreams.

Kingdom dreams are about His glory.
Kingdom dreams are about following His lead.
Kingdom dreams are about doing what He is blessing.
Kingdom dreams, I believe, are the only ones truly worth dreaming.

Kingdom dreams keep things in perspective: My life is not about me.
Ps, yours is not about you, either!

“I wanna be used by You
I wanna be used by You
So don’t look me over
I’m waiting for You, broken
I wanna be used by You”
-Deluge Band

Please pray for me as I embark on this next step in my journey with the Lord. My spirit is absolutely full of anticipation! I know God has great things in store for Floyd Master’s Commission, for Gospel Lighthouse, for Zach and Beka, for the students God will entrust to us... and He has a great plan for me.

I am honored, humbled, grateful.

Love you all,
*megan