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

life is the fast lane...

where does time go?

over the past 7 years i have lived in 11 apartments/houses across 5 states.

i have visited lake tahoe, the grand canyon, and dracula's castle.

i have broken my foot, eaten horse meat, heard gun shots from my yard, bought my first car, protested for justice, and lost and gained more pounds than i could possible track.

i have fallen in love.

i have gained perspective.

i have been proud of myself and who i've become.

i've been ashamed of myself and who i've become.

i have worked 10 jobs, 7 part time, 6 for non-profit organizations.

i have lost people whom i loved deeply.

i have thrown away 1/4 of my possessions at least twice.

i have changed my mind.

i have had a lot and i have had a little.

i have learned the secret to being content- i can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

so where does time go?

well, i'm not really sure. but i do know this- there is no slow lane in this life... life is the fast lane. there's no slowing down, no delaying these moments: they just keep happening.

i'm not at all where i'd expected i'd be at 25. i'm not married, i have no children, i work a couple of part time jobs and don't have much to show for it; but i'm not disappointed.

the glamour level of my life has dramatically decreased, but right now i think i've got the best life of all. i'm learning that my value is not in all these things i've done. they do not define me. they are part of me, but with or without them i am still so loved, so honored, so adored by my God.

from day one until the day we leave this earth, life is a journey. one day at a time, we write our story.

and i'm not really done writing but the library is kicking me out.

lovin' the journey!

lost cause...

for the disciples of Jesus...


what is a lost cause?
simply defined, it is a hopeless undertaking; a cause that's been defeated or faces inevitable defeat.

oh how often i faithlessly assess situations and casually throw them into the category of "lost cause." it's just easier that way, isn't it? i know i'm not the only one who does it. all the suffering and sorrow of this world can overwhelm even the strongest individuals at times, making it difficult to hope for things we do not see, things we have never seen.

in these times of trouble we often surrender our minds to the same hopeless mentality as the world. we choose reason over faith, natural eyes over the eyes of the Spirit. we look at situations with logical eyes, and with logical minds we analyze and categorize them. with logical mouths we "call things as we see them", under the banner of "speaking the truth."

but the reality is that many "lost causes" are not lost at all. we have simply given up fighting for them because they are too difficult. much of what we call lost, if we are to be truthful, has actually been abandoned.

if a cause is truly lost, perhaps we can do nothing. but if abandoned, the responsibility for what is lost by inactivity lies completely on we who have given up.

that's all i've got for now.

frustration

it's the little things that get me.

expectations not being met.
inability to please people.
inability to please myself.
questions i can't answer.
no ink in the printer.
horrible hair days.
being homesick.
dad's computer.
[all computers].
interferences.
confusion.
allergies.

even the fact that i get frustrated at many little things frustrates me.