Reaching Out

Have you ever had a friend call/text/start any kind of conversation with you... and you could jut tell that something was wrong? Now, let's say you were super busy: a huge exam, work, a date, or some other plan was just the only thing you could focus on at that point... and you blew them off? You may have promised that you'd give them a call back later... but it slips your mind and then it isn't until 4 days later that you REMEMBER your promise. It's happened to me.



Or what about if you know someone is struggling with something. They just broke up with their boyfriend or girlfriend and are hurt by it. They are really stressed out by all that they are juggling. Or maybe they are struggling with their faith. But you don't feel "right" approaching them to lend a listening ear or a helping hand? You let a chance to care for that person slip right through your fingers because you are slightly uncomfortable. I know I've been guilty of this. It doesn't hurt to offer to listen... it might be exactly what the person needs.



It's all about REACHING OUT to other people. What do you do for your fellow brothers and sisters?





What if you and I went for a walk out in the rain and you turned to me and you said you’d like to share just a little of your pain? Well my brother I thought you’d never say I’ve been waiting forever for this day! What if you were to call me up and ask for a minute of my time ’and you cried and said you were different from the rest like it was some kind of crime. Well my sister I hoped that you might come and I promise that you are not the only one. Look me in the eye and tell me honestly what ever lies behind your broken heart is too complex for me. Come and talk to me if for only for a while I am reaching for you. What if you were to tell me you were through with the way that you live cause you take so much from an empty world outside you've got nothing left to give? Well my brother I’ve felt the same way too but someone changed me and He’s got his eye on you. What if you remembered who you were before people broke you down and you realized you were someones little girl? And He loves when you’re around. Well my sister, your dad has seen you hurt and He’s waiting for you with open arms. Nothing hurts Him more than seeing you in pain. Just to see you come so close to Him and turn and walk away. Hide yourself in Him, He will make you brand new. He is reaching out for you. Your God is reaching out for you. He's reaching out for you. -Brandon Heath "Reaching Out"

It seems like we are always so focused on ourselves. What we have to do, what we want, what benefits us. Don't get me wrong you need to take care of yourself but we need to be taking care of our brothers and sisters as well!

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. --1 John 3:17-18

He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.-- Luke 10:27

But what if we could move the focus off ourselves and focus on other people. Do you think the world would change? If people started reaching out to others with a helping hand, a listening ear, or a warm hug... I think that there would be more smiles and less tears. It is our duty to help each other and to build each other up. It's a tough world... but we can fight the pain caused by the world's ways by sticking together and focusing on God's way.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.-- 1Thessalonians 5:11

Even if you aren't a pro at Scripture and don't feel qualified to give spiritual guidance you are still qualified to be a friend and listen. To reach out and help those who are hurting in anyway that you ARE capable.

Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety."(Proverbs 11:14)

We work together to build each other up. We lay a foundation through Christ's love and from there we have all the tools to build relationships that God is joyful for! People fall but we can be there to pick them back up. We can build strength in each other. You never have to do it alone.

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17)


What can you do for someone else today? It could be as little as opening a door for someone or as big as meeting up with someone you know could use some of your time. Let's start serving others, putting our own desires behind, and putting others before us! It might be a challenge but wait until you see the smile on their face and how amazing it is to glorify God through our loving actions :)

You are what you eat!

Okay so you remember the famous saying, "you are what you eat" right? When I was younger I thought it was just something people said literally. Didn't really make since to me... I eat a carrot and then all of a sudden I'm a carrot? Haha, but then I started to get it as a got a little older. If you eat healthy you'll be healthy. If you eat potato chips... you might be a couch potato. AHA! So of course like most people I tend to TRY to eat relatively healthy and when I don't I suffer the consequences!


My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous! -- insatiable for your nourishing commands.

--Psalm 119:20 The Message

I kind of feel the same way about what you fill your mind/thoughts with. If they are consumed with "junk" then it will directly influence your life. When you fill your life up with a bunch of "junk" your focus stops being on what is important. I've noticed this in my own life. When I spend time running around doing meaningless things (facebook for hours, watching tv, reading tabloids) I not only waste vaulable time but my head is filled up with all these useless things. Then we tend to wonder why we stop growing in Christ. We can't figure out why we are stuck in a rut or why things that mattered before you can't seem to keep sight of.



When you maintain focus on good things: God, relationships, and others your life is more fufilling. Your life is a lot more healthy. Your outlook on things are clearer, you are less confused, you are happier, and less stressed. When you put time into godly things your relationship with Christ will shoot up like a weed. Okay weeds aren't a good thing. How about... it will shoot up like a sunflower! :)

Some more food for thought: what else do you have to do to keep yourself healthy (physically and spiritually)? DING DING! Exercise! That is pretty self explainable for your physical well being but what about spiritually? In addition to those godly things that you fill your life up with, you also need to "exercise" your faith. You need to make sure you are taking time to spend time with God, to pray, to spend time with other Christians! Pairing the two of them will leave you with the best result: a close relationship with our crazy cool Father!

Jesus said to them: 'I am the bread of life. He that comes to me will not get hungry at all, and he that exercises faith in me will never get thirsty at all.' - John 6:35

I'm guilty of not always feeding on what's spiritually good for me and I fall short on exercising my faith too. I've found that when you let yourself get off track it becomes difficult to get back in to the habit of doing what is healthy. To keep myself in check I try to journal during my quiet time and throughout the day when I get a chance! Doing so focuses my thoughts on what is good and helps me collect my thoughts! An added benefit is that I can track my growth as a Christian! What works for you!?

Role Models

Growing up I didn't have many people I could look up to as a spiritual role model. Sure I had other role models but at the spiritual level I was lacking. I was unaware of what God had to offer and what I could offer back to Him. I was unaware of His many promises and His plans to prosper me.

It wasn't until I was ready did God do the work in my heart to make me curious to what this Christianity thing was all about. He began His work... I rebelled. He pulled me closer... I rebelled. I didn't think I had anyone to talk to about faith. So I pulled away not knowing what to do.



However, God started putting people in my life. Friends who had families that went to church and would invite me. A college roommate who wanted to try a small Bible study group. Another roommate who was strong in her faith. A group of women who were really living for the Lord. A young married couple who offered their home for a college aged small group. The people in the small group. A best friend that helped me really hand my life over to Christ. A church family that supported and prayed for me. A wonderful woman who has shown me what a Christian woman should be like. Classmates that are open about their faith. Render. People from Render who were welcoming and saught me out after my first time there. So many people to be a ROLE MODEL to me when it comes to spirituality and being a Christian.



It amazes me that God answers prayers in a way that surpasses my desires. He knows exactly what I need. He brought a wonderful person into my life who challanged me to ask myself the tough questions, give up sinful ways, and experience things that I had never done before! Someone to challange my views of boy/girl relationships, to help me gain comfort in praying in front of people, and who taught me to demand the respect from men that I deserve as God's daughter. The young married couple has stretched my mind with deep discussion. They have presented my with opportunites to grow in my faith (my job). They have been role models to me of what a relationship based in Christ can be. And then a woman who loves beyond all meaure. She has children, grand children, and great grandchildren. She has taken me in as her own and taught me so much about being a woman of God.



Recently, I can remember thinking to myself that it's just too darn hard to be a Christian. I complained that I had very few friends that were choosing to live their lives the way I do. I wined that I didn't have many people my age that I could go to about my faith. But really that was an excuse. I began praying for friends that shared my faith. I have found that God is always willing to provide people in my life to help me grow in my faith and for that I am so thankful. I look forward to making new friends who share my faith and to keep growing and glorifying God more and more each and every day!

Embracing my God given role as a woman!

Okay so yesterday as I was driving home from school I was scanning the stations in the car. My mom's presets are different than mine were so I was doing it manually. I was looking for one of the Christian stations I usually listen to on my commute to and from school. Well, for some reason I couldn't get them to come in! BUT I did happen to come across a station that was talking about Paul. I didn't get much out of that conversation because I only caught the end. But after a few minutes a "Pastor Sandy" came on the radio and was delivering a sermon. It got me thinking about things and I haven't stopped thinking about it since then!

His sermon was about the roles each person plays within the family: the husband, the wife, and the children. Now, in today's society there is quite a different view on how a household should run than how it is explained in the Bible. I had heard this before earlier this year when Pastor Steve preached on the topic. I also have read a couple of books that go into some detail about the topic. Before, I had said that I wanted to live my God given role as a woman but I don't think I REALLY wanted to. I had a problem with it. I had a problem handing over the authority to a man. Who says that they should get that authority in OUR marriage? Aren't we equal? Then, today I realized. WOW WOW WOW! God said that the man should get the authority. So suck it up and let God be God.

Okay so I'm going to lay it all out on the line so that you have the option right now to stop reading. I'm pretty sure that you'll have a BIG problem with what I'm about to say. However, I believe this to be true because it is God's way... not the world's way. This passage is from Ephesians 5:

22-24Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.
25-28Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.

And this from Genesis 2:

18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam [h] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs [i] and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib [j] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

So looking at those passages there are some powerful words in there! The directions for women are to SUBMIT and be a HELPER to their husbands. In some translations it even says that a woman shall be OBEDIENT to her husband. Now, before you go off and say "Hey hey hey, those words suck. I don't want to submit, help, or be obedient to my husband" let me point this out. Can you think of someone in the Bible who lives his life doing nothing but SUBMITTING? Ding ding ding you got it! Jesus lived his life submitting to God. Shoot, if you ask me if I want to be like Jesus... I don't have only one hand raised I have both raised jumping up and down yelling, "me me me!" And that word HELPER, I'm pretty sure that God is our numero uno helper. So is being a helper a negative thing? Again, I think not. If the man that died for my sins and the Creator of Heaven and Earth can submit and be HELPERS... I really don't think I'm any better than them and I am capable of doing the same! It's not a negative thing to submit and help. Just TRY to wrap your mind around that!

Okay but women, yes it looks like we get the "dirty" words but man oh man look at what is expected of our husbands!?! They are told to love us as themselves and as Christ loved the church, to cherish us, to lead us, to bring out the best in us! WOW! Sign me up for a husband like that! I don't know many men that would readily be able to do this! Or even think about WANTING to do this. Now, think. If women lived out their God given role as He has told us to and men lived out their God given role as He has told them to.... how could is NOT work!? Women are getting the love that they deserve and desire and men are getting the respect that they deserve and need. What a great concept!

Oh but come on, this would be too hard right? Well, think about it. I know that when God reveals to me the man that he has long planned for me... I will trust him and easily be able to submit to him. I will WANT to be his helper and be obedient to him. WHY? Because he has my best interest in mind, he will LOVE me beyond belief, he will do nothing to harm me or steer me in the wrong direction.

You know that the divorce rate is high and that there are so many marriages that are failing. Well, I think it's because the couple has decided to do it "their way" or the "world's way" instead of trusting God and doing it "His way." I don't know about you... but my relationships in the past haven't really worked out. I wonder why. Maybe because I wanted it MY way.

So although marriage is a long way off for me (I don't even have a perspective at this point!!) I am sure of the fact that the role God has given me as a woman is full of purpose. I have a place in this world and within a marriage. And I just believe with my WHOLE heart!

God's Blessings!

Megan

Car Accident!

Last Friday I was heading home from school at about 11am! I was pumped for the weekend and excited about fitting in a quick nap before the festivities of the evening (it was Italian Fest after all)! So there I was getting on to 270N from 170. I got on and drove about a half mile down the interstate when all of a sudden a car cuts me off! So I panic! There is a car to my left so I can't swerve that way, but this car is going to hit me if I don't do something! So what do I do? I swerve left then try to swerve right to avoid both cars. As a result, I lose control of the car, and smash into the concrete barrier between the two sides of the interstate! Let's back up. Although, only a few seconds passed, I have a clear recollection of how my thought process went. Once I knew that I had lost control and knew that I was going to hit SOMETHING I started talking to myself.

"Megan, brace to hit. You're going to hit something and it's going to hurt. You might not make it out of this alive." I know that sounds pretty lame... but I'm all about pep talks.

So I listened to myself. Sure enough, I hit and I hit HARD! I don't really remember the hit except for the jolt of my body side to side and something hitting my face! A few seconds later my car came to a complete stop. Naturally, I had my eyes closed. I had sharp pain in my knees, the left side of my face, and my left arm. My fingers were throbbing. As I sat there with my eyes squeezed shut I prayed.

"I'm alive God! You protected me! Please help me be okay. This is bad I know it is. Please continue to protect me, Lord!"

So then I told myself to wiggle my fingers and toes. I listened again :). I opened my eyes only to find a thick layer of smoke (which later I found out it was the dust from the explosion of the airbags) surrounding me! I looked around. From what I could tell I was facing the wrong direction on the interstate blocking two lanes! I started to move around to make sure my legs and arms were okay! Sure enough everything was still intact and okay!

I attempted to get out of the car but I couldn't get the door open. It was jammed. Soon, a traffic safety officer came and helped me out of the car. I couldn't believe I was able to get out of my car. I was actually walking, talking, and not in a lot of pain!!! I looked at my car and couldn't believe it. I stood there looking at my car as I bowed my head and prayed again. Just thanking God for protecting me. There was no other reason besides God's protection that I made it through that so safely. Sure I had airbags (both deployed) and a seatbelt (thanks mom for always making me wear one) but I hit it hard going 60mph and with 4 lanes of traffic. IT is a miracle that I was able to get out of that car!

Turns out it was pretty bad! We're pretty sure it's totalled and I'm pretty sad about it. I loved that Stratus! We're still waiting to find out if it is in fact totalled.

Besides minor bruising,swelling, and soreness I am feeling great! The whole escapade made me so so so thankful for this life I'm living. No, I don't have a "perfect" life. But, I have a life that is honestly such a great gift! I am so blessed with all the wonderful experiences, people, and things I have in my life! It made me realize how precious life really is. We only get a limited amount of time here. What are you doing with your life? What kind of impression would you make on this world if you were to die today? How would your relationships stand with your friends and family? How about your relationship with our amazing Creator? Have you committed you life to Christ? SO many questions to ponder. For me this was a realization that each day I live could be my last. I want to make the most of my time here on Earth serving and glorifying God. Helping others, forming relationships with others, and being thankful each and everyday for the blessings God showers down on me!

Everyone keeps telling me that I am one lucky girl! And you know, I agree with them, but it's more than just luck. I am blessed. I am saved. I am protected and loved by an awesome God!!

First Blog EVER!

Hello world! I have always wanted to have a blog! I journal a lot with the old school pen and paper and probably will still continue to do so BUT I really wanted to try this whole blogging thing out! So here I am. Now, this won't be the most creative blog you've ever seen! However, it will be open and honest. It'll be ME. You probably won't agree with everything I say or you may even think that my values and beliefs are "lame." This is me: my thoughts, my life, my dreams! I hope this is a blog of substance. Of things that challenge your mind, heart, and soul! Here it goes!!

God's Blessings!
Megan