Water

Every 20 seconds a child somewhere dies from a water-related illness. 3.575 MILLION people die each YEAR from a water related disease. If you have the ability to take a shower in your home, run a dishwasher, or wash your hands under a running faucet then you are part of only 10% of people on the planet who can.

Water. Something we take for granted here in the United States. Oddly enough this blog is not about the kind of water that your thinking about now.

I am house sitting a blessed family and have been privileged enough to use their pool all week. I have been using this time of relaxation to worship and read and visit with friends and sometimes just think. Today I was silently reflecting on what's to come of my life through this new transitional season. I am moving to a new city in an unknown location, I am contemplating many big changes for my life including church and small group and way of living in general. Where this is an exciting time, it is not without it's stress and it is not without some sadness.

So this week has been a huge blessing to me in some quiet time of seeking from the Lord what might be next on our agenda. While reflecting today it hit me, man it is stinking HOT out here! I got up from my chair and heat soaked towel and scampered over to immerse myself in the cool and shaded waters of the pool. Immediately I was relieved. I was refreshed. And I felt renewed. As quickly as all of that happened, I could feel the Lord tugging on my Spirit reminding me that this was only temporary. As soon as I get out, step on the hot pavement, throw myself back on the hot towel draped across an even hotter lawn chair I would instantly be hot again. And at some point, would have to repeat the cycle over again.

When I thought about this never-ending scenario (never ending as long as I kept hopping out of then back into the pool) it occurred to me that if I would just stay in the pool, I would never need refreshing. I would stay cool and replenished forever!  Then I thought of the Lord, and how he promises us that we shall never be thirsty again when we drink of the water that He has to give. And in that moment, even the idea of setting up shop in a pool during a 100 degree drought was not enough. Eventually the water would sit in the sun so long that it would get too warm to swim in. And we all know that once in the pool for a while it loses its' affect of refreshing us because we get used to what it has to offer.

What if everyday with the Lord was like that first dive into a cool pool after an hour of laying out in the hot sun? Do you remember what that feels like? I do, because it just happened to me 15 minutes ago. But until now it's been so long since I have been swimming or even around a lake or pool that it's probably accurate to say that I wouldn't have remembered what it was like. It's.....GLORIOUS!

I want to feel that way in the Lord's presence every single day. So why don't we? What gets in the way, or what distractions are hindering you from feeling refreshed from the Lord's life spring every single moment you are in His presence? For a lot of us it is that we never truly experience His presence because we are no longer seeking His face. Some of us it is that lukewarm distraction of being half of the world, half for the Lord sort of deal--I don't think we will ever be able to fully feel the affects of being submerged in the Holy Waters living that sort of lifestyle. A lot of times even we are simply too busy to even care or to realize we need refreshing.

Today while laying out and enjoying the sunshine I did not want to dip in the pool. I didn't want to be wet and cold when I got back in the house and I felt like I was about to end my laying out session anyway, so I struggled with dipping in one last time or not. I held off, for so long that it made the dip even better. Because I was extra hot and extra sweaty and needed some extra refreshment. Once in, I never wanted to get out. I remembered how AMAZING it was to not feel the way I felt while outside of the pool, and how wonderful it was to feel the way I felt while IN the pool.

Are you letting Jesus refresh your soul? He offers us the type of water that the world will never run out of. The type of water that we will never die of related disease from. He offers us the type of dip in the pool that doesn't just last a few minutes, but a refreshing and replenishing of our souls that can last forever. Now the only question left is.....will you jump in? :)

In Him,
Meg

Redneck Worship

Intrigued? I thought so.

**Before I start let me be clear that I am not attempting to judge people who live a particular lifestyle (in this case, "rednecks"). 

Jeff Foxworthy once said you might be a redneck if.....

--You think the last words to the Star Spangled Banner are "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

--You've been married three times and still have the same in-laws

--Your house still has the WIDE LOAD sign on the back

--You carry a fishin' pole into Sea World

--You think subdivision is part of a complicated math problem

--You think God looks a lot like Hank Williams Jr, and you think Heaven looks like Daytona Beach, Florida

--You father executes the 'pull my finger' trick during Christmas dinner

--Your house doesn't have curtains....but your truck does

--You've been on t.v. 5 times now, describing the sound of a tornado

--You refer to the time you won a free case of motor oil as the time your ship came in.

You might be a redneck.

There are shows beyond shows (most on CMT) that make millions on revealing this interesting way of living. Take for example the shows 'My Big Redneck Wedding' (where the wedding dress is in camo, the entertainment is beer chugging, and the after party is muddin') and 'My Big Redneck Vacation' (not much unlike the wedding show except nobody is getting married). (Just to name a couple).The reason I give these examples is because I don't want you to think I am judging--I think these people are more than content living this way, and have a great time doing so! I only give the examples so we are on the same page for the rest of the blog.

I went to Caruthersville, Missouri yesterday to the Lady Luck casino to see Tracy Lawrence perform. If you know me at all you stopped at Caruthersville and said "Weird", then again at Lady Luck casino and thought "Hmm..." and lastly at Tracy Lawrence and said "Who the heck are you and what have you done with my friend?". Truth is, the trip was random. But I love me some Tracy Lawrence--been a big fan of his for a long time. There is a sweet spot in old country music that makes my heart smile because it reminds me of some wonderful times in my childhood (and let's be honest, those were few and far between). Little did I know that the concert was not indoors in the casino, but instead, outside at 6pm in 99 degree heat. 

The music was tight. The singer was wonderful. The crowd was.....energetic, to say the least. It was a large large crowd in a small small town. The people at the show loved them some beer, they loved them some hootin' and hollerin' at Tracy like they were best friends. They loved them some dancing when let's face it, it might have been just a tad inappropriate. They wore shorts and hunting boots, overalls while holding the spinning fan that squirts water in front of their face, or they sported a large no-toothed grin. Sometimes this crowd is too much for a non-country gal like myself, but last night, I completely enjoyed them. 

It's funny how the Lord is ALWAYS faithful in revealing where He is in ALL things, or at least continuously teaching me something in every situation I am in--even in a casino in who-knows-where, Missouri. There was a point during the evening that Tracy threw one of his towels off stage and a little old lady with no teeth snatched it up from all of the other fans attempting to get it. She then preceded to take the towel down every aisle-dancing with the people she passed. Then every few minutes, holding it up to her fans at the back of the arena to assure them they're all in this together. It was a HOOT! Then it hit me----REDNECK WORSHIP!!!

Rednecks are devoted fans. Nascar, wrestling, hunting, music--you name it, when they love it you will KNOW about it. There is ZERO shame in the clothing they sport to let you know they are a fan of something or support a particular lifestyle. There is NO shame in the way they behave in public at specific events either. And they are the most WELCOMING crowd you might ever meet--if you're a redneck, you're FAMILY! And family sticks together.

Isn't this how Christians should be? Shouldn't we have ZERO shame about talking about the Lord 24/7 and what He's doing in our lives? Shouldn't we have NO shame in quoting scripture, and praying over our friends, and listening to kLove in the radio with friends who are not believers (or our own children who might rather listen to secular music)? Shouldn't we go WILD in praise for the LORD when in worship events? When is the last time you saw a group of women scrap fight in a crowd to attempt to be the one to grab a piece of goodness or blessing the Lord was throwing off of the stage? Instead we just 'expect' to be blessed and we make no attempt to worship and praise or even rush the stage of the Lord at all. Have you ever seen someone who has been blessed so immensely by the LORD then go to every single person in the crowd, dancing with them and showing off what God has done in their life?

I could not stop smiling at the concert, at the thought of "Wow, rednecks have got it right (in a way)" Now if only we (Christians) could have that energy when it came to worship and our dedication to our God as rednecks do other things--WOW, what an affect we would have in the kingdom huh??

Rednecks are free. They praise who/what want and they do it how they please. I choose to praise the Lord. But I choose now to do so.....like a redneck!!

In Him,

Meg

Perspective.

The state of one's ideas. The facts known to one.

I have been thinking recently about this idea of one's perspective. It has been on my mind for a few weeks, and was hit with a quite humorous example tonight while eating with some friends. I was at a downtown restaurant called Godsy's, eating with some members of the Titanic cast and our director and assistant director (whom I had run into earlier in the afternoon at the theater while turning in my scripts).

We had already ordered and just a few minutes later a waiter (who was not ours) brought our table an appetizer. He held it out for what seemed like minutes, with all of us sort of giving him the blank stare, until finally Wendeth (our A.D.)  piped up and said "Um, that's not ours?" He apologized and left with the dish. We then all looked at each other and started laughing so hard! Kristi said 'I thought I wasn't paying attention when someone ordered earlier' and I said 'I just thought they were giving it to us for free!'. Wendeth preceded to point out how you can tell the perspectives in life we must all own that make us think 3 completely different things about the very same exact situation.

Kristi (our director) is a very busy woman and has admitted to me before that when she talks to people, quite frequently her mind is wondering to the 10 other places she should be instead, where other people are waiting on her for something as well. So her perspective in the situation with the appetizer was to assume that she had simply not been paying attention to what was going on because her mind was elsewhere.

My perspective differed from that one in that I assumed someone was giving us free food. First of all, I am ALWAYS somewhere wishing that someone would give me free food. So this was not a far stretch. Secondly, I knew our waitress very well and thought she might be treating us to a free dish. And third of all, my brain is always trying to find the good in people and the situations that I am in. This is the only way I keep form sinking into pits of depression seeing so much sadness and evil in the world. I like to see the positive, the light, and where God is moving in situations. So I sat at that table ready to praise me some Jesus for free food whether it came from the bus boy or dropped down from Heaven itself!

Wendeth is more of a realist. I don't know her extremely well but I know she is intelligent and calls it like she sees it. I have not typically known her to hold back her opinion on a matter or to come at an issue with unrealistic goals for the ending product. So when the food was revealed to the table out of nowhere, she not only was the first and only person to chime in and claim the truth in that it was not ours, but she also probably processed the logistics in her head before she did so--knowing that she heard everyone order and nobody ordered that dish, that people in reality don't typically send over free food to tables (that only happens in movies), and that by the look on our clueless faces none of us were going to say anything.

It's funny how our personalities, our experiences, and our situations shape our perspectives or 'what we see and know to be true'. If you sat a group of 20 kindergartners in a room and spread them out into a big circle, then dropped a 500 plus pound elephant in the room and told them to draw what they saw, there would be many pictures of elephants....but none would (or should) look the same. The kid at the head of the elephant would really only see the head and not much more past that. The kid at the butt would never see the elephant's head, sadly his picture would be a couple of big elephant buttcheeks! How might we change the outcome of the drawing? Well....we could place a smaller elephant in the middle of the room. But if the elephant represents our problems then most often those are not things we can control by making bigger or smaller (at least not willingly). So, to get a more accurate drawing of the elephant we have to back the children up, significantly far away from it so that they can gain a different perspective. The kid who only saw the trunk might now also see the ears and the eyes and front two legs, maybe even some belly hanging on the sides. The kid at the butt would see the back and tail and back legs and maybe sides or even back of the ears or head.

Some perspectives are harder to change. Sometimes it isn't as easy as backing up from the elephant. Sometimes it requires changing our mentality. And our mentality is most often shaped by our experiences in our past and how we respond to those experiences.

I used to be a very very angry person. I had no idea I was like this, but I was. At the core of my being was anger. I would lash out at those I loved, I was disrespectful and very mean. This issue seemed to get worse with time, but I had no one in my life calling me out and telling me I was like this. Then I met a guy who really dissected this behavior.He invested in me and my past experiences to understand what was going on beneath the surface. He knew that my actions were not only detrimental to those around me but to myself as well. So in moments where I was disrespectful to him, or would completely lash out during a disagreement he would call me out. Of course, being called out by those we love the absolute most in this world is NOT fun at ALL! But when I felt the anger and the darkness start lifting off of me and on it's way out of my life, I was so relieved to discover that we can indeed change our behavior. By being just as repetitive in undoing them as we are to develop them, our worst habits can indeed change. I am so thankful for this guy pointing out in me the things I was too angry to see. (And I am sure that all of the relationships in my life since him also thank him too! Ya'll--I am talking HORRIBLY MEAN AND ANGRY PERSON! If you are anyone but my friend Shane or my sister you might not believe I was this way once, but I assure you-before Jesus, I was all kinds of cray cray! haha)

So the Lord has shown me today that perspective matters. He is connecting the dots for me in understanding that perspective can change---with the Holy Spirit. I can't pretend to own a perspective I simply do not have. But the Holy Spirit makes me compassionate for those that I don't understand and advises me to continuously be a person who hopefully is only impacting the people I encounter in positive ways. I want nothing more than to be a builder of people and not someone who breaks others. And God really hit me over the head today with making sure that I am intentional about ALWAYS making sure that what I say and do is building, not breaking. Because we don't always know the perspectives that others share. BUT-the perspective that DOES matter, is truth. And that comes only from the Lord.

I seek and hope to continue to get to know Him on a more intimate level so that I can stand firm in the truths that belong to me because of Him. Only then do our perspectives change to look a lot less like what we see and more like what He wants us to see.

In Him,
Meg

BRAVE

Well, tonight was the night. I FINALLY got to see the movie I have been waiting for! BRAVE!! This movie touched my heart in unexpected ways. The previews do not lead you to believe anything more than a young girl fighting to find her place in this world. And yes, it is about that....but also presented so many more messages. **If you have not seen the movie there are things in this blog that pertain to the movie, but no spoilers as to what happens! Feel free to read on.

On the way home, I was going over in my mind how much I loved the movie. My friend Clay told me (and Pip) afterward, "Hey, she reminded me of the two of you!" And she did! She is free spirited and a dreamer and life-loving! However, on the way home, I thought about the ways that I am not like this new Disney heroine. I am not Brave.

In the movie, there are these things called Wisps (not to be confused with the portable toothbrush/toothpick combo). These Wisps are magical entities that direct those who see them to their fate. On the way home, the Lord showed me how Wisps are like the Holy Spirit--guiding us and directing us to our fate, to the things we were designed to do in this world. Just like Merida! So why could Merida see them? Because she believed in them. And when she believed, they showed up and guided her to where she needed to go. And when those around her who did not believe before but started to later, they also showed up for them as well.

Isn't this like the Holy Spirit? When we are in tune with the Spirit and seeking God's face, really listening to what He is trying to communicate with us-we find at ease our next move and the things He might be doing behind the scenes in our lives. It is when we stop looking for Him, listening to Him, and waiting for Him that we stop seeing our Wisps. And without them, how will we ever be directed to our destiny? To our calling?

When I think about destiny, and fate, and calling-as it pertains not only to Merida in Brave but also to Meagan in real life, I can't help but relate them both to my character in Titanic the Musical, Katherine McGowan. She is a third class passenger who boarded with hopes and dreams of finding a better life in America.

As a dreamer, I am much like my character in this way, but unlike Katherine McGowan (and Merida) I have not done many brave or courageous things to follow my destiny where it may lead. And in my case, maybe lack of bravery simply presents itself in the form of not seeking the Lord constantly so that I might know what He is doing in my life and the things He is trying to tell me and show me, and my fate that He is trying to lead me to.

There is a song we sing in the musical called Lady's Maid. It is Katherine McGowan leading the third class in dreaming up their new lives in America and all of the things they never thought could be true for themselves. This song is so powerful! We are playing REAL characters, who really were on the Titanic, who REALLY were travelling to America to follow their dreams. For some of them, it was their very last hope for their lives! And for many, that dream killed them. But they were BRAVE--and they were following their dream, their destiny. Now, because of documentaries, and books, and musicals, and so much more---their stories will forever be remembered.

I have found a new sense of pride in my character and the words that she sings....'where my dreamin' and my hopin' and my schemin' and my prayin' and my wishin' to be happy will come true'. I also have a new found sense of stirring within the depths of my heart that is LONGING for adventure (something I feel very strongly that we were created for). I long for risk and a journey of potential danger--because wow, what a way to rely only on the Lord when put in a situation where He is your only hope! I long for love, and a mission, and a chance to be......BRAVE!!!!

In Him,
Meg

Happy Father's Day

Father God,

Holy is Your name. Lord, I want to thank You for Your constant protection. For Your love. For Your faithfulness. And so much more.

Blessed be the name of the Lord--in good times, and bad. You are always there.

Lord. I want to ask you to surround those who have lost their earthly fathers on this Father's holiday tomorrow. You are the ultimate Father and wow, how blessed we are that You have chosen us and that we are able to hear Your voice. There is still sadness, though, in missing those who are no longer with us.

There are many in my life right now, who are celebrating this day without a dad, too. And where it is not a fun club to be a part of, it is nice to not be alone.

Father, please be a powerful presence in the lives of my friends tomorrow--and those I don't even know, who have lost a father or maybe never even had one. Show them how much YOU love them. I pray they have a big encounter with the Holy Spirit tomorrow, Lord. 

I ask all of these things in Your Son's Holy name.

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for Jesus.

Happy Father's Day :)

AMEN

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. PSALM 68:5

Godspeed, Titanic.

I have not blogged in a while it seems. I have been teaching summer camps all day and doing Titanic rehearsal all night so my computer and I have had very little interaction. Last night it hit me that this experience is almost over--and if you have followed my blog throughout this tiny section of my life, you might be wondering how I am feeling about the fast approaching end to this challenging show. I am utterly heart broken. Although truly challenging and at times in the beginning, seemed to be too much to take, it is by far the most amazing show I have ever been a part of. Every rehearsal, every conversation, every ride in my car listening to the soundtrack, every activity with cast members outside the walls of the theater--- is all, MAGICAL.

It started to hit me just a few days ago that we are telling the story of real people, of a real event, and a moment in history that will never be forgotten. I have spent as much time as possible researching passengers aboard the Titanic, learning what life was like for them on the ship, and on that dreadful night when everything they ever knew was forever changed. Upon learning more and appreciating this story even more than I already do, I was inspired by the real people I am surrounded by every single day. The ones walking alongside me being used by God to tell the narratives of the people on the Largest Moving Object in the World.

Pip--Pip stole my heart from the first day I met her at callbacks. She bluntly turned around and asked me what my story was. After further creeping on facebook our next conversation was my asking her if she loves African children (in which she most certainly does)--and our fate as friends was sealed. We have the same brain, and can be completely awkward in front of one another which is a blessing when you are as odd as the two of us. She loves the Lord and it pours out of her with every conversation she has with anyone in the cast.

Caitlyn--She is the final "Kate" in the Kate Trio, and it could NOT have been a trio without her. Her humor and perspective on life are beyond hysterical and refreshing at the same time. She also shares the same odd brain as Pip and myself, so instantly we bonded and wow, what a BLESSING from the LORD!!

Reid--Reid is phenomenal, and he doesn't even know it. He is the kindest human you might ever meet, and always ready and willing to help. He helped us (the Kate's) with our Irish accents from day one and instantly we adopted him into our precious new friendship. This show would not be on the level it's on if her were not a part of this cast. Seriously love me some Reid!

Russ--Praise the Lord for Russ and all that he has done for this show. He has been active in every small detail of getting this show up and going--from casting to set to a sinking ship to helping with accents to stepping into roles and so much more.

Meridith--the wittiest person EVER. the biggest heart EVER. And ALWAYS an absolute JOY to be around. We would all be stressed and moody without her around :)

Will--what I love about Will is he never holds back. Even if he messes up, or knows there's a possibility that he might, Will still goes ALL out, ALWAYS. And it's so admirable looking to him as an example for confidence and joy in the experience.

Phillians--our lovable grizzly bear with a voice like BUTTAH!! We love him SO much and WOW what a wonderful first experience I am having with this guy! Always ready to help and get things done, as well as being just wonderful in his role as a helpless romantic!

Shane--One of my favorite parts of the whole show is getting to stand beside Shane at the very end and listen to him singing "Sail on, Sail On." Melts. My. Heart.

Gary--BLESS HIS HEART!! During the process of this show he has adopted a brand new baby girl and so sadly his mother passed away yesterday I believe. Yet he has been hanging in there, and there would have been absolutely NO ONE better as Mr. Ismay.

Clay--My precious little Clay. Being in another show with him is a BLAST. He is more talented then he might ever know. I can not wait to see what the Lord has in store for this precious bundle of talent!

Matt Norman--amazing in all of the 25 roles he is cast in for this show haha. So glad to finally be in a show with this sweetie pie too. He's my boy! And i love him so much!!

Colten--Always a pleasure being in a show with him. He's got the vocal talent of a 40 year old man, so I am pumped to see how the Lord will use him!

Kane--the perfect voice and the perfect guy for his role as Etches. Literally, watching his flawless performances is so encouraging! Not to mention he is a total sweetheart!

Lance and Becca--No better couple to play the Strausses. Their performance of "Still" will have people crying their eyes out. Two of the most beautiful voices on the ship!

Lorenzo-The funniest human EVER. I seriously don't know how I went 25 years of my life without knowing him!! He is NEVER late to punch a joke, announce a clever moment, or simply just make everyone around him laugh. Love. This. Man!

Maranda and Brandon--SO funny to watch on stage!! You will be rolling in your seat! Love getting to be in a show with you guys.

John Mixon--This man is a HUGE blessing and answered prayer. He stepped in to be my leading man after 2 in that same role quit and left us in a huge bind. Not only did he step in and add a beautiful voice to this wonderful cast of beautiful voices, but he is the PERFECT leading man. He encourages me to be better every time we are on stage.

Anna--Always a BLAST being in a show with my best friend. As if we don't get enough of each other, we absolutely must add acting to our BFF resume! I wouldn't want to share the stage with anyone else my love.

Carly--LOVE our girly chats about boys and such! Seriously so excited to get to know you more!! :)

There are a million people I am forgetting (it's such a huge cast!) but every single person I have had contact with has truly been a blessing in my life! Amy and our photography chats, Cynthia and her constant encouragement, Savannah and her contagious joy!! My sweet Elea Bear, who is the most amazing 15 year old kid I have ever met in my life (are you 15? haha maybe she's 14) regardless--she is a leader, with the biggest heart you'll ever find, and the kind of love for the Lord that is the sort of thing that brings Satan to his knees. Mrs Ruby, Lauria, Abby, Christina, and Mallorie--you guys, it is such a JOY seeing you grow in your passion and welcoming you guys to the FOA family! Andrew--you are SO SO SO great, and I look forward to ever conversation with you to see what will come out of your mouth! Emily and Christie and some of my other FOA girls--ALWAYS a pleasure being part of a wonderful experience with you all! Kasey--I seriously can't WAIT to get to know you more! All of the kiddos--you guys, you are representing REAL children....some who lived and some who unfortunately never made it off of the sinking ship. You are making history in Jonesboro and representing history in a story that will stand the test of time. I am so proud of ALL of you for the hard work you have put in! We could not do this without you. To Cory, our new Caroline replacement, we are SO blessed to have your angelic voice and amazing talent. Praise the LORD you have joined our cast! (Anna G--we are still praying for your recovery and are so sad you can no longer be with us) (If I forgot you then call me out---and I will EDIT and get you in here :) Because I mean it, you are all amazing!!)

We have amazing costumers and tech and tons of other people who have been working for months to make this happen. (Wendeth, Jonathan, Navie, Elizabeth, and so many more!!)

And of course....our director. She has been given an immaculate vision for this story, and she has been fighting long and hard battles to be a force that makes this thing happen--giving ALL glory to God, and humbling herself throughout the entire experience to ensure that this is truly in God's hands. And boy, is it.

After injuries, and people quitting, and the loss of cast member's family, we have little doubt that there is a force in the unseen world that does NOT want this show to continue. But by the power and protection of the Lord Almighty....it IS going to continue. And will be a show you will never ever forget.

Ok, it is late, and I am sweaty and stinky (oh yea, the AC in the theater went out today heehee) so it's bath and nap time. SO BLESSED and LOVING life.

In Him,
Meg

Desperate for the Word

I just finished watching the movie, The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington. This movie has been one of my favorites for many years, although it wasn't until tonight that the Lord imparted some amazing lessons from the movie into my life.

We live in an age where 'Christians' believe they can live out their faith without ever opening the Word of God. I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to not being in the Word like I should be. But more than should be, I want to WANT to be in the Word always. I want to be so hungry and so desperate for the Word of God that days don't pass without ever opening my Bible, but instead minutes pass and I can't wait to open it again.

The movie, The Book of Eli, is set in a post-war world where the Bible was believed to hold such power that those who wanted it for evil and those who sought to protect it were risking their lives to have it, know it, and learn it. They were all desperate for the Word in some sense or another. Eli was sent on a mission from the Lord to get the last remaining copy of the Bible across the country where it would be safe, and reprinted to help start the new civilization. His life consisted of nothing but faith and total surrender in order to complete the task that God had set before Him. And what happens in the end? He dies.

He dies. No glory for Eli. No celebration for the work HE has done. He disappears. His mission was finished. He understood that the bigger picture was not about him at all. He was here for a reason, God gave Him a purpose, and when it was accomplished, he left this world to be with the Creator. When I think back about this concept I think about my own life--and how frustrated I get so often because I don't feel like the Lord has given me some grand "calling". The story of Eli makes me question if my heart is in the right place. If the Lord DID give me some huge important task, would I risk everything I am and everything I have to totally surrender to the call? I would like to think yes....but I don't know if that is true.

There are small areas of my daily life where I fail to surrender to the Lord--so what makes me think I deserve such a huge mission from the Lord? My heart is in that transition of learning 'Yo Meg-it's not about you at all!' And it's not.

What if something happened tomorrow and life as we know it was over. Instead we lived in a post war torn society. There was barely enough food and water to go around, loved ones were lost or dead, and we no longer lived in the society we know and are so familiar with today. What if there were 5 Bibles left on the planet, and 2 were in the hands of people looking to destroy them or use them for evil. Maybe 2 were accessible but in a language that no one could translate. And maybe that last 1, was missing. Somewhere in the world but no one knew where. Would you fight for the Word of God? Would you seek out the evil doers? Would you find a way to translate what seems like the impossible? Or would you set out to find the missing one--only relying on faith and total surrender to the Lord?

How important is the Word of God to you? Right now-as a Christian--do you value God's word like it's meant to be valued? Are you listening for His voice? Learning about His character? If you're not taking advantage of the handful of Bibles I assume are laying around your house and car and church right now....then just imagine for a second what it would be like if you could NEVER open and read a Bible again. Ever.

Would it wreck your world and change your life? Or would things be about the same as they are right....now....

In Him,
Meg

Heart of a Child

WOW. What an interesting journey I have been on the past few weeks. Those of you following my story know it's been filled with some hard times and some AMAZING blessings from the Lord. Sick of feeling and acting so self-involved, today I am sharing a story about someone else and we will see where the Lord takes it.

If you haven't been keeping up, I am in the summer musical, Titanic. The top most amazing thing about this show is the relationships we are all building with one another. Talk about one giant family. We have shared so many laughs about the most random of things, that walking into rehearsals is like being let in on some inside joke the rest of the world doesn't know about. We have shared many victories, too-like the adoption of a sweet baby or the acing of a hard test! We have shared struggles, with the difficulty of the show or the uncertainty of a role. We have shared, even in loss, as a member of our summer family lost her father only a few days ago. We are a family, loving on each other every step of this process. And being a part of that is magical.

While upstairs in the mezzanine a few days ago, I found myself in a conversation with my friend Pip who is my age, and another member of our show family (we will call her Boo since she is underage but looks like Boo from Monster's Inc.) Boo is on the newer side of 5 years old and the most adorable creature you will ever meet in your life. I also had the blessing of teaching her in a drama class last semester and she definitely holds her own in a room full of 7 year olds. Not only is she a wonderful performer, super funny, and a little cutie pie...she also has the biggest heart I might have ever encountered in my life! She was sort of putting on a little show in front of Pip and myself, doing twirls and singing funny songs--when all of a sudden she got still, pensive even. And said...

"I don't know if I believe in Jesus"

Pip and I love Jesus SO much and I am sure she was thinking the same thing I was 'what an interesting conversation we are about to have!'

Boo explained to us how she loves Jesus so much. She sings to him and learns about him, too. But wasn't sure if she believed in Him. Upon further investigation she tells us...

"half of my heart believes in Him and loves Him so much, but the other half of my heart wonders sometimes if he is real and isn't sure if it believes"

Wow. This 5 year old kid nailed some very adult emotions! Unknowingly even, don't we as Christians struggle with this same thing? We love the Lord so much and believe in Him (especially when having faith requires nothing of us)--but when that faith is tested or a hardship arises do we choose the half of our heart that loves and believes? Or do we choose the half that is struggling to trust and surrender all to God?

Boo went on to tell us that she also doesn't know how much God loves her. Especially when she is a bad girl, she wonders how he could ever love her like that? In our best to reassure her of His existence and of His unconditional love for us, we gave her examples from real life 'like when her mommy gets onto her for something but still loves her' and even examples from the Bible 'like how Paul was really bad to Christians and did bad things but God loved Him so much and used him in BIG ways to help us today'. Really though, what I think Boo needed....was to feel these emotions. She was having this conversation out loud-but it truly felt like it wasn't toward Pip and myself. It felt like these emotions were so big in her little body she just had to say it out loud and then once she did, you could tell she was in deep and GIANT thought about them. 

Children do not get a small Holy Spirit simply because they are fun-sized. They get the entire HUGE Holy Spirit, just like adults! And I truly believe I was witnessing the Holy Spirit at work within this child. Maybe even for no other reason than to minister to me and Pip. 

Writing about this now reminds me of the movie Chronicles of Narnia. There is a scene where Edmond comes back (after all but betraying his brothers and sisters) and he and Aslan are having a little chat. Aslan (the symbol for Christ in these stories) tells the others that nothing of the past is to be spoken of henceforth. Later we see the white witch come for her revenge on Edmond as a traitor (and having seen the movie before) I knew Aslan was going to sacrifice himself for the boy. As I was watching (just a few weeks ago) I caught myself thinking "Ugh, why would he do that? Edmond was such a little twit! He does not deserve that kindness. He isn't worth it!" WHOA......light bulb. 

WE are all Edmond's are we not? We are traitors, we are conniving, we are mischievous, we are dishonest, we cause chaos, we are all little TWITS sometimes! And we most certainly don't feel like others are worth the kindness and sacrifice of Christ when they behave this way but looking upon myself, it seems I forget how wretched I can be too! God loves US SOOOOO much that we might NEVER begin to understand the sacrifice He made----whether we are 5 years old like Boo, or almost 25 years old like me. 

There are blessings everyday in your life. The Lord is CONSTANTLY communicating with us, not just his lessons but His LOVE as well. I encourage you to stop after today is over, and recall anything that happened--maybe you had simple chit chat with a stranger in the grocery store, or you had a flat tire fixed, or you watched cartoons with your kiddos---find where the Lord was in those situations. And if you don't know, then ask Him-I promise you He will tell you. Then thank Him for being there and thank Him for loving you. It will open up a whole new world of communication with our Creator.

Hope you enjoyed the sweet story about our precious Boo. Might I also add that during the rehearsing of the sinking scene I found our Boo crying so hard--she was distraught that this story was so real, and that people really lost their loved ones or couldn't get on a boat. My heart broke for her in witnessing the small heart of hers that was being broken right in front of me. Then something else in my spirit took over--the JOY of seeing first hand the heart of the Lord. See, He was heartbroken too when the ship sank and so many lives were lost. He was heartbroken that families were torn apart, that children would grow up without dad's, and life as they knew it would never be the same. He was showing us how He felt too, by using Boo and her big giant wide open heart. Surely the presences of the Lord is in this place :)

In Him,

Meg

Refined for the Role

Knowing who we are and why we are here on this earth is at some point a struggle for every one. If not a struggle, then at least a fleeting question or wonder. When you can find peace in who Christ says you are, then the first question becomes easier to deal with. But the other, the 'why we are here on this earth' thing, is a little more complicated. We have general purposes of course, as well as common purposes we all share like loving our neighbor as ourselves sort of deal. But individually, what is the Lord calling you to do? Some people know from a very young age that they were created to be a doctor or a preacher or a missionary--and they get to spend their entire lives working up to that goal and living out that calling on their lives. They start preparing early and by the time it's all said and done, they are ready--to go out and do the Lord's will.

But what about the other people? The "floaters" as I often call myself. Sometimes I feel like I am just floating. Not that I am not living out the will of the Lord because I know most certainly that I am. There is still that question though of 'what's next? where do I go? what do I do? who am I supposed to be?' God is dealing with me right now on this issue of understanding my role and place, my character if you will, by using (yet again and annoyingly enough) the musical I am in right now.

If you have been following my journey at all the past several weeks you know the Lord has been using this show consistently to refine me and to heal some issues going on in the depths of my heart. This is a very exciting time for me, because I KNOW it's because he is preparing me for what's next in my life. I will not lie though--it pretty much sucks :) I have been working my TAIL off vocally--working with vocal coaches, practicing non-stop in my car and my room and wherever I can get away with singing. I've been in constant prayer doing battle in the spiritual against the darkness that tries to convince me I am not worthy or the things of that realm that try to strangle my confidence. Oh the BLESSINGS that came out of that situation--

People came out of the woodwork to help me and love on me and support me and encourage me. I don't feel much more confident about my voice but I am training it to be doing all of the right things and it's going to get better, I do have confidence about that. And when you're loved for who you are and not because of what you do then things like that stop mattering like they used to. That's how God loves us and that's one of the things he wanted me to take away from that situation. 

The new struggle in front of me is my character. I left another rehearsal last night so defeated because I have absolutely no idea what is expected of me. And sometimes it feels like people think I should know, and I don't. So the questions in my head were first and foremost "who am I?". If I know her (Katherine McGowan) then her words, her movements, her everything make much more sense because there is a reason for them all. It's like this in life a lot isn't it? Understanding the little things because we know the bigger picture? But when we don't see the bigger picture then it's hard to understand or relate the little things. 

I started toying with this idea of knowing my character, and how the director is having to refine me to portray this role. Have you ever gotten a new job and where you might have all of the credentials or qualifications for that job, you still feel completely inadequate? You question why you were hired, or if you will even be able to do all that is asked of you? You fear having to learn new things because you don't know them already-and constantly you wonder if your new boss is wondering why he ever hired you? That's basically how I feel a lot during this process. 

**(This might seem far-fetched but in my own brain it works so just go with me.) The Lord is communicating with us every nano-second of everyday, always telling us something. I believe that is true. However, we rarely receive EVERY message He sends because we are not in tune with Him throughout the day. Things distract us from our communication with Him. And, there are things we simply miss. One of the ways He has chosen to deliver His messages to me, is through this show. I believe that. Because BOY am I getting about a million messages a day from Him all relating to this musical. It's interesting too how He has chosen to communicate with me, in terms of relating the story of theater to the story He has with us, His children. Let's just say directors are God. There is a vision. There is a plan. And it all lies in the head and hands of the director. 

Now to understand why these little minute details matter is to only understand that they do. This is going to be a lesson I deal with for the next couple of weeks I have the feeling so as God reveals more to me, I will share it. And I am only sharing it, because I know that I am not alone in this struggle right now. I am walking away knowing I must learn my character (not just Katherine McGowan, but ME too--and the way to do that is to continue learning the character of the Lord and who HE says I am). If I know my character and what's expected of me I will then start to understand a little better the bigger picture. And where NONE of us can really see that bigger picture (until the DVD comes out or simply until it's all said and done), we will continue to trust the creator of it all. There is one thing I know and it's that we are in good hands!

In Him,

Meg

Creation

Here you are. It's dark, slightly cold. Surrounded by nothingness. Feelings of anticipation, wonder. Your nerves tingle inside, waiting in joy for what is to come.

It's quiet. Faintly you hear the low rumble of music. It gets louder and louder, changing melody ever so often. Never stopping.

At the right time, all is revealed. The curtain opens. And what lie behind it, is nothing short of a masterpiece. Moving, singing, breathing--art. All emotions are targeted. All feelings are felt.

Suspension, hope, love, fear--build in you as the masterpiece unfolds. During spare moments you ponder the actors on stage. Question their story. Appreciate their believability. Praise their portrayal.

You think about the sculptor of the art that you witness. You witness her vision come to life. So much detail. So much depth. So much heart and all her soul.

It comes to an end, and the crowd goes wild in praise for the job well done. In thanks for the chance to witness such beauty come to life. In gratitude for the lessons learned and the thought behind every smile, every step, every song, every motion.

There is a creator. And there is a creation. And in the middle of the 2...is amazingness.

I have been involved in theater and performance almost my entire life--and what I find funny is that I never thought about Theater....like Creation. Like the creation story. In the beginning there was God. And that's it. There was nothingness---until He created everything. All things created led up to the very moment He breathed life into His very own children. And they were lovely because He loved them.

When I think about the musical I am in this summer, Titanic, I am overjoyed at how the Lord continuously is showing us all He is in control and using this experience for His glory. Our director has the Lord's cell phone number, and every moment is evidence to His vision pouring out into her, which pours out into the creative and technical teams, which pours out into our musical team, and then to us-the actor's. And when it is all said and done, we will be empty vessels used by the Lord in front of hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of people. For 4 days. We get to be artwork-created by the Creator himself. What a blessing to be. What a blessing to SEE.

When I think about Creation like I think about theater, my heart melts. The Lord sent to me a way I would understand the importance and magnitude and amazingness that is the creation story. The beginning of God's love story with us, his children.

Wow--our God is so cool :)

In Him,
Meg

Remembering My Dad....

I just finished watching the movie, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close-a story about a very unique kid who loses his father in the 911 attacks. If you have ever lost a father, I don't recommend watching this movie. Not exactly the feel good movie of the year. However, a beautiful story with some amazing things to say.

During the movie at one point the mother and son are recollecting things about their husband/dad that they remember or miss so much. And I couldn't help thinking that I don't do this enough. For so long I tried to block out everything about my dad because it was too painful to remember. Where it is still incredibly painful, with time comes healing. And with healing comes strength, and through every ounce of gained strength I long to remember my dad once more.

My dad had funny phrases and sayings that were famous among his groups of friends, as well as my friends. Whenever someone says one of these familiar things--I instantly think of my dad. He was a musician to his core, and one of my favorite memories of him is every car ride together somewhere listening to him drumming on the steering wheel (he was also obsessed at looking in the rearview mirror and grooming himself! lol). After my mom left, he would take my sister and I to school every morning-and these are some of my favorite memories ever of us, the three musketeers. I remember his sense of humor-he was so witty and funny and I would pray at night to be like him in that way so that I could carry on funny and clever conversations with him. He told the world's FUNNIEST (yet cheesiest) jokes--like "two men walk into a bar, you think one of them would've seen it!" haha-he told me this one from the time I was 7 years old and by the time I was 11 I think I finally got it. He made every bad or sad situation funny--and I am a lot like him in this way. If there is tension or sadness somewhere I will do everything in my power to use humor to make things a little easier. This was my dad. During doctor's visits with me he would sit in the chair the doctor is very clearly supposed to be the only one sitting in, and like a child would spit his gum into the air and try to catch it. I found this hysterical, and by the time the doctor came in we would be laughing so hard and in tears! He shared the humor in odd things like me too. During funerals he would be cracking jokes and we would be laughing so hard we'd consider stepping out because we couldn't stop laughing! Once during communion at church, we were laughing so hard we shook our entire pew!! One day we were driving into town from home, and for absolutely no apparent reason at all we started 'invisibly killing' each other--it started out like typical things, gun or bow/arrow, but ended up by the end of the drive we were guessing what the other one was doing and it'd be something as outrageous as death by choking on a gummy worm or deadly bird pecking. (yes, repeating this all now seems a little morbid but hey it was funny at the time!). My dad was a servant, and would do anything for anybody if he had the means (and if he didn't, he would find the means). I remember from a very early age stopping to help strangers on the side of the road who were broken down or having a hard time. He spent his last weeks of life giving toys, clothes, and necessary living items to children in need at his school. Children he knew wouldn't be getting a visit from Santa Clause--I LOVE that the sorts of things that broke my daddy's heart are the same things that break mine too. He was teaching me to play guitar, and I loved it so much when we got to sit in his office and play and sing together. The blood of his instrument and his passion for music run deep in my soul and I love connecting to him in that way. My dad seemed fearless--he would do crazy things all of the time, and I am NOT like this in any way shape or form. But there is a small part in us all that wishes we were fearless and so I appreciate my dad always being this way. I love how my dad loved to show off my older sister and I-he would tell every person we were ever around "Man, don't I have some good lookin' kids?" My dad loved to coach-he would coach anything that walked and if he knew nothing about the sport he would learn and excel at coaching it and then start umpiring/refereeing it! He was competitive which is a trait I can appreciate although athletic wise I am definitely no competitor. Before I went out onto the ball field, each inning, I would get a pound on the forehead--which was softball talk for "I love You". I remember key lessons in life that he taught me....."Stay out of slippery places and you won't fall"--or before I would leave the house upon turning 16 he would always say "remember who you are"--well, at 16 who actually knows who they are. I didn't. But I knew who he wanted me to be, and to make him proud I stayed out of trouble. I hear him saying it to me these days except it sounds a lot less like my dad and more like my Father telling me. His philosophy on teaching or coaching was he would rather have a kid with no talent then a kid with a bad attitude-because you can teach/coach a kid to be talented but you can rarely fix a bad attitude. I love the memories of playing horse on our carport, or softball in our backyard. Especially in the summer time! My dad was sociable too, like me, and some of my favorite summer memories with him are the parties we would have in our backyard. We would literally be outside from the time we woke up to midnight or after--playing ball, swimming, doing a slip-n-slide, singing, doing karaoke--and every holiday or random summer night holds these sweet memories for me. Every now and then I can smell it in the air and it's like I am there once more. Every 4th of July my dad would tell us he was not going to spend tons of money on fireworks, but by the end of the night he would come home with hundreds of dollars worth--because he loved shooting and watching them as much as we did! I love how on Christmas, dad would wake us up with a video camera so that each second of the special day was captured--and when we got a little older, old enough to wake ourselves up, we would sit at the edge of the hall and yell across the house to see if it was ok for us to come out. And of course we would have to wait for dad to set the camera up, but it was worth it!  I love that my dad could find a way to quote Mash, Andy Griffith, Office Space, or Airplane at any given moment of any (and every) given day, and somehow it always made sense in context--when you grow up with such a clever parent, you become quite the clever kid. And when none of my friends understood me I know my dad and my older sister did, because we were one in the same.I love the special life-long friends my dad had---they remind me so much of him, it helps to know they are around, even though I don't get to see them as often as I would like. I LOVE when my dad would come into my room, and wake me up by putting on a jacket of mine and singing "Fat guy in a little coat!" HAHA--I can still see it today!! He did special and funny things like that all the time--once, he woke me up early so that I could listen to the new baby birds that had hatched (inside our attack) but nonetheless it was sweet because he wanted me to experience that. It made me sad when I would find out that my dad went to movies alone...it makes me sad imagining anyone I love doing things alone, but he always assured me that he needed the break or enjoyed the quiet. The first movie I remember finding out that he saw alone was Cheaper by the Dozen--so when I watch that movie I think of him. My dad introduced me to wrestling (or wrastlin' as I say) and never hesitated to pile drive me or put me in a figure four leglock-I LOVED when he would wrestle with us! I loved having things in common with him. My dad also introduced me to Van Halen, and every amazing guitar rif I ever hear makes me think of dad. Once in elementary school, he walked down my hallway and one of my friends told him he was the 'cool dad'--and he NEVER forgot about that. In fact, he LOVED being the 'cool dad'--and he was a pretty stinkin' cool dad. I have a picture hanging on my bathroom wall, and when I look into my mirror I see my dad--when I tilt my face like his in the picture, I look just like him. That may be the only time we resemble, I don't know....but every day I love seeing his face in mine.

I know there are a million more things I have forgotten to say, or maybe have forgotten altogether. But one day, I am sure I will remember. Then maybe one day, there will be another blog about those things too.

I don't know how many people actually read my blog...but if you do, and you were friends with or knew my dad--I would love to hear about things you remember about him too.

In Him,
Meg

We Are Family

Some of the most beautiful times I have seen the presence and likeness of the Lord in people and situations, is when the idea of individual agendas fly out the window, and instead the overall experience of the collective takes over. It is all too easy as Christians, as humans in general really, to simply be concerned with ourselves. Our own faith, our own life, our own family, our own congregation, our own plans,--me, me, me, I, I, I. But that is not what we were designed for, and when we live that way it is not bringing glory to the name of the Lord but instead, offers up a picture of how we were not created to live.

It's hard-I will be the first to admit-to not be so concerned with yourself, even when you attempt to look at it with a godly perspective and Christ-like eyes. What mission trip should I go on? What form of ministry do I study? What new Christian Living book should I buy at Lifeway today? What can I plan and do and be and accomplish....and do all to declare victory for the kingdom in the name of the Lord? Well, before too long, this mentality will have us all looking around at those whom we left far behind on our 'path' to knowing the Lord's heart. Planning mission trips, reading Christian Living books, contemplating a branch of ministry, and things of this nature are not bad and wrong. Don't hear me saying this. What I am saying is, while doing these things with the intent being personal growth and development, we can get dangerously lost in selfishness.

I had a mentor of mine tell me recently that he used to be a man who was scared to make a move because he feared messing up the Lord's plan for his life (a HUGE obstacle that has left me myself paralyzed in making a move one way or another the past year). He told me that God hit him over the head with this notion that who are we to think that we, silly old Meagan Cremeens, could mess up the Almighty Creator's plans for my life? We are pawns being used in a MUCH MUCH MUCH bigger picture then we might EVER realize. The focus--the KINGDOM. Loving others and spreading the Gospel to everyone we encounter. This idea leaves no room for an individualistic mentality but offers no other way of response than to focus on the collective. (Now, don't hear me saying you should abandon all efforts of personal growth, time with the Lord, or anything like that!)

What makes the most sense to me are a few instances the past few months where I have seen the body of Christ as believers who are walking alongside one another in order to spread love and bring glory to the name of the Lord. During Easter I witnessed this during an Easter production I was a part of. My friend who wrote, directed, and starred in the show will be the first to recall the moment of the "ugly cry"--a time at the end of the show, during Chris Tomlin's "I Will Rise" where the Lord overwhelmed him with this idea of surrender and complete abandonment to God. The ugly cry happened once in rehearsal and the collective response was-"If that happens again, we will sing for you." Well, it did happen again. And one of the most beautiful moments of that show to me was hearing the voices of the body of Christ joining together in song to support and symbolize a walking alongside another brother during a weaker, more vulnerable moment in his life. That, is beauty. That is collective concern.

I have been experiencing this lately during the newest show I am a part of, Titanic the Musical (which I have written many a blog about describing the difficulty of the music for me and the re-learning my voice, and finding some confidence on stage once more). Last night we had our first rehearsal on stage, going through the first half of act one which is coincidentally, my solo number in the show. I have been working very hard the past few weeks with a vocal coach, as well as alone in my car and with anyone who will listen to me sing and tell me what I am doing wrong :) so this was an anxious rehearsal for me. That moment where I am told if it is showing at all that my hard work will pay off. After the song, I was happily surprised at the feedback from people--really, people in the cast I didn't even know knew that I was struggling with this issue at all--as well as friends of mine who did know and positively encouraged me as well. But the compliments were not the best part...it was the shift of my mentality. Sure, not feeling like I did an awful job was refreshing. Not leaving rehearsal in tears and shattered confidence, was JOYOUS for me. Yet, my mind shifting to another place altogether last night was the beauty behind the pain I have been experiencing lately. Being the first time on stage you start to see more of the bigger picture, instead of getting lost in the individuality of it all. The ship was there, the full cast, we started blocking scenes, and then after we all had s'mores outside in the park. It was a BEAUTIFUL time with people I love and hold so dearly in my heart.

And when I drove home, all I could think about was the love and encouragement I have received from them all the past month. I have had people go out of their way to help strengthen my voice, to warm me up properly, to teach me things about the voice I never even knew, to help me with my Irish accent, to collect costumes with me, to help me brainstorm set ideas, and SO SO SO much more. And when you see all of that hard work--not solely from me, but from EVERYONE--you, as artists, start to shift and grow and realize HOW critically about the BIGGER picture this whole thing is.

Being in a show is the perfect metaphor for being a Christian in this aspect. Because when we stop worrying about me, me, me--how I look, or sound, or what I do and where I go--we start listening more to God. And when we listen to God He is faithfully showing us exactly what He has in store for us. He tells us what others need of us. He teaches us to love the world and see the world as He sees and loves them. And all of these things combined, affect the bigger picture. And when it's all said and done, we will look back at our lives and realize how very very little this has anything to do with US.

Just like with my show. After the weekend of June 23rd, we will all look back at this beautiful work of art and the way that it affected and changed people's lives, and realize how very little any of it had anything to do with us individually.

I am so full of joy at the blessings of being a part of the Titanic cast, being surrounded by talented and kind and loving people who go out their way to help and encourage and support one another. The Lord is at work in ALL that we do....

Sometimes, we simply have to go through a season or a time of heartache or pain to notice.

In Him,
Meg

A New Beginning

Adding to the list of interactive readings and scripts I have been doing. Feel free to use and hope you enjoy!!

A New Beginning

Characters:

God (preferably an adult to help carry some action)

Noah

Neighbors

Noah’s family

Animals (kids can pick different animals they want to be—maybe even have audience guess what is entering the boat by guessing the animals the kids act out.)

                God and Noah repeat narrator. Neighbors point and laugh. Family enters in the ark. Animals make their sounds and motions, too!

There was a time on earth where people forgot about God and were doing bad things all of the time. God’s heart was filled with pain when He saw what had happened to the world he loved. (Sad God)

There was a man named Noah and he was God’s friend (which was odd in those days because nobody else was). Noah listened to God (Hands on cupping ears). He talked to God (God and Noah chatting). He just loved being with God, like you do your best friend (arms around each other like buds).

“Noah” God said. “Things have gone wrong. People have filled my world with hate instead of love. I must stop them. First we will build an ark!” (Have ‘God’ repeat what He says throughout script.)

Do you know what an ark is? It’s like a large boat. Do you know how to build one? Neither did Noah! Luckily, God knew and he would show him.

God told his friend Noah that a storm was coming but He would rescue his friend, and all who were in the ark. God then said he would send the animals to Noah and the ark. He said...

“I’ll send the ones that creep and slither, the ones that slime and gallop, the ones that hop and bound and climb and fly!” (God repeat)

The storm was going to wash away all the hate and sadness and everything that had gone wrong, and make the world clean again. God thought up a way to keep Noah safe in the ark, but Noah would have to trust God and do exactly what his friend told him.

So Noah built an ark. His neighbors came to laugh and point and make fun of Noah (pause for neighbors to make fun of Noah), because they didn’t believe Noah about the boat and they thought he looked rather silly building a boat in the middle of the desert without a sea nearby or a cloud in the sky. Why would anyone need an umbrella, let alone a boat?

But Noah didn’t mind so much what other people thought; he just minded what God thought. When the ark was ready, God said…

“All aboard!”

Noah climbed aboard (step in boat). His family came aboard (family steps in). And all of the animals came inside-two by two (get kids to act out different animals as they come in the ‘boat’).

Then it started raining, and raining, and raining—until the whole world was covered in water. Their once very large boat seemed very small now. But even in the crashing waves, scary rain, and crashing thunder-God was with them. He kept them safe for 40 days and 40 nights.

Finally the rain stopped and the sun came out! The people on the boat threw open the windows and shouted, “HOORAY!”

After the water went down, the ark landed quite suddenly on top of a large mountain. As soon as it was safe, God said “COME OUT!” And so they did—everyone singing, and skipping, and dancing onto dry land—even the animals!

Noah thanked God for rescuing him as He had promised (THANK YOU GOD). Then God made another promise-to never destroy the world again. And just like a warrior hangs up his bow and arrow at the end of a great battle, God hung up his bow in the clouds. (Do you know what God’s bow is?  A rainbow!)

And there in the clouds where the storm meets the sun, was a beautiful bow made of light. It was a new beginning in God’s world.

It wasn’t long before things went wrong again but God was not surprised, he knew this would happen. That’s why, before the beginning of time, he had another plan—a better plan. A plan not to destroy the world but to rescue it—a plan to one day send his own Son, the Rescuer. (Do you know who that Rescuer is? JESUS!)

The End.

Keeping Our Commitments

Remaining faithful to people and obligations is a wonderful character building tool. When I was a teenager, I had many jobs-but I worked those jobs for 1-2 years at a time (which is a long time for a kid). At times I even had up to 3 jobs at once (not much has changed--however, I actually LOVE my jobs now haha). Before I was a teenager I would work at my dad's car audio store, answering phone calls and greeting customers which then turned into QuickBooks, Excel, invoices, bills, shipments, filing, and other types of clerical work. My dad created a work ethic in my sister and I. Our bills did not pay themselves, and work was the way of life to earn a living. I was a kid who had chores and duties around the house as well.

Past the chores and part time jobs, this lesson of responsibility carried over into one of maintaining loyalty to commitments and obligations. My grandfather is a big fan of doing others right who have done right by you. And that presents itself in many ways in his life--taking care of friends in time of need, paying bills on time, loyalty to specific doctors or business providers, and the list goes on and on. I am not as traditional in this way of thinking, however I do not argue with his mentality at all. He is one of the most beloved human beings in all of Bono, Jonesboro, and Paragould, and that is due to his character!

Even in the midst of trials, I encourage you guys to uphold the commitments you've made to others. If you hate your job, quit...but at least give a 2 week notice. Or talk to your manager about what's going on to make you so unhappy-because saying things can't change is putting an awfully large God in a pretty small box. If you are asked to babysit and something better comes up like a party or something, then suck it up and do your job. And if you really can't do it (maybe an emergency comes up), then attempt to find someone else to fill in for you. Your employers will appreciate that extra step so much, and probably ask you to come back! If you audition for a show and are cast in a specific role, then take it! It's what you wanted when you auditioned and people are counting on you. The show expects you to follow through.

Tons of things can come up in life that ask us to make the choice of which commitments we are going to choose to keep. The ones you choose, chisel at your heart and define your character. The way you handle obligations, also tell the world what type of person you are. When you let people down because of 'you', you are simply being selfish and clearly only thinking about yourself. This individualistic mentality is what is ruining the American Church. It is CRITICAL for the kingdom to get this notion through our heads: IT IS NOT ABOUT US! Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, in your life has the potential to advance the kingdom and point glory back to God. But what is it saying to others about the LORD when we, who are made in His image, selfishly break our promises and commitments to others? It tells the world that that is probably what God will do too, so why believe Him in the first place?

See? It isn't individualistic. As a believer, you are part of a FAMILY. The body of Christ. And your outlook should be the kingdom-the BIGGER picture. It's time we reach past selfishness, and start letting the Lord chisel away some character into our lives.

Are you up for the challenge?
In Him,
Meg

I am not bipolar....

Let me start this off by saying, I am not bi-polar...so I don't think. If you've been following my journey this past week, you are probably thinking I am a little nutty, and that's ok. All I am really trying to do is be honest with you guys about what is going on in my heart, and sharing what God is doing to refine me right now. Within the past few days, I feel like I have gone through MONTHS of a tough season. God is bringing so much to surface right now, and of course with every step He is doing what He's doing, satan is in the other corner trying to unravel all of the Lord's work.

If you haven't been keeping up, my struggle lately is CONFIDENCE. Particularly in this show I am in, Titanic the Musical, the issue rears its' ugly head but this is just the avenue where God brought the subject to surface...because down in the depths of my heart, in many other situations over the past 6 months, this has been a very relevant problem. Those of you who know of me or know me well, are probably thinking I am REALLY nutty at this point. I thrive on being on stage. I love to perform. I love to use the talents God has given me to bring Glory to HIS name and I LOVE my job, which is teaching kiddos and other performers and artists how to do that too! I am most comfortable on stage in front of hundreds or in a room full of people entertaining. But lately, lately I can't even make sound come out of my mouth in front of other people...because something inside of me is telling me I am not good enough.

After every encouraging chat or meeting I've had this week I have blogged about a changed heart...but really, nothing has changed. It wasn't that I was lying...it was that, I logically believed everything God told me (that I then turned around to tell you). However, I believed it more for YOU than for me, I guess. Someone told me once that....If a 12 year old little girl came up to you after church one Sunday and asked you the same problem/questions you're talking to me about--what would you tell HER to do? (and then whatever that is, YOU go do it!)

The problem for me in that scenario was, what am I really telling/asking you myself? So I had to narrow that down. And I am going to say that if the 12 year old little girl were speaking for me she would say....

"Meagan. lately I feel like I am not good enough. I have felt it for a long time, but I got rid of that feeling by taking myself out of the spotlight, by hiding in the background, by trying to convince myself that it was ok not to be good so that there was no pressure to learn or grow or be a better singer. I feel like a failure when I don't get something right and I leave rehearsal every night crying. I don't want to feel this way, but I don't know how not to."

Narrowed down, that is a pretty good idea of what I guess has been going on with me. So, now what? What do I tell her? If she were not me, and just another young girl whose life I get the blessing to encounter and hopefully encourage I would tell her this.....

"Honey, do you know why you are beautiful? Because you were made in God's image-and He doesn't make mistakes. He gave you the fingers you have, the color eyes you have, the talents you have, the voice you have, ALL of it....for a reason. And that reason is to glorify Him. Which means, to tell the world how Great and Wonderful your Creator is. When we look in a mirror, or listen to ourselves sing, or see ourselves in pictures (like girls so often do), and we criticize ourselves and what we see or hear....we are telling God that He did something WRONG. I don't know about you, but I do not want to be on the other end of THAT conversation. You have the choice, not only every day but every minute within every single situation you encounter, you have the choice of whose voice you are going to listen to. Are you going to listen to the enemy? (He tells us that we are not good enough, that we've got a long way to go, that we are not as talented as so and so, that the director made a mistake, that we are only getting worse....etc) OR are you going to listen to the voice of the Lord? (Who every second is trying to find ways to tell us how amazing we are, how much he LOVES us-not because of what we do or how we sing but because of WHO WE ARE!)  In the GRANDE scheme of things, hear me say, that it DOES NOT MATTER. If you can't hit a note, WHO CARES? If your voice cracks, WHO CARES? If you mess up, WHO CARES? We were put here to worship our Lord, to spread the Good News of Christ, and to make disciples of all the nations. We are not called to BE PERFECT! If we were perfect, we would have never needed Christ to come and rescue us from the bondage of sin. And that's what this is...it is BONDAGE. You are getting lost in the little things that don't matter, the lies of the enemy, and the things that you can not control, and are forgetting that the Lord's eyes are all that matter. And what you are doing to be a woman of God will always and forever, eternally, far outweigh ANY thing else you do on this planet. So it should take some pressure off. HAVE FUN!! Praise God for the victories AND in times of defeat. Because when you give into defeat, then Satan has you exactly where he wants you!"

WOW---those are wonderful words of encouragement huh?

Now....how do I CONVINCE myself, not 12 year old pretend girl, to actually live this way.

A few years ago I learned the motto...."fake it til ya make it"....but what happens when you get to the end of that road, and you can't fake it any longer. Then what do you do?

Open to any and all advice and encouragement....and especially PRAYER!
In Him,
Meg

Humble yourself. Exalt the Lord.

If you have been following my previous two blogs you will see that I have had a rough weekend. God is really bringing some issues to the surface of my heart, in order to heal me of some things as well as preparing me for the future endeavors He will call me to do. This process is never fun. Do you remember learning to ride a bike for the first time? Or multiplication tables? Do you remember your first big test you ever took in school? There are people that invested their life into yours, teaching and preparing you to do certain things, so that they could send you off to do those things on your own. Now, we all know that God will never leave us, but He is our Teacher...Father....Counselor. He is teaching us and preparing us now so that there will be a strong foundation on which to build on for other things He has planned for our lives. I am living in one of those seasons right now.

The issue can be interpreted so many ways too. Sure, I may never be a worship leader or a recording artist, or what have you. And maybe this current issue of learning proper vocal technique will not directly apply to what God has in store for me. But there is always more layers to what is going on then what appears to be going on. Behind this vocal strengthening and training layer is a layer of self-confidence. Behind that layer is identity and self-worth. Behind that is freedom to walk in those truths. Behind even that is the desire to know God's truths. And it really could go on and on. It's like when you finally learn those multiplication tables, and if you're anything like me you say "I will never have to use this in my life!"--and sure, it's not often that I do. But it is helpful in your life to have that groundwork laid! Had I never learned math I wouldn't know how to budget money, I wouldn't know how to travel to new cities, I wouldn't know how to equally cut a pizza so that everybody gets a slice-I mean, these are VERY important things to know.

So God is working on me, multi-levally. (I totally think I just made that word up! heehee). And he is using some amazing warriors of the kingdom to do so. Today I met with my worship minister at church, to gain some insight on this issue of worship vs performance, and asking the question when is the technical stuff supposed to fade away and the joy and freedom come back into play? (I actually had a whole ton more of questions and ideas and such for him but this was the basis of where the other stuff came from.)

It was so helpful talking to him because as a worship minister he is called to lead people to the throne room of the Lord every time we are in His presence as a body of believers. As a child of God I am sure that there are times he wants to just relax and to bask in the glory of the Lord himself. And as a fellow performer in the arts, he has to battle that genuine vs non-genuine question that pops up from time to time. So during my chat with the Lord yesterday, He was very clear I needed some advice from someone who has walked this similar road before.

My worship leader gave me a great analogy about finger painting to start our conversation today. He said it's like you're a kindergarten teacher, and you tell the class, ok it's time to fingerpaint! You direct them to paints and the canvas, then zero in on your own fingerpainting masterpiece. Maybe you close your eyes or you intently study your own work. And when you look up, the kids have fingerpainted, that's for sure---but all over the walls, and their faces, and your desk, and it's a huge mess. Not that the Lord doesn't love a good mess, He is in the business of taking messes and creating something beautiful. But what if that chaos and that mess and that lack of guidance didn't teach the kids anything at all? Or they never could connect with the art project because they didn't know what to do or how to do it, or even what finger painting looked like?

So leading worship is like this. And even though I am no worship leader, I am on a sound enhancing team of people expected to help fellow believers press in to what the Lord is offering during corporate worship. And sometimes that means making sure ducks are in a row first-sound check, blending, evening the tone of your voice, not pulling sharp or flat, making sure the bass section isn't to loud or the sopranos too airy or the tenors too soft, making sure music is in order, words are correct, taglines are put in place, scripture matches up with the song, the song matches the correct mood, there aren't too many clappy songs, there aren't too many draggy songs....and the list goes on, and on, and on, and on. And it's overwhelming. It's a lot of pressure. It's a lot of expectation. And sometimes, it isn't fun.

I half expected to walk into his office today to tell him that I needed to not sing on the team for a while, until I could figure this all out. But I know my heart, and singing is something God has given me for a reason, and I know I would miss being able to do that and being able to do it with the specific people I sing with now. But what I got out of the meeting was a ton of encouragement, that these feelings are so normal and it's a struggle for most performers. That aspect of comparing ourselves to others. Pushing our limits to get a part or to be better than so and so. Wanting to nail something perfect so that other's see us as valuable or talented or good enough.

But God tells us that we are good enough.  I just too often, don't hear Him, because I am so busy judging myself. My minister today put it a very good way, in that when we judge-even ourselves-we are putting ourselves in a place we were never created to be. God is the ultimate Judge-and when we judge, no matter what the context, we are ultimately sitting in His judges seat....and then get to awkwardly move when He comes to confront us on this issue. Uh...sorry Lord...I'll just be...leaving (backs out of room sheepishly). But it's SO easy to judge isn't it? The world has created this atmosphere where we can be judges any time we want to be. Look at shows like American Idol, America's Got Talent, The X Factor, Duets, The Voice, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars, Skating with the Stars, and the list seriously could go on forever. These, what seem to be good-natured, harmless television shows tell us that we can be the judge of someone! I watch those shows and never hesitate on saying things like "oh well she was super flat on that ending" "he makes weird faces when he sings" "her tone is not as good as so and so"....these are PEOPLE. Real life human people. Children of God. They have feelings too, and are a product of the SAME Creator as I am. What gives me the right to judge them? I certainly wouldn't want them coming into my shower or car or other random places where I sing and vocally expressing their opinions about it.

After my meeting today with my worship minister I met with the vocal coach for our musical. She loves the Lord, which already was super encouraging because I needed someone who could understand this battle for me in the spiritual realm as well as here in the physical. She gave me some great tips and really encouraged the hope in my learning and enjoyment of my voice. (It never hurts to hear someone tell you that you have a beautiful voice, that's for sure!) And I left there feeling confident. She reminded me, like my worship leader, that it isn't easy. Singing well is not easy work and neither is being refined. But God would not have given me this talent, or be putting me in this season, if He didn't believe in me. And He doesn't believe in me because of ME, which is the amazing part. He knows I can do it because He is doing it through me. This is what I was created to do.

Maybe not singing professionally. Being some big actress on Broadway. Starring in a hit movie. Nothing like that. But He designed me to sing, and to give Him the glory while I do it. He created me to have a passion for the arts because sometime in my life He will reveal to me a much bigger plan for myself then I could have ever dreamt.

I was listening to KLOVE today and the Casting Crowns, "Voice of Truth" song came on. It is the epitome of what I am going through right now. And what I know I will face my whole life. I encourage you to listen to this song, and understand that the voice of Truth tells you that you are worth it, that you were made for such a time as this. If you are hearing different, then you are choosing to listen to the voice of the enemy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsvqVmFV6Y

In Him,
Meg

Freedom

For those of you who read my last blog,"You Are For Me", this is sort of a part two (and I am assuming there will be many more as God is doing some intense refining in my life).

God uses my voice to send a message. When I let myself get out of the way these blogs turn completely into something from the Lord to be shared with others. Most often, He uses things He is bringing me through as the subject of the message. Sometimes though, I write with a sense of recovery that maybe I have not experienced yet. This is the case for my last blog. It was logically what I was supposed to say, because God wrote it through me. However, there was little belief behind it that it could apply to me I guess? That sounds bad, but that's basically what it was. Doubt. Sure, God can heal you...and you...and even you. He is a Healer....For YOU.....but do we believe that about our own selves? Not all of the time.

I went to a new church this morning. A church completely unlike my own- that would be considered more...charismatic I guess you could say. There were instruments. People clapping, dancing, and shouting to the Lord. Every human in the room had hands lifted high to Jesus and responded appropriately to the work He was doing in their hearts as we worshiped. There was....FREEDOM. Now, I have been to other churches like this before. I have been to contemporary Christian concerts, like that of Chris Tomlin, and have experienced this type of atmosphere before. In my opinion, we serve such an amazing God how could we NOT jump and shout and praise and cry out and laugh and clap and dance in His presence EVERY time we worship!??

However, today...something held me back. I did not put two and two together at first (after my not so fun and defeated sort of day Saturday). I sang the songs, and lifted my hands like I always do. But there was no feeling. There was caution about blowing my voice out before a rehearsal tomorrow. There was fear, that people were looking at me. There was sadness in not feeling connected to the God I was worshiping. Things were just...a little off.

That feeling followed me the rest of the day. I was low energy and very solemn. I was there (in Little Rock) visiting my best friend Emily. She is one of the most phenomenal musicians and singers I know. Talk about anointed. This girl is. We always chat about longing to get together and sing and play and worship. Finally, we got our chance today. But again, this strange feeling popped up. With my very best friend, who loves me so so much, who I have sang in front of a MILLION times--i could not open my mouth. I couldn't sing. Something held me back. I was so upset and frustrated. And that same feeling of defeat crept up.

We had a long chat about it but nothing would clear my mind of this notion that I am not good enough. This fear of being the best I can be, singing the notes well, hitting everything--you know, all of the technical stuff we let get in the way. It was then that I flashed back to the service this morning at her church, where I was reminded oh so painfully that I am not walking in the freedom that a life in Christ has for me. I couldn't LET GO!

This may seem like a small revelation to you but it was huge for me. Because this has been getting in my way for a LONG time now--and upon this new season where I have felt so disconnected from God, I was so desperately needing to understand what was happening on a spiritual level. I left Emily to make the 2.5 hour drive home to Jonesboro, and the minute I closed the door I lost all control. The tears came. I was spiritually flat on my face in front of the Lord, crying out to Him to make whatever was going on in my heart to just stop. While pouring out my heart and soul to Him, it occurred to me that I haven't intimately talked to Him in weeks. I haven't felt close enough to say anything. I had no energy left for Him. I have been living in a cloud of sadness from what I was missing, but had no idea what that something was.

It's freedom. The root of this problem is freedom. Because at the root of not taking hold of my identity and confidently walking in the gifting the Lord has blessed me with, I am allowing Satan to steal my JOY. I prayed against all attacks of Satan, begging God to take over and to show me how to live a free life. In the midst of realizing that I haven't been living that way, God also revealed to me that I don't even know what that looks like. And things in my life have to change, big time. It could be anything from my friends, my church, the way I worship, taking activities out of my life or adding others in. It could be anything.

I am confident that He will reveal this all to me, and guide me every step of the way until I am living life under His will for me. After praying I instantly felt a HUGE burden release from my shoulders. My God was there, waiting for me to crawl into His lap the whole time. He took my worry and is refining my heart. Things are not magically better, I don't want you to believe that. Because believing that they are instantly healed might have you believing that your issues can magically dissolve too...and I don't think God works that way. He is bigger than my problem-he has been the whole time I have been struggling with it. But in His perfect timing He sent me to a city where I came face to face with this fear-this lack of freedom-this lack of confidence....He put prayer warriors in my life and people who speak encouragement into it as well....He allowed for these circumstances to line up the day after I feel I am at the end of my rope with this particular issue and situation....and as I am lying on the floor of the throne room I look up and there He is, waiting with His arms stretched out, asking me to crawl up in His lap. And as I do, He tells me (because now my eyes and ears are open-desperate for His love and guidance) what has been happening to my heart. He also tells me not to worry, because He is in the business of fixing damaged hearts.

When I shared this revelation with a friend of mine tonight she sent me this song to listen to....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCEUvY2bCDA

It seriously inspired me to dance and sing and shout and worship DEEPER, because I am FREE! Isn't that the appropriate response to a God so amazing? So why don't you do it? Because people are looking? Because the other adults in church will laugh or whisper? Because you don't "get into" the music in that way? There are SOOOOO many excuses the enemy is whispering into your ear in order to keep you bound by your fear. That's not living in freedom, church. Don't you want more for your life? I know I do!

Praise God for His perfect timing. For His unconditional love. For His ever present guidance. For FREEDOM! Is there something holding you back??

In Him,
Meg

You Are For Me...

I am a bit of a perfectionist. Not with everything, but with a lot of things. I know that I will never be perfect-that is not the issue at all. The issue, I truly believe, is just being the best version of myself so that when others look upon me they see me at my best. Clearly I know there is much toxicity in this way of thinking. A little lie that the enemy LOVES to whisper to me is that I am not good enough. That I am simply faking it until I make it. This lie pops up daily,

I am a teacher of drama and musical theater-a job I was never technically trained for or certified in. I was selected through reputation and experience, love of children and passion for the arts. All very good qualities, don't get me wrong. However, I am challenged daily with praying that I am doing the best at teaching something that I myself was never technically taught. Satan loves to come beside me and remind me of the million things I do not know and how my children would be better off with someone else as a teacher.

I am also a performer by nature. I sing and act in any capacity that I can. Currently, I am in a musical, Titanic, with a principle role in what I am learning to be is the most challenging musical I have ever done. I am not vocally trained other than high school choir (which was a good 6 years ago) and fiddling around on my praise team at church. Satan loves to come alongside of this area of my life too, whispering to me all sorts of horrible things-from my range to my tone to my ability to hear pitch to my lack of breath support-and about a million other things. Sure, these are all things singers need to know. Yet Satan is not so kind to tell me that I can be taught--instead I feel hopeless and un-teachable. Sometimes I leave rehearsal or a performance, even karaoke nights with friends, and am convinced I have reached my prime singing time and that not only will I not get any better, but in fact am getting worse! He gets me so locked in a corner sometimes that I lose all interest to perform at all. Because I am scared of failure, or simply because I become indifferent to how much I adore it and tell myself that it's ok to just hide in the shadows a while.

Wow. What an un-fun way to live huh? And like I said, it doesn't happen all of the time-particularly just when faced with the kinds of situations where I get to choose whether to believe what God says about me and what the enemy is telling me to believe. Clearly, I have been choosing to believe the enemy.

I bet that breaks God's heart. Don't you think?

What He tells me is that WOW, He LOVES when I sing to Him. He tells me that He is everything I will ever need and that in my weaknesses He is strong. He does what I can't. He goes on when I can't take another step, or hit another note, or conquer another song. He is more than enough-always. So why do I not lean on that and take advantage of His presence? I guess because in that way that you look at things from an outside perspective, it looks a little nutty to simply rely on a supernatural relationship to cover you in areas you might be failing. Is it that easy? To simply ask God to sing for me, because He knows I can't do it without Him?

Maybe so. Maybe if that reliance is so truthful and faithful and so.....desperate, He will show up in our lives in BIG ways where we need Him. Maybe if we are solely depending on Him in that way, we won't care what the heck we sound like because we are singing for the King of all Creation who ADORES when we allow ourselves to be used the way He designed us to be used!!

So what needs to happen in my life, is a battle. A battle between truth and lies.A battle between good and evil. A battle that, in fact, has already been won-yet I am living a postwar life as if my God did not win. I am listening to the whispers of the enemy instead of the things God is loudly telling me everyday is true!

I am worthy. I am made in the image of the King. As a woman I am the crown of all creation and it has captivated the heart of my Lord. He gave me the talents and the passions that He has so that I might use them to bring glory to His name....well, believing Satan when he tells me that I suck, is not bringing glory to the name of God.

I encourage you today to look at any area of your life you might be struggling to believe truth. Whether it be performance based, body image, eating disorders, anxiety, and the list goes on and on. I ask you to lay that issue at the Cross today, knowing the Lord will take that burden and wear it as His own so that we will no longer feel the weight of the world crashing down upon us. Our Father's shoulders are HUGE and made for exactly that-the issues of this world we try to carry on our own. Well guess what? We can't do it. But he can! He is sufficient. He will NEVER forsake us in our weaknesses. He is always there, always enough, and always waiting in the wings of our lives hoping we choose Him. To believe Him. To love Him.

Let's choose Him.

In Him,
Meg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySP33gQmoNY