Fifteen years ago today

Fifteen years ago today, my mother went to be with the Lord. I was only a fifteen month old and my little sister Lindsey was almost a month old. I don't remember my mom at all, but I wish I did. I heard about what an incredible woman she was and I wish I would've known what she was like. My dad tells me that I am like her in some ways, which makes me happy.

But, I used to be angry towards God. I didn't understand why He took her. I used to think, "How could you do this to our family?" I wanted some answers... I never got them. As I grew older, I started to realize that God took her home for a reason... I wasn't sure what that was until I was seven years old. He provided me with a new family and MANY friends, years later. I realize now that it was TOTALLY wrong for me to be angry at God. I was angry, upset, hurt, and mostly confused. I couldn't understand it at 7. At sixteen, I realize God's plan is incredible and for my own good.. So I should just TRUST Him. :)

Job 1:20- ". . .The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." 

Today, He will be PRAISED. There will probably be lots of sadness, but there will be happiness, too! She is in heaven! That is where we all want to end up. Now she no longer has to go through pain or suffering. The Lord was good with His plan... I will always remember that when something bad happens, because something good will probably come out of it in the end.

My God is SO good! :) Today, I have a smile on my face.... I'm rejoicing and praising God today for this milestone in my life... What about you? :)

Love & God Bless,

~Megan

Perfect.

PERFECTIONIST

A person who demands perfection from themselves or others.

I am a perfectionist. At least that is what I always try to be..... My mindset is always set on perfect. If something is not perfect, I get extremely frustrated. I try hard with everything I do to be perfect. I want to be a perfect person without making mistakes. But we all know that that works out well, don't we?!

ATELOPHOBIA

Fear of imperfection.

I have a fear of screwing up..... Yet every day, I find a way to screw up. When I do, I'm absolutely devastated. It's a daily thing for me... I constantly have to remind myself that it's okay not to be perfect. Because, no one is.. except Jesus. HE is holy. HE is blameless. HE is spotless; without blemish. HE is perfect. HE is sinless.

We all suffer every day with being imperfect. There's no possible way while we're living on this earth that anything can be perfect. The only thing we can do is to STRIVE to be perfect. 

James 1:4, "And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

This verse says, "that you may be PERFECT and complete, lacking in NOTHING. Which means we'd have to be just like Jesus to fulfill this. That's going to be pretty hard when we're sinful human, right? Yes... It's going to be EXTREMELY hard to fulfill this.

Matthew 5:48, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." 

It's hard to explain these verses in the Bible about how to be perfect, because I'm not perfect. Nor will I ever be. Sometimes I wish I was and that I could understand things like that this through and through, but I don't and I can't. I struggle with perfectionism every day of my life. I try to do everything right, and when I don't.... My fear of failing gets ahead of me and I pray asking God WHY I just can't do everything right... Then I remember that I was created sinful, but in God's image. It's hard trying to be perfect and then failing.

This is my daily struggle.... What's YOURS?

Love & God Bless,

~Megan 

Wisdom

Lately in my daily Bible reading, I've been looking at verses that have to do with wisdom. If there is anything that I would like to have, wisdom is it. My mom, sisters, dad, and brothers are all full of wisdom, and Godly advice. Someday, I would like to have the same amount of wisdom that they have, and give the same Godly advice that they give me. 


Some verses that have really spoken to me while I was reading this morning are these: 


Psalm 111:10- "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!"


Proverbs 2:6- "For the Lord gives wisdom; from the mouth comes knowledge and understanding. . . ."


Proverbs 9:10- "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is insight." 


Proverbs 31:26- "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." 


"WOW!" was my expression while reading this verses. I realize that I need to take these verses to heart, and hide them in my heart! They are so full of truth, and I think that they will help me all throughout my life. I want to be a very wise person, and help lead people to righteousness. I am a sinner and I will make mistakes, so I won't be perfect and I won't be righteous a lot of the time. But I want to strive to be as close to it that I can get. 


The Lord has been showing himself to me a lot lately through the Bible, and I've been spending a lot of my time in the Word, especially in the New Testament. It's packed full of such amazing verses and Godly advice. I realize that through God, my parents are wise. God showed them ways to encourage my sister and I in righteousness, and use those principles from the Bible to get through to us. 


Another verse that has really hit home for me that has really encouraged me is this: 


Psalm 19:20- "Listen to advice and accept instruction, so that you might gain wisdom in the future." 


This past week I've been struggling with studying for my four exams in class this coming Monday. I have felt totally discouraged and convicted, especially with the instruction my parents were giving me. But after that, I read this verse over and over, and I realized that I just need to listen to their advice and accept their instruction, so that I might gain wisdom in the future. I felt a little bit better after reading that verse, and I have continually tried to just listen, instead of insisting of my own way. 


I have been taught a lot this week through many verses, especially the ones all throughout this post... I have to have encouraged or have taught someone something this week :)


Love & God Bless,

SUMMER! :)

It seems so hard to believe that school is almost over! I have officially one more week for my "co-ops" and then I am finished. I'll still have schoolwork to do at home, but I'm okay with doing school in the summer. Keeps me productive. ;) I'm okay with waking up early, doing schoolwork, then just chilling out. I have a very busy summer coming up ahead of me, and I can't wait to see what God has in store.


This summer, I'm solely going to focus on my relationship with Christ. Without school to stress me out, I can focus just on reading my Bible for a whole day! Totally immersed in God... spending as much time as I can with Him. 


This summer I can:
Read my Bible
Ride my bike
Take walks
Go for a run
Go to Cone Zone
Go swimming
Drive more


You get the idea. This year, I plan to be outside more.. no matter if it is hot outside or not. The weather is gorgeous, so I want to be able to spend as much time as I can in it. It won't be here for an extremely long time.. For only about three of four months. Every year I complain that it is too hot, but I really want to make the most of my summer. :)


I want this year to be the most life-changing. I want to grow as a Christian, and help others grow. I want to have the best relationship that I can have with God, my family, and my friends! 


Proverbs 19:20- "Listen to advice and accept instruction, so that you may gain wisdom in the future." 
I want to do as this Proverbs verse says... I want to grow and gain wisdom now so that it will build for the future...


Love & God Bless,

HAPPY Mother's Day!

Well, today is a great day of honor for all the mommies out there. But, today I'd like to honor my mommy. :) If I were to write her a letter, it would say this:


Dear Mommy,
I really want to thank you for all that you have ever done for me. I may not seem appreciative some of the time, but deep down I am really thankful that I have you in my life. You're one of the most amazing women I know, and you're so full of godly and wise advice. You mean the world to me, and I don't know what I would do without you(literally)! I'm glad that I have you there so I can go to you about anything, especially with everything that has been going on in my life recently. You're so special to me, and I'm so glad that God picked YOU to be my mom. He couldn't have picked someone better for us! :) Thank you for teaching me all that you have, so that someday when I am a mother, I can apply those things to my life. You have shown me how I should be the "Proverbs 31 woman" and showed me how I can be an example to others. You have helped me through everything, and I probably will need you in the future, too! ;) Thank you for everything.. I can never thank you enough for all of it! I love you SO much... more than you could ever know.


Love,
    Megan


I hope that every mother our there gets honored, because they do everything that they possibly can for us! I'm so glad that I have my mom! Are you?


Love & God Bless,

My Decision

Yesterday, I felt really convicted. . . . I noticed that I spend a lot more of my time on Facebook when I could be spending *precious* time with my Jesus! I'm not sure why it hit me yesterday, but it was just like a knock on the door of my heart. It was so clear to me that that is what I needed to do!


Last year I was completely serious on wanting to finish reading my Bible in a whole year, or less. It's been seven months TODAY since I officially started reading it everyday. I'm only in the book of Ruth, and I have many more books to go. I felt really discouraged, like I hadn't gotten too far into it. I'm still really serious about this goal, because I know I can do it through Him who strengthens me!  I know that if I press on, I'll make it through. I'll finish my goal. 


My decision wasn't made by anyone but me.. No one made me delete my Facebook, no one made that decision for me. It was God who put it on my heart that I should delete it. I feel happy that I made that decision by myself and with God telling me to do it. It's not that hard giving it up, and I know that I can go a while without it.


I can just spend my *free* time with JESUS, the one who has given me this precious life. I want to live my life for Him and Him alone! He has granted me the gift of life and has granted me with a life of forgiveness. Why shouldn't I want to spend some time with Him? Well, sometimes... it's just my sin nature to want to forget God. But, I always feel awful when I do that, which I should.


I want to be an example to others, and I want to show others that giving up something can really help you with your walk. I'm thinking of several things that I'm willing to give up. . . . TV time, iPod time, computer time, even school time. I spend a lot of time doing those things, when my Bible is in my room... sitting there for a day or two, not being opened. I feel terrible for not doing the things I said I would. 


I'm not going to make YOU give up those things, this was just my personal decision... to help me in my walk with God. I hope you enjoyed reading this, because I definitely enjoyed writing it! 


Love & God Bless,

The Gift of Nieces :)

Eight years ago, I was also blessed with my first niece! :) Maggie Rose was born on August 1, 2004. She was a beautiful baby, and I was excited to have a little girl to play with! Now, she's not so much a little girl anymore.. :( She's almost eight years old! She's losing teeth, growing like a weed and getting taller, getting to be a big 3rd grader, etc. It's crazy how fast kids grow, especially my little Maggie! She's shooting up, and I have this feeling that she'll be taller than me, soon! ;) I can see that she really loves Jesus, and that's a very good thing.. :) She's a sweetheart, and I'm so blessed to be her aunt! I can't wait to see what God has in store for this sweet girl!<3 Love you, Maggie Rose!

Ava Lynn Hendricks was born March 22, 2006. My mom picked me up from school early, because I just had a new niece!!! I was SUPER excited to hear that I was going to be an aunt again! We went to the hospital, I walked in the room, to where Carolyn, David, and little Ava were.. She was in bundles of blankets, and very heavy... As I held her, I looked down at her... and couldn't help but think she was beautiful! She was heavy, but she was precious. :) My little Ava is almost SIX year old now! It's crazy that I was there the day she was born, and now she's going into 1st grade next year :D My little Ava is always smiling, laughing, and always having a good time... And I love her to pieces! I love how much she loves life.. :) I can't wait to see what God has in store for her, because it will honestly be great! Love you, Ava!

Two years later, Annie Grace was born... on December 20, 2008. She was a cute baby, and had reddish hair when she was little. It was so cute! :) I can't say she was always a happy baby, but she has been a great kid. She's almost four, in December, and I can't believe it! Time flies... especially when you're watching little kiddos grow up! She loves to watch movies, play with Barbies, and it's so cute how spastic she gets when she's happy and excited! I can't wait to see what God has in store for her, because I know that it will be a good plan.. Love you, Annie!<3

Last but not least, Molly Mae Hendricks was born November 13, 2009. For me, she was VERY special. :) Not that any of the other girls weren't, because they all were.. But Molly especially, I was really excited while Carolyn was pregnant with her, and I couldn't wait for her to be born.. Carolyn had false contractions a few days before that... Then, on November 13, she was born.. :) I was SOOOO excited to see her! When she was back at home, we went to see her.. and she was the cutest!! I loved seeing her... and a year went by... She is still the sweetest little thing! She's always smiling, and laughing, and it's adorable. She brightens my day with her little smile and giggle. :) She is going to be three this year and I can't believe it! I can't wait to see what God has in store for her.. :D Love you, Molly Mae!

I've been blessed over the years to have four nieces and I can't wait to see what God will be doing in their lives. They are all growing up in a Christian household, and I pray that these girls will grow up to be like their parents, walking in the way of the Lord! :) I love these girls so much, and I feel SO glad to have these girls as my nieces!

Love & God Bless,

~Megan

The Gift of Nephews :)

I've been blessed since I was eight-years-old to be an aunt. The advantage is that I have a sister that is eighteen years older than me, so hearing that I was becoming an aunt was awesome for me! I'd barely even held babies before in my life, so I was pretty inexperienced with holding babies...  Pretty soon, Bradley arrived June 3, of 2004.. He was a 4 lb. kiddo! Very small... He was about the size of a sugar bag. And, I didn't feel right holding him when I held him the first time, but I was excited to have a nephew! The first born. He has grown up to be quite the young man! He's now almost eight years old! I'm starting to FEEL old ;) I can't wait to see what God has in store for that kid. And he was a precious gift to me! (I'll post a picture of him & I soon) ;)

Then, came Cameron... He was born on September 18, 2008. He was 6 lbs ( I can't remember the ounce.) and I was thirteen when he was born. I was a little bit more experienced, and I was super excited to have another nephew! In fact, I cried over Cameron the day he was born, when I was at school. I'm not sure what came over me, but it was just a very emotional thing for me. So, that night we went to the hospital, and I teared up a little bit when we went to visit him for the first time. I thought he was adorable, and I always tried to steal him... :) Now, he's a big three year old!! Crazy how fast he's grown. We've grown to be pretty close and I'm apparently his best friend! :') Love it when little kids think that way! He's so sweet and cute! He was also a precious gift and blessing to me! Can't wait to see what God has in store for my little Cameron. :D

Two years ago, we find out that Trisha was pregnant again... and then a few weeks went by and found out she was having TWINS!!! :) Lindsey & I screamed so loud, because we were so happy! It was amazing news. Trisha, my older sister, didn't have the greatest pregnancy, and we all felt so terrible for her! I was up at 4am on May 24, 2011, when Trisha called saying they were heading to the hospital.. So, I watched Bradley & Cameron while my parents went to go with my sister. We got a call around 7 that day saying the twins were born, and that their names were "Dylan Edward, and Elliot John"... whose names correspond with my dad's. We were SO excited. :) We couldn't wait to go see them! I could not contain my excitement... that I was an aunt.. once again. It was so awesome!


When we arrived at the hospital, I walked into the room... and once I saw their tiny little bodies in their beds, I felt right away that they had stolen my heart! I held Elliot first, and he could not stop gripping my finger.. I was almost crying while we were there, because I was so happy! It was VERY special... and I never wanted to leave!!! The twins are such a blessing and a gift to me, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for them. :)

Never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have a big family, and be an aunt since the age of eight!!! In the past eight years, I have been blessed to be an aunt to four boys.. I thank God for each of them, because through all of their births, I've had lessons to learn.. I've learned something from each one of them, and I can't wait to see them growing up, loving and knowing the Lord! It's already sad to think about how old they are and how tall they're getting! But, I've got to just keep praying for these little blessings. :)

A verse for all my boys that definitely is fit for them: 
 Ephesians 4:12-14: "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,^[a] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness indeceitful schemes...."

Hope you enjoyed reading!! :)

Love & God Bless,
~Megan

Psalm 139

Psalm 139 is one of my absolute favorite passages.. It's amazing and I would love to be able to memorize the whole thing! It's one of those passages that really speak to me. So, I hope YOU enjoy it as well :) 
Love & God Bless!<3

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
³ You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
     If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

¹³ For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.^[a]
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

¹⁹ Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
²⁰ They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.^[b]
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²² I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart!
     Try me and know my thoughts!^[c]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!^[d]

BARAKEL :-)

3 more days.... until I get to go to my FAVORITE camp in the entire world! I'm ever so excited, especially going in the Winter... with some of my best friends! It'll be a great weekend to have some fun, fellowship with other youth groups, Chapels in the morning & evening, late night talks with my girls, and the ENDLESS amounts of hot chocolate or coffee I'll need this entire weekend. :)


I love Barakel so much, and it is my place of quiet and stillness... somewhere I know that I can't be distracted because of Facebook, texting, etc. It's my place to hide from the world (or just people), to journal my thoughts to God, to read through my Bible while looking out at the nature that He created... It's amazing, and absolutely breathtaking! 


This picture is amazing... I absolutely love it. It's a picture that kind of portrays my mornings here at my house, every day. I hope to be able to do this every morning of this weekend, and not have distractions that keep me from reading God's Word each day. Some days I just don't want to read it and I feel absolutely terrible and guilty about that, but I know I need to... God's Word will help me to start my day right! I've had that mindset for half a year and hope that my motivation will always stay the same and get stronger... To encourage myself to read His Word, even when I don't want to get up early and do it... It's good for me!


I hope to get encouraged more this weekend and to memorize lots of Scripture passages... And that through the speaker we have this weekend, I will have a boat load of things to think about! God knows what He wants the speaker to say to all of us teens and I can't wait to see what's going to happen! :) 


Here's an awesome Scripture passage: 


Ephesians 6:10-20, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that endkeep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which Iam an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."


Love & God Bless, 


~Megan

My Past Vs. Now

Since October 2010, I've been a slightly different person. That year wasn't great for me and did a lot of things that I really look back on now and think, "How could I have done something SO ridiculous?!" So, I wanted to be different, and show people that I was different. I decided to start reading my Bible more. 


Around New Years Eve in 2010 almost 2011, I made New Year's Resolutions to be FEARLESS, POSITIVE, and to read my Bible more. That entire year, I tried working at being a better Christian. I accomplished my goals because my family and friends told me how much I inspired them to read the Bible more, and that they noticed a change in me. I can't explain how amazing that made me feel! It was a drastic change, a 360 degree turn in my life... And it was all because of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!! 


Ever since that drastic change, I've been the HAPPIEST in my life. I realized that when I was pushing God away, He would hold on to me even tighter! Also, that He had a plan for everything that happened in my life. I regret the months in 2010 that went by and was questioning whether or not God really existed, or if He was the Lord of my life. He did have a plan for me to have a hard time in life and to get through/learn from my mistakes, and I did. I pulled through, and now, I look to Christ! I still have my ups & downs with my family and friends, but... through Christ I learn from my mistakes! It's amazing what Christ can do!


The night of October 9, 2011, something inside me just made me feel like I needed to read my Bible the whole way through. I felt that if I did, it would help me with a lot more things in life. And, it has! I have SUCCESSFULLY gotten through the entire New Testament, and my dedication has definitely helped with that. Without Christ nudging me to do it or my dedication to do it, I wouldn't have gotten through it. Christ has made me a different person, and I am SO thankful for that. 


One of  my good friends (who will remain anonymous) once wrote a status that has stuck with me: "Don't ask God why he did something... Ask Him, "What are you trying to teach me through this?" Since then, I've been asking God that when hardships come. I REALLY like that quote! It's amazing, and something that is so true. <3


God is so amazing and faithful, and He has His way of doing things... I may not know what He will do in my life, but I do know that He has a plan... A wonderful, perfect plan!


Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plan to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future."


Romans 1:16-"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. . . ."


1 John 1: 7-10- "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."


Ephesians 4:22-24- "to put off your old self,^[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."


I absolutely *LOVE* reading Scripture, since I started reading it more and more. Although, memorizing Scripture is my weak spot, I hope to learn some more verses to add to my long list of "favorites". :)


I hope you enjoyed reading this, and some of my favorite verses!


Love & God Bless,


~Megan

Colombia!

Hola!!! :) I haven't written for a weeks or more, because I was in COLOMBIA! :-D Got back Tuesday morning at 2am. Yikes! But other than that, it was a fantastic trip! It was an amazing experience and God helped me realize things that I've taken for granted. It really sunk in to me while I was there, that here in the US I am living in a complete luxury! I live in a somewhat "big" house while at the orphanage/boarding school, they live in a house half as big as mine, and twenty-five people are living in theirs. Five people live at my house. Now, that doesn't sound right, does it?! Plus, our culture against South America's cultures are very different; the way they dress, not doing a lot of laundry, etc. The list goes on and on. 


God has changed my perspective on things; not to be wasteful, be thankful that I get all the food that I get, the clothes and shoes I have & wear, the bed I sleep on, showering in hot water, etc. Because kids there in Colombia and other places don't get all the stuff I get; their own laptops, TVs, iPods, or expensive items like these. It's crazy how excited they got with just punch balloons and neon glow bracelets! I thought it was incredible that for so little they got, they were totally excited. It warmed my heart, and seeing them smile and have a good time, made my trip even all the more worth it to me. :) 

When my family and I arrived there the first time, the kids all ran to us, and hugged us. I felt so loved from the time I got there, and continued to feel that way throughout the entire week. They greeted and welcomed us, and just fell in love with all of my family. I sure fell in love with them, too! It was hard to understand them and couldn't comprehend at all what they were saying, but I do know that through their hugs, kisses, compliments, and pictures that they loved me and said all the words I needed to hear... and I know that I loved them, too.


I realized the reason the kids were always hanging on me and just trying to have my attention is because they needed someone to love them, and wanted to feel loved. All week, they wanted me to take pictures of them or take pictures with me, and were always tugging on my arms to play ball with them. It was cute, tiring, and definitely worth my time! I fell in love with all the kids all week, and it broke my heart to leave them! I couldn't believe I had to part from them, because they consumed all my time, energy, and love for the past week! I was torn and so were the kids when we left, and watching the tears stream down their faces, took all I had in me not to jump out the window of the car I was driving away in, and just stay there. 


I know for now that part of my heart will always be left in Santa Marta, Colombia and that I will never forget my time spent there; how much I did change and there is still so much more I want to change! :) 


Hope you enjoyed reading, because I loved writing about it!! :) If you would like to know more about my trip in detail, shoot me an email, and I'd be happy to tell you anything :) Thanks!


Love and God Bless,


~Megan

Bullying

Bullying... As this picture above says, "Cyber Bullying Affects Real Lives" and "Bullying Hurts... inside and out"! Well, it's not lying. Bullying does affect people, but all people react to it differently. Bullying does HURT! When I was in public school as a kid, I never got "bullied" as you could say, punched in the face, or anything like that, I just got picked on, and got name-called. Now, some people might say those things aren't really a big deal, and that I should just move on... But, I'm a very sensitive and emotional person. I don't take things very lightly. I take things certain ways, and can't help it when things upset me. Some things upset me more than others, especially when I'm being called "stupid" or any other kind of mean name of those sorts. But, I have *real* friends and family that convince me not to listen to those kinds of people, and that I'm smart, beautiful, and that I can accomplish *anything* with Christ!


Now, I have noticed other sorts of bullying, and that is..... Cyber bullying. I've seen it a lot, especially on Youtube, facebook, gmail, etc. People put up videos out of confidence and then just get nasty comments. I always want to cry while reading them, because what if those words were said to me? I would feel terrible.... What irks me more than anything is when people anonymously say bad things on their status' bashing people, and using foul language just to get the message across. I don't know that I've ever seen such terrible things being said (On Facebook) when bullying someone. 


No one deserves to get harsh words thrown at them... especially not the people already dealing with something; maybe with family or friends, etc. I know how it feels to get made fun of, and I have to admit, it's not a bowl full of ice cream.. But I've got it better than a lot of kids do. All kids deserve to have a happy high school experience, and the constant drama between people just makes it all the more worse. 


Some kids out there deal with anything you can possibly think of that makes them less confident, and there will always be people that are going to be rude and comment on how "ugly" they are. But the truth is, They have no clue what they are talking about! Everyone is beautiful in their own way.. Everyone goes through a stage of braces, glasses, and acne. Everyone *has* to go through it at some point, and it *will* pass! 


I've seen a quote lately on Facebook, and I really like it... "If you have a problem, Face it! Don't Facebook it!" I can expand on this quote and say, "If you have a problem with someone, talk to them in person, don't talk about it all over the internet!" People can get hurt in so many ways... It kills me to know that people are actually cruel enough to say mean things to a person on the computer... to someone that they may or may not even know, and to make sure that they feel as miserable as possible. Another thing I've heard is that when people are bullies, they are doing it to make themselves feel better. But, that's still not a good way to deal with things! Other people out there have problems, too.. And don't need to get more things put on their shoulders. 


BUT, when there is bullies, you can always find Jesus as a friend! He will be there through every obstacle that you face, and will in time, fix it. He wants us to trust Him with our life! He's got a plan.. We may not like what that plan is, but he has something that will come out of it.. 


Here's some advice for some of you... 
You are BEAUTIFUL, so don't let people get you down! You're too worth it to want to end your life over what people say..... I love you, God Loves You, and You *ARE* important!


I hope I have helped you today(:


Love and God Bless,


~Megan

Recognition(:

This week when I went back to school, I got a lot of papers back for school that I had completed before break. In my favorite class, I got the best grade! 97% on my big Compare & Contrast Essay, so.. that's an A!!! 

I couldn't have been more excited! Just the recognition of my grades, knowing that I worked extremely hard to get them, just made me feel so good! But, I can't take all the credit.. I got help from my amazing parents, who suggested I compare Jonathan Edwards and Thomas a Kempis. I didn't want help.. Just wanted to do it myself, but I just did what they asked, anyway. I wasn't happy about it, until I really started to read about the men I was comparing.. I thanked my dad for helping me, and for making me write my paper on those two guys.... Because as it turns out, it got to be pretty easy! Writing it was difficult and definitely a challenge, but I got a lot of help, got a lot out of it, and I'm glad I didn't do it alone! 


I also got help from my Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ! So, THANK YOU, JESUS<3!!!!! I could not have done *any* of it without him. Funny, he can't appear on earth as a visible person and "help" me, but through His Word, constant "conscious" thoughts going through my head, and *LOTS* of prayer, I did it & got through it! I was nervous after handing it in, but I knew that whatever grade I got, it wouldn't really matter.... Because, I worked my absolute hardest on it! I did the best I could... What more, than doing your best?!


The morning that I would get my paper back, I was a nervous wreck! I thought the worst possible things ever, but then I stopped myself... I thought, "God knows... And, I will know later, anyhow. I just need to be patient." All throughout the day, I was still consciously thinking, "Oh no! I hope it was okay." The moment leading up to when my paper was handed to me, I prayed silently to God, asking him to help me calm down, and just be okay with my grade! I took a deep breath, and flipped my paper over to find... a 97%!! :) I smiled big, and never stopped! It was the most amazing moment at that time for me. I was so happy, and I kept thanking God!! He knew *ALL* along, and I was worried over nothing! 


Another *big* moment for me that day was when I got an email from my teacher, and I was quite scared, because I thought maybe I had done something wrong... I didn't. It was for my semester grades! I took another deep breath and opened up the email... My final grade for the semester was an averaged grade of 96.13%!! That is also an A! I couldn't believe it... That day was an amazingly great day, and I could not have been happier! 


It's amazing what God has done for me this year, already. He has helped me overcome one of my *BIGGEST* obstacles since I was young! I'm not completely over it yet, but.... He has continually blessed me with knowledge this year, and I'm absolutely as happy as I could ever be in life.. I give *ALL* of the credit to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!! :)


I absolutely *like* this verse so much: 
Philippians 4:13, "I can do *ALL* things through Christ, who strengthens me!" 


It definitely fits in my life, and I try to just trust in God with my life, because I can do *anything* according to Him!!! :)


Thanks for reading!!! 


Love and God Bless you,


~Megan