My Chains are Gone

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful! Jesus Christ has set me free from self-hatred, people-pleasing, rage, depression, addiction and... myself!

In futility I struggled against my chains. For too long. I bloodied my ankles and wrists and writhed in pain as I worked to free myself. But skin and bone are no match for shackles of iron. I exhausted myself in attempts at freedom.

But upon my surrender, Jesus did what I could never do. He snapped the chains right off of me.

Are you feeling like a slave to some life-controlling issue? 

Surrender.

Not to that ugly mindset, substance or behavior.

Surrender to Jesus.

Freedom is in His hand, and I believe He is waiting full of anticipation for the moment when you finally cry out to Him. He is ready and waiting for that holy moment when He gets to snap your chains off!

Jesus came to seek and rescue the lost. It is His mission. 

It is no inconvenience for Him to free you... He wants to free you! 

Don't struggle against those chains.

You're not strong enough to break them.

You can't do it.

But Jesus can.

Whisper or say or sing or shout His name. 

Admit it - you can't free yourself.

Surrender your life to the One who can give you true freedom and life.

Yes, I am thankful today and always, for my strong God!

Praying He shows Himself strong on your behalf today when you call on His name.

Much love, 

*megan

Anointing.

This is going to be quick. Ready?

Anointing > Talent

If you are feeling average or mediocre or are comparing yourself to others, be encouraged! God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of this world to confound the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). 

Be faithful- develop your character & diligently work to be the best you can be at whatever God has gifted you in. Be quick to give God glory for anything good that comes from your talent. Talent can get you in the door, but the anointing will open doors no person can open. 

Followers of Jesus, you can't manufacture anointing; but you can tap into the Anointed One who lives inside of you. 

That's all I've got. Maybe a bit scattered but it was on my heart. Much love!

*megan

Words & Letters

Alright, so I made a mistake in my last post. I said my goals for this blog were to be authentic and edifying. I guess I wasn't 100% clear on the definition of edification. I think the appropriate word for what I'm going for is encouraging.

I truly desire to be someone who lifts others up. It certainly is not always easy. Encouragement can twist into flattery if it isn't authentic. Encouragement can prove challenging after being hurt and wounded by people. I think if anyone desires to genuinely encourage and build people up, they need faith. Faith not in people but in God, Who is able to work in and through any life that will yield to Him. 

I find sometimes that verbally encouraging others is difficult for me. If my mouth gets moving too quickly I can find myself saying things I don't mean. And that's definitely not okay. I need more of the Holy Spirit in my life, so that I can speak His words, His heart and His love over people. I also need His wisdom and understanding to know when to shut up. :)  Just because something is true doesn't mean it needs to be said. 

While I see great value in looking someone in the eye and speaking God's Truth over their life, my favorite way to encourage others is through writing. More than blogging, I'm talking about handwritten encouragement.

There are few things I appreciate more than receiving a heart-felt, handwritten letter or card. Can anyone else relate? A handwritten note shows that someone not only thought of you, but with intentionality and purpose they actually took time out of their day to express that thought to you. And that's just special!

Something else I enjoy about handwritten sentiments? I can read them over and over! I'll be honest, I don't have the sharpest memory. If someone speaks something encouraging over my life I try to write it down as soon as possible, because otherwise I'm likely to forget it. But when someone writes it I can (and typically do) read it again and again. I've re-read cards from 10 years ago that encourage me more today than they did when I first read them. Honestly. What sets these letters apart is the Truth of God's Word and the prayers that are written in them. 

I recently stumbled upon a letter that was written to me in 2005. I opened it up and began reading page 1 of 9 handwritten notebook pages. Written on these pages were words of encouragement, Scriptures, poems and thoughts, followed by more Scripture and words of life. I was in tears by the time I reached page 9. It was written by a brother in Christ who passed away last April at the age of 26. He and I were not close friends, in fact we were only acquaintances; but you'd better believe he made an impact on my life. 

This one letter to me was full of the timeless, precious Word of God. Reading it again reminded me that writing is a practical yet powerful way to leave a legacy.  Written words can be gifts that keep on giving if they are written in agreement with the Word and Spirit of God.

Next time a friend is on your heart, prayerfully consider writing to them. If God leads you to write, I encourage you to carve out some time to do so. If you don't know what to write, pray for God to bring a Scripture to your heart. God's Word doesn't return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11) so even if you feel like you have nothing eloquent to write, that's okay! Simply taking time out to show that you care can make all the difference in someone's day. 

Lord Jesus, I pray for myself and for everyone reading this post. Please Lord, teach us to encourage others as we should. Let our mouths be full of Your word, full of kindness, full of wisdom. Please give us understanding and discernment to know when to speak, and when to shut up. :)  Let our pens be guided by sanctified hands and hearts that are set on doing Your will. Use us, Lord, to encourage and build one another up in our faith in You. It's all for You, for Your glory! In Jesus' name, amen!


:)   Sorry if any of this is nonsensical or scattered. I had finished this post an hour ago but lost my internet connection. Then the computer froze. Then after rebooting, half of this post was gone. Sooooo I did my best to reconstruct. Hopefully (prayerfully) I have written what God wanted me to tonight.


Love and prayers,

*megan

Authenticity & Fear.

Authentic.

Edifying.

These are the words I cannot shake when I ponder and pray about my new season in the blogosphere. I love that my computer didn't put the squiggly lines under the word "blogosphere" btw... I actually didn't know it was a legit word... 

I want this to be a place where "real talk" can happen. Where I can be me, and you can be you. A place where you feel welcomed to share comments, prayer needs, what God is showing you about any topic that I blog about. 

One of my least favorite things about authenticity is that it generally requires a great deal of vulnerability. They're kindred spirits, as far as I can tell. Plainly stated: vulnerability isn't my strongest quality. I have struggled with a desire- what's more, a pressure- to appear "perfect and good" throughout my whole life. Of course I know that no one actually thinks I am perfect. But the pressure has been there still. Perhaps the most unnerving thing about this is that my ambition has never been to actually be perfect, but merely to appear perfect.

Scary, huh?

Yeah... For years (and I mean years) I didn't really know what the driving force behind this pressure was. I blamed my parents, church leaders and teachers who set the bar "too high". I blamed anyone who praised me only when I was "good". I blamed every youth leader I ever had for quoting 1 Timothy 4:12 to me over and over. I blamed "middle child syndrome". I blamed all the things I could see, without giving thought to praying to God, Who searches the heart and examines secret motives (Jeremiah 17:10). 

I recently read "The Fear of the Lord" by John Bevere. I would highly recommend that every Christian friend of mine take the time to read this gem of a book. [I will loan my copy to you if you promise to read it and return it, because it's one I intend to read again.] God's Holy Spirit, through this book, revealed much to me regarding the state of my heart, including the root issue of my perfection pressure: The fear of man. In case you're not familiar with the terminology, I'll give a very simple definition... "The fear of man" is the honoring of the opinions, praise and approval of people above the approval of Almighty God. It is idolatrous to the core, breaking the first commandment: "You shall have NO other gods before Me". When we value the opinions and seek the approval of people above obedience and reverence toward God, well, we have placed another god before Him. John Bevere states in this book, "If you desire the praise of man, you will fear man. If you fear man, you will serve him - for you will serve what you fear". The fear of man and the fear of the Lord are mutually exclusive. The fear of man enslaves, the fear of God liberates.

God is beginning to break me of my perfectionism, my high regard for the opinions of people. Fearing Him - reverencing Him and honoring Him and valuing His approval - it is setting me free. It's not that I no longer care what people think about me. I still care, but I'm caring less. And that "not caring" isn't about arrogance or proving myself, etc... I'm just seriously starting to care more about what God thinks about me! I feel like my understanding of this is still so small, but already it is freeing me to love and live and worship in a new way. A liberated way. 

Proverbs 9:10 says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." which means I'm only at the start of this journey. I realize that I've been held back for many years because I made myself a prisoner to the opinions of others. No one can be blamed for this but me. But now by His grace, in learning to fear Him, I am free to grow in wisdom and understanding of His character and nature. So basically I'm just a newbie.

All this to say, authenticity will be a new standard here, by His grace. The fear of God is freeing me to be real. I will talk a little more about edification in my next post, Lord willing... but for now, thanks for reading, please feel free to comment or email me your thoughts. Praying for you all.

Much love,

megan

An Opportune Time

It’s been a whole year since I’ve written a real post for this blog. My silence was not so much a result of writer’s block as it was a change of season in my life. The silence has done me much good. A lot has changed in my life since I last was in the habit of posting regularly around here. Perhaps I will share a little bit about that in a future post. But for now, here’s what’s on my heart.

An opportune time…

For those of you who do not attend church with me, we are currently in our final week of 21 days of corporate fasting and prayer. This is our second year of joining together for three weeks of fasting.

I'm just going to be real with you here. Last year during the fast I really got off track, not only with my fasting but with my focus. Distractions came my way and I chose to look at them instead of setting my focus on God. I was tempted and tested and to be honest I absolutely failed these tests. Rather than praying about decisions and opportunities that came my way I just did what seemed right to me. If you read the Proverbs you know that "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12, TNIV).

That was the fast for me last year. A time of testing, trying, temptation... and failure. There's nothing like failing a test to be reminded that you aren't "all that." Honestly, I think that's what I needed since I would not willingly humble myself before the Lord. I must say I'm so very grateful for the Truth, that "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You" (Psalm 86:5, NIV). Just because I screwed things up doesn't mean I have to live under condemnation (Romans 8:1). I've called on the Lord in repentance for my duplicity, and He has been so faithful to forgive and lead me forward!

All that is just back story, I guess...

Here's what is going on in my time of prayer and fasting this year: God is speaking to me, teaching me, leading me, growing me, and really it is wonderful. All glory to God for this! That being said, I've experienced very little temptation and for those of you who may be in the same boat, I want to share with you what God is teaching me about this...

Don't let your guard down! 

We are cautioned in Scripture, "Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin]" (1 Corinthians 10:12, Amplified). Basically, it's really easy to be confident in ourselves and our own willpower, strength, abilities, etc. when we are on the mountaintop. We start to think we are beyond failure, but nothing could be further from the truth. If we are not living by the Holy Spirit's power, sooner or later we will gratify the lust of our sinful nature (Galatians 5:16). 

Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and nights while fasting but He remained close to the Father and grounded in the Truth of the Scripture. You can read about it in Luke 4. One particular verse in this passage is very sobering to me during this time of fasting: "And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of] temptation, he [temporarily] left Him [that is, stood off from Him] until another more opportune and favorable time" (Luke 4:13, Amplified).

The devil finished tempting Jesus for a season, but he wasn't giving up; he was waiting for another opportunity, a more favorable one. If we are children of God, the devil is our adversary and he isn't going to give up easily or quickly on us either. We are told in Scripture that we are to "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8, NIV). 

Sobering, eh? Even in times when we aren't experiencing a great amount of temptation, we must be self-controlled (a fruit of the Spirit, not a work of our own strength) and alert. There's more going on than meets the eye, there's warfare of a spiritual nature going down continually.

I am praying that in this season of my life God will firmly establish in me a total reliance on Him, on His Holy Spirit and His strength. I want to be holy, set apart and useful to Him for the sake of His Kingdom. I want to be closer to Him with each day I live on this earth. At some times it is much easier to walk with Him than at other times... I pray that in the easier times I will draw near to Him, diligently seeking His face during any reprieve from temptation I may experience. I pray that I will not fear the temptation and trials that will surely come my way, but will learn to walk in His grace each and every day as it comes. 

I pray this for myself and for you, my friends: that we may be found faithful and fearlessly confident in our God Who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before His glorious presence with great joy (Jude v24).

Much love to you, my family and friends. Please email me if there's any way I can be praying for you.

*megan

better than bacitracin

Today was the big day: that epic day on which you took the training wheels off your child's bike.

Hours ago they were a terrified novice, pleading that you run with them and hold on so they don't fall. For an hour or so, you were convinced you'd be in marathon shape by day's end.

But that was this morning.  

2011!

I'm about a week behind on my 2011 wrap-up post, but oh well!

Here are some of my highlights of the last year of my life...

Rang in the year at OneThing conference!

Watched the entire LOST series between the months of January and April.

Survived winter in Iowa.

Traveled to/through 20 states. Only 1 by airplane.

Had the opportunity to speak and lead worship for some wonderful congregations.

Spent my summer in Kansas with my sister, bro-in-law and precious nephew.

Went to my first (of hopefully MANY) U2 shows.

At least 15 of my friends had babies in 2011; I got to meet 7 of them!

Went to my first Broadway musical: Mary Poppins.

Got the see the Grand Canyon again!

Moved back to my home state of New Jersey to serve my home church and incredible Pastor.

Stayed up all night then drove to the beach to watch the sun rise.

Became a youth leader. Began falling in love with the youthies.

Watched the past season of Biggest Loser most every Tuesday with my dear friend Alicia!

Moved in with my brother, sis-in-law and wild/fun/adorable nephew.

Joined the church choir.

Made some wonderful new friends.

Went to the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philly!

Obtained my first full-time job since June of 2010.

Joined a gym (and not that this is a highlight, but I did put on 15ish lbs in 2011... yikes...).

Went to Philly on Christmas and ate Japanese food.

What were some of your 2011 highlights?

*megan

Thanks be to God!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I have so many things to be thankful for today and always... I won't subject you to my exceedingly long list. Instead, I ask you to take a few minutes to watch the video posted below.

It is of one of my all-time favorite songs!

Praising God for His mercy!

Praising God for bringing me through!

Praising God for providing!

Praising God for every trial He has seen me through.

He is so faithful and good.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving! In all the activity do not forget to give thanks to the Giver of life.

Much love to all my blog friends.

*megan

writer's block

Writer's block is what I've got.

I sit down with my guitar and a notebook. No lyrics.

I sit down at my computer with Blogger open. No inspiration.

My brain is a little foggy right now but I hope to be back in the swing of things soon. I have the chance to submit a short story/memoir for a compilation book about faith-based short-term urban volunteerism, and I sure would love to write something worth publishing! Deadline is this Friday... and I have a blank page thusfar. Prayers appreciated.

Have you ever had writer's block? If so, how did YOU overcome?

*megan

Slow your roll!

3,750 miles.

13 states.

18 days.

Welcome to my September!

This month I was privileged to be able to visit my forever-and-always friend Summer in Tennessee, enjoy chats with my kindred spirit Charity in Indiana, have coffee with Super-Proverbs 31-Momma-and-Wife Brittany, say goodbye to my darling Joseph before he left for England, meet up with the Lovely Loveall Ladies to take Bekah to Master's Commission in Chicago, journey from Indiana to Kansas City with my dear & favorite Katie, catch up with my mentors and dear friends Todd & Candy & their beautiful family... AND spend a few days with my beloved sister, bro-in-law and fantastic nephew in Kansas. I have the best people. I'm convinced.

Another (read: primary) purpose of my travels was to retrieve my possessions so I could bring them all HOME with me. Yes, this lady is settling down for a while, in a sweet little place called New Jersey.

Now I'm back, I'm moved in but by no means "settled" in yet, looking for a job, sleeping on a very comfortable floor with heaps of blankets for comfort. The pace of my life has been bordering insane levels, but I am looking forward to a day in the hopefully-not-so-distant future when my life will demonstrate some sense of "normalcy" once again. Not to say I desire a normal life. I don't, hopefully never will. But let's face it, we all need to find a sustainable pace at which to live so we don't burn out. A burnt out Megan (or you) is of little value to anyone.

Is this post a little random? Probably.
I'm not even going to proof it, because it is what it is. And what it is is an honest write-up of where I am right now. And where I am right now is Panera. In a physical sense. But that's not what I meant.

Beyond tired.


Have you ever blogged while feeling a little crazy?


*megan

the canyon that is rather grand

I am super behind on posting. I had a few weeks of feeling very unmotivated when it comes to my writing, but I think I'm back on track now.

Sooner rather than later I hope to share some of the my summer journey with you all. On 3 occasions now I have forgotten to grab the cord to upload pictures before heading to a spot with WiFi.

One highlight of this summer was returning to the Grand Canyon! I've had the privilege of seeing it not once but twice in my life! Some people will never make it out there, so I don't take the opportunity to have done so for granted!

I had so much fun with the Bethel "youthies" at the Canyon. I nearly had a heart attack about 20 times as I watched the boys (and Pastor Brian) climbing around like monkeys (a few of them in SANDALS, no less!) but even still it was a blissful day!

Again, I hope to post more summertime pictures soon, but I'll just leave you with these few for now. This next one is my favorite! I was so proud of myself. It took a lot for me to climb out to where it was taken. As I posed with my arms raised I was trembling in fear of the height from which I stood. But I did it!

Many thanks to Brendan (follow his artistic self on twitter: AVibrantBlaze) for capturing this terrifyingly thrilling moment in my life!

When's the last time you were terrified and thrilled at the same time? Hopefully it hasn't been too long. It's good for the soul!

*megan

to whom it may concern...

To Whom it May Concern:

I've (at least temporarily) given up on writing in a physical journal every night. Picking up a pen at the end of the day is too laborious a task for me, plus I've gone through 2 journals in 7 weeks. I move too often to be accumulating anything right now!

I've decided to start journaling daily on my computer. I'm going to give it a two-week run to see how it goes. My guess is it is going to go well, and my paper journals will end up being used for notes during devotional reading, special occasions, and times I'm just "in the mood" to hand-write.

Not sure anyone cares about this, but this is new territory for me and I didn't want to go it alone:)!

Do you keep a journal? If so, what do you use (computer, iPad, notebook, pretty journal, something else)?

*megan
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

like an avalanche.

My favorite song right now. Went to my first Hillsong United show last week and it was phenomenal. Can't believe I had never heard this song before last week!

The bridge is my favorite part... it is my prayer set to music!

What's "your song" right now in this season of life?

*megan

home is You

Another post via e-mail.

Tired, but my mind is racing. Processing too many situations/ feelings/ thoughts/ conversations/ memories/ opportunities/ divine appointments right now.

Learning more about myself all the time.

I'm struggling to focus on the Truth in the midst of a crazy life. Struggling to focus on the Known in the midst of so many questions.

So as my mind races at the end of the day, I just need to make a declaration. Too tired to journal this all out. Hoping someone else will benefit from knowing they're not alone in this wild ride called life.

My declaration tonight:

You, my God, are my true home.
You are where my heart is.
I have no need but You.

All that I possess does not validate me.
All that I lack will never hinder me.
All I've done does not define me.

Your grace is sufficient for me!

*megan

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Directionally Challenged.

I'll be the first to admit that I am directionally challenged.

I can get lost going somewhere I've been a dozen times. I can tell you the worst possible way to get just about anywhere. I've driven the wrong way down a one-way street a time or two (or three, or four... don't judge me, you know you've done it too). Add a passenger or phone convo into the mix and I'm capable of missing my exit and driving multiple hundreds of miles on the wrong road. In my home state I know how to get only a handful of places. No joke.

You'd think I would be used to it by now. I certainly am not. I try to have a sense of humor about it but the truth is:

Getting lost is stressful, even panic-inducing.

Realizing you're going the wrong way is confusing.

Not knowing how to get where you want to be is frustrating.

 

Today the irony of my directionally challenged-ness hit me like a ton of bricks. Right now I am in a life season that is very uncomfortable and awkward. I've had my share of these seasons before but just like the frustration of getting lost while driving, the discomfort of the season has not lessened over time. If anything, it has intensified.

Sometimes I feel a little lost in life. I panic, I analyze every little thing trying to figure out what the heck I'm doing. Then I look to my Daddy and remember He said that if I trust Him with my whole heart and acknowledge Him in everything, He'll make the path straight before me (Proverbs 3).

I fear going the wrong way. In a culture that expects me to have life figured out by now, I daily have to shake off the feelings (oh, emotions!) and expectations of people and cling to the Truth that in this life I walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5). Another Scripture I love: He makes me sure-footed as a deer, leading me along mountain heights (Psalm 18). When I walk with Him I can walk in confidence and certainty.

I have dreams and goals and desires that often seem so far away. To be a woman after God's heart, a more passionate worshipper, true friend, wise leader, loving wife and crazy-awesome mom. For the moments when I am overwhelmed by my inadequacies or frustrated with the delays I pray and confess the words of Psalm 138:8 (one of my all-time favorites):

The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever-  do not abandon the works of Your hand.

I find great comfort, strength & confidence in the Word of God. It is my roadmap and a flawless GPS to navigate every bump, detour & destination in this life. (And unlike my GPS [Melda] He isn't desperately in need of a  map update, neither does He recalculate 14 times per trip. I'm also fairly sure that He doesn't have a British accent, but you never know.)

It is in the seasons that just feel like "in-betweens" that  I best learn to trust Him with my whole heart. So I guess I should be grateful for the uncomfortable season in which I presently live :).

If you're brave enough to admit you're directionally challenged (literally or figuratively), please share your best story with me!

*megan

messy, imperfect, beautiful [me & you]

Another e-mail blog. Please pardon any aesthetic and/or grammatical errors you may stumble upon. It is late and I'm in the car, somewhere in Ohio. Or is it Indiana?

Just saw a sign. It's still Ohio for 26 more miles. Don't worry, I'm not driving, I'm happily passenger-ing. I'll share trip highlights soon but tonight I just want to share what is on my heart. A little road-trip food for thought.

First, I want to encourage everyone to practice speaking words of life into and over your family & friends, acquaintances & strangers. Tell them what they mean to God and to you. Write them a note. Thank them for pouring into you. Buy them a little something that made you think of them from the moment you saw it. Send a piece of snail mail (my favorite!). You just might have a lasting impact. Your encouragement, your little bit of love may be enough to get them through a tough time. You may never know the impact you make on someone's life by a small, heartfelt gesture. Or one day they may tell you and it will just mess you up/make you cry/humble you/remind you how faithful God is.

Second, don't ever stop celebrating your freedom in Christ! If you've yielded your life to Him He's brought you out into a spacious place- and He's brought you there because He delights in you (Psalm 18). Yes, YOU!

You- who still makes mistakes.

You- who yelled at your spouse and/or kids today.

You- with the extra 20/35/50 pounds you can't seem to shed.

You- with the dreams that don't seem to be coming true right now (or ever).

You- who struggles to stop comparing yourself to anybody and everybody.

You- who doesn't always "feel" so free.

The Lord of all the earth, Almighty God... He DELIGHTS in messy, imperfect, beautiful me & you.

He loves you AND He likes you.

He's rescued you from sin and brought you into a spacious place.

And I feel like tonight He just wants somebody to get this:

"I have brought you into a spacious place. And I want you to utilize it."

*megan

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

U2

Hello friends!

Blogging via e-mail today. Not ideal, but I'm on holiday so it is the only option!

Tonight I get to see one of my absolute, all-time, most favorite bands: U2! They've been around longer than I have, and they still make some pretty sweet music. I'm putting on the waterproof mascara today- I'm almost certain I'm going to cry tonight!

There's something quite epic about live music. And I like that!

What's the most spectacular show you've been to (and why)?

*megan

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

I use the words "septic tank" in this post, so you know it's gotta be good...

Tonight, I'm sharing a poem about the kind of week month I'm having. Sometimes you just gotta get in touch with your 10-year-old self and write a silly but tragically serious poem. So, here is a little insight into my relationship with God these days:).

When You take the lead

This dance simply flows

When I take the lead

I step on Your toes

ouch

When You take the lead

My story is epic

When I take the lead

Life ends up in the septic

tank

When You take the lead

The results are fantastic

When I take the lead

I'm stressed out and spastic

ick

When You take the lead

I can confidently chase

When I take the lead

I need to press the backspace

button

When You take the lead

I'll admit I get antsy

But I trust that Your plan is

Much, much, much more fancy

than mine

And when You take the lead

Worry has no place

So here I wait again

Nestled safely in Your grace

...sigh

Even in a season when it is very difficult to wait on the Lord and be of good courage I am thankful for laughter and joy in His presence. Whatever would I do without Jesus?

Anyone else right here with me?

*megan

solitary in families

My birthday was wonderful! I must admit I had my doubts about how the day would turn out. Sometimes I get sad & lonely for the ones I'm not with and places I can't be. Just one of the drawbacks of living such a transitory lifestyle, I guess. But I am very thankful that God knew what I needed and blessed me with such a special day.

I spent it with family... (best nephew ever!)

And with a few best friends... (Katie & Mel!)

Sweet, sweet Lindsey Hall bought me a cake! All my favorite colors;).

God is relationship-oriented. It's something I really like about Him. He blesses us with companionship with Himself (WOW) as well as with the fellowship of other believers. Together, we make up a great big family.

I had the privilege of spending my evening with spiritual family. I was blessed with a sense of belonging that I have been missing. The entire Olson family joined us for dinner then had us over to their home for a wonderful time!

It was a perfect summer night. Hot & humid- my fave! After watching HILARIOUS videos (laughed my head off), playing a game and hanging out inside LaFawn suggested taking the party outside to "make memories". And that we did! Sam caught a huge frog and I gave it a birthday kiss. Why not, right? :)

I held its little webby hands and it wrapped its webby fingers around my thumbs. I must admit, it was pretty cute, even for a NON-animal-lover like myself!

A scripture I couldn't let go of that entire night was Psalm 68:6- "He sets the solitary in families..." It is amazing how much healing God ministered to me from just a few hours spent with a Godly family. Sigh.

I'm very thankful to be serving a God who cares about my emotional and relational needs. He is so faithful!

*megan

Summer Begins...

It's a little after midnight on June 9th.

My summer begins officially today! (after 6-7 hours of sleep, I hope!)

Floyd MC's graduation was Sunday and I've spent the past 3 days doing laundry, spending time with friends, packing, loading my car, giving things away, uploading pictures, saying goodbyes/see-ya-later's and drinking an inordinate amount of coffee.

The past few months have been crazy busy between MC and personal obligations, so I am ready to R-E-L-A-X for a minute or two! I could pursue many things this summer: leisure, travel, family time, a phenomenal tan, friendships, entertainment. None of these things are bad in and of themselves. But focused pursuit of God is what I'm about this summer!

I don't really have any solid summer plans. Lots (and I mean LOTS) of ideas are stirring in my head and in my heart, but I know I must begin in the place of prayer and pursuit of the Lord.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Shawnee, KS to spend some time with my sister, bro-in-law and favorite human a.k.a. my nephew London. I plan on spending as much time as possible at the International House of Prayer. I'm not sure how long I'll be in Kansas or how much traveling I'll get to do this summer. But one thing that's for sure is this is a time marked out to spend quality time first and foremost with Jesus, the One who loved me first.

This summer is a Season of Pursuit. Expect to see me "hash-tagging" this on Twitter.

How do you plan on connecting with God this summer?

*megan