Dearest 2013,

Help me to listen, to love, to appreciate, to stop, to embrace, to make mistakes — and then learn from them. Help me to read more, for my own pleasure. Help me to get out of my small box, to explore more, to buy myself flowers just because, help me to accept change better, to check off my 20’s list — as best I can. 

My new year, help me to stay active in new ways — go skydiving and don’t put it off, run more and consistently, try something new. Save more, because I know my more “adult years” are coming quickly! Make others a priority over me, love them — though it may be difficult. 

Oh, and don’t let me be so hard on myself (though at times it’s good). Help me to accept myself and my mistakes — don’t let me dwell on the past. I’ve got far too much life ahead of me to dwell. Reach out to new friends, new relationships, new acquaintances — they may not work out, or they may stick in my life forever. Let them happen or you’ll never know. 

Finally, my new year, help me keep focused on the one thing in life that matters most — Christ. Help me to gain strength in Christ, daily, to know Him more, to be reminded of Him when I stray (because He knows I will). I need His help to love Him more, and help me to not give up. Help me to remind myself that I’ll make it through — I always do, with Him. 

It’s been a good one 2012,

Meg

It's Complete.

The 20's Project 

1. Read the entire bible.

2. Ride a motorcycle 

3. Skydive

4. Get a full-body message 

5. Memorize an entire chapter of the Bible

6. Backpack part of Appalachian Trail

7. Order breakfast in bed room service, at a fancy hotel. 

8. Run a half marathon

9. Glacier Park

10. Visit 5 National Parks

11. Visit New York City

12. Travel to Europe 

13. Try a cigar

14. Go to a Sara Bareilles concert

15. Visit California

16. Go to a vineyard & wine taste

17. Start my teaching career

18. Attend a NFL Football game

19. Take a cooking class

20. Serve on a missions Trip

Dear First Grader,

Trying to explain to a very distraught you, that you can have more than one best friend was a tough task today. You’ll learn you will have many friends, many acquaintances. You’ll have enemies and you’ll have those people who annoy you.

But my dear, you’ll have those people in your life who will be the one’s who stick around, who are always there through thick and thin, who can trust you with the weight of their world, who you can rely on and those who know you better than anyone else — those are the one’s who you will call your best friends. I pray you embrace them because they come few and far between. 

With love,

Miss Megan

half marathon.

It’s been updated! No. 8 is now crossed off, my friends. 

grasp.

I’m having a difficult time trying to grasp the idea that I’ll be running 13.1 miles (at one time) in about thirty-six hours. It’s tough. I’m excited — but the nervousness is taking over. I’m so stinkin’ nervous.

There’s a plus side to the course I’ll be completing Saturday morning — that it’s all flat. I’ve been training on hills and I am hoping this will be to my advantage. I have a goal time — it’s personal. I’m relying on the sheer strength of God to make it, to complete it, and to feel accomplished. For those who know me, know that running doesn’t come easy, but I do it — I do it for me. Prayers would be appreciated, not only that I properly prepare my mind for this, but for the strength to complete it. You guys have been a fabulous support system, and a thank you is not nearly enough!

-meg 

Hands and Feet.

"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15) 

I’m excited for what’s happening in my heart, in our hearts right now. There is a group of five girls, myself included, that have been brought together — tonight was our first meeting, out of weeks of trying to make this small group happen. 

We’re reading Undaunted, by Christine Caine. We were to read the introduction and the first chapter. My word, friends — He is stirring in our hearts. Tonight we focused on the simple, but oh so big question, “Why didn’t you come sooner?” 

For those of you who don’t know who Christine Caine is, she is a God-loving woman, Greek, and from Australia (and SO much more). But she has had the calling of reaching out to young ladies in sex-trafficking. I first heard her speak at Passion 2012 conference, in ATL, GA.  In Undaunted, Caine speaks about her conversation with young girls whom she helped rescue from the brothels, they asked her, “Why didn’t you come sooner?” 

This is a question that has tackled my heart, and is just urging myself and this group of girls to take action. We need to actively become Christ’s “hands and feet.” We talked about one young ladies’ call to international missions, but collectively decided to pray and earnestly seek Christ and show Christ in the local city of Wilmington. 

There was a long discussion, prayers, comments, and just an overwhelming emotion to make the young, Christian community known there. We want to help do our part in this generation, who’s yet to succeed in a way to evangelize effectively, in the local city. We have big ideas — we have ideas that are molding and we pray will form into something so successful, ultimately for the glory of God. 

My friends, we need your help — please pray. Prayer is one of the most powerful tools that we can use, here. We need to seek God. Pray that we are actively seeking Him. We are taking small steps, we are looking to reach out of our comfortable lives and spread His word. I don’t want to be comfortable anymore. 

“God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” 

Next Saturday will be our first outreach. I humbly ask that you pray for us — pray for open hearts, minds, for us to be uncomfortable, for us to have hearts like servants for our Father. Prayer for us to prepare ourselves for reaching out to the homeless — that we can share with them, talk with them. Pray that we can be His hands and feet. 

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7)

It's Been on My Heart.

The 2012 Presidential Election has increasingly become a heavy, thoughtful, anxious, and concerning thing on my heart. Maybe it’s because I can actually vote in this election? Maybe it’s because I did research on each candidate? Maybe it’s because the future of America is at stake? I don’t know how to exactly pinpoint why, but it has been. 

I’ve been praying for this election for quite some time now, and I encourage you to do the same. 

Even if you can’t vote, pray for America. We need Jesus far more than we need a president.

(via)

I think many of us might feel the weight of this election, some more than others, but we feel it to some degree. This election can and will affect us, either now or in the future. I don’t think voting is something we should take lightly; it’s a privilege that we take for granted — meaning, some people have flat out said they aren’t going to vote. Do you realize that you have this fantastic freedom to vote and you’re going to waste it? Make your voice be heard! 

We need a strong leader who will help be the best for America. We don’t know exactly if these men will keep their word or not? But what we can do is have faith in one of them (your own opinion). That’s the one you vote for, you pray with all of your heart that the one who gets elected as the next President of the United States of America can fulfill what God wants done for our country. 

We, as His children, don’t know His will for us but I pray that His will be done.