{a few of my favorite things}

With the new year, and spring on it's way... and my birthday on tuesday... (*hint hint*) :) I am SOO in the "(re)-decorating my room" mood... so here are a few of my favorite things

LOoove this headboard and Cherry Blossom Wall decor from Urban::
















I want this rug! (also from Urban)














and this chandelier! (i have a cute little corner that really needs this)









THIS spindle lamp base:










Oooh to dream the dream of decorating. Happy Friday!

::meg

Faith&Grace

I've been thinking a lot lately about faith.

not just a cute little quaint and saint-ish Christianized "faith" but deep, real, passionate FAITH that moves mountains and changes circumstance. The difference to me is the value I place on the reality of Faith and the connection I have begun to make (or modify) with the concept of Grace.

I haven't just been thinking about faith- i've really been challenged in actually walking in faith. Here I realize that I need grace AND faith. It's a place where "putting feet to my faith" and "walking in grace" meet and it's not just about asking for faith, or asking for grace.

I'm convinced that all too often we associate grace as something we decide we need in a circumstance hoping it will "get better" and we associate faith as hope that it WILL "get better." I think we have it all backwards or at least far too compartmentalized!

Today, i need grace to stand in faith; and I most certainly need faith to walk in grace.
Today, i can't just think about faith and grace, but i have to live faith and grace.

My challenge today is to meditate on my use of faith IN grace. I don't just have faith that my circumstance will get better, I walk by grace in faith that it's already taken care of!

Best of all, everything is so that God can show his glory. I'm so comforted by that. God never fails!

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father (John 14:13)


::meg

Oh the joys

of working at the church. we get some wonderful donations sometimes... like... this! I thought i would share the joy ;)
[that is me trying to do the same face, i know, i'm ridiculous]
HAPPY FRIDAY! Have a good weekend everyone!

::meg

Psalm 145

This Psalm is wonderful! Take a moment, read and reflection on how big God is in your own life...

1 I will exalt you, my God and King,
and praise your name forever and ever.
2 I will praise you every day;
yes, I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
No one can measure his greatness.

4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
let them proclaim your power.
5 I will meditate^[b] on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles.
6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy about your righteousness.

8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 The Lord is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 All of your works will thank you, Lord,
and your faithful followers will praise you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
they will give examples of your power.
12 They will tell about your mighty deeds
and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.

The Lord always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.^[c]
14 The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
15 The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
18 The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.

21 I will praise the Lord,
and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
forever and ever.

:meg

Salutations!

Aah school.

The second semester has begun, and with it the onslaught of homework shoving it's way into my seemingly stuffed schedule. :) I haven't blogged in a little while, so here i share with you my assigned "introduction letter" to my ENG prof. There are so many ways to introduce yourself and so many things to consider! I did a quick mental speech to "hurry, be creative!"

Salutations, a pleasure to meet you! My name is Meagan, I am 20 years old and employed full time as an executive administrative assistant. To introduce myself in hip, slang terms "I heart" family, friends, ministry, music, a good theological conversation, church, chai tea lattes, chocolate, laughing, decorating, meeting new people, and traveling. An ideal day for me is listening to a great album and letting my thoughts fly. I over analyze most everything, but have a sincere appreciation for the simply joys in life. An untraditional student with traditional educational values, I took two years after high school to complete an internship and have now jumped back into the academic world to obtain a Bachelor degree in Social Science. People are my goal. I am a firm believer that we all contribute to each other's lives in some way and for some reason and I would hope that my contribution is positive! From this class I hope to achieve 3 credits to subtract from the 100-some credits left in my journey to a diploma; but being a perfectionist of sorts you can be assured I will not take this class lightly. It’s not a perfect GPA or a shining record I toil over as much as it is the personal conviction to do my best I can in anything I set out to do. I am ever learning and always curious! It was Diane Ackerman who said: “"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well." Here is to life, learning, and the places and faces we find along the way!

:meg

Follow Me

Right now I'm driving home from a wedding trip to Idaho Falls. True farm country with a love for potato museums and country music. :) for any of you that haven't drivin this way through Idaho, its basically the straightest, most eneventful, flat, desert drive. Being the Meagan that I am, I find myself looking out the window in deep thought. I admit that weddings are both exciting and pestering. Each bridesmaid dress I wear or wedding jingle I sing seems to yet be another poke of singlehood awareness. :) ("The Prayer" duet anyone!? Haha) Being single is not the focus of what I'm writing :) But just like this straight, desert drive I'm reminded of just how great and gracious my God is. I'm so amazed at his hand on my life. I got to walk the halls of my old church, and see faces I haven't seen in over a decade. The whole time I was thinking of what my life would be like if I had gone a different way and furthermore wondering with excitement what my life will be like in yet another decade.

"Follow me"

I love my Jesus who graciously, lovingly, and purposefully called my name. Placed a destiny specific to the road I would walk. Healed me over and over and over again. Guided me through the pains, and smiled with the joys. I love that he is STILL graciously, lovingly, and purposefully directing me, healing me (amen), guiding me, and lifting my head.

(Even at this very moment, missing a deer on the road) :)
"So don't worry about anything, pray about everything"

Its amazing to piece together the impact every step in your life makes... Even more so amazing to think that its just obedience that God wants. He makes all the difference in the world, so let him. God never disappoints.

Tonight I hear the still reminder, "just follow me"
Let Jesus whisper to you.

meg

- let us adore -

I've been thinking a lot about this passage in John 14 ::

11-14"Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it" (MSG).

Have you ever stopped to think about the significance of this passage? Here Jesus is, right before his betrayal, telling His disciples that He is in the Father, and the Father is in him and that His disciples, with nicknames like "doubting Thomas" or such followers with names like Philip's having no incredible etymological meaning but "Lover of horses" are going to do GREATER works than the Messiah,? "You can count on it."?

Then Jesus says :

15-17"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

18-20"I will not leave you orphaned. I'm coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you're going to see me because I am alive and you're about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I'm in my Father, and you're in me, and I'm in you.

Ok doubting Thomas and [Insert your name here] What does this mean today? On the other side of the cross it means we've come alive, It means that the world doesn't have Jesus in the flesh anymore, It means that you are in Jesus, Jesus is in you, which means the Father is in you, which mean you have the power to do great works.
This world is broken and abandoned. What does the Father do? He loves, and adores his kids. The world doesn't have eyes to see him, and don't know what to look for. They really haven't experienced Jesus, or the Father. They aren't looking for that. What they are looking for and what they do see is you.

When I think about the poetic statement :: "I'm in my Father, and you're in me, and I'm in you" I think about the glory, the love, the compassion, the grace, the tenderness and adoration of the Father in me, in you; through me, through you. I think about all those that are broken and don't understand the adoration of ANY father, let alone THE Father. And i think about the action that Jesus is commissioning.

Within the context of adoration, there is an action.
Today, my goal is to see and run to the broken, the unlovely, the abandoned, and be a work of the Father's adoration to them. Hopefully they see the adoration of the Father in me, that their heads could be lifted, and that the King of Glory could come in. According to John 14:14, I can count on it happening! And "greater works"? I can count on that too...

There's revival!

::meg