Yesterday, a really good friend of mine hurt my feelings very much. This morning, when I opened my eyes, I instantly remembered the hurt and began tossing his hateful words around in my head. I was obsessed. I wondered how someone could be so kind and loving one second, and the next, act like you are the devil himself. I did not understand it and the more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
After reeling from the situation with this friend (pre-eyes-even-opening-to-greet-the-day), I had a few text messages from another friend asking about homework. Normally, this wouldn't bother me at all but I was already in a bad mood from examining the situation with this other friend. I was not upset at all that she asked about homework, but that I was still in bed carelessly giving little (well, no) thought to it at all. The messages stressed me out because they caused me to think about something I was actively trying not to think about at all.
So, before my feet even hit the floor I was 1.upset, and 2.stressed out. Half-awake, half-zombie I got out of bed, made my way to the computer, and when my eyes opened I miraculously found that my sleep-self had made it on to facebook. It was at that moment that I truly thought to myself "I'm barely awake, haven't talked to God, and somehow I am already glued to the facebook world"-checking on statuses I missed while sleeping, checking my inbox, and wondering what next clever thing I could post on my own profile. This. Is. Sad.
So, I got off of facebook and went downstairs, where I preceded to get onto a different computer and attempt the online homework the friend had warned me about that morning. It was hard. And everything she said about it was right (dang) so I was even more frustrated because I also couldn't figure out which assignment was due.
During those moments, I got a text from a dear friend of mine who I am getting to worship with tomorrow night. It was just small chit-chat, but she mentioned something huge that made my heart smile. She was fasting from facebook. She confessed to having so many distractions in and of the world that get in the way sometimes of her relationship with God and full commitment to Him. Immediately I said "I'm in!" I recognized that part of my problem throughout that whole upset, stressful, and confusing morning was that I was letting things of the world distract me from centering on my God.
You see, God has opened some pretty huge and pretty amazing doors for me over the past few weeks. And with that responsibility, usually comes some pretty intense spiritual warfare. As Beth Moore states (paraphrasing)
Anything God does, satan is going to try and counter. We are assigned specific holy angels from the Lord as well as specific un-holy angels from satan to attempt to counter what God and His angels are doing in and for us. We are constantly surrounded by spiritual warfare.
I knew satan would have it out for me hard, to try and get my "human nature" to mess up and undo all of the works God is doing in my life. I just, never knew how the attacks would come. After talking with my friend about the facebook fast, deciding to do it, and meditating on distractions of this world I knew instantly that satan so often 'gets us' with the LITTLE things. Things we would not normally think about, like spending too much time on facebook.
If you are reading this right now, I encourage you to take a minute and think about some little things that really, when added up, become big distractions from your relationship with God. We forget that we need not worry about anything. And we easily forget that we are not in control. And, that if we truly focused on nothing but a relationship with God, then HE will take care of the rest!
God loves us. He wants to dance with us everyday. Kiss our cheeks and hold our hands. He wants to romance us with sunsets and roses and butterflies. He wants to whisper into our ears how much He adores us. He is in love with us, and wants nothing more in return than for us to fall head over heels in love with Him too. And out of that love, he takes care of us!
What are some things you worry about or attempt to have control over that God wants to take off of your hands? finances? worry about children? job? What are some little things you need to delete from your life (or like me, at least take a break from)? facebook? dating? shopping? video games? When we relinquish control to God, He will not let us down. He is creating something beautiful IN us and FOR us, and all He asks of us is to trust Him.
Even if this guy does not know how badly he hurt my feelings, I want to forgive him anyway, and give that situation up to God. I will pray for this man's heart, that he truly changes from his tempermental ways. I will pray that the Lord show him how acting that way, and letting satan win, will destroy the plans the Lord has for him (ministry wise or other). To the friend who stressed me out, I deeply apologize. She had no idea that her texts were walking in on my already bad morning. Nor did she know I was choosing to procrastinate the homework. Her willingness to knock it out inspired me to do it so I thank her very much for that. And to my fellow facebook faster-I love you so much. You are a BEAUTIFUL woman of God and inspire me so much, even when you have no idea you are doing it. This is the start of a beautiful, non-judgemental, honest and loving, AWESOME friendship!
In Him.
Meg
P.S. If you are reading this ON facebook, I am not on it haha. There is a share application!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
What I Did in Church Today
I have said this many times before throughout my blogs, but I am going to say it again as sort of a recapping the blessing it is in my life sort of deal. I feel so very fortunate to have found my faith later in life. There was no mold to break, because I did not grow up in church. There were no beliefs of my parents to question, because I did not have parents who expressed a belief system to me really at all. I have no one to please, because I get that the bigger picture is my personal and extremely intimate relationship with God and spreading His love to those who do not know of it. I am a free agent.
However, as part of this following Christ deal, I am now a part of a FAMILY. Family who seeks to help each other out, walking this difficult road in life and holding each other accountable for believing what we believe. So when I feel I see something happening, that lends no strengths to the collective body of Christ as a whole, I tend to want to say something.
Versus ranting and raving about church, versus throwing hissy fits trying to get things to change, and versus being completely silent hoping we progress as the body of Christ (and then leaving the church altogether when we don't)...I am going to, SPEAK.
In church this morning, I tried VERY hard to pay attention, which normally is not difficult for me at all because I adore our preacher and he always has extremely inspirational things to think about. But this morning, from the start of the whole day I just could not seem to get my brain to focus. Sometimes this happens due to not enough sleep or not eating breakfast or something along those lines. So I try and pray it away, so that by the time the sermon comes, my brain and spirit and heart are ready to take in what is about to be said. This morning was different.
Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit nudging you to GET AWAY? Not in a crazy parental "GET AWAY!" situation, but picture me this. Your on your way to eat with a group of people after church, and you feel in your spirit your Lover and Creator whispering "Don't go with them. Come away with ME, my beloved. I want you all to myself." ? (This happens to me alot, and I ADORE time away with my King). Well, this morning, the distraction did not come from outside. It came from within. That same voice. That same Holy Spirit nudging me, telling me "I need your voice to do something about my bride (bride being the church). Write this down..."
I don't know about you guys, but when I get directions from God-I LISTEN! So I took out some paper and my Bible and like a crazy person started writing down all that He had to say. For those of you who know me, know that I take personally things that happen within the body of Christ (whether it be in my own congregation or halfway across the world) and one of the main reasons is because there are too many people out there who do not get it, and my passion is for children and I will fight tooth and nail to the death to make sure we bring up a generation of kiddos who DO get it (and this is hard when the adults teaching them still do not get it). So, I say that to say this....this blog could have EASILY just been another rant about what is wrong with the church today, things I want to change, etc. But I am (only human first of all so bear with me if there is still some "Meg" in here) going to do my best to deliver a message I truly feel God wanted spoken through me.
So, here it is. This is what I did in church today:
"CHURCH"
--Leadership should not compromise their true beliefs (things they know to be a TRUTH) in order to make people (congregation) feel comfortable. That is not "teaching" anything.
An example that came to mind here is parenting. If you KNOW that drinking and driving is dangerous and you hold true to that in your personal beliefs, wouldnt you also try to teach your children that same thing? If your 9 year old son (who does not know better and does not know truth like you do in this situation) was 'uncomfortable' with your stance on the issue, and decided that collectively your family was going to start drinking and driving, would you remain silent? This is not only giving your 9year old son leadership in your family, but it is compromising your personal beliefs. It may not seem that way, because sure in your head silently you know it is wrong to drink and drive, but not saying anything to help guide others to that conclusion is just as bad as handing them a bottle and saying "here, take off"
**Of course this is a completely dramatic example, but if you truly think about it this happens with people in leadership postions all the time. I would imagine (and this is Meg talking here) that it is unbearably difficult to be a leader of a large amount of people. People with different interests, different traditions they grew up with, different opinions. But when you strip back all of the other (and Im going to say this) JUNK, what should be at the absolute core is TRUTH. God told us how to live, how he expects us behave, how we should minister, what the church should look like but more importantly BE. And when all is stripped away, are those truths still at the foundation of the church today?
(Back to God speaking to me this morning)
--we should also not cator to making people feel comfortable because
1. We are NOT called to live as Lukewarm Christians. Revelation 3: 15-16 says "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot not cold, I will SPIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH!"
(I dont know about you guys but I do not look fondly on being spit out of the mouth of my very precious savior and redeemer!)
2. If we attempt to cater to making people feel comfortable then we are only proving that all that matters is the amount of bodies in the building.
--Yes, it is important to draw people into "church" but church is NOT A BUILDING. Church is a FAMILY!
--People are SAVED by God not by people. An God CHOOSES whom He will save. (Eph. 1:5-6, Acts 13:48, Rev. 17:8).
**This idea does not discontinue church buildings or congregations meeting (what most people carelessly refer to as "church") but it instead, re-enstates the truth that is having an encounter with God in order to truly understand. People can most definitely encounter God in a church building and become saved....but they can also find God on the streets, in McDonalds, at a volleyball game. He is going to find you in His perfect timing and according to His perfect plan. We (as the body of Christ to non-believers) I feel, are here to facilitate community and fellowship and teaching God's message and sharing his LOVE!
What does this have to do with the previous idea? Well, it backs up that there is MUCH more to it then the amount of bodies in a pew. ((At this point of the blog, I very much wanted to use the example of the desciples asking Jesus why he spoke in parables and his answer (Mark 4) about the masses not understanding his message and equate that to a preacher dictating his sermon on making his 'audience' comfortable with what he's saying-However, this scripture being used for that reason could be up for debate as in this time God had not yet given us the Holy Spirit to guide us (which only proves my point basically about weeding out those in church who come to hear a nice lesson versus those in church who are starving and hungry for the word and the truth as God meant for it to be heard) but we will leave it alone for now))
The things mentioned above are what God asked me to write down while I was in church this morning. Yes, they do mirror what I believe (which is a good thing right? haha) and where my opinion was inserted I was sure to tell you when It was me and not Him. I want to put as simply as I can, just how I feel in general about church today (not my congregation specifically, not one Ive been too, no preachers or elders or anyone being called out here, just my own personal thoughts about the body of christ as a whole):
As Christians who believe, it is our job to spread God's message and LOVE the heck out of others (believers and non-believers). We do not have to just accomplish this through a building at the beginning of every week. I feel church would be an excellent place for those who are starving for the word and yearning to learn more about God and to fall deeper in love with Him, to refuel so to speak. To be FED. And to fellowship with other believers so relationships are formed and it no longer becomes as hard walking this path! Only then are we fed can we spread God's love and His message to others as best we humanly can. Church should not be about the number of "member" or the budget to keep the building air conditioned or how many songs we do or do not sing during worship. Church should be a place where the Holy Spirit overflows and we as believers are in the presence of God. It should not be about formality and times and structure. But should have the freedom for God to show up if He wants to! It is a place to teach children the best decisions to be making for their lives, how to love others, and how much God truly adores them! Out of church should grow people who are madly in love with the Lord, who dance with Him daily, who venture outside of their own life to help others or love others or simply recognize someone other than themselves. It is a place where people should feel welcome and loved the minute they walk through the door, and not a place where people are forced through the door to hear a message they dont understand anyway. Church should not be in the four walls of a building but flowing out into the workplace and schools and the community. (And I could seriously go on all day, but I wont)
I have an AMAZING familiy at my congregation. And for the denomination it chooses to associate with, we are extremely progressive. But we are not called to be a progressive COC in NEA who looks radical compared to the rest of the COC's in NEA. We are called to live lives set apart and radical for God when compared to the rest of the entire secular world.
When it comes to church taking a stand and doing something on this planet, I feel the time for babysteps has come to an end.
I hope that what I have said has not offended but yet, inspired any who choose to read my words. I am simply another person with a voice. But, I am willing to understand when Im in the wrong and learn when I have things to learn.
In Him,
Meg
However, as part of this following Christ deal, I am now a part of a FAMILY. Family who seeks to help each other out, walking this difficult road in life and holding each other accountable for believing what we believe. So when I feel I see something happening, that lends no strengths to the collective body of Christ as a whole, I tend to want to say something.
Versus ranting and raving about church, versus throwing hissy fits trying to get things to change, and versus being completely silent hoping we progress as the body of Christ (and then leaving the church altogether when we don't)...I am going to, SPEAK.
In church this morning, I tried VERY hard to pay attention, which normally is not difficult for me at all because I adore our preacher and he always has extremely inspirational things to think about. But this morning, from the start of the whole day I just could not seem to get my brain to focus. Sometimes this happens due to not enough sleep or not eating breakfast or something along those lines. So I try and pray it away, so that by the time the sermon comes, my brain and spirit and heart are ready to take in what is about to be said. This morning was different.
Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit nudging you to GET AWAY? Not in a crazy parental "GET AWAY!" situation, but picture me this. Your on your way to eat with a group of people after church, and you feel in your spirit your Lover and Creator whispering "Don't go with them. Come away with ME, my beloved. I want you all to myself." ? (This happens to me alot, and I ADORE time away with my King). Well, this morning, the distraction did not come from outside. It came from within. That same voice. That same Holy Spirit nudging me, telling me "I need your voice to do something about my bride (bride being the church). Write this down..."
I don't know about you guys, but when I get directions from God-I LISTEN! So I took out some paper and my Bible and like a crazy person started writing down all that He had to say. For those of you who know me, know that I take personally things that happen within the body of Christ (whether it be in my own congregation or halfway across the world) and one of the main reasons is because there are too many people out there who do not get it, and my passion is for children and I will fight tooth and nail to the death to make sure we bring up a generation of kiddos who DO get it (and this is hard when the adults teaching them still do not get it). So, I say that to say this....this blog could have EASILY just been another rant about what is wrong with the church today, things I want to change, etc. But I am (only human first of all so bear with me if there is still some "Meg" in here) going to do my best to deliver a message I truly feel God wanted spoken through me.
So, here it is. This is what I did in church today:
"CHURCH"
--Leadership should not compromise their true beliefs (things they know to be a TRUTH) in order to make people (congregation) feel comfortable. That is not "teaching" anything.
An example that came to mind here is parenting. If you KNOW that drinking and driving is dangerous and you hold true to that in your personal beliefs, wouldnt you also try to teach your children that same thing? If your 9 year old son (who does not know better and does not know truth like you do in this situation) was 'uncomfortable' with your stance on the issue, and decided that collectively your family was going to start drinking and driving, would you remain silent? This is not only giving your 9year old son leadership in your family, but it is compromising your personal beliefs. It may not seem that way, because sure in your head silently you know it is wrong to drink and drive, but not saying anything to help guide others to that conclusion is just as bad as handing them a bottle and saying "here, take off"
**Of course this is a completely dramatic example, but if you truly think about it this happens with people in leadership postions all the time. I would imagine (and this is Meg talking here) that it is unbearably difficult to be a leader of a large amount of people. People with different interests, different traditions they grew up with, different opinions. But when you strip back all of the other (and Im going to say this) JUNK, what should be at the absolute core is TRUTH. God told us how to live, how he expects us behave, how we should minister, what the church should look like but more importantly BE. And when all is stripped away, are those truths still at the foundation of the church today?
(Back to God speaking to me this morning)
--we should also not cator to making people feel comfortable because
1. We are NOT called to live as Lukewarm Christians. Revelation 3: 15-16 says "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot not cold, I will SPIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH!"
(I dont know about you guys but I do not look fondly on being spit out of the mouth of my very precious savior and redeemer!)
2. If we attempt to cater to making people feel comfortable then we are only proving that all that matters is the amount of bodies in the building.
--Yes, it is important to draw people into "church" but church is NOT A BUILDING. Church is a FAMILY!
--People are SAVED by God not by people. An God CHOOSES whom He will save. (Eph. 1:5-6, Acts 13:48, Rev. 17:8).
**This idea does not discontinue church buildings or congregations meeting (what most people carelessly refer to as "church") but it instead, re-enstates the truth that is having an encounter with God in order to truly understand. People can most definitely encounter God in a church building and become saved....but they can also find God on the streets, in McDonalds, at a volleyball game. He is going to find you in His perfect timing and according to His perfect plan. We (as the body of Christ to non-believers) I feel, are here to facilitate community and fellowship and teaching God's message and sharing his LOVE!
What does this have to do with the previous idea? Well, it backs up that there is MUCH more to it then the amount of bodies in a pew. ((At this point of the blog, I very much wanted to use the example of the desciples asking Jesus why he spoke in parables and his answer (Mark 4) about the masses not understanding his message and equate that to a preacher dictating his sermon on making his 'audience' comfortable with what he's saying-However, this scripture being used for that reason could be up for debate as in this time God had not yet given us the Holy Spirit to guide us (which only proves my point basically about weeding out those in church who come to hear a nice lesson versus those in church who are starving and hungry for the word and the truth as God meant for it to be heard) but we will leave it alone for now))
The things mentioned above are what God asked me to write down while I was in church this morning. Yes, they do mirror what I believe (which is a good thing right? haha) and where my opinion was inserted I was sure to tell you when It was me and not Him. I want to put as simply as I can, just how I feel in general about church today (not my congregation specifically, not one Ive been too, no preachers or elders or anyone being called out here, just my own personal thoughts about the body of christ as a whole):
As Christians who believe, it is our job to spread God's message and LOVE the heck out of others (believers and non-believers). We do not have to just accomplish this through a building at the beginning of every week. I feel church would be an excellent place for those who are starving for the word and yearning to learn more about God and to fall deeper in love with Him, to refuel so to speak. To be FED. And to fellowship with other believers so relationships are formed and it no longer becomes as hard walking this path! Only then are we fed can we spread God's love and His message to others as best we humanly can. Church should not be about the number of "member" or the budget to keep the building air conditioned or how many songs we do or do not sing during worship. Church should be a place where the Holy Spirit overflows and we as believers are in the presence of God. It should not be about formality and times and structure. But should have the freedom for God to show up if He wants to! It is a place to teach children the best decisions to be making for their lives, how to love others, and how much God truly adores them! Out of church should grow people who are madly in love with the Lord, who dance with Him daily, who venture outside of their own life to help others or love others or simply recognize someone other than themselves. It is a place where people should feel welcome and loved the minute they walk through the door, and not a place where people are forced through the door to hear a message they dont understand anyway. Church should not be in the four walls of a building but flowing out into the workplace and schools and the community. (And I could seriously go on all day, but I wont)
I have an AMAZING familiy at my congregation. And for the denomination it chooses to associate with, we are extremely progressive. But we are not called to be a progressive COC in NEA who looks radical compared to the rest of the COC's in NEA. We are called to live lives set apart and radical for God when compared to the rest of the entire secular world.
When it comes to church taking a stand and doing something on this planet, I feel the time for babysteps has come to an end.
I hope that what I have said has not offended but yet, inspired any who choose to read my words. I am simply another person with a voice. But, I am willing to understand when Im in the wrong and learn when I have things to learn.
In Him,
Meg
Friday, January 14, 2011
Someone's About to Get FOUL Up in There!
15 year old girls are fascinating for numerous reasons. They talk in foreign and unknown languages ("OMG I'm about to get foul up on you, if you don't shut the front-door, Edna!"). Their addictions mirror objects either eskimos or 90yr old women would find handy (i.e. Ugg boots and Vera Bradley handbags). And their moodswings might cause anyone within a 5 foot radius verbal whiplash ( *screaming* "MMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!" *smiling* "I love you"). But, these are not the tales to be told in this particular blog, no. I am here to write about the more recent fascination of 15 year old girls (and no, it is not to teen pregnancy shows because that is a WHOLE 'nother ballgame) but instead, to the interest in prison life!
And I won't lie, I am just as addicted to shows like LockUp as the next person, but have found it curious why a young girl (my cousin *to remain discrete we will call her Smashley* to be more specific) finds this topic so enticing. There has yet to be an explination on why this subject matter is so addicting to her, but you can be if Lock Up is on I will be getting a text that says "LOCKUP!!!!" haha. I find it hysterical actually.
But last night, the humor was sucked out of the scenario of my little Smashley (jokingly of course) saying she wanted to see what prison was really like because it was so interesting, when I stumbled across a new show on A&E called "Beyond Scared Straight". This show takes at-risk youth into prison to basically scare the hell out of them, in attempts to set their path straight. The episode on last night was a group of young girls, ages 12-17. Again, I was sucked into the allure of learning about prison life. However, this time it was a little different.
These teens were allocated there through some type of program, counseler or parent recomendation, probation, etc. Their offenses? Vandalism, robbery, kidnapping, terroristic threats, fighting, underage drinking, drugs, etc. Throughout the course of this day the girls are given a tour of the prison by a select handful of innmates (yes, they were hardcore). At another point in the day the girls hear of some of the prisoners stories and how they ended up there. One girl, now in her late 20's, is serving a 15-life sentence for (2nd degree murder) for basically, being a party girl. She was wasted at a party, told a group of guys whom she had enticed that "so and so" had some money she wanted, and they went and killed the guy in front of her. Hearing her story broke her heart, because you could see in her eyes and through her tears, and through her desperate pleas to these young girls to turn their life around, that she had truly changed-and seen the error of her ways. But she will, more than likely, forever be a prisoner being punished for a crime she is remorseful over.
During a tour of the courtyard (I say tour, but really it is a chance for the young girls to be harrassed and tortured by the innmates there) one of the 12 year old girl's saw her mother. The mother pleaded with the daughter "I dont want to see you in here. PLEASE dont make the same mistakes I have!" and so on and so forth.
For some of these children, the experience was life-changing. For a few, it did nothing to help. Throughout the course of the show, at various times, I found myself sobbing for these young girls. Hearing about how they smoke weed and party and fight in school. They all cussed very frequently, completely disrespected their moms or dads, and all had SO much anger inside of them.
Hear me now audience. SATAN IS ATTACKING OUR YOUTH. Yes. ATTACKING. OUR. YOUTH. We've known it is true, but are we actively doing anything to stop or prevent it? Of the 10 girls in the program do you want to know a common denominator for 90%? Living in a single parent home. Of that 90%, over half were abandoned by a parent where the other 30-40% were a product of divorce. SATAN IS ATTACKING OUR YOUTH THROUGH BREAKING UP OUR FAMILIES.
If marriage (and when I say "if" I am saying, this is a FACT) glorifies God then Satan is going to do his very best to DESTROY marriages. If you are MARRIED and you find yourself one day looking at your partner thinking "hmm...I just dont think I love them anymore" Uh, NYELLOW!? SATAN! If you are MARRIED and you wakeup one day having found yourself in an affair for over a year unsure of how you got there, Uh NYELLOW? SATAN!! (WHOA, did NOT mean to get off on a marriage tangent. That's a whole nother ballgame as well.)
Back to our kiddos. Ok. So these girls are angry and sobbing out for help. They are dying to feel loved. Dying to feel accepted. And dying to feel wanted by those around them. As a parent, as church, as aunts, as uncles, as ADULTS, it is OUR JOB to ensure that these children KNOW how much they are loved, KNOW how much they are wanted, and KNOW they are accepted by us. Because when they without a doubt or question in their mind believe that is true, they can more easily believe and accept and FEEL the TRUE, UNCONDITIONAL love of Christ. I am living testimony to being a product of not only abandonment but also divorce. I am living testimony to NOT feeling wanted by my parents. I am living testimony to NOT having family who fought for me and fought for my heart. I am living testimony to being left out in the cold and then feeling like I am a burden on all the angels who have attempted to help me out along the way. Because SATAN wants me to continue to feel unloved, unwanted, and unaccepted. He starts running these programs so early in life that it is SCARY!
I know I am not a parent, but I had parents once. I am someone who statistically shouldve ended up a HELL of alot worse but through the Love and Grace of God amongst prayer warriors and angels He has sent to protect me along the way, I have made it through the other side. Not in jail. Not pregnant. With no STD's, with no bad record, with a semi-great attitude. And most importantly. MY LIFE.
But I...am one of the lucky ones. And last night's show reminded me how we all need so desperately need to be PRAYING for our youth that they may know the love of God. PRAYING for their parents and families, that they will NOT listen to the lies of satan but instead to the truth of God. PRAYING for our teachers and counselors and coaches who handle these kids on a daily basis. PRAYING for our youth ministers, that they stop treating youth group like a party and start teaching these kids how to desciple and speak truth and Christi-identity into the lives of their peers! When you look into the eyes of a stranger at the grocery store, you may never know if they are on the front lines of a child's life-a child who may only be hanging on by a thread. LET US STOP ALLOWING SATAN TO ENGULF OUR CHILDREN THROUGH MEANS IN WHICH WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE CONTROL (at least a heck of alot more control then they do).
The brokenness in our youth today, has GOT to end somewhere. Why not here.
Meg
And I won't lie, I am just as addicted to shows like LockUp as the next person, but have found it curious why a young girl (my cousin *to remain discrete we will call her Smashley* to be more specific) finds this topic so enticing. There has yet to be an explination on why this subject matter is so addicting to her, but you can be if Lock Up is on I will be getting a text that says "LOCKUP!!!!" haha. I find it hysterical actually.
But last night, the humor was sucked out of the scenario of my little Smashley (jokingly of course) saying she wanted to see what prison was really like because it was so interesting, when I stumbled across a new show on A&E called "Beyond Scared Straight". This show takes at-risk youth into prison to basically scare the hell out of them, in attempts to set their path straight. The episode on last night was a group of young girls, ages 12-17. Again, I was sucked into the allure of learning about prison life. However, this time it was a little different.
These teens were allocated there through some type of program, counseler or parent recomendation, probation, etc. Their offenses? Vandalism, robbery, kidnapping, terroristic threats, fighting, underage drinking, drugs, etc. Throughout the course of this day the girls are given a tour of the prison by a select handful of innmates (yes, they were hardcore). At another point in the day the girls hear of some of the prisoners stories and how they ended up there. One girl, now in her late 20's, is serving a 15-life sentence for (2nd degree murder) for basically, being a party girl. She was wasted at a party, told a group of guys whom she had enticed that "so and so" had some money she wanted, and they went and killed the guy in front of her. Hearing her story broke her heart, because you could see in her eyes and through her tears, and through her desperate pleas to these young girls to turn their life around, that she had truly changed-and seen the error of her ways. But she will, more than likely, forever be a prisoner being punished for a crime she is remorseful over.
During a tour of the courtyard (I say tour, but really it is a chance for the young girls to be harrassed and tortured by the innmates there) one of the 12 year old girl's saw her mother. The mother pleaded with the daughter "I dont want to see you in here. PLEASE dont make the same mistakes I have!" and so on and so forth.
For some of these children, the experience was life-changing. For a few, it did nothing to help. Throughout the course of the show, at various times, I found myself sobbing for these young girls. Hearing about how they smoke weed and party and fight in school. They all cussed very frequently, completely disrespected their moms or dads, and all had SO much anger inside of them.
Hear me now audience. SATAN IS ATTACKING OUR YOUTH. Yes. ATTACKING. OUR. YOUTH. We've known it is true, but are we actively doing anything to stop or prevent it? Of the 10 girls in the program do you want to know a common denominator for 90%? Living in a single parent home. Of that 90%, over half were abandoned by a parent where the other 30-40% were a product of divorce. SATAN IS ATTACKING OUR YOUTH THROUGH BREAKING UP OUR FAMILIES.
If marriage (and when I say "if" I am saying, this is a FACT) glorifies God then Satan is going to do his very best to DESTROY marriages. If you are MARRIED and you find yourself one day looking at your partner thinking "hmm...I just dont think I love them anymore" Uh, NYELLOW!? SATAN! If you are MARRIED and you wakeup one day having found yourself in an affair for over a year unsure of how you got there, Uh NYELLOW? SATAN!! (WHOA, did NOT mean to get off on a marriage tangent. That's a whole nother ballgame as well.)
Back to our kiddos. Ok. So these girls are angry and sobbing out for help. They are dying to feel loved. Dying to feel accepted. And dying to feel wanted by those around them. As a parent, as church, as aunts, as uncles, as ADULTS, it is OUR JOB to ensure that these children KNOW how much they are loved, KNOW how much they are wanted, and KNOW they are accepted by us. Because when they without a doubt or question in their mind believe that is true, they can more easily believe and accept and FEEL the TRUE, UNCONDITIONAL love of Christ. I am living testimony to being a product of not only abandonment but also divorce. I am living testimony to NOT feeling wanted by my parents. I am living testimony to NOT having family who fought for me and fought for my heart. I am living testimony to being left out in the cold and then feeling like I am a burden on all the angels who have attempted to help me out along the way. Because SATAN wants me to continue to feel unloved, unwanted, and unaccepted. He starts running these programs so early in life that it is SCARY!
I know I am not a parent, but I had parents once. I am someone who statistically shouldve ended up a HELL of alot worse but through the Love and Grace of God amongst prayer warriors and angels He has sent to protect me along the way, I have made it through the other side. Not in jail. Not pregnant. With no STD's, with no bad record, with a semi-great attitude. And most importantly. MY LIFE.
But I...am one of the lucky ones. And last night's show reminded me how we all need so desperately need to be PRAYING for our youth that they may know the love of God. PRAYING for their parents and families, that they will NOT listen to the lies of satan but instead to the truth of God. PRAYING for our teachers and counselors and coaches who handle these kids on a daily basis. PRAYING for our youth ministers, that they stop treating youth group like a party and start teaching these kids how to desciple and speak truth and Christi-identity into the lives of their peers! When you look into the eyes of a stranger at the grocery store, you may never know if they are on the front lines of a child's life-a child who may only be hanging on by a thread. LET US STOP ALLOWING SATAN TO ENGULF OUR CHILDREN THROUGH MEANS IN WHICH WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE CONTROL (at least a heck of alot more control then they do).
The brokenness in our youth today, has GOT to end somewhere. Why not here.
Meg
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Electric Slide Right on My Heart Why don't Ya!
"He and I had something beautiful, but so dysfunctional it couldn't last. I loved him so, but I let him go cause I knew he'd never love me back. Such pain as this shouldn't have to be experienced. I'm still reeling from the loss, still a little bit delirious." (A FINE FRENZY)
They say "sticks and stones can break my bones but words may never hurt me"...."THEY"...were WRONG. Words can hurt. Very much.
"Long were the nights when my days once revolved around you. Counting my footsteps, praying the floor won't fall through...Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone. Don't ya think I was too young to be messed with the girl in the dress cried the whole way home....I should have known."
(TAYLOR SWIFT)
So then why do we do it? Say mean words? Repeat mean words? Say things we don't mean? Break promises we never intended to keep? Write notes to our friends that would hurt others feelings if they read it? Keep a diary full of hateful words we would be grounded for if our parents ever found? Why do we let words hurt us at all?
"Each time you'd pull down the driveway I wasn't sure when I would see you again. Yours was a twisted blind-sided highway, no matter which road you took then. Oh you set up your place in my thoughts, moved in and made my thinking crowded. Now we're out in the back with the barking dogs, my heart the red sun, your heart the moon clouded." (INDIGO GIRLS)
It isn't very often that I allow myself to listen to secular music. Not because I think there is particularly anything so wrong with it, but simply because...it hurts. But, today was a random day where kLove just wasn't cutting it for me, I was tired of my Francesca Batistelli cd, and I wanted something to JAM to, something to SING with, and something to FEEL! So, I popped in the A Fine Frenzy cd. Her music is very, very exceptional. But at the same token, very, very heartbreaking. I immediately found myself glued to the same 3 songs I used to always listen to so many years ago, and sucked back into a memory I did not wish to be a part of. I was there, in that moment a few years ago, after having just been dumped, driving around at midnight, listening to heartbreaking music and crying (hopefully to all of my many readers, it will come as no surprise that girls do this sometimes when we have been dumped....or at least, I do this after being dumped!) I shook the memory out of my head, focusing back on the reality at hand which was that I was driving through town in the middle of the day, not particularly upset about anything, and definitely not remembering a breakup with whats his face several years ago. And immediately...God spoke to me.
I believe after a breakup, there is an instinct need for (women anyway) to wallow in self-pity, drowning our sorrows in mint-chocolate chip ice cream, and driving around with our girlfriends listening to breakup songs and crying. No, not the most productive way to rid a broken heart but what is one night going to hurt?.....Right? Well, I am not so sure any more. See, I will admit to the world (because I am betting I am not alone in this) that I do this once after a breakup, sure. But you will undoubtedly find me doing this, periodically, and sometimes months or years later. Still "healing" from the same breakup? Well, probably not. But still listening to the same music, and experiencing the same feelings as if I am. Does this, then, leave room for God to heal my wounds and my broken heart? If I so easily will be sucked back into the past as if He had never rescued and healed me to begin with?
I think that is what we do sometimes when we revisit old wounds that way. And I used music as an example, because that is what most often does it for me. Sure, there are guys I have dated that I need no physical reminder that he was once there because I remember it every second of the day, and every second of the day am trying to forget it. To this day, there are still bands and songs I can not listen to because it physically hurts my heart too much. There are places I can not go. Things I can not eat. I am not free.... and today I heard God whispering to me "let me free you"
But how? Well, He asked me to write this blog. Talking about the difference between the need to wallow in self pity for a little while versus acts of self-destruction that disable us from healing properly. So in my example with music, listening to this old music did several things: 1. attempted to reverse a program in my heart/brain that God is trying to run now (Satan. Damn you.) 2. tempted me to text or call old boyfriends whom I know I should not try and contact (Satan, you little rascal!) and 3. killed my perfectly joyous mood I have just by being in love with my God and brought me to surface with "the woes of the world" (OOOoooh he is sneaky!). See, satan doesn't want us to heal. So he is going to make this music so enticing, that even those few times we decide to pop it in every now and then, he has done his part, and the memories will take care of themselves: leaving us fragile women (and men in some cases) balled up on the floor, a disheveled mess, wondering (when the song is over) why we are so upset?
Again, do not hear me say that this is strictly music. Because it can be anything. Looking through old photo albums, going through home videos, smelling a particular scent, going to familiar places....all good ways to wallow over the past, a past that God is trying to HEAL you from and satan is trying to REMIND you of.
So what do we do about this? We fight back. In the case with my music....I know I am not strong enough alone to get rid of these songs that hurt me so so badly. (because I am a music LOVER and this is some GOOD music) BUT-I love God MORE than this music, and even more than I love Him and my music...is how much HE loves me. And how SO BADLY He doesn't want me to hurt, or suffer from what others have done to me. He does not want me crying over my broken heart because every second of every day He is working to mend it back together in a way that only HE can. And when He does, it will never be broken like that again. So in my case...I pray. Pray for strength.
Let's examine the Truth here. Which one helps more. This:
"I wrote a couple notes, one in love, one in anger. They're lyin' there dying in the dresser drawer. Lived louder than my voice, struggled through a stranger. He loved me til I loved you even more...Now I can't laugh, can't cry. And I can't run, can't hide. What do I gotta do? What do I gotta do to keep you? What do I gotta do to keep you...from doing this to me?" (SUGARLAND)
OR This:
"Your name is JESUS. Your name is JESUS. You're the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend. You're what I hold onto, I know that You've brought me through, all the days of loss...to the cross You knew...that I'd need a SAVIOR." (AMONG THE THIRSTY)
Like I said before, God asked me to share this message, and I write it to whoever out there is reading to convict you just as much if not more to me, to convict myself of my own actions as well. It is alot easier said than done, not just giving God your heart now but giving Him your past too...so that He can heal every ounce of you. That is what He LONGS to do for you, beloved. Yes, we have a Creator who loves us THAT much. So believe it.
"But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry to Him reached His ears." Psalm 18:6
What are you holding onto today that God is asking you to let go, so that He can truly heal your broken heart? Are you willing to give it up? To trust that no man, no song, no memory could EVER amount to the Love of our Savior?
In Him,
Meg
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Downward Dogged to my Death
First and foremost, if you have ever attempted "hot yoga"then I applaud you.
For those of you who havent....I would NEVER recommend it. Hot yoga is where 20 plus people gather into a room the size of a closet to do yoga. No, the "hot" part of hot yoga isnt the sweaty body, but the 20 plus heaters that line the floors and walls of the room. I did hot yoga for the first and very last time today. After 30plus minutes of conditioning in the 100plus degree room, I thought "I just may pass out". When my head started floating above my body and I was losing vision I thought "I'm pretty sure....I am about to meet Jesus!" At that point, I gathered my things and so rudely ran out of the room into the cool lobby. Where I then preceded to collapse onto the cool concrete floor until I regained some consciousness. After about ten minutes or so, while everyone else was still in class, I decided to run for it. Oh but life is never that easy is it? The door was locked (and very meticulously I might add). This was it. I was going to die in a yoga studio. I eventually figured out the mechanics and with no shoes, no coat, in below 30 degree weather...I made a run for it. All the way to my car, never looking back. Once in my car, I decided the ONLY thing I could do to revive myself was to go to McDonalds and get a happy meal...which is exactly what I did! (Always good to have an emergency back up plan if ya know what I mean!)
Needless to say, hot yoga is one thing being crossed off of my 2011 Bucket List. (Sadly, hot yoga was never even ON my Bucket List. So now I have to write it in, acting like I actually ever wanted to try it, and then cross it off! Just to prove my ego something and to not have officially wasted 45minutes of my young life.)
Is this post about yoga? Well, no not really. In church this morning, I heard something said that reminded me of where I was this time last year, and all of the progress Ive made in my walk with God. And I thought, thank the LORD for great friends who helped guide me to where I am today, because without them and their unfailing love and their great advice and their prayers and encouragement, I would not be this ravishing creature blogging before you now (haha, ok ok hot yoga was a real blow to the old ego so I have to get my kicks where I can!)
So having passed the mark now of being a "Christian" over a full year, I wanted to share some things Ive learned and some advice that has gotten me through.
1. God is ALWAYS good and ALWAYS faithful, and He will work things out in His perfect time. (of course, I relearn this one all the time)
2. Ask questions. I had "go-to" people who, at all hours of the night, would answer my random questions. If there was a scripture I didnt understand or something bothering me, they were always there. Which leads me to my next one....
3. Surround yourself with other Christians whom you trust and who can help you. Life is hard, and we were never created to do it alone. Even Jesus had his besties and He counted on them. It is ok to ask for help and it is ok to admit that you can't do it alone!
4. Don't strive to do the right things, say the right words, or look like the best Christian. God knows your heart, and knows when youre faking it. Instead...
5. Strive to KNOW God...
6. Get to know His character by READING HIS WORD (they dont tell you this in Bible school for kicks and giggles, the Bible is TRULY meant to help you!)
7. Fall in love with God. Do not treat God like your boss, because He wants to be SO much more to us then that. He is our lover, our rescuer, our husband, our protector, our counseler, our BEST FRIEND! So TREAT HIM THAT WAY!
8. Understand that we are called to live very specific lives set apart from the world. To some people, this means being "radical" but to radicalists, this means living the way we were CREATED to live. If you dont know what this means then you are probably not doing something radical, but thats ok. We live and we learn, and as you are reading this...I hope you are learning!
9. When counseling other people and helping others get through a hard time, understand that YOU CAN NOT SAVE SOMEONE from themselves! If WE could save, we would have never needed a SAVIOR! (This is hard for peeps like me who want to rush in and "fix" things. Sometimes, we are just meant to LOVE on people. Because God is the only one who can heal, fix, and SAVE!)
10. When you have weird feelings, sense a dark change, dont feel like yourself, or are experiencing seasons or times of (fill in the blank negative feeling), dont just chalk that up to (fill in the blank usual excuse, ie. period, hard day at work, kids driving you nuts, etc). Sometimes, those FEELINGS we get is because we are experiencing spiritual warfare! Satan attacks us ALL the time through our loved ones, families, etc, and when you chalk it up to "oh my husband is just being grumpy" pretty soon that "grumpiness" turns into violence, or an affair, or abandonement. Anything can get out of control when you dont work to fix it, and if we as Christians continue to walk through life like there isnt a devil who is trying to bring us down then he will always win! SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS SOOOO STINKING REAL!!!
11. Realize that you have the POWER of GOD, dwelling inside you. We as people have no power, but God inside of us has ALL of the power. With Him, we really can do ANYTHING. SO wrap your little brain around that piece of info and GO CHANGE THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (theres no excuses! Shoo! Go on!! Get outta here!)
Of course there is SOOOOO much more that I have learned this year, and maybe I can share a little more each time I write. These things are not just lines on a page to me, or words out of a mouth, or advice in a self help book....these are part of my program now. God has reprogrammed my heart, to stop believing in the poisenous lies it once believed, to now believing the TRUTH! And the TRUTH, my friend, will set you FREE!!
I feel SO blessed to have found my faith later in life. Not only do I have a kick-butt testimony (which rocks out some how good God is) but I also did not have a "mold" to break. So many people who grew up in church or had religion shoved down their throats as a kid has a hard time figuring it out on their own. What is their own beliefs versus their parents? Why have I done this for 30 years to find out it really means nothing to me? Why dont I do this more? etc etc....these are GREAT questions to be asking yourself!! Finding my true identity through Christ has been the most excellent journey I have ever gotten to embark upon! I hope you who are reading this feel the same way...and if you dont, maybe something is missing! Im just a young girl, trying to find her voice, but if there is anything I can do to help....me and Jesus are here. Ready to listen. Ready to love :)
In Him,
Meg
For those of you who havent....I would NEVER recommend it. Hot yoga is where 20 plus people gather into a room the size of a closet to do yoga. No, the "hot" part of hot yoga isnt the sweaty body, but the 20 plus heaters that line the floors and walls of the room. I did hot yoga for the first and very last time today. After 30plus minutes of conditioning in the 100plus degree room, I thought "I just may pass out". When my head started floating above my body and I was losing vision I thought "I'm pretty sure....I am about to meet Jesus!" At that point, I gathered my things and so rudely ran out of the room into the cool lobby. Where I then preceded to collapse onto the cool concrete floor until I regained some consciousness. After about ten minutes or so, while everyone else was still in class, I decided to run for it. Oh but life is never that easy is it? The door was locked (and very meticulously I might add). This was it. I was going to die in a yoga studio. I eventually figured out the mechanics and with no shoes, no coat, in below 30 degree weather...I made a run for it. All the way to my car, never looking back. Once in my car, I decided the ONLY thing I could do to revive myself was to go to McDonalds and get a happy meal...which is exactly what I did! (Always good to have an emergency back up plan if ya know what I mean!)
Needless to say, hot yoga is one thing being crossed off of my 2011 Bucket List. (Sadly, hot yoga was never even ON my Bucket List. So now I have to write it in, acting like I actually ever wanted to try it, and then cross it off! Just to prove my ego something and to not have officially wasted 45minutes of my young life.)
Is this post about yoga? Well, no not really. In church this morning, I heard something said that reminded me of where I was this time last year, and all of the progress Ive made in my walk with God. And I thought, thank the LORD for great friends who helped guide me to where I am today, because without them and their unfailing love and their great advice and their prayers and encouragement, I would not be this ravishing creature blogging before you now (haha, ok ok hot yoga was a real blow to the old ego so I have to get my kicks where I can!)
So having passed the mark now of being a "Christian" over a full year, I wanted to share some things Ive learned and some advice that has gotten me through.
1. God is ALWAYS good and ALWAYS faithful, and He will work things out in His perfect time. (of course, I relearn this one all the time)
2. Ask questions. I had "go-to" people who, at all hours of the night, would answer my random questions. If there was a scripture I didnt understand or something bothering me, they were always there. Which leads me to my next one....
3. Surround yourself with other Christians whom you trust and who can help you. Life is hard, and we were never created to do it alone. Even Jesus had his besties and He counted on them. It is ok to ask for help and it is ok to admit that you can't do it alone!
4. Don't strive to do the right things, say the right words, or look like the best Christian. God knows your heart, and knows when youre faking it. Instead...
5. Strive to KNOW God...
6. Get to know His character by READING HIS WORD (they dont tell you this in Bible school for kicks and giggles, the Bible is TRULY meant to help you!)
7. Fall in love with God. Do not treat God like your boss, because He wants to be SO much more to us then that. He is our lover, our rescuer, our husband, our protector, our counseler, our BEST FRIEND! So TREAT HIM THAT WAY!
8. Understand that we are called to live very specific lives set apart from the world. To some people, this means being "radical" but to radicalists, this means living the way we were CREATED to live. If you dont know what this means then you are probably not doing something radical, but thats ok. We live and we learn, and as you are reading this...I hope you are learning!
9. When counseling other people and helping others get through a hard time, understand that YOU CAN NOT SAVE SOMEONE from themselves! If WE could save, we would have never needed a SAVIOR! (This is hard for peeps like me who want to rush in and "fix" things. Sometimes, we are just meant to LOVE on people. Because God is the only one who can heal, fix, and SAVE!)
10. When you have weird feelings, sense a dark change, dont feel like yourself, or are experiencing seasons or times of (fill in the blank negative feeling), dont just chalk that up to (fill in the blank usual excuse, ie. period, hard day at work, kids driving you nuts, etc). Sometimes, those FEELINGS we get is because we are experiencing spiritual warfare! Satan attacks us ALL the time through our loved ones, families, etc, and when you chalk it up to "oh my husband is just being grumpy" pretty soon that "grumpiness" turns into violence, or an affair, or abandonement. Anything can get out of control when you dont work to fix it, and if we as Christians continue to walk through life like there isnt a devil who is trying to bring us down then he will always win! SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS SOOOO STINKING REAL!!!
11. Realize that you have the POWER of GOD, dwelling inside you. We as people have no power, but God inside of us has ALL of the power. With Him, we really can do ANYTHING. SO wrap your little brain around that piece of info and GO CHANGE THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (theres no excuses! Shoo! Go on!! Get outta here!)
Of course there is SOOOOO much more that I have learned this year, and maybe I can share a little more each time I write. These things are not just lines on a page to me, or words out of a mouth, or advice in a self help book....these are part of my program now. God has reprogrammed my heart, to stop believing in the poisenous lies it once believed, to now believing the TRUTH! And the TRUTH, my friend, will set you FREE!!
I feel SO blessed to have found my faith later in life. Not only do I have a kick-butt testimony (which rocks out some how good God is) but I also did not have a "mold" to break. So many people who grew up in church or had religion shoved down their throats as a kid has a hard time figuring it out on their own. What is their own beliefs versus their parents? Why have I done this for 30 years to find out it really means nothing to me? Why dont I do this more? etc etc....these are GREAT questions to be asking yourself!! Finding my true identity through Christ has been the most excellent journey I have ever gotten to embark upon! I hope you who are reading this feel the same way...and if you dont, maybe something is missing! Im just a young girl, trying to find her voice, but if there is anything I can do to help....me and Jesus are here. Ready to listen. Ready to love :)
In Him,
Meg
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The Princess Diaries
Funny how GOOD God is huh?
Tonight I was watching The Princess Diaries while having a "spa night" with my BF Anna. As we lay there, soaking our feet in minty mush (that makes them feel as soft as a baby's butt) and wrapping our necks in heated goodness, I was relaxing-taking in the pleasure of not having to BE, not having to DO, not having to THINK....just....relaxing. If you have never watched The Princess Diaries, it stars Anne Hathaway who plays Mia, a teenage girl who's royal grandmother (Julie Andrews) comes to town, telling Mia that she is in fact a princess, and heir to her own thrown in a far away country. As the story unfolds, we see a once nerdy and invisible teenager blossom into a young woman who is learning she has a voice. With every step she takes to decide whether or not she will in fact accept the responsibility of being a Princess, we watch as viewers knowing she was born to do so, and how it would be so disappointing if she turned down the job because it is not only a job, but her true identity.
I never thought a relaxing, and think-free spa night would turn into something so huge in my brain. However, getting past the cheesy lines, the teen drama, the mushy Dawsons-Creek-like tunes, I found myself getting teary eyed...following this young girls journey into discovering her TRUE self-a journey, I myself have been on this year.
With being a new Christian, the past year has held numerous stepping stones, coming of age rites, discoveries, seasons, feats, etc. The most important thing though that I have learned this year is HOW MUCH GOD LOVES ME! And knowing that little fact, has given me my identity. I am not Meagan Cremeens who won the hopping contest in Pre-School 1990. I am not Meagan Cremeens whose parents divorced in 3rd grade and whose mother left. I am not Meagan Cremeens who played Snow White in community theatre or who wrecked her car her senior year in highschool or who dyes her hair a new color every few months or whose father was killed in a car accident and the list goes on and on. Sure, those things all happened in my life, but they do not define who I am.
God tells me that I am a PRINCESS. Adopted into His family and heir to His kingdom. He tells me I am LOVED. He tells me He sent His own Son down to die a criminals death on a cross just so He could have a RELATIONSHIP with ME, because He loves me THAT much! He tells me He loves me not because of WHAT IVE DONE or WHAT I DO, but because of WHO I AM! He tells me that my sins are FORGIVEN because of what His son has done-to SAVE ME!
WOW? Really? All of that for me? I have always been told that people never understand God's unconditional love for us until they have children of their own, and maybe that is true. But I know that I am understanding it more and more with each passing day, because with every second that passes He is SHOWING me that! In times where you dont feel God as near, or you are impatiently waiting for some direction, PLEASE know that HE IS ALWAYS THERE! And He is cooking up something GREAT for you! Just be PATIENT, and live your life! Loving Him and Loving others-and before you know it, doors will open and you will have the most AMAZING oppertunities staring you in the face-shining with His Glory and His Goodness and His FAITHFULNESS!
At the end of the movie, Mia has a decision to make. Will she accept her role as Princess? Or will she continue to live as a normal teenager? So often, we as Christians understand the role that we were created to play, who we were CHOSEN to BE, our Identity through Christ, but we turn it down. Turn down the oppertunity, the job, all of it. I could not imagine, at this point in my life, turning away from my Lord and the life He has called me to live. If a year ago, when He entered my life and SAVED ME, I turned it down instead, I would forever know in my heart that something was missing. That I was not living up to what I was meant to do or who I was meant to be. I would forever feel the weight of turning away from my TRUE IDENTITY.
I, Meagan Cremeens, am a PRINCESS. As a woman, I am the Crown of Creation. The devil is after me, but my God SAVES. Life is hard, but my God is FAITHFUL.
So you have a choice. Will you accept your role as royalty, given to you by the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all the universes and all the stars and every flower and everything in between? Or will you choose....to turn away?
In Him,
Meg
Tonight I was watching The Princess Diaries while having a "spa night" with my BF Anna. As we lay there, soaking our feet in minty mush (that makes them feel as soft as a baby's butt) and wrapping our necks in heated goodness, I was relaxing-taking in the pleasure of not having to BE, not having to DO, not having to THINK....just....relaxing. If you have never watched The Princess Diaries, it stars Anne Hathaway who plays Mia, a teenage girl who's royal grandmother (Julie Andrews) comes to town, telling Mia that she is in fact a princess, and heir to her own thrown in a far away country. As the story unfolds, we see a once nerdy and invisible teenager blossom into a young woman who is learning she has a voice. With every step she takes to decide whether or not she will in fact accept the responsibility of being a Princess, we watch as viewers knowing she was born to do so, and how it would be so disappointing if she turned down the job because it is not only a job, but her true identity.
I never thought a relaxing, and think-free spa night would turn into something so huge in my brain. However, getting past the cheesy lines, the teen drama, the mushy Dawsons-Creek-like tunes, I found myself getting teary eyed...following this young girls journey into discovering her TRUE self-a journey, I myself have been on this year.
With being a new Christian, the past year has held numerous stepping stones, coming of age rites, discoveries, seasons, feats, etc. The most important thing though that I have learned this year is HOW MUCH GOD LOVES ME! And knowing that little fact, has given me my identity. I am not Meagan Cremeens who won the hopping contest in Pre-School 1990. I am not Meagan Cremeens whose parents divorced in 3rd grade and whose mother left. I am not Meagan Cremeens who played Snow White in community theatre or who wrecked her car her senior year in highschool or who dyes her hair a new color every few months or whose father was killed in a car accident and the list goes on and on. Sure, those things all happened in my life, but they do not define who I am.
God tells me that I am a PRINCESS. Adopted into His family and heir to His kingdom. He tells me I am LOVED. He tells me He sent His own Son down to die a criminals death on a cross just so He could have a RELATIONSHIP with ME, because He loves me THAT much! He tells me He loves me not because of WHAT IVE DONE or WHAT I DO, but because of WHO I AM! He tells me that my sins are FORGIVEN because of what His son has done-to SAVE ME!
WOW? Really? All of that for me? I have always been told that people never understand God's unconditional love for us until they have children of their own, and maybe that is true. But I know that I am understanding it more and more with each passing day, because with every second that passes He is SHOWING me that! In times where you dont feel God as near, or you are impatiently waiting for some direction, PLEASE know that HE IS ALWAYS THERE! And He is cooking up something GREAT for you! Just be PATIENT, and live your life! Loving Him and Loving others-and before you know it, doors will open and you will have the most AMAZING oppertunities staring you in the face-shining with His Glory and His Goodness and His FAITHFULNESS!
At the end of the movie, Mia has a decision to make. Will she accept her role as Princess? Or will she continue to live as a normal teenager? So often, we as Christians understand the role that we were created to play, who we were CHOSEN to BE, our Identity through Christ, but we turn it down. Turn down the oppertunity, the job, all of it. I could not imagine, at this point in my life, turning away from my Lord and the life He has called me to live. If a year ago, when He entered my life and SAVED ME, I turned it down instead, I would forever know in my heart that something was missing. That I was not living up to what I was meant to do or who I was meant to be. I would forever feel the weight of turning away from my TRUE IDENTITY.
I, Meagan Cremeens, am a PRINCESS. As a woman, I am the Crown of Creation. The devil is after me, but my God SAVES. Life is hard, but my God is FAITHFUL.
So you have a choice. Will you accept your role as royalty, given to you by the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all the universes and all the stars and every flower and everything in between? Or will you choose....to turn away?
In Him,
Meg
Thursday, January 6, 2011
You're the God of this City
There is no one like our God. Can I get an amen? :)
As I sit here in my room, unable to sleep again at 2am, I decided I should blog. Sometimes, with no reflection upon one's day, we so easily forget how God is at work in everything-things we do not even know and things we can not even see. But He is there, working, preparing, and being ever so faithful to the promises He has made to His children. Now that I reflect back on the day-WOW-has He done so much, even just in the past 24 hours of my life.
I recieved a text message today from a friend. She has recently decided to put Christ back in the center of her life and she is already doing some ROCKING things for the Kingdom. Like so many of us who have gained our faith later in life, she struggles sometimes with people assuming that she is the same person she used to be. When I first decided to follow Christ, and I mean truly surrender my life to His will, it was just a year ago. In the weeks that followed my decision (which is actuality felt nothing like a decision on my own part but instead being handpicked by God to recieve His Holy Spirit) I had to sacrifice many things, one of them being hanging out with friends. Now, I am not saying that you cant have friends who arent believers, and I am not at all saying that being Saved means ditching the people who surround you that need Jesus too. Hear me say that I made a personal decision to stop going to toxic places and surrounding myself with temptations that were only harder on my own walk with God. I was hanging out with a big bar hopping karaoke crowd at the time, and for me to continously turn down offers to go out or hang out with the group that had become like family to me for over a year, probably really confused and hurt them (and for that I am deeply sorry). But to make my point, some of those people as well as many others in my life chose not to see that I was a changed person and insisted on treating me like the same old Meg. The Meg who cussed like a sailor, the Meg who liked to drink, the Meg who was not filled with the Holy Spirit but filled with the brokenness and the anger of someone whom satan had been working on all her life. But I am not that girl anymore. Christ gives me my identity. Nobody else.
The text I recieved today was similar-a girl at work listening to her co-workers talking about affairs and things she in the past had laughed along with. But today, something inside her told her 'This isnt funny. These people are broken and need to be loved on. Are you the girl for the job? Or are you going to sit back and act like I never came into your life and rescued you?' WOW. (Talk about a Holy Spirit nudge right there!)
If you have ever been or are in a situation now where you find yourself getting defeated or frustrated at things in your past coming back to haunt you then just remember that it does NOT matter who people think you are because the Lord in Heaven KNOWS who you are. And your life should be a living testimony to His love for us by how you love on others. Satan loves to make us think that we are not worth it. That we can not be used for ministry because we used to lead jacked up lives. That we will never amount to anything because of decisions we once made. But do you know what? SATAN IS A LIAR!!
Simple as that. Dont listen to the voice in your head, listen to the voice in your heart. The heart that is the dwelling place for the LIVING GOD!
There are a few songs I want to share that relate to the topic of being remade one by tenth avenue north and the other by casting crowns.
"Remade"
You are more than the choices that youve made. You are more than the sum of your past mistakes. You are more than the problems you create. Youve been remade
"Who Am I"
Who am I? That the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt? Who am I? That the bright and morning star would choose to light the way for my ever wondering heart? Not because of who I am but because of what Youve done. Not because of what Ive done but because of who You are!"
The second thing that happened to me today was a situation with a friend, where God hit me over the head and reminded me that something I was doing was hurtful-completely unintentional, but hurtful nonetheless. As people who love God and follow His will in our lives I feel like it can become difficult in areas where you have to blur lines in order to help. In this particular situation I had a friend confess a hard situation she was going through and immediately wanted to share with another friend-not for gossip sake, but from one prayer warrior to another asking for help. But the friend who confided in me wouldnt have looked at it that way at all because she is not follower of the Lord. In that situation God very clearly told me to apologize to my friend and how I need to watch out for doing things that others did to me when I was not a Christian, things I hated then and now find myself doing to people who were like I was a year or more ago. Funny how God works huh?
The last incident today that really showed me how God is doing SO much more than we know or give Him credit for is the community prayer service held at my church tonight. Spiritual leaders from congregations and denominations all over NEA came to pray for families and marriages and soldiers and the world and churches and everything you could possibly think of. It was beautiful, hearing these men of God asking the Lord to show up in all of these places. I was particularly touched when things were mentioned about churches and spiritual leaders, and prayers were made that they be reminded to that God is in control and not them. So hard I pray that (not just spiritual leaders but) people as a whole could recognize that what we think is important sometimes is in fact, not that important in the grande scheme of things.
In my own life I weigh decisions with "In the grande scheme of things how important is worrying about this fill in the blank issue?" or "Is a new pair of shoes that would make like 50 plus that I own really that important when there are shoeless children all over the world who could use them more?"-that is just the way my brain processes things. So when I sit in church (and not just my own church but churches in general especially in this part of the world) I cant help but deviate from the sermon sometimes to notice the things that seem to be going unnoticed. In the grande scheme of things is a church remodel more important than using the money for more outreach in the community? Well, no not really-because "church" which is really just the body of christ, could be held in a tent for all I care ya now? Is making people feel comfortable while their butts are in the pews on Sunday mornings what is more important? Catoring to the crowd we already have? Well...I would say no, because we are not called to live "radically" we were DESIGNED to BE radical. Always.
The things of this world have so many Christians being lukewarm that sometimes I fear that we have forgotten what it is all about. And we all have moments of this, sure. There are no fingers being pointed here. I just feel like it is a nice reminder for us to put priorities in check and to figure out the things that really need to be DONE and SAID in order to recruit for the Kingdom and show Gods love to others. (Sorry, once Im on my church and religion soapbox it is HARD to get me off)
WRAPPING UP---it was an absolute PLEASURE and BLESSING to have the worship and prayer time with members of the community tonight. I feel like God IS doing something in this city, and if we all work together as one body stripped of denomination and prejudice or grudge or whatever, then we can TRULY Impact this world!
God is not only working in this city, but as you read this He is also doing AMAZING works in your life...works you may not even see for years to come. But they are happening. If you find yourself in a rut, or find yourself being hit over the head by God who is constantly teaching, or if you find yourself waiting for Him to reveal His plans for this city or for your life then stop a second. And REMEMBER that He is a FAITHFUL and GOOD God.
"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord "They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with HOPE"--Jeremiah 29:11
In Him
Meg
As I sit here in my room, unable to sleep again at 2am, I decided I should blog. Sometimes, with no reflection upon one's day, we so easily forget how God is at work in everything-things we do not even know and things we can not even see. But He is there, working, preparing, and being ever so faithful to the promises He has made to His children. Now that I reflect back on the day-WOW-has He done so much, even just in the past 24 hours of my life.
I recieved a text message today from a friend. She has recently decided to put Christ back in the center of her life and she is already doing some ROCKING things for the Kingdom. Like so many of us who have gained our faith later in life, she struggles sometimes with people assuming that she is the same person she used to be. When I first decided to follow Christ, and I mean truly surrender my life to His will, it was just a year ago. In the weeks that followed my decision (which is actuality felt nothing like a decision on my own part but instead being handpicked by God to recieve His Holy Spirit) I had to sacrifice many things, one of them being hanging out with friends. Now, I am not saying that you cant have friends who arent believers, and I am not at all saying that being Saved means ditching the people who surround you that need Jesus too. Hear me say that I made a personal decision to stop going to toxic places and surrounding myself with temptations that were only harder on my own walk with God. I was hanging out with a big bar hopping karaoke crowd at the time, and for me to continously turn down offers to go out or hang out with the group that had become like family to me for over a year, probably really confused and hurt them (and for that I am deeply sorry). But to make my point, some of those people as well as many others in my life chose not to see that I was a changed person and insisted on treating me like the same old Meg. The Meg who cussed like a sailor, the Meg who liked to drink, the Meg who was not filled with the Holy Spirit but filled with the brokenness and the anger of someone whom satan had been working on all her life. But I am not that girl anymore. Christ gives me my identity. Nobody else.
The text I recieved today was similar-a girl at work listening to her co-workers talking about affairs and things she in the past had laughed along with. But today, something inside her told her 'This isnt funny. These people are broken and need to be loved on. Are you the girl for the job? Or are you going to sit back and act like I never came into your life and rescued you?' WOW. (Talk about a Holy Spirit nudge right there!)
If you have ever been or are in a situation now where you find yourself getting defeated or frustrated at things in your past coming back to haunt you then just remember that it does NOT matter who people think you are because the Lord in Heaven KNOWS who you are. And your life should be a living testimony to His love for us by how you love on others. Satan loves to make us think that we are not worth it. That we can not be used for ministry because we used to lead jacked up lives. That we will never amount to anything because of decisions we once made. But do you know what? SATAN IS A LIAR!!
Simple as that. Dont listen to the voice in your head, listen to the voice in your heart. The heart that is the dwelling place for the LIVING GOD!
There are a few songs I want to share that relate to the topic of being remade one by tenth avenue north and the other by casting crowns.
"Remade"
You are more than the choices that youve made. You are more than the sum of your past mistakes. You are more than the problems you create. Youve been remade
"Who Am I"
Who am I? That the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt? Who am I? That the bright and morning star would choose to light the way for my ever wondering heart? Not because of who I am but because of what Youve done. Not because of what Ive done but because of who You are!"
The second thing that happened to me today was a situation with a friend, where God hit me over the head and reminded me that something I was doing was hurtful-completely unintentional, but hurtful nonetheless. As people who love God and follow His will in our lives I feel like it can become difficult in areas where you have to blur lines in order to help. In this particular situation I had a friend confess a hard situation she was going through and immediately wanted to share with another friend-not for gossip sake, but from one prayer warrior to another asking for help. But the friend who confided in me wouldnt have looked at it that way at all because she is not follower of the Lord. In that situation God very clearly told me to apologize to my friend and how I need to watch out for doing things that others did to me when I was not a Christian, things I hated then and now find myself doing to people who were like I was a year or more ago. Funny how God works huh?
The last incident today that really showed me how God is doing SO much more than we know or give Him credit for is the community prayer service held at my church tonight. Spiritual leaders from congregations and denominations all over NEA came to pray for families and marriages and soldiers and the world and churches and everything you could possibly think of. It was beautiful, hearing these men of God asking the Lord to show up in all of these places. I was particularly touched when things were mentioned about churches and spiritual leaders, and prayers were made that they be reminded to that God is in control and not them. So hard I pray that (not just spiritual leaders but) people as a whole could recognize that what we think is important sometimes is in fact, not that important in the grande scheme of things.
In my own life I weigh decisions with "In the grande scheme of things how important is worrying about this fill in the blank issue?" or "Is a new pair of shoes that would make like 50 plus that I own really that important when there are shoeless children all over the world who could use them more?"-that is just the way my brain processes things. So when I sit in church (and not just my own church but churches in general especially in this part of the world) I cant help but deviate from the sermon sometimes to notice the things that seem to be going unnoticed. In the grande scheme of things is a church remodel more important than using the money for more outreach in the community? Well, no not really-because "church" which is really just the body of christ, could be held in a tent for all I care ya now? Is making people feel comfortable while their butts are in the pews on Sunday mornings what is more important? Catoring to the crowd we already have? Well...I would say no, because we are not called to live "radically" we were DESIGNED to BE radical. Always.
The things of this world have so many Christians being lukewarm that sometimes I fear that we have forgotten what it is all about. And we all have moments of this, sure. There are no fingers being pointed here. I just feel like it is a nice reminder for us to put priorities in check and to figure out the things that really need to be DONE and SAID in order to recruit for the Kingdom and show Gods love to others. (Sorry, once Im on my church and religion soapbox it is HARD to get me off)
WRAPPING UP---it was an absolute PLEASURE and BLESSING to have the worship and prayer time with members of the community tonight. I feel like God IS doing something in this city, and if we all work together as one body stripped of denomination and prejudice or grudge or whatever, then we can TRULY Impact this world!
God is not only working in this city, but as you read this He is also doing AMAZING works in your life...works you may not even see for years to come. But they are happening. If you find yourself in a rut, or find yourself being hit over the head by God who is constantly teaching, or if you find yourself waiting for Him to reveal His plans for this city or for your life then stop a second. And REMEMBER that He is a FAITHFUL and GOOD God.
"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord "They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with HOPE"--Jeremiah 29:11
In Him
Meg
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Jesus....and Taylor Swift
I have not posted a blog since the summer, but yes-you guessed it-as part of my "new years resolution" to myself (which I refer to as my 2011 Bucket List) I am going to start blogging more. Which leads me into today's topic of Taylor Swift and Jesus Christ. How do these two figures have anything to do with each other what so ever? (Go with me on this)
I am going to admit it to the world. I am a Taylor Swift fan. Yes, I said it. I like Taylor Swift. (10 second pause for cracking jokes at me aaaaannnnnnddddd.......end scene) Taylor Swift is unique in that she is a young girl who has a voice. She has already tackeled two obstacles that people have been fighting to tackle for decades and continue to fight everyday, and that is 1. being female and 2. being young. I enjoy Taylor's writing (as cheesy as alot of it is) because she expresses herself so well. Her stuff may be juvenile, but that is because she is just a kid who deals everyday with things that teenagers have to deal with. Her latest album titled SpeaK NoW is a compilation of songs whose lyrics were written for someone specific. As Taylor usually does there are several about past boyfriends, some who broke her heart and some whom she broke theirs. There are songs to people who have been mean or hateful to her. There are songs about being enchanted by meeting someone new. Although I am not normally a fan at all of songs that ensenuate not being able to live without someone (because all people can be lived without, it is God that we need) I am still a fan of Taylor simply because she has been given a voice and is not afraid to use it.
So, you might be thining, how does this have anything to do with God? I had dinner last night with two amazing women of God, both who inspire me fully with every word that comes out of their mouth. We got onto the subject about living radically for the Lord, and how it isn't really radical at all because living that way is how we were created to live all along. We all go to different denominations, but none of us consider ourselves "baptist" or "church of christ" or whatever else. We are followers of God and lovers of Christ and trying to make the world a better place by spreading His word and His love to everyone we encounter. Given that we are all young and all female we have all been (or will be) faced with the challenges of finding and using our voices.
God has given all of us a voice. So often I find myself in a situation where for a split second I consider doing something or doing nothing. For example, have you ever passed a car that is broken down on the side of the road and for a split second as you drive you wonder, should I stop? Usually in cases where we have that decision to make, fear dictates our decision and we continue driving. Or for younger people, have you ever seen that kid at a lunch table or outside all alone and wanted to go up to them but were scared of what your friends might think or say? Fear wins, and we stay behind. Why do we as humans give fear so much power? An answer I have for myself is more times than not it is easier to just do nothing than to do something.
Imagine a world where satans attempts to manipulate us with fear failed. A world where when you saw a car broken down on the side of the road you stopped to help, or prayed for help, or called someone who could help. A world where kids do not feel alone on this planet because other kids step out of their fear and simply go sit with them at lunch. I have not read yet nor do I believe that we can control what satan attempts to do to us. But I 100% believe that we DON'T have to listen to him.
I do not know Taylor Swift personally, so I don't know if she is a Christian. But if she used her brilliant words and cunning lyrics to write about God's Love for us, about satan's tricks and staying clear of giving him power that isn't his to have, about being Saved by the blood of the Lamb, about a love and a rescue so great that it puts movies like the Notebook to shame, etc etc etc....then her VOICE that she has been given, will reach millions of people who before hearing about it, might not have known any of that.
We are all given a voice. We are tools for God to spread His Love and His Story. I feel that those nudges of " Should I stop and help that person?" "Should I go talk to that kid?" and SO many more split second thoughts of doing something or doing nothing, are HOLY SPIRIT NUDGES-guiding us to live outside of our fear, and to do SOMETHING. to say SOMETHING. or as Taylor would say, to SPEAK NOW!
Maybe your voice isnt talking. Maybe your voice is painting. Maybe it is writing. Maybe it is singing. Maybe it is playing an instrument, or coaching a team, or photography. God gives us talents so that we can use them to GLORIFY Him, but so often we get wrapped up in our gift and forget to give Him the praise. We have a voice in our gifts, so what would happen if we started using that voice?
If painters started painting in worship for the King. If photographers took pictures of Creation to share God's message. If football coaches brought the Gospel into team meetings instead of the playbook. If songwriters, like Taylor Swift, wrote songs about God's love.
What would happen if we decided to speak now?
In Him,
Meg
I am going to admit it to the world. I am a Taylor Swift fan. Yes, I said it. I like Taylor Swift. (10 second pause for cracking jokes at me aaaaannnnnnddddd.......end scene) Taylor Swift is unique in that she is a young girl who has a voice. She has already tackeled two obstacles that people have been fighting to tackle for decades and continue to fight everyday, and that is 1. being female and 2. being young. I enjoy Taylor's writing (as cheesy as alot of it is) because she expresses herself so well. Her stuff may be juvenile, but that is because she is just a kid who deals everyday with things that teenagers have to deal with. Her latest album titled SpeaK NoW is a compilation of songs whose lyrics were written for someone specific. As Taylor usually does there are several about past boyfriends, some who broke her heart and some whom she broke theirs. There are songs to people who have been mean or hateful to her. There are songs about being enchanted by meeting someone new. Although I am not normally a fan at all of songs that ensenuate not being able to live without someone (because all people can be lived without, it is God that we need) I am still a fan of Taylor simply because she has been given a voice and is not afraid to use it.
So, you might be thining, how does this have anything to do with God? I had dinner last night with two amazing women of God, both who inspire me fully with every word that comes out of their mouth. We got onto the subject about living radically for the Lord, and how it isn't really radical at all because living that way is how we were created to live all along. We all go to different denominations, but none of us consider ourselves "baptist" or "church of christ" or whatever else. We are followers of God and lovers of Christ and trying to make the world a better place by spreading His word and His love to everyone we encounter. Given that we are all young and all female we have all been (or will be) faced with the challenges of finding and using our voices.
God has given all of us a voice. So often I find myself in a situation where for a split second I consider doing something or doing nothing. For example, have you ever passed a car that is broken down on the side of the road and for a split second as you drive you wonder, should I stop? Usually in cases where we have that decision to make, fear dictates our decision and we continue driving. Or for younger people, have you ever seen that kid at a lunch table or outside all alone and wanted to go up to them but were scared of what your friends might think or say? Fear wins, and we stay behind. Why do we as humans give fear so much power? An answer I have for myself is more times than not it is easier to just do nothing than to do something.
Imagine a world where satans attempts to manipulate us with fear failed. A world where when you saw a car broken down on the side of the road you stopped to help, or prayed for help, or called someone who could help. A world where kids do not feel alone on this planet because other kids step out of their fear and simply go sit with them at lunch. I have not read yet nor do I believe that we can control what satan attempts to do to us. But I 100% believe that we DON'T have to listen to him.
I do not know Taylor Swift personally, so I don't know if she is a Christian. But if she used her brilliant words and cunning lyrics to write about God's Love for us, about satan's tricks and staying clear of giving him power that isn't his to have, about being Saved by the blood of the Lamb, about a love and a rescue so great that it puts movies like the Notebook to shame, etc etc etc....then her VOICE that she has been given, will reach millions of people who before hearing about it, might not have known any of that.
We are all given a voice. We are tools for God to spread His Love and His Story. I feel that those nudges of " Should I stop and help that person?" "Should I go talk to that kid?" and SO many more split second thoughts of doing something or doing nothing, are HOLY SPIRIT NUDGES-guiding us to live outside of our fear, and to do SOMETHING. to say SOMETHING. or as Taylor would say, to SPEAK NOW!
Maybe your voice isnt talking. Maybe your voice is painting. Maybe it is writing. Maybe it is singing. Maybe it is playing an instrument, or coaching a team, or photography. God gives us talents so that we can use them to GLORIFY Him, but so often we get wrapped up in our gift and forget to give Him the praise. We have a voice in our gifts, so what would happen if we started using that voice?
If painters started painting in worship for the King. If photographers took pictures of Creation to share God's message. If football coaches brought the Gospel into team meetings instead of the playbook. If songwriters, like Taylor Swift, wrote songs about God's love.
What would happen if we decided to speak now?
In Him,
Meg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
