Hey, y'all!
Just so you know, I'll be blogging over at my sister blog for the next few months. I had to set up a blog at Wordpress for one of my classes this semester, and instead of going back and forth between the two, I'll just be blogging over there.
You can find me at www.scribblesbymegan.wordpress.com
Same name. Different site. Easy peasy, huh?
Hope to see you all there!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Blessed Beyond Measure
Giving thanks for...
Thanking the Lord for all He has blessed me with. I am one spoiled girl.
Afternoon sunshine (and the naps that soon follow)
Band-Aids with cartoons on them
Christmastime
Dinner with my family
Ester-C and it's magical cold-fighting properties
Fairy tales
God and God alone
Heaven and all else there that awaits me
Ice cream
Josh Groban
Kitchens
Laughter
March Madness
November weather
Outstanding parents
Power of prayer
Questions from little ones
Relying on God for all that I need
Siblings :)
Traveling
Unconditional love
Venus fly traps
Walt Disney World
X-tremely hilarious memories with good friends (Yes, I cheated. Don't judge.)
Yearning to live for Christ
Zoos
Thanking the Lord for all He has blessed me with. I am one spoiled girl.
Monday, October 15, 2012
What I Need to Say
I have that unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. The one that feels like my insides are twisting and turning and makes me dismiss any thought of food. The one that I get when someone has done something that upsets me. The one that tells me it's time for me to speak up and say something.
I usually get this feeling when I feel like I should do something that I really don't want to do. Like speak in front of a large group of people or deal with confrontation or stand up for what I believe in when it seems rather difficult.
Here is what I need to say:
Today as I walked to class, there was a man in the middle of the quad, waving his Bible and preaching as loud as he possibly could. No one was paying much attention to him. But when I came out of my class and walked back to the parking lot, a huge ring of students surrounded the man, and he was still screaming and yelling, making his voice hoarse and raspy.
Students were laughing at him and taunting him. They yelled back at him and brandished signs hastily crafted from cardboard and markers that mocked the man and the words he said. They asked him questions, not to understand what he believed, but to criticize what he had said.
The man responded by raising his Bible above his head, the wispy pages fluttering in the autumn breeze, and blasting these students with his own retort.
"This is the Word of God, students! This is the Word of God! And God hates sin! He hates it!"
I couldn't listen anymore. I needed to get away. I was scared because the tension was growing in this ring of students. I didn't know what would happen next, and I didn't want to be there when it did.
But even more importantly, I was embarrassed by this man.
I am a Christian. I believe in God's Word, the Bible. But I was ashamed at his method of spreading the gospel.
I have heard of people like this, fire-and-brimstone preachers condemning their audience to Hell. I have seen them on T.V., but today was the first day that I heard one in real life.
From what I heard, his words were true. The Bible is the Word of God, and God does hate sin, but is this really the best way to inform others of these truths? I don't think so. Does anyone like to be screamed at and told they are going to die if they don't accept this truth? I certainly don't.
Maybe this tactic worked in previous generations. I don't know. I wasn't there. But I can tell you that it most likely will not work in this one. In order to reach people with a message, you need to understand your audience. I wish this man would have understood that. I wish he would have taken the time to research and get to know some college students before he stepped onto campus.
He needs to know that college students are generally focused on four things: school, parties, money, and graduation (not necessarily in that order). As he's already figured out, there are a lot of sinful things that many students are involved in, and they may or may not be very proud of them, but either way, they definitely don't want that thrown in their face. In an abrasive way. By someone they don't even know. College students are very independent and relish the fact that they can think for themselves and make their own decisions about what they believe. If that is threatened, they are going to buck against whatever is threatening that freedom. College students are young and vibrant, and they want to enjoy life, not dwell on death.
He also needs to know some things about this specific generation of college students. It is hard for us to remember a world without the Internet or cell phones. And for better or for worse, a major portion of this generation's life is centered around technology. They are constantly connected. They love to multitask. Their attention spans are relatively short as they try to keep up with several conversations at the same time via phone, computer, tablet, etc. And face-to-face communication may not be their forte. They hate confrontation. Period.
Whether we like it or not, people need to be reached where they are at. If I am trying to spread a message, I need to understand my audience and recognize which method of delivery will cause my message to be received. This is crucial because if I don't take the time to figure this out, my message may be dismissed, spurned, ridiculed.
This is what happened today. This man's message was not received because of the way it was delivered. He made students mad and upset. He forgot something. He forgot that really the entire message of the gospel is focused on love. That is the greatest commandment: to love one another. Because, after all, "God is love." (1 John 4:8) And this man did not show love to students today. At least not the kind of love that they needed to see. The down-and-dirty love where someone meets you at the place where you're at, comes alongside of you, and helps you overcome the things that you're struggling with. The kind of love that is exhibited through Jesus Christ.
I wish this man could see this. I wish that he could see the effects of what he did today. I wish that he could see the hearts that were hardened, the minds that were turned off to Christianity. I wish he could see how much harder it will be for other Christians to witness to those students who heard and saw his message today. I wish he had done things differently.
If I knew this man, I would direct him to Casting Crowns' song "What This World Needs." This song tells us what the world needs when it comes to getting the gospel out and what it definitely doesn't need when it comes to the people who are spreading that message. In the song, it says, "People aren't confused by the gospel; they're confused by us. Jesus is the only way to God, but we are not the only way to Jesus. We can be passionate about what we believe, but we can't strap ourselves to the gospel because we're slowing it down. Jesus is going to save the world, but maybe the best thing we can do is just get out of the way."
This quote is so life-shattering. We are in the way of the gospel. Have you ever thought about that? Granted, this is not to say that we should not witness or spread the gospel. God commanded us to do so, and it would be wrong for us to forsake that. But it should make us rethink our methods, our strategies, our plans of attacks. And maybe if we take some time to think about it, our witnessing efforts can become less of a battle plan and more of a labor of love. Just maybe.
Consider your audience. Plan your witnessing opportunities accordingly. Show the love of Jesus.
This is what I needed to say.
I usually get this feeling when I feel like I should do something that I really don't want to do. Like speak in front of a large group of people or deal with confrontation or stand up for what I believe in when it seems rather difficult.
Here is what I need to say:
Today as I walked to class, there was a man in the middle of the quad, waving his Bible and preaching as loud as he possibly could. No one was paying much attention to him. But when I came out of my class and walked back to the parking lot, a huge ring of students surrounded the man, and he was still screaming and yelling, making his voice hoarse and raspy.
Students were laughing at him and taunting him. They yelled back at him and brandished signs hastily crafted from cardboard and markers that mocked the man and the words he said. They asked him questions, not to understand what he believed, but to criticize what he had said.
The man responded by raising his Bible above his head, the wispy pages fluttering in the autumn breeze, and blasting these students with his own retort.
"This is the Word of God, students! This is the Word of God! And God hates sin! He hates it!"
I couldn't listen anymore. I needed to get away. I was scared because the tension was growing in this ring of students. I didn't know what would happen next, and I didn't want to be there when it did.
But even more importantly, I was embarrassed by this man.
I am a Christian. I believe in God's Word, the Bible. But I was ashamed at his method of spreading the gospel.
I have heard of people like this, fire-and-brimstone preachers condemning their audience to Hell. I have seen them on T.V., but today was the first day that I heard one in real life.
 |
| Photo Source |
Maybe this tactic worked in previous generations. I don't know. I wasn't there. But I can tell you that it most likely will not work in this one. In order to reach people with a message, you need to understand your audience. I wish this man would have understood that. I wish he would have taken the time to research and get to know some college students before he stepped onto campus.
 |
| Photo Source |
He also needs to know some things about this specific generation of college students. It is hard for us to remember a world without the Internet or cell phones. And for better or for worse, a major portion of this generation's life is centered around technology. They are constantly connected. They love to multitask. Their attention spans are relatively short as they try to keep up with several conversations at the same time via phone, computer, tablet, etc. And face-to-face communication may not be their forte. They hate confrontation. Period.
 |
| Photo Source |
This is what happened today. This man's message was not received because of the way it was delivered. He made students mad and upset. He forgot something. He forgot that really the entire message of the gospel is focused on love. That is the greatest commandment: to love one another. Because, after all, "God is love." (1 John 4:8) And this man did not show love to students today. At least not the kind of love that they needed to see. The down-and-dirty love where someone meets you at the place where you're at, comes alongside of you, and helps you overcome the things that you're struggling with. The kind of love that is exhibited through Jesus Christ.
 |
| Photo Source |
If I knew this man, I would direct him to Casting Crowns' song "What This World Needs." This song tells us what the world needs when it comes to getting the gospel out and what it definitely doesn't need when it comes to the people who are spreading that message. In the song, it says, "People aren't confused by the gospel; they're confused by us. Jesus is the only way to God, but we are not the only way to Jesus. We can be passionate about what we believe, but we can't strap ourselves to the gospel because we're slowing it down. Jesus is going to save the world, but maybe the best thing we can do is just get out of the way."
This quote is so life-shattering. We are in the way of the gospel. Have you ever thought about that? Granted, this is not to say that we should not witness or spread the gospel. God commanded us to do so, and it would be wrong for us to forsake that. But it should make us rethink our methods, our strategies, our plans of attacks. And maybe if we take some time to think about it, our witnessing efforts can become less of a battle plan and more of a labor of love. Just maybe.
Consider your audience. Plan your witnessing opportunities accordingly. Show the love of Jesus.
This is what I needed to say.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Sending My Regrets
Dearest Blog,
Oh, how I have missed you. It has been far too long since we last spent some quality time together.
I have no one to blame but myself (and perhaps all of the schoolwork that has been piled upon me in the last few months). I'm not trying to make excuses, mind you. But I fear that all of my creativity has been sucked straight out of my body and into my various papers scattered across my professors' desks.
It is in a paper about dreams and a paper about media managers and a paper about the shameless advertising methods that target young girls. And somehow, I must generate some more creativity and plant it into a few more papers before the end of the semester.
But the point of this is to say, that I have not been channeling my creativity into you, and I am forever sorry. Please accept my apology, and I hope we will meet again soon in the near future.
Sincerely,
Megan
P.S. It's not you; it's me. =D Just had to throw that in there for good measure.
Oh, how I have missed you. It has been far too long since we last spent some quality time together.
I have no one to blame but myself (and perhaps all of the schoolwork that has been piled upon me in the last few months). I'm not trying to make excuses, mind you. But I fear that all of my creativity has been sucked straight out of my body and into my various papers scattered across my professors' desks.
It is in a paper about dreams and a paper about media managers and a paper about the shameless advertising methods that target young girls. And somehow, I must generate some more creativity and plant it into a few more papers before the end of the semester.
But the point of this is to say, that I have not been channeling my creativity into you, and I am forever sorry. Please accept my apology, and I hope we will meet again soon in the near future.
Sincerely,
Megan
P.S. It's not you; it's me. =D Just had to throw that in there for good measure.
 |
| Photo Source |
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Because Nothing's Perfect
Let me set things straight. I love crafts. I love the thought of making something beautiful and unique with your own two hands. I love interior design and DIY projects. Needless to say, I am hopelessly and dangerously obsessed with Pinterest.
And in my head, I am a fabulous crafter. But usually only in my head. Once I actually start to make something, I begin to doubt my fanciful abilities.
It's not that everything I make turns out absolutely horrible; my projects just never turn out quite...right. There always seems to be some sort of glitch in each and every one of my projects. A speed bump, if you will. Something that makes my creation look slightly different from the example on the computer screen or the vision in my head.
For example, last summer, I worked as a grade leader at a Vacation Bible School hosted by my church. When it's time for crafts, the grade leaders are supposed to help their kids make the craft, which is explained and modeled by the craft leaders. Simple, right? As only I can do, I instructed my table of kids to construct their coin purses in the way I thought we were supposed to do it. And of course, my kids' coin purses turned out to be completely unique. Figures.
Yet, I don't give up. I plug on. I try and try again.
So, here I share with you my crafting attempt at making a Mickey Mouse necklace.
My family just returned from a vacation to Walt Disney World, and we had been planning this vacation for months! As we prepared to leave, I ran across this craft idea on Pinterest.
Pinterest then took me to the blog, A Creative Princess, which provided a full-fledged tutorial. Surely, surely, I could do this.
So, with high hopes of making a darling necklace for Olivia to wear in Disney World, I headed to Michaels. I bought red leather cord, red jewelry wire, and some silver star beads. My dad already had the right size washers in his toolbox.
Me being me, I certainly couldn't follow the directions completely. Of course not. I had to "improvise." Although, I loved the look of the paper cutouts attached to the washers, I didn't have the tools to cut paper like that, and there was no way I was going to buy it, as I planned on this being a low-cost project. I decided I would paint the washers instead.
I gave all three washers two coats of black paint and later added white polka dots for a little something extra. I used tacky glue to attach the washers to each other, and once all of that was dry, I proceeded to wrap the jewelry wire around the washers.
Speed bump ahead!
I'm sure a truly crafty person would have seen this little issue looming in the distance, but not me! Not a chance.When I started to wrap the wire around the washer, the wire began to chip off the paint. I had a minor freak-out, but I pressed on, deciding I would fix it later.
After I finished wrapping the wire, I needed to touch-up the paint since I had scratched off a good portion of it in the process. Once my touch-ups had dried, the necklace almost looked as good as it had after my first paint job. Almost. If you look close enough, it's pretty easy to see my mistakes, but what's done is done.
I know just like me you're hoping that this is the end to my crafting trials, but alas, we still have to add the cord and the bead on. And this is when I realized that the cord I bought was too thick for the beads I bought. Naturally. So, at this point, I was getting frustrated, and I ditched the beads altogether. Let's just say I'm thankful I was making this for a 7-year-old and not for myself. Little Olivia is happy with just about anything. Bless her heart.
Here's the finished product.
So, the moral of the story is, do what you love, even if you're not the greatest at it. And if you're challenged when it comes to executing crafts (like myself), just think of it as your own little element of pizazz. Well, at least that's what makes me feel better.
And in my head, I am a fabulous crafter. But usually only in my head. Once I actually start to make something, I begin to doubt my fanciful abilities.
It's not that everything I make turns out absolutely horrible; my projects just never turn out quite...right. There always seems to be some sort of glitch in each and every one of my projects. A speed bump, if you will. Something that makes my creation look slightly different from the example on the computer screen or the vision in my head.
For example, last summer, I worked as a grade leader at a Vacation Bible School hosted by my church. When it's time for crafts, the grade leaders are supposed to help their kids make the craft, which is explained and modeled by the craft leaders. Simple, right? As only I can do, I instructed my table of kids to construct their coin purses in the way I thought we were supposed to do it. And of course, my kids' coin purses turned out to be completely unique. Figures.
Yet, I don't give up. I plug on. I try and try again.
So, here I share with you my crafting attempt at making a Mickey Mouse necklace.
My family just returned from a vacation to Walt Disney World, and we had been planning this vacation for months! As we prepared to leave, I ran across this craft idea on Pinterest.
So, with high hopes of making a darling necklace for Olivia to wear in Disney World, I headed to Michaels. I bought red leather cord, red jewelry wire, and some silver star beads. My dad already had the right size washers in his toolbox.
Me being me, I certainly couldn't follow the directions completely. Of course not. I had to "improvise." Although, I loved the look of the paper cutouts attached to the washers, I didn't have the tools to cut paper like that, and there was no way I was going to buy it, as I planned on this being a low-cost project. I decided I would paint the washers instead.
I gave all three washers two coats of black paint and later added white polka dots for a little something extra. I used tacky glue to attach the washers to each other, and once all of that was dry, I proceeded to wrap the jewelry wire around the washers.
Speed bump ahead!
I'm sure a truly crafty person would have seen this little issue looming in the distance, but not me! Not a chance.When I started to wrap the wire around the washer, the wire began to chip off the paint. I had a minor freak-out, but I pressed on, deciding I would fix it later.
After I finished wrapping the wire, I needed to touch-up the paint since I had scratched off a good portion of it in the process. Once my touch-ups had dried, the necklace almost looked as good as it had after my first paint job. Almost. If you look close enough, it's pretty easy to see my mistakes, but what's done is done.
I know just like me you're hoping that this is the end to my crafting trials, but alas, we still have to add the cord and the bead on. And this is when I realized that the cord I bought was too thick for the beads I bought. Naturally. So, at this point, I was getting frustrated, and I ditched the beads altogether. Let's just say I'm thankful I was making this for a 7-year-old and not for myself. Little Olivia is happy with just about anything. Bless her heart.
Here's the finished product.
 |
| Olivia modeling her necklace as we headed to Disney World |
So, the moral of the story is, do what you love, even if you're not the greatest at it. And if you're challenged when it comes to executing crafts (like myself), just think of it as your own little element of pizazz. Well, at least that's what makes me feel better.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
May 8: A Smell You Adore
Oh, the five senses. What would we do without them? Whenever I was in grade school and a teacher would ask which was my favorite of the five senses, I could never choose! They're all so indispensable. And they seem to work together on so many levels that they really feel synonymous to me.
I think the sense of smell is kind of like the icing on the cake. It's this extra bonus that can enhance any experience. So, I tried to think of all the smells I just love. I thought of freshly brewed coffee, my various perfumes, cut grass, my favorite body wash, baking cookies, ocean spray, hazelnut candles, apple pie, etc. I could go on and on. But I wanted something a little different. Something out of the box. And something that I could smell in my house today.
So, I chose cilantro. I LOVE the smell of cilantro! It's so fresh and clean and mouthwatering. It makes me think of exotic, far-off places and delicious Mexican cuisine. When I find a leafy, green bundle of cilantro in my fridge, I get so excited because I know my mom is going to make something totally delicious and rather special.
Most of the time, we will use our cilantro to make copycat Chipotle burritos. They are so scrumptious! We put cilantro in the rice and in our homemade pico de gallo. Yum! But today, we used the cilantro to make a bean dip.
Let me tell you something. This is not just any old bean dip! This is the bean dip of all bean dips! I love this stuff, and I don't even like beans! That's how good it is. It's got all of these wonderful, fresh veggies in there, and you can eat it pretty much any way you can think of. We've eaten it on grilled chicken, with tortilla chips, or just by itself as a salad. It's fantastic!
Today, we were out of tortilla chips, so we tried to make our own. ;) Didn't work out so well. It tasted fine, but there definitely wasn't any crunch factor going on. I'm not complaining, though because the bean dip makes up for all else!
So, if you're interested, here's the recipe to THE bean dip:
Can't Stop Eating Bean Dip
(courtesy of St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Ingredients
2 15 oz. cans of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 15 oz. can of whole kernel corn (drained)
1/2 c. onion (finely chopped)
1/2 c. green pepper (chopped)
1/4 c. cilantro (chopped)
1 medium tomato (chopped)
1 1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic (minced)
6 T. oil
6 T. lime juice
Instructions
Combine beans, corn, onion, pepper, cilantro, tomato, cumin, salt, garlic, oil and lime juice in a large container. Cover and refrigerate overnight (if possible).
Pretty easy, right? And oh, so delicious! I hope you enjoy!
I think the sense of smell is kind of like the icing on the cake. It's this extra bonus that can enhance any experience. So, I tried to think of all the smells I just love. I thought of freshly brewed coffee, my various perfumes, cut grass, my favorite body wash, baking cookies, ocean spray, hazelnut candles, apple pie, etc. I could go on and on. But I wanted something a little different. Something out of the box. And something that I could smell in my house today.
So, I chose cilantro. I LOVE the smell of cilantro! It's so fresh and clean and mouthwatering. It makes me think of exotic, far-off places and delicious Mexican cuisine. When I find a leafy, green bundle of cilantro in my fridge, I get so excited because I know my mom is going to make something totally delicious and rather special.
Most of the time, we will use our cilantro to make copycat Chipotle burritos. They are so scrumptious! We put cilantro in the rice and in our homemade pico de gallo. Yum! But today, we used the cilantro to make a bean dip.
Let me tell you something. This is not just any old bean dip! This is the bean dip of all bean dips! I love this stuff, and I don't even like beans! That's how good it is. It's got all of these wonderful, fresh veggies in there, and you can eat it pretty much any way you can think of. We've eaten it on grilled chicken, with tortilla chips, or just by itself as a salad. It's fantastic!
Today, we were out of tortilla chips, so we tried to make our own. ;) Didn't work out so well. It tasted fine, but there definitely wasn't any crunch factor going on. I'm not complaining, though because the bean dip makes up for all else!
So, if you're interested, here's the recipe to THE bean dip:
Can't Stop Eating Bean Dip
(courtesy of St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Ingredients
2 15 oz. cans of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 15 oz. can of whole kernel corn (drained)
1/2 c. onion (finely chopped)
1/2 c. green pepper (chopped)
1/4 c. cilantro (chopped)
1 medium tomato (chopped)
1 1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic (minced)
6 T. oil
6 T. lime juice
Instructions
Combine beans, corn, onion, pepper, cilantro, tomato, cumin, salt, garlic, oil and lime juice in a large container. Cover and refrigerate overnight (if possible).
Pretty easy, right? And oh, so delicious! I hope you enjoy!
Monday, May 7, 2012
May 7: Someone that Inspires You
I spent most of today with my mom, so I was definitely going to use her for this post, but then I peeked ahead at the upcoming days in the photo challenge, and I saw that May 13 (Mother's Day) is obviously all about Mom. So, I'm saving her for a future post.
Once I made that decision, I spent the rest of the day trying to decide who I should pick. I have a lot of people in my life that inspire me, but I wanted to pick someone who inspired me in a special way today. And that would be Miss Olivia.
My little sister often inspires me to be more creative, slow down and smell the roses, and just be silly. She has made such a huge difference in my life. Today, Olivia taught me to appreciate the little things.
I think this is the beautiful thing about little kids: they know how to enjoy the small things in life. Many a parent have told stories about their children playing with a cardboard box on Christmas morning instead of the expensive toy they bought them. Children just see things differently than adults do. They don't see price tags or social status. They see a fort made of cardboard.
Yesterday, Olivia won a prize at Sunday School for doing her homework. The entire way into church she talked about which prize she would pick and how much she wanted a certain black horse. She went on and on about this horse. So, we got to church, took her to her classroom, and each of us went our own merry way. I headed to the fellowship center and started chatting with a friend. Pretty soon, I felt someone tugging on my skirt. It was Olivia, her face was flushed and her eyes were glowing.
"Megan! I won the horse!" she said. "I got the horse!"
She was so incredibly excited. I looked down at the little plastic horse in her hand. It wasn't any bigger than the length of my hand. To me, it looked highly overrated, but to her, it was a precious treasure. It made me smile to see her so happy.
I didn't think about the differences of our responses to the toy until today. Olivia was able to appreciate something as small as a plastic horse. I was not. She has inspired me to lose my high expectations and take the time to love the little things. Like talking to my best friend. Looking at pictures with my mom. Helping my sister work on her flash cards.
Because after all, it's the little things in life that matter the most.
Once I made that decision, I spent the rest of the day trying to decide who I should pick. I have a lot of people in my life that inspire me, but I wanted to pick someone who inspired me in a special way today. And that would be Miss Olivia.
My little sister often inspires me to be more creative, slow down and smell the roses, and just be silly. She has made such a huge difference in my life. Today, Olivia taught me to appreciate the little things.
I think this is the beautiful thing about little kids: they know how to enjoy the small things in life. Many a parent have told stories about their children playing with a cardboard box on Christmas morning instead of the expensive toy they bought them. Children just see things differently than adults do. They don't see price tags or social status. They see a fort made of cardboard.
Yesterday, Olivia won a prize at Sunday School for doing her homework. The entire way into church she talked about which prize she would pick and how much she wanted a certain black horse. She went on and on about this horse. So, we got to church, took her to her classroom, and each of us went our own merry way. I headed to the fellowship center and started chatting with a friend. Pretty soon, I felt someone tugging on my skirt. It was Olivia, her face was flushed and her eyes were glowing.
"Megan! I won the horse!" she said. "I got the horse!"
She was so incredibly excited. I looked down at the little plastic horse in her hand. It wasn't any bigger than the length of my hand. To me, it looked highly overrated, but to her, it was a precious treasure. It made me smile to see her so happy.
I didn't think about the differences of our responses to the toy until today. Olivia was able to appreciate something as small as a plastic horse. I was not. She has inspired me to lose my high expectations and take the time to love the little things. Like talking to my best friend. Looking at pictures with my mom. Helping my sister work on her flash cards.
Because after all, it's the little things in life that matter the most.
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