day seven {1 john 4:18}

Jesus is perfect love.

all my love, 

meg

day four {john 14:8}

we live in a society that tells us we need to have all this "stuff" to be happy. and let's face it, as Christ followers, we fall for it. 

but this simple truth is beautiful. 

God is really, all we will ever need. 

all my love, 

meg

best friends for life.

"i now pronounce you man and wife. 

and best friends for life."

there i was, snuggled up on my couch saturday afternoon, crying my eyes out over the vow. 

i didn't get to see it in theaters...which now i'm glad because i would have been 'that crying girl', so i rented it to watch this past weekend. 

i tend to think that chick flicks always leave us thinking, "i wish that was me". how to loose a guy in ten days, the notebook.  

but this movie...not a chance. 

if you haven't seen it, it's highly recommended that you stop reading and go rent it. 

seriously.

{spoiler alert}

i sat watching this movie about a husband and wife who got into a terrible car accident months after getting married, and the wife went into a coma. when she got out, she couldn't remember the last couple of years of her life, including who her husband was. 

he then decided that if she fell in love with him once before, he could make her do it again. 

so they dated, all over again. 

fell in love, all over again.

and got remarried. 

i have no idea what it was exactly about the movie that made me cry so much (maybe it's just because i cry at everything in general) but i was left sobbing at the end. 

i think it's because i was so overwhelmed with the feeling that God had given me a spouse who would have done (would do) the same thing. 

i don't think that after a year and a half of marriage i can give really award winning advice on how to pick a spouse, or how to make a marriage work. 

but what i can tell you is that when you do take those vows...they are meant to last forever.

which is the point behind the movie. 

those "i do's" are meant to last until death does you part. not just until things get hard. because they will. they're meant to last until forever. 

i watched as this husband did all he could to make his wife love him again, taking her on dates, bringing her flowers, even when everyone else told him to give up. 

that's true love. 

and the worst part is that she never remembered their marriage. and still to this day doesn't remember. 

sonny just happened to call as the movie was ending, and i could barely get out a hello when i answered. like a wonderful hubby he immediately picked up the fact that something was wrong and before he could get, "what's wrong out", i started blurting out how much i loved him. 

i have no idea what clicked inside of me watching this over the top chick flick, but all i could do was be thankful for my husband. 

our life isn't perfect. sometimes there's bumps in the road, but i know without a doubt that God created this marriage long before we had even met. which is what makes it so beautiful. 

sonny and i share a love that i can only pray every husband and wife share. sure we're still in the "newlywed" stage, but it's a love that i have no doubt will carry through the next sixty years. 

to me, my marriage is perfect.

i have a husband who would do anything for me. anything. 

i have a husband who loves me despite all my downfalls. 

i have a husband who knows me inside and out. 

i have a husband who loves and cares for me everyday. 

the quote above is my favorite from the movie. 

man and wife, and best friends for life. 

because that's what you become when you get married. each others other half, and best friend. 

you share secrets, and fears. worries and excitements. and no matter what, always always always, are the first one to turn to. 

i was fumbling around the internet today and started to read about the actual couple that the movie is based on. 

turns out their christians. 

and every article i read, they each said that this was a marriage God had ordained, and that the vows they took meant forever. 

no matter what. 

and no matter how hard the world was telling them to give up. 

i couldn't help but be so thankful for them. 

two people who went through the unimaginable, to come out of it on top, and only have God to thank. 

the husband in this clip makes a comment that most people would have just gotten a divorce and been done with it. but they knew that when they did say those vows, they meant it through the good and the bad. 

{this just makes the movie that much better}

maybe one day i'll write a book about marriage. 

but for now, all i can tell you, is marry the one who will love you forever. 

{our very first date, january 22, 2009)

{january 22, 2011}

so hubby...i love you more than anything. 

all my love, 

meg

the dream center

matthew 28:16

therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. and surely, I am with you always.

i am so excited and beyond blessed to share with you the opportunity that the Lord is giving me this summer. july 30th through august 5th i'll be out in los angeles volunteering with an incredible group of youth and adults from my church at the dream center.

the dream center is a volunteer driven organization, centered around Jesus.
the center offers a variety of services for free to the community that is in desperate need. they offer residential rehabilitation programs for teens and adults, they offer shelters for victims of human trafficking and the homeless, they provide a mobile medical bus that offers free health care to the community and they also have a foster care program.

this is matthew barnett, the founder of the dream center.

without a doubt, God has big things in store for the team and i. 

i can't seem to stop thanking Him enough for this kind of opportunity, and have felt matthew 16 weighing on my heart heavily lately. 

Jesus has called us all to go. 

the decision to listen is up to us. 

if we do, there's a whole world out there that will be changed in His name. 

and if we don't...the consequences could be terrible. 

i'm answering His call for this trip. 

and it's a big deal. 

missions trips, no matter where they are too (over seas or in your own home town) are a big deal. leaving behind all that makes you comfortable for a certain amount of time to go preach the gospel and share God's love is really important. 

because if we don't...who will?

so here's where i need you all. 

first, and the very most important thing: i need you all to be praying for my team and i. adults and teens alike. i'm asking that you pray for our trip and that we'll have safe travels. i ask that you pray for the Holy Spirit to move through us so we can move mountains in His name! i'm asking that you pray God will use each and everyone of us to further His kingdom here on earth. please pray that God will give each of us a sense of confidence and the strength we need for the week. and finally, i ask that you pray that in everything we do, He will be glorified. 

i can not stress enough how important your prayers are to me. 

second, i'm asking that you prayerfully consider financially supporting me on this trip. 

the cost is $850.

if you feel that the Lord is leading you to donate (any amount will bless my trip), please click on the "donate" button to the right. 

you can also send a check to the coastline community church with my name in the memo. 

if you have any questions about donations please feel free to email me: meganw122@yahoo.com, or facebook message me.

i am praying that God will use me during those seven days like He has never used me before. my heart is so open to what ever His will is for my life, and i'm so blessed to have this opportunity. 

i once had a conversation with an unbeliever about missions trips and he mentioned that of all the things that went along with christianity, missions trips is what he disliked the most. 

i asked him why of course. 

and he answered by telling me it was because he felt like it was just a week where christians went out and tried to change peoples minds into believing about Jesus so they'd go to heaven. 

i reminded him that it isn't supposed to just be one week out of a Christ followers life that they "go out", and we certainly aren't trying to change anyone's mind.

we're out to change the lives of people. so they can know and understand the love of a Savior. 

i thank you already for your prayers and support. 

all my love, 

meg

shine on.

sometimes, my light bulb goes out. 

and this little light of mine doesn't shine the way it should. 

anyone else like that?

and i find it's the moments when i need it to be the brightest, yet it goes totally out. 

because i'm a sinner and mess up. 

i get super disappointed with myself. and i'm almost convinced that being disappointed in yourself is far worse than anyone else being disappointed in you.

mostly because i know i can do better. 

can we be honest here?

i pray a lot that God gives me opportunities to be a light. to spread His love, and act in a way that people will later think about and comment on how "Godly" of a woman i am.

that opportunity arose last week and i didn't take it. 

my light bulb had gone out and i wasn't worried about fixing it. 

for everyone has sinned; 

we all fall short of God's 

glorious standard. 

{romans 3:23}

i really love that this version uses the words standard. because that's exactly what God has for our lives, a standard by which it should be lived. a bar that was set by Christ, that is so high we can't even see it. 

but it doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

i think as christians we get really comfortable when it comes to our faith. we remember the same things about our faith: God created, Christ came, He rose, He ascended, He's coming back. 

i think we forget things like: satan is lingering waiting for us to mess up, and that the grace He's given us covers everything we've done or will do. 

we forget the ugly...because no one likes the ugly part of anything. 

but what i'm being reminded of lately is that the ugly comes along with the beautiful, and if we aren't fully prepared for the ugly, then we'll never get to the beautiful.

because lets not forget: no one said this was going to be easy.

i'm super upset with myself for not using the opportunity God gave me to be a light when i was around a bunch of people who needed it. and to be honest, sometimes i still don't understand why He's so good to me when i mess up. 

but, what i am learning is that God's a god of second chances. and third. and fourth. and a million. because He loves me. and you. 

He's fully aware that we're going to mess up in our lives, and He's waiting for us to admit when we do. 

admitting is the first step you know. 

i need things to be different in my life. 

i need more of Him and far less of me. 

life is what we make it. we've got the user manual {the bible} to let us know how to do life. we literally have a God in Heaven cheering us on, taking every step with us. 

so why is that so hard to remember?

this world needs more of God's love. 

that is a fact. 

so why don't we be the ones who show people it the most? 

our outward actions should be a sign of what's going on inside of us. 

i think it takes baby steps. i'm not sure i'm ready today to go stand on the street on a1a with a sign that says Jesus Loves You. so i'll start small. 

like committing daily a verse to memory. will you join me?

i think the most important thing about our relationships with God is being able to use His word properly. 

memorizing His word will help us move mountains. 

i'm not a daily blogger, well sometimes i am, but to get the verse follow me on twitter.

if we don't remember that we follow a God that forgives, we'll never move forward {however, living a sinful lifestyle is a whole different convo for a later date}. 

so i'm going forward. 

because He loves me. 

all my love, 

meg

verse 1: 

romans 8:38- i am convinced that nothing 

can ever separate us from Gods love. 

kony, america and your vote.

if you've been on facebook, twitter, or any social media outlet the last couple of days you've heard of Kony 2012.
a powerful movement that is sweeping the nation.

for someone 8 thousand miles away from america.

and it's really important...we as americans have all the power we need to truly change the world. we have resources other parts of the world don't have, or don't want to use to help.

but here's the pickle i'm in...why are we so worried about someone so far away when we've got murder and destruction going on here?

if there's one thing i'm too silent on (which doesn't happen often) it's abortion.

and to be honest, i think a lot of people are. it's that topic no one likes to talk about because they're so passionate about it. which may sound odd.
but they're afraid they may step on someones toes on the way to their opinion.

like it or not, abortion is killing a baby.

at six weeks old a baby has eyes. and it's fingers are starting to form. and it's heart is beating. six weeks.

currently, our president supports the ability to have a late term abortion.
that's a baby at twenty weeks (roughly).
here's what a baby looks like at twenty weeks. pretty grown don't you think?

each year there are 1.3 million abortions. give or take. 

1.3 million babies each year are being killed. 

and 83% of those abortions are coming from unwed women.

there's no judgement about having sex before marriage, no one is perfect, certainly not me. but here's the thing...if you're ready to have sex, you should be ready to have a baby. sounds crazy i know.

as a wife there is nothing more out of life i want than to be a mother (when the time is right). i can't wait to carry the little one in my belly for nine months and then spend the rest of my life with he or she. i can't wait for their first smile, and first words. and i can't wait to see my husband holding our little ball of joy.

but what would have happened if i did become pregnant, and just because we couldn't afford the baby...i aborted it?

human life is the most important thing.
so why do so many people in america think it's ok to just take it away because they made a mistake.

innocence is a strong word.
i think most would agree that a child in a woman's womb is innocent.

it's not their fault a woman didn't use protection.
and it's most certainly not their fault that a woman was raped.

and because who knows...the next albert einstein could be in that womb...and we'll never know because a woman decided they weren't important.

i spent the day with this little booger yesterday.

i don't think i can even think about what life would be like if my sister had decided that reagan was going to be "too expensive". 

the following video is tough at some points to get through, so this is your viewer warning. it's also long. so please set aside the time to watch it. i found it this morning on this beautiful girls blog.

and yes. raising awareness for a man in uganda is important. but what if we fixed all the wrong in america before we took care of the rest of the world?

all my love,

meg

my first engagement shoot!

so if there's one thing i've learned over the years...it's that when i try and do 50 things at once, nothing turns out the way i want it too. is anyone else like that?

i get these big huge plans in my head and just go for it but God steps in and gives me the "hang on just a sec, I've got something else in mind right now".

a couple of months ago i dove head first into this photography. making websites, thinking about buisness cards. all in a weekend.

and then i heard crickets.

at first i got super discouraged. i kept thinking crap now what? this is what i love to do.

God made it super clear that i needed to slow down a bit. i really needed to get to know my camera and surroundings before i went head first.

so i'm in the learning process. and couldn't be more happier.

i like to call it my "building a portfolio" stage.

wednesday a very sweet friend of mine asked me to do her engagment shoot. we had been trying to plan this for months but it just never worked out. trying to get three people off work the same day is insane.

girls i came home, and still am in the best mood.
have you ever just had that moment where it's like a light bulb goes off, like "this is what i'm supposed to be doing!"

no, i'm not the best yet, but hopefully i will be someday. i have a lot to learn, but right now it's still the puppy love stage.

here's a couple from the shoot!

{some serious bling}

{the train pulled into town just as we started!}

{adorable}

and that's just a few! to see the rest go "like" my facebook page...please (shameless plug).
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Megan-Elizabeth-Photography/187221041357999

happy friday! any big plans for the weekend? i have an essay to finish and then sunday starts my spring break!!

all my love,

meg

true love

a couple of weeks ago my youth group had a chick chat and man cave sleep over...boys slept at the church, girls at the youth pastors house.
i was given the privilege of speaking to these young girls which i was over the moon excited about. and so i picked the one topic i never got talked to about, and really wish i had.

love.

true love.

what it means, what it feels like. all the wonderful things that go along with true love.

as i was preparing a couple days before i kept having this thought pop into my head. i'd let it go, then it would come back. i realized quickly that it was God, making me a really solid point. and pretty much the only real point i needed to tell these girls.

you have to understand first, that my whole life i have been boy crazy. i've always been the girl with a boy friend. never just a single girl, always had someone to write: i {heart}  ____ on my hand.
high school came along and i had a couple serious boyfriends that lasted a little while, all of which i thought were "the one", and of course i couldn't have been more wrong.
after high school it was more of a flavor of the week kind of thing. guys older than me, guys younger, guys who were jerks, guys who didn't have jobs and i paid for everything. and my favorite were the ones from the past that just kept showing up unannounced.

and then, i gave up.

i had that talk with God at the time, although, i should point out that He and i weren't really close back then, about never dating again. sign me up to be a nun, i was done. a life alone would be better than a life with a guy.

and then came sonny.

and i was having none of him.

my family and friends loved him. why wouldn't they? on our first date he picked me up, came in to meet my parents, opened up the car door, and treated me like a princess.
something i was completely foreign to.

i think it's human nature to turn away from things we don't know when we're totally set in our ways.

which is what i did with sonny.

i remember talking to my mom a couple days before valentines day and she kept telling me how wonderful he was and to just give it a chance. *side note, i mean seriously, how are they always right?*
she told me to just let this happen, because he was the nicest guy i'd ever brought home.

without fail, i didn't listen.

i thought that i had made up my mind.

so the day before valentines day sonny and i met each other at a little park to break up with each other. it was mutual. i was being a mega brat with him since this whole 'nice guy' thing was new to me. and he was tired of being treated...well like crap.

to this day i don't have any idea what happened, maybe it was that smile of his, but God started a major work in our lives that day because we walked away hand in hand 'ready to give it a real shot'.

of course you know the story, two years later we said i do and here we are.

one of the most asked questions i get is, "how in the world can you get married so young?"

easy.

while sonny and i were dating my relationship with God went farther than i ever could have imagined.
i realized that it wasn't just going to church a couple days a week that it was a relationship. and just like sonny and i's relationship, it needed some work to grow.

and i finally realized that i had to love God more than anyone in my life, in order to really love some one back. 

i realized that i loved God more than sonny. and still do.
and that's really ok. because he's the same way.

and that is how you build a marriage.
loving God more than you love each other.

true love starts with God.
it starts with building a relationship, growing trust, and leaning on Him for everything.

i got married so young because i know it was Gods plan.

my heart leaps for sonny. he's pretty much the most amazing. but God...He get's my heart to flutter and skip beats.

who's your true love?

happy valentines day my loves! 

meg

365 days ago...

...I walked down the aisle with my dad, in front of all our closest family and friends...and said 'I do'.

that day was like a dream. so much more than i could have ever imagined. and it was all so great because of who i was standing next to.

lot's of people don't believe in true love ever existing. i say they're wrong. because this, this is true love:

it's hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since we professed our love to each other, promising to always keep God first, and to take care of each other. 

but man has this past year been fun.

i think during the planning of the wedding i got so swepped up with the wedding details that i didn't focus on the future, i just kept hearing how 'hard the first year would be'. 

which was a total lie.

because if that was supposed to be the hardest then we're set for life. 

it's hard to put into words how much you love someone when you get married...unless you're a poet, which i am  not. 

but i can tell you that i married my best friend and i love him more than anything. i can tell you that he's my rock when things get hard. i can tell you he still makes me laugh at the stupid things he does. i can tell you that i don't fear about my future because i know he's a man who will provide for his family. i can tell you that i think the's still a hottie ;). and i can tell you that every once in a while, when he grabs my face and gives me a kiss, those butterflies show back up. 

this past year was so much more than i could have ever imagined and it's all because God wanted it that way. 

so happy anniversary to the best hubby in the world! i love you so much baby boy! here's to ninety nine more. 

all my love, 

meg

ps. i'll be gone for the week...we're off to our cruise tomorrow! have a great week loves!

this is our wedding song:

still the one

hey girls,
i have to be honest and tell you that i am having some major writers block. i'm serious when i tell you that those 31 days took a lot out of me.
thankfully i'm finding little things to blog about so you all don't think i'm totally boring. like instafridays (so fun) and this wonderful challenge i just found the other day: still the one, a marriage challenge.

the challenge is for me to love on my man and let him know how much i love him.
which might seem silly, but...no one does it enough.

being a christian, i believe in the old fashioned man of the house kind of marriage. the one like the bible talks about. which means i constantly need to be praying he makes the best choices for us.

i missed week one, so i might go back and do that at the end.
but i picked up with week two which is remind him that you love him.

it's always been the little things for me.

i married a man who brings my flowers just because. i married a man who still opens up my car door even in the walmart parking lot. i'm lucky.

this week i had to write the hubs a letter telling him {simply} how much i loved him.
it couldn't have been more perfect timing.

things are already crazy busy and the holidays are going to be here so soon which means things are going to get even crazier, so it was nice to just take 5 minutes and write him a love note.

i may have had to help him find it...i tried to be cute and put it in his computer bag but this morning when i realized it's been a day since i put it in there i figured a little map and directions to the letter wouldn't hurt him :)

i'm super excited about this little challenge because he's the most important person in my life, and sometimes i don't think i tell him enough.

if you're married, i encourage you to hop on over to skinned knees and take part of this with us.

i hope you're thursday will be fabulous!

all my love,

Meg

day 8 {heaven}

Ephesians 4:8-9

That is why the Scriptures say "When He ascended to the heights, He led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to His people".

Notice that it says He "ascended".

This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.

He first had to come here, before returning home.

He first had to come here, save us, and then return home.

He first had to come here, in His total perfectness, experience our lowly world, and then return home.

and He did it all for you and i.

i can't seem to get over the 'descended to our lowly world'.

have you ever thought about heaven?
what it might be like?
what it might look like?
who might be there?

i like to tell people i think heaven is going to be like a retirement home in south florida.
there's a pool and the sun is always shining and there's always time to relax and be with God. there isn't any busyness of life to get in the way, just us wondering around praising God day in and day out.

it's perfect.

and have you ever thought about the fact that Christ came down from that perfect place, to live on this earth, to die for our sins?

i'm not sure about you, but i'd be a little uneasy going from fruity drinks with umbrellas down to a place i couldn't walk 5 feet without being ridiculed.

but that's why Jesus is my Savior.

it's tough to comprehend how much He loves us at times.

the bible tells us multiple times how beautiful heaven is going to be. how it's just radiating with the Lord and all His glory...why would you want to leave that?

because of love.

challenge: think about heaven, and then think about the sacrifice Christ made for you. thank Him.

God we thank You for the perfect place called heaven that we get to go to after this life. and God we praise You for Your Son Jesus, and the ultimate gift He gave. coming down to our earth God, to die for our sins.
amen.

advice from a nobody

there's one thing i'll never be: someone who just shuts their mouth because their opinion doesn't match the rest of the world.

i thank my moms side of the family for this one. growing up we'd always joke that everyone agreed with each other, but since we all like to get that last word in, or be the one that everyone says 'oh you're right', conversations tend to get loud. i think it's the thought process that the louder you are, the more people will listen to you. you can call it what you want, but we call it passion.

my parents raised me on what some today might call 'conserviative values'. we call it 'Christian values'. all of those values i hold on to today...unfortunately growing up i didn't always abide by those values.

i've noticed a lot of 'relationship' things going on lately.

i should insert here that this post, and this advice is for those of you claiming to follow the mighty name of Jesus. if you don't follow Him, feel free to read on but don't get mad at me please :] these are just my opinions.

i've noticed a lot lately that somewhere along the lines certain things are trying to make there way into Christianity, and it's followed by 'well it's 2011, times are changing'.

this is true. we now can call each other and see each others faces at the same time. and we can also find directions to anywhere in the planet on our cell phones.

but one thing that hasn't changed over the last 2000 years and won't ever change is this:

i've noticed lately a lot of Christians that are mis lead about relationships; and if i can be so honest and tell you that before the hubby came along i didn't know what was right or what was wrong. but now, after two years of pouring over the Word and searching for what exactly a 'God Honoring' relationship is...i've come up with a couple things.

here's the five things that i think are most important.

1. pray together.

for where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.-Matthew 18:20

~it's simple, a couple that prays together, stays together.

2. don't live together before marriage.

marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.-Hebrews 13:4

~it's just putting yourselves in that situation to be tempted. because lets be honest, what Christian couple moves in together but sleeps in different beds...

3. no sex before marriage.

but among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity.-Ephesians 5:3

{this one wasn't my strongest, but boy was i delivered! read about that here}

4. go to church together!

and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.-Hebrews 10:25

~yes, not waking up in the same house and riding in the same car is a pain, and it takes some sacrifice but it's a solid foundation for your week.

5. really truly love each other.

love is patient, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. it does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. love never fails.-1 Corinthians 13:4-8

~if you can go through and put your significant others name where it says love...you're good to go.

like i said, i'm no doc phil, and this is just my opinion on what i think a Christian couple should do. i don't have a book out so this isn't that legit here ladies. it's just me.

i'm praying for all your relationships. whether you're in one or not. and i'm praying that i haven't made too many of you upset with my opinions :]

love you sweet friends, praying for you all!

Her Story: Annie

hi friends!

can I please just tell you how excited I am for school to start because I feel like at that point, my life will slow down. seriously. things have been super crazy for the westmorelands this summer. and I see no end in sight!

but, on a really awesome note, we've been married 6 months today!

{can I get married again to wear the dress one more time?}

whoop whoop! we went to dinner, and are home in bed before 11...yep, we're married.

this week I am so happy to have miss annie from annies musings. she is a beautiful young christian woman full of amazing talents from God (like creating blog designs!). I'm in love with the simplicity of her story that she shares with you girls. mostly because...and I'm not sure too many people advocate this...but you don't have to have a really horrible experience or life to know Christ. He's always waiting and it's really great if we find Him at the age of five, or twenty five. He still loves us just as much.

I'll keep quite now so you can read how awesome she is:

I am the girl without a story.

You know those testimonies you always love to hear? Like a drug addict or prostitute, whom God just crashed with all of a sudden, and turned their lives totally around.

There's one I've heard before, about a man who committed adultery, and afterwards got divorced. He was confronted with his sin, repented, and remarried his ex-wife.

We hear such stories and we think, Wow. Our God is a God of restoration. Of salvation.

I do not have such a story.

Mine reads like this: I was raised in a Christian home, saved at five, recommitted my life to Christ at thirteen, and again at nineteen.

{As you can imagine, I've had to change my phone number and move often, because Hollywood just won't stop calling.}

I was challenged a few years ago to think differently. To think differently of not only mine, but of all the testimonies that are simple in the telling.

They're stories of preservation.

They are summed up, I think, in these verses:

"Praise our God, all peoples,

let the sound of his praise be heard;

he has preserved our lives

and kept our feet from slipping.

For you, God, tested us,

you refined us like silver."

{Psalms 66:8-10}

Many times, God has tested the extent to which I said I would set my life apart for Him. It has cost me popularity, friendships, and relationships. But it cost Him much more, to be able to set in front of me the choice between those pursuits and Himself: His own life. And to say that I would not sacrifice lesser things for Him when He sacrificed that for me, is, in my mind, to spit on His face.

I am not perfect. I will be the first to tell you that. It is only by God's grace that I have made the choice to keep following Him, even when it's difficult.

Praise Him. He has preserved me, in many ways.

I think stories like mine serve as a message that God will preserve what you set apart for Him. If that means time, money, relationships {platonic or otherwise}, even your very life, He will be faithful to keep it.

I think many of us worry when we think of everything that God commands, because it's a long list of thou shalts and thou shalt nots, and we work ourselves into a frenzy thinking of all the ways we will surely fail. But I don't think that's what a relationship with God is supposed to be. I think it's supposed to be a story of surrender, of Jesus working His way into our every fiber, so that we serve as His hands and feet with everything we do and say.

It starts as simply as what I said to Him while sitting at my desk five summers past, heartbroken.

"God, I can't fix this, but You can."

And He has.

That's my story.

{if you'd like to guest post on the her story series, please email: meganw122@yahoo.com}

the future

it might freak you out.

it used to freak me out.

but now?

I can't wait for it.
I've already made it to being a wife (check), now on to getting a degree, buying my own car, being a mom, writing a book, starting a Christan womens ministry, and traveling the world.

maybe not in that order...or maybe it could be.

how often do you think about the future? I think it's completely healthy to think about the future, to set goals, and to never want less than the best for yourself.

but it's just thinking.
not obsessing over.

the future is a wonderful thing. there is so much to be seen, so much to be heard, so much to taste, so much to laugh about, so many things to take photographs of, so many precious little moments to be shared with loved ones.

dreams and a future go hand in hand.
my dreams? huge. gigantic. bigger than life.
small dreams don't exist.

those dreams of mine are the things I already listed. wife, mom, writer, college graduate. what are your dreams?

sonny is more than just a husband and best friend to me, he's inspiration to me. over the last two and a half years I have watched him want something and waste no time getting it. he's what you call a 'go getter'. he always says

'shoot for the moon babe, cause even if you miss you'll land among the stars'

he's got a lot going on right now that makes me so proud of him...things I'll tell you all so soon! I'm so blessed to have him.

the future is ours to have. God has given us so much to make it through this life of ours to succeed. this world is our play ground.

so what are we going to do with it?

those dreams of ours for our future can be realities. we just have to put our trust in Gods hands. we have to go get the things we want. we have to (sometimes) put ourselves first.

from this day on...I'll be more of a go getter. I'll pray for more opportunities, and take them when God gives them.

I wont think about the past because that does me no good. instead, I'll move forward in this amazing life.

we're famous.

girls, I have no idea how I forgot to tell you this!

I was looking through blogs today and came across this lovely blog and her post about her engagement pictures, and that's when I realized I forgot to share with you that I'm famous!

I got a text from my mother in law about a week ago with too many exclamation marks and a photo attached, the photo...well none other than her handsome son and beautiful daughter in law!

{ours was the best. duh}

http://spacecoastbrideandgroom.com/scbg/?p=442

{this is the original}

{this was my all time favorite}

so fun, that year of dating, that lead to an engagement that lead to a wedding. holy crap does time fly bye.

it's almost been 6 months which blows my mind. I'm so blessed to have found him so young <3

I hope your wednesday is going well!

xoxo.
Meg

Mother Teresa

Day 30: who is your role model as a woman?

What do you use to define a role model?
For some reason my brain automatically thinks of Mother Teresa. She was without a doubt a Godly woman, set on this earth to bring the good news to nations, which indeed she did.

But what sets her apart so much?

Her love.

Sure, I could name you Oprah, who's got millions of dollars to spend on little orphans; but how much is she doing to further God's Kingdom?

Maybe it's because Mother Teresa said things like:

Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given.

In all her years of service to Him, I wonder how much money she gave (if any).

It's amazing to me that this woman just roamed the earth looking for people to love.

Her main goal was to simply make sure people knew how much God loved them, and just how lovable they were.

So what makes a great role model?

Women who want to change the world. Women who doesn't care what they look like in the mean time. Women who refuse to let anyone think God doesn't love them beyond measure. Women who use every day as a gift. Women who want people to think more of them, than what car they drive or what they wear. Women who are determined. Women who are confident. Women who want to smile and laugh with others. Women who are measured by social status. Women who stand for something. Women who love the children.

Service. Dedication. Happiness. Love.

Never expecting too much from someone.

Always seeing the good in others.

I hope I'm a role model.

I'm so young, and have so much to learn, but I really hope that this far, I'm doing things worthy of Him. This life we have here on earth is so very short, how do we model great roles to others?

Who's your role model? What makes her a role model?

When I leave

I'm tired, and my feet hurt.
But I've been working.
Because God is awesome, and truly rewards those who give it all up to Him. Once I gave up all my frustrations to Him about my job, my attitude (and hours for that matter) did a 180.
But I'm tired and my feet hurt...but I'm really thankful for my job :)

I didn't get a chance yesterday to put up a post...but I was lucky enough to be a guest blogger over at The Soul Anchor! Scout is doing "Tuesdays are for Lovers" and let me blog about my honey and I's relationship! It's worth your time going to see her adorable blog, and you can read my post too I guess :)

Day 26. What do you hope your grandchildren will say about you someday when you're gone?

First off I have to tell you that the question kinda freaks me out. It only does so because I've been having those "holy crap I'm an adult now" moments quite often lately...and this just adds to it.
Second the question makes me think of the song When I leave by JJ Heller. If you've never heard it, click here.

And third, I don't know what to say.
I do know that if my grand kids say half the things about me as I do for my grandpa...I did a pretty good job.
I think if I get to teach them half the things he taught me, I did a pretty good job.
I think if I play cards with them on lazy summer afternoons, I did a pretty good job.
I think if I teach the how important American History is, I did a pretty good job.
I think if I teach them that family is the only thing that matters, I did a pretty good job.
I think if eat bologna sandwiches with them, I did a pretty good job.
I think if I give them giant hugs every time I see them, I did a pretty good job.
I think if I always enjoy life, and tell them how much I love them, I did a pretty good job.

Ladies, my granpa (since I was little the D got dropped) was the best. He taught me everything from how to shoot a rifle to every war in WWII (what happened, who was involved). I called him my human encyclopedia. He knew everything. He was tough as nails, but have the most wonderful hug in the world.

I lost my superman in October of 2008. Even witting that, I still can't believe it's been that long.
I lost a lot of tears leading up to the wedding because he wasn't going to be there...in fact they might still be flowing now. I was blessed enough to have him see me graduate high school. Next to my mom and dad he was always my biggest cheerleader, always telling me how proud he was of me. I always joked with him that I was his favorite grandchild, he never corrected me, just gave that handsome smile back at me.

I miss him more than you could ever imagine, but I have nothing but the most wonderful memories ever possible of him.

So this is how I want my grand kids to remember me.

Dear hubby

Dear husband,
First off, I want to thank you for changing my flat tire yesterday...or trying to anyways. I'm currently sitting in your car watching you, so handsome :) and I promise I won't tell anyone about the whole jack thing.
Second off, I just want you to know that the next time we play Monopoly you owe me $750 (I added more interest).
Third, and for the remainder of this love note, I'm going to tell you how wonderful you are.
I'm going to make sure you know that I don't know where I'd be without you, or who I'd be.
I'm going to tell you that there is no other person in the world I'd rather kiss goodnight.
I'm going to tell you that I think you're the most handsome man God ever made.
I'm going to tell you that I can't wait for my children to call you 'daddy'.
I'm going to tell you that I think you're a great cook, and we can work on the whole house keeping thing.
I'm going to tell you that you make me laugh until my cheeks hurt.
I'm going to tell you that I feel safe with you, and I know you'll never let anything or anyone hurt me again.
I'm going to tell you that I look up to you...spiritually, and mentally.
I'm going to tell you that I think your a Godly business man.
I'm going to tell you that you lift me up...spiritually and mentally.
I'm going to tell you that I am so over the moon in love with you that I'm finding it hard to put all in words.

So I hope you know Sonny, that I am so blessed to call you my husband.
I love you booboo.

hope you love bugs are having a wonderful weekend! in the midst of all the praising Jesus/family time, I'm fitting in an 8 page paper I have neglected till two days ago that's due on Monday.
be blessed! and Happy Easter!!