Worrying

Do you ever worry about little things or maybe even BIG things in your life? The answer to that for me, would be YES. All the time! I worry about the next day, the next month, my Sweet Sixteen even, and then I start getting off on this idea of what my life will be like in three to five years after I graduate. It's a crazy train of thoughts! I don't even know what tomorrow holds, so why would I be thinking about something so far away in advance? Well, I can't really answer that question! But, I can say, that Jesus has things to say about worrying:


Matthew 6:25-34 ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]? ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."


To me, that is an incredible passage! It's a passage that speaks to me, because I struggle with worrying about the littlest things SO much... Everyday is a constant struggle with worrying about my friends, my family, and what's going on for the next week, etc. There is a quote out there that says, “Worry is like a rocking chair--it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.” It is definitely a true statement, but I still worry about things....even if worrying won't get me anywhere. It probably will always be a struggle for me to stop worrying about things, but God is the only one who can really help me through this. 

Not all kinds of worry are bad, but it's not necessarily a good thing to worry about if you do bad on a test, or you don't get an assignment right, etc. God has control over how you do things. So there is no point in worrying about it.. But, if you're worried about falling away from God, that might be a good thing to worry about! I worry so much about that and the thought scares me! But, God will help you a long the way if you just ask him. :) God is  ultimately the only person that can help you overcome habits like that.


Just give it all to God!! :)

God Bless,

~Megan

One of God's BIGGEST plans for my life

Sixteen years ago, my dad got married to Florence Ann Hale on April 29, 1995 in Birmingham, Alabama. Almost exactly a year later, I was born. That year, my mom got pregnant with my little sister, Lindsey. Before she was born, my parents found out that my mom had cancer. August 6, 1997 has changed our lives forever, because... my mom died of cancer in her back. She has been with the Lord for fourteen years now!

Me only being a 17-month-old then, and Lindsey only being a month old, my dad had to take care of us on his own! I'm not sure how he did it but he did...and it seems like a very hard task for a man to take care of two little girls, and have to be both the mom AND dad role! We did have nannies, but most of the time, it was our dad taking care of us...  

Soon before I turned five years old, we moved to Amarillo, Texas. During the time that we lived there, I don't remember everything too well, but I found out my dad was dating someone all the way in Michigan! We talked on the phone with her sometimes, and she came down to visit us. The very last time she came down to visit, Lindsey & I found out that we were going to have a MOMMY! It was something I had always wondered as a kid. I always wanted one and that is exactly what I got that year! I was so happy to have a mom, but not too excited to move. I had good, solid friendships there... I was only seven!

Anyway, we packed up and drove two days to Michigan. We got here and met our new siblings!! We always wanted brothers and another sister!!! And, then before we knew it, my soon-to-be-mom and dad got married on Christmas Day of 2003! :) It was the most exciting moment of out lives.

I have been blessed to have my mom, siblings, nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, and MANY cousins for almost EIGHT years! I can't even believe the time has flown by. I'm also blessed with all the friends I have made here and I thank God for giving me the family that he has given me! I don't know what I would do without any of them... They are some of the best things that have ever happened to me! :)

My life verse Jeremiah 29:11 states, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future"... That God had a plan for us all along! I had no idea that I would have an awesome life with amazing friends and family, like I do! :) God really knew what he was doing.. :) I'm SO glad he did what he did!

Although, it was a tragedy to lose my mom and still miss her a lot, I got another mom, that has helped me with growing up and becoming the person I should strive to be! Without her help over the last eight years, I would be lost, and  I wouldn't be who I am today! But, I have such an amazing god-loving family and group of friends, that have ALL been such great influences on me and have helped me become the person that I am today! I could not thank them enough.. :) I love ALL of them so much! 

Thank you so much for reading about one of the most important things in my life. Hope you enjoy it!! :) 

God Bless,

~Megan

Friends

In my past fifteen years of living, God has granted me with ONE of the greatest gifts in life.... friends! Friends are one of the most important things in my life and if I didn't have them, I don't know WHERE I would be in life! It's great to wake up everyday thinking about friends, and being able to talk to them everyday! Things I think about when I think of my friends are loyalty, trustworthiness, and love. 


Loyalty means-"faithfulness to commitments or obligations."
Trustworthiness means- "deserving of trust or confidence; dependable; reliable"
Love means- "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person."


When I think of those definitions, I always strive to be that way to others. But, it never tends to work out. I'm always trying to be perfect in one or ALL of those things. It's hard to be loyal when someone isn't being faithful to you. It's hard to trust someone who has lied more than once to you.. and it is even harder to love someone who has done wrong to you.  

Jesus is the most perfect and wonderful true friend that anyone would be happy to have! He is the ONLY one who is perfect in loyalty, trustworthiness, and love!  He NEVER fails you. He doesn't physically sit down next to us, but he is there in spirit and in mind! He's always there for us when we're sad, he's there to pick us up when we fall, he is there to put our lives back together when they fall apart. Jesus knows exactly what we've gone through! He knows how hard it is to go through life, because he went through it, too. 


But, in the end of his life, he experienced the most painful death that anyone could EVER endure. He died on the cross... for OUR sins! Then, he rose again on the third day. I can't express my emotions when I think of this.. A man who was perfect, living life just like us, except for the fact that he never sinned, gave his life for us, so we could live! :) Isn't he the best friend, ever?!  
John 13:15 states this, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." 
That is true loyalty, and love. :)


God Bless,
~Megan

Trust

Throughout the past few years, I've always had a problem with trust. Whether it was trust with my parents or with friends. Trust is a big thing in relationships for me. I want to be able to trust my friends, and know that in certain situations, I can trust them. But, there's also been problems with people being able to trust me. For a while in my life, I was going through a time where I wanted to get away with certain things. My parents ALWAYS found out about it in the end. I didn't realize the pattern until I fell apart and my parents no longer trusted me! I had to keep building it back up and that was pretty complicated. I got a lot less privileges and everything I did was monitored. I didn't like that, but I knew that it was for the better. 


"Trust is like a piece of paper, once its crumpled it can never be perfect again" and "It takes years to build trust, and a second to destroy it" are two of my favorite quotes about trust, because they are so very true! It doesn't take much to ruin trust. It's SO hard to build back up, once you lose it!
Since my past experiences with losing trust, I've gotten a lot of my trust back, but not all of it, completely. I'm not sure I'll EVER fully get my trust back, but it's worth building it up as much as I can! Building up trust could be, like telling your parents about something you have maybe kept from them, maybe an area they could help you in, or something that you're dealing with and need their help! Don't try to do it alone! That's why your parents are there... to help you through your rough spots in life! 
But, one thing I know for SURE, is that God will NEVER let us down! He is SO reliable! His trust will NEVER be broken with us. 


Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. " 


God WANTS you trust trust him! Because he knows what's best for you. He has a plan for your life and he is really the only person that you should trust... He is the only one who knows what's going to happen in your life! :)  TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL, STRENGTH & MIND! :)


God Bless, 
~Megan