Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving! I loveeee Thanksgiving. 
Not only do I love the concept of it, being thankful, but I LOVE the food. I love cranberry sauce, dressing, olives, ham (not a big turkey fan), corn, rolls, deviled eggs, green bean casserole. I just loveeeee it!


Well, back to the thankfulness of the holiday, I have so much to be thankful for. When I sit here and try and think of a list, I get so overwhelmed because I don't even know where to start..

- I'm extremely thankful that God loves me. That there's nothing I can do to make Him love me any less. Even though there's times I mess up and do the wrong things, His love isn't dependent upon my actions.
- I'm thankful for wisdom. Throughout my Christian walk, I've learned that God speaks to me through wisdom. There's things He teaches me and lessons I know that have no relation to my life, but He uses me to speak those to others. God uses us.. that's enough to be thankful for.
- I'm thankful for my family. Sometimes they are crazy (excluding me ;) jk!) but I am grateful for each and every one of them.
- My friends bless me everyday. Sometimes I don't stop and appreciate the people God has put into my life. I have some of the craziest, hilarious, genuine, powerful, smart, inspirational, wisest friends anybody could have. Thank you guys for sticking with me. 
- Holidays
- Healing!!
- Sleep
- Laughing
- My RLC family
- MCUSA
- Apt. 1404
- Transportation
- A job
- Clothes
- Water and food
- Cell phone
- A roof over my head
- Freedom
- Safety and comfort

The list could literally go on and on.. I have to stop myself before you guys get bored of reading!
Long story short, I'm extremely blessed and thankful.

I wish Thanksgiving came more than once a year. We should all stop periodically and thank God for how great we have it. Like I said in the last post, every day may not be sunny, but be thankful you're alive to exprience another day.

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving friends!


Love, Meg

NEW NEW NEW

I LOVE new things...

I mean, who doesn't??
So, I'm sitting here at the church at midnight.. creeeepyyyy.. waiting for all 345,433,300 updates and things that my NEW iPHONE 4S has to go through..
This is definitely not the highlight of this new experience.

Last Tuesday was my birthday, and on Wednesday my family ordered me this phone. It came in today, so I picked it up after work.

I'm not a huge tech savy kind of person... I don't need to latest technology. So getting this phone isn't what I'm ubber excited about.
I'm just really excited for this season that I'm taking my first few steps into.
I've kind of been in this rut lately, and by lately I mean the past few months. It was pretty much a 'woe is me' party. Expect I tried every justifiable excuse to make it seem like it wasn't. I was just down.
Well, these past few weeks, and especially last week, God has really just been opening my eyes to my wrong mindsets and views. He's changing my perpective, yet again. ((New Perspective..blog name! Crazy how God works.))

Sometime life stinks.. that's the plain hard truth. Every day can't be sunshine. We need to experience the rain in order to appreciate the sun. Things are going to happen that are out of our control. This world is so much bigger than us. Good things we have a God who is SOO much bigger than the world. The one thing we have control over is how we handle the things we are dealt; our attitude.

"When you're stressed it means you're not relaxing enough. That's why stressed is desserts spelled backwards."

Love, Meg

 

LET THE BLOGGING BEGIN!

I'm feeling inspired to actually use this thing I created.. I'm extremely undisciplined when it comes to sitting down and writing down some thoughts, which goes completely without saying (I've updated this blog like 5 times!).

But with the changing of the seasons, I've decided some things in my life can change as well.

Wish me luck!

Love, Meg

Under the weather..

The Time is Now..

All of this happened too fast. One day I was on top of the world, the next I couldn’t tell up from down. I feel so lost, a stranger in my own world. Looking from the outside in as the world passes me by. How did this happen? How did I end up so lost? So disconnected from who I used to be. Who I was seems like a mystery, a dream I remember but can never see again….now I face reality. I can’t even trace back to when it happened. All I know is that feeling became too much for me, so I decided I wouldn’t feel anything at all. Numb my heart to dull the pain, I don’t want to feel the cold of today. Today was yesterday, yesterday became last week, last week turned into 6 months, and now this is just who I am…hard on the outside, too tough to feel.
This works for me. Helps me to protect myself from any and everything. Some may call it a defense mechanism, I don’t care, call it what you will. This is my life to live. There’s just one problem, one thing I can’t escape. It’s becoming harder and harder to keep this up. It’s not that I don’t want to it’s just that it feels like something is chasing me, begging me to give in. Every time I log in to Twitter, talk to a friend, turn on the TV, it’s like a message insists on coming through….I’m tired of living like this, tired of feeling on the verge of a breakthrough or breakdown..maybe even both.. I don’t want to feel the way I felt before, it’s the reason why I live in this cave, this dark place.
I just keep hearing this whisper, this voice, telling me to live. I can’t escape it, everywhere I go, everywhere I turn, I hear His voice telling me to turn to Him. Where do I even start? I have some of the darkest, ugliest secrets…truths so ugly they hurt me to think of….these aren’t lies someone told on me..not a victim, nothing happened.. this really is me..things I said, lies I told…but I’m hungry for You. It used to be easy to run but my soul is tired, my heart is broken. I have nowhere to go, I’m in need of a touch, a reminder of my worth. I don’t even know why I’m here, don’t know why you kept me instead of them but……I want to find out.
God if you can hear this small broken voice among the thousands of strong and mighty, hear me from my heart…..I’m ready…I can’t help what I did, can’t help who I hurt, I just want to feel again….If it’s true what they say, that we are precious in your sight, in spite of the wrong and the past, I want to see myself through Your eyes. I want to get so lost in You, I find the person You intended me to be. I feel like everyone around me is a part of something bigger, something greater than me and You are the only common denominator. It’s time for me to make a change, time for me to give it my all. I’m ready to lay my life down, more of You, less of me.
There’s not a life that isn’t worth the sacrifice of the blood shed on Calvary. There is no past too dark, no secret too dirty that he will turn his back on you. When you feel the most alone, the most afraid, He is there. The one constant, in a world promised to change. You’re not too far that His love can’t reach you. When you’re ready, open your mouth, make your request known to Him. He who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you may ask or think.
It’s time to get your life right… time to let go of the things that hurt you, the pain you caused yourself…the things that numbed you, time for you to find your purpose…Find the God who gave you life and gives you grace. I don’t know where you are in your life, what keeps you from giving in but know that God is calling for you. He will meet you where you are, and take you where you need to be but you have to answer the call. Make the decision to start your life anew. God has used more broken, more scared, more torn…what are you waiting for? He can’t save you until you call for help… The time is now….

 -Sarah Henson

http://sarahdhenson.wordpress.com/

A VERY new perspective..

        When I was in the hospital, I remember just lying there thinking of all the things I wouldn't be able to do anymore. I was literally thinking of the craziest things. But I found myself regretting A LOT of things.. but it wasn't anything I'd done in the past. It was all the things I DIDN'T do.

        I remember wishing I'd gone on some of the adventures with my roommates, or that I hadn't let emotions control me throughout the year, or that I wouldn't let laziness get the best of me. I took a hard look at my life and I realized I had put so much importance and value on things that meant NOTHING.  For example, I have about 3 shows that I try to keep up with every week.. why?? What's that doing to affect the Kingdom, for good? Absolutely nothing.

       When I was lying in the hospital bed, I wasn't wishing that I could watch my TV shows, or take a nap, or spend some time by myself. Those were some of the things that I always tried doing pre-condition. No, I found myself wanting to be with the people I love. To talk to them, and hang out with them, and just to laugh! I wanted to watch the sunrise and set. I wanted to swim, run, bike, hike, climb. All the things that I'm limited to. Things that I never appreciated before I was sick.

        Before the summer even began, I remember praying and asking God to teach me how to love people, unconditionally; like He does. Never in a million years would I have ever thought He'd answer that prayer this way. After I got out of the hospital, I was stuck on the couch just laying for about a week and a half. Just me and my sister. I wanted nothing more than to just see SOMEONE. ANYONE. It didn't matter who it was, I just wanted to hang out with somebody and talk to somebody. When I was able to hang out with one of my friends, it was like the best thing in the world. I was grateful for every second. I never wanted it to end. God has grown my heart for people. The love I have for people now is crazy. God can answer our prayers in any way He chooses.. This is the way He chose for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

        I realized how truly blessed I am, and the incredible people God has put into my life. The strength of my friends is what keeps me fighting. I have some of the strongest friends anybody can have. I am SO grateful for them.

        Needless to say, when I created this blog, God put NEW PERSPECTIVE on my heart. That was going to be my theme this summer, and my theme it has been! Never before have I ever had the faith, trust, and hope in God that I have right now. It feels like God has given me a second chance at my life. But this time around, I'm grateful for every second. For every person. For every blessing.



"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."       Hebrews 11:1

Baby Eliana.. I'M IN LOVE!

 

Leo!

I am LOVING this song this summer.

Reminded me of MCUSA :)

Baby Noah!!

Taking notes at Invictus, and found this.. brought to you BY Jessica Pabon <3

My heart is in this youth group.

A nest on the porch.. CRAZY!

Love, Meg

Grateful

It has been over a month since I last posted. I feel like it has been a lifetime! I've been dreading an update.. not because I hate blogging, but because God has completely rocked/flipped/transformed/changed my life since June 20th. I have learned sooo many lessons, that I don't even know where to start.

Well on July 11th, I was diagnosed with a condition called Pseudotumor Cerebri. Pseudotumor cerebri occurs when the pressure inside your skull (intracranial pressure) increases for no obvious reason. Symptoms mimic those of a brain tumor, but no tumor is present. It's a result of too much spinal fluid.
I went to Arizona on Saturday, July 2nd and was there for 3 days. It was a ROUGH 3 days. I was in the E.R 3 different times because my head was throbbing.. on day 3 I couldn't even keep water down. They thought I had a pinched nerve in my back (really?!). So my mom flew me home on Wednesday.. Which might not have been the smartest thing, because that couldn't of done any justice to the pressure in my head, but hey! I would of given anything just to get back home.
So Wednesday night, my mom took me to Medical City in Dallas, because when I was younger I had to be in the hospital for a bit, so my mom loves that place. It's a really really good hospital.
They had to run all sorts of tests to rule out meningitis and aneurysm.. FUNNN.. -_-
I'll spare the details of all the fun hospital stuff.. but I was admitted early Thursday morning, and was in there for 6 days. When I was younger, I remember loving being in the hospital.. free food.. free soda.. free snacks.. but this time, I wasn't a fan. It wasn't as exciting as it was when I was 12.

Well.. to kind of summarize all this rambling.. they put me on medication to see if it could be controlled by that.

The rest of the story is a SURPRISE :)
I will have a much better update coming sooooooon.. but I just wanted to get the boring information of the condition out there first.. before I shared everything Jesus has been rocking my world with.


But before I go.. I do want to share (quickly and summarized) the biggest lesson, BY FAR, that Jesus has/is teaching me..

Take nothing for granted!

I have never in my life, been so grateful for every breath I take. I've never been so humbled. I keep finding myself overwhelmed by God's grace. Most of the time, I don't even have the words to describe it...

All I know.. is I love my life... and I love God.. SO MUCH



***I've decided to start posting some pictures of the things that have brought joy and happiness to my life lately.. I hope you guys enjoy them as much as I did.

I am truly blessed.

Frozen Yogurt <33

Adventure with Emily Moore :)

GavAnn!

New addiction: Sweet tea <3

Nothing more humbling than the streets of Dallas.

Battleship!

Grace <3

I love sunsets.. and lakes.

God is love.

Friday FUNDAY with Millie :)

Organizing my life.. DISCIPLINE

Roots.. <3

Love, Meg

Impossible

I love my roomies.
This has nothing to do with my post, but I thought I'd make it known. :)

So.. I had a feeling that I would be a terrible blogger. I am a PROFESSIONAL Procrastinator.  Every day I keep 'meaning' to post a new blog.. well here goes n.o.t.h.i.n.g.

About halfway through my first year of masters, I met someone who was a little older.. and single. (**this isn't headed in the direction y'all are thinking ;) **) 

Someone asked him if he was dating anyone and he said no. He said he wants God to put her right in front of his face. He said "when she comes, at least I'll know who I am.. she can take it or leave it."

And as simple as that statement was.. it had a DRAMATIC impact on me.

Who am I?? 

That's the question that echoed in my mind. Who the heck am I??

So I like to give gifts.. and when I do give them they have to be perfect.. I put A LOT of thought into them. In my opinion, a gift can tell someone how well you know them. So I started to think.. If I could give myself only one present.. the absolute perfect gift.. what would I get myself? 

.....I couldn't come up with anything!! NOTHING. How pathetic.. I wouldn't know what to get me.. the person I spend the most time with.. I should know myself inside and out.. But I was stumped. 

So I continued to ask myself.. who am I?

All I kept coming up with is who I wasn't. I'm not a runner.. I'm not very emotional.. I'm not a singer.. I'm not I'm not I'm not. Then I began to think about why I'm not these things..

Because they don't come natural. I would actually have to work at these things if I wanted to become them. If things aren't "God given gifts" and they don't come naturally to us, we put them in the "this is what I'm not" category..

After that dead end.. I really felt God asking me.. Megan, what do you want to be? 

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I can be anything that I want to be. I can do anything I want to do. 

If I was to ask you.. whoever may be reading this right now.. 

'Would your life look any different if you knew nothing was impossible?'

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

Luke 1:37 "For nothing is impossible with God."

We live our lives thinking we have limitations because that's what the world says. We live by the expectations set for us. Especially this generation, we have the mindset that if they think low of us then why change their minds? 

I want to change my mindset from thinking "nothing is new under the sun" to  "anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)"

I want to live knowing that Jesus has set the expecation for me and according to the scripture above, He expects me to do greater things than He, himself did.

So let me ask you some questions.. 

Who are you? If you were to get yourself the perfect gift.. what would it be? 

This is a quote I learned in masters: If you tell God who He is, He'll tell you who you are. Find out who you are in Christ. Because once that happens.. nothing can stop you.

Are you living with limitless limitations?

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. My mind can barely comprehend that. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.. We put limitations on ourselves. Break them!!

And lastly..

Are you just barely getting by each day?

Are you just going with the motions of the day because that's all that is expected of you? Follow God's expectation of you. Break the bar of expectations set by the people around you. They are only there to hold potential back. Give all of yourself to whatever you do.

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"

-Audrey Hepburn 

Love, Meg.

Limitless

As some of you may know.. or not.. I just finished my first year of Masters Commission.

It was definitely not what I was expecting at all, but life changing at that. Every year they pick a theme, and this year was a year of "NEVER BEFORE's". Our year was summed up with that. People would do stuff they'd never done, because it was a year of never before's! No matter how ridiculous or crazy. 
So it got me thinking..
I want to give a theme to every season of my life. Something to remind myself and keep me focused on what God is teaching me or walking me through.

After praying about it and thinking about it.. it hit me.
LIMITLESS.
A quote kept coming to my mind when I was brainstorming themes.
"Give without remembering, take without forgetting."
I have a tendency to give and remember. I'm not a terrible person.. let me explain. I like giving, I really do. I mean, it's not my love language or anything, but if I see need I'll help out. But my 'need' meter must be a little out of tune.
"Oh you need some food for lunch? Sure have half of my sandwich."
"Oh.. you don't have dinner? Hmm.. okay.. well have some of mine.. I guess.."
"Oh........... You don't have lunch again..... do you forget that you eat everyday at 12:30? Ramen is $0.30.... but sure have some of mine..."

Not really the cheerful heart that Jesus was talking about, huh?
I have a really bad habit of putting a limit on the amount of something I will do or give.

1 John 3:17-18 

¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 

I think in the MIV (Megan International Version) I always read it "¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need of something small, for a limited amount of time.."

So I began to think.. what else am I putting limits on?

Love, grace, forgiveness, compassion, prayer, mercy..

All the things that God gives with no limits. 

I want to be a giver, no matter who it's to or what it is, I want to love with everything I have in me relentlessly and unrestrained, I want to forgive and FORGET, I want to cry with people, to laugh with them, to smile at them, I want to pray to God like it was my last day on Earth. I want to live a limitless life. Putting limits on yourself only holds YOU back. 

So I challenge you.. do some soul searching and figure out some areas that you have put the limit lid on. TAKE IT OFF.

Live free. 

Summer 2011. Limitless. 

Love. Meg.