Five beautiful things and one perfect day...

Saturday, and already five beautiful things before dinner have found their way into my life. I didn't take a single picture because I forgot my camera at home, but I'll describe them the best I can. (I've included a few pictures from other beautiful, perfect days, though.)

1st: An oxymoron: my lazy, productive morning. I know it sounds impossible, but it was wonderful. I got so much done (folding a pile of week-old laundry, cleaning the bedroom and kitchen, grading paragraphs, reading...), but it felt blissfully lazy at the same time. I was able to spend time with my Lord reading his word and soaking up his presence and the reminders that he so freely gives. Like this one: Ephesians 5:15-17 - more to come on that.



2nd: The cutest, little present for my friend who's about to pop. There's going to be a little boy in our lives soon, soon, soon, and I found him the most adorable something. Can't wait to post a picture of HIM in it, and I won't ruin the surprise for her.

3rd: A little girl of four or five years sitting, legs crossed, on a small stool in a used bookstore around the corner from her parents and little brother. She was sweetly flipping through a book that entranced her. It was my favorite picture of the day!

4th: My writing group, a set of four wonderful women whom I met this summer through the National Writing Project in my hometown. We decided to morph into a new writing group and keep things rolling, so we met yesterday at a coffee shop I love to talk, listen, and spout ideas into our stories.

5th: Meeting our beautiful friends to talk and laugh and generally enjoy life together.



And one perfect day... one perfect FALL day. It was cloudy and just a bit drizzly and chilly and lovely. I've been waiting for fall not very patiently and saying under my breath that it certainly needs to be fall if school is in full swing, and finally it is. The leaves were turning at the lake by my house and starting to drop yellow on the ground - they were the first I've noticed. I'm so ready for sweaters and Pumpkin Spice Lattes and scarves and crunching leaves and everything cozy and cool. Plus, I listened to two fun ladies on my iPod and realized they sound like fall. Check them out: Katie Herzig, especially "Songbird," "I Want to Belong to You," and "Wish You Well" on her album Apple Tree and Missy Higgins on her album The Sound of White.

What do beautiful things on a perfect day look like to you?

The story He (re)told me...

Once I had chosen Him again, once I had turned back out of the dull, apathetic space I was in, toward the life and light of His being, I was curious. Why, when I had asked so fully to experience the Holy Spirit, had I instead slipped so completely into apathy? I went on a walk with Him, and He retold me His story, but this time I heard the part of the Holy Spirit.

This is what He revealed...

He has chosen us, you and me, as the place for His Spirit, His personal, powerful, active presence in the world, in which to reside. The God of the universe wants to live in us, wants to put His power in us. Amazing. But there's more.

He reminded me of the tabernacle in the Old Testament (see Exodus). He reminded me of the perfection of it. He gave Moses exact measurements, He directed Moses to the perfect materials, and He commanded that only the most skilled and gifted craftsmen were to work on the tabernacle. It had to be perfect for His Spirit to live there. Just like we have to be perfect for His Spirit to live in us.

But we aren't. We sin. We choose to turn away, to let our hearts wander far from Him all the time. He wanted us for his temple, though, so He sent Jesus to earth to become a man like us, to struggle like us, and to ultimately die the most painful, excruciating death possible in order that He could take away our sin and live in us. It's an amazing - true - story.

At that moment everything looked new and clean to me. Each piece of nature stood out in stark contrast to things around it. The lines were crisp. He has given me a new story to live out.

What story are you living out?

Megan

P.S. If you want to read more on the Holy Spirit, check out Francis Chan's new book.

Avoidance.

That's the reason I haven't posted anything in quite a while. It started, though, with apathy. Actually, it goes even further back than that.

I wanted to know - really know, as in experience and see - the Holy Spirit. Although I've been a Christian from a young age being raised in the church, I never really understood or experienced the Holy Spirit in a tangible way. So I asked. Instead I got apathy, thick and strong.

I felt like everything around was dull. I didn't want to spend time with my Father, which made me sad. But at the same time, I just didn't care. Like I said, apathy set in thick and strong.

I was in that place for a few weeks, not caring, and not caring that I didn't care, until one day while talking with my sister-in-law. She reminded me (as she had multiple times previously) that Jesus simply wanted to spend time with me. Out of my mouth (straight from my heart) came spiteful and angry words: "Just like everybody else. He just wants my time like everybody else."

Those words and the force behind them shocked me. I couldn't believe that's what I'd been feeling. I couldn't believe that's what I'd been believing about my Father and my Savior. I was full of shame. But in His absolute goodness, He used my shame to bring me back to him.

Through the blogs (and quick emails) of some beautiful sisters whom I've never actually met, he reminded me that I simply need to choose Him. I can choose to live in apathy, or I can choose to live in Him. And choosing apathy is choosing death, plain and simply. Only He will give me life. That's when I chose Him, and He told me a new story...

Thank you to the two women who encouraged me in their blogs, Annie and Lauren , your faithfulness to our Lord is beautiful.

Megan

It's a...

CELEBRATION! Kelby, my wonderful husband, and I have been married four years today! I can't imagine life without him. So, here's a few things that I love about him four years in...

I LOVE that Kelby has a servant's heart. He's always volunteering to help anyone that he sees with a need. He truly is full of compassion, which comes straight from Jesus.

I LOVE that Kelby is a man after God's own heart. He desires a deep, full, and wide relationship with God. He loves God and is fully devoted to seeking Jesus.

I LOVE that Kelby makes me laugh. He's not afraid to be silly with me, and we love having fun together.



I LOVE that Kelby likes to create. He builds things (a yurt, a mirror for our bedroom, a fence for his sister, and the list goes on) and designs things (our yard, our garden) beautifully. He really makes things beautiful because he's patterned in God's own image.

I LOVE that Kelby is my best friend. I know that he'll listen attentively when I talk to him. I know that he'll look out for my needs. And I know that he'll take me on adventures with him whenever, where ever.

I LOVE that Kelby is adventurous. Actually, this trait freaked me out a bit when we first were together because I'm such a planner, but I've so grown to love it. I'm impressed by his free and laid back spirit. I really appreciate that he's willing to go, to find, to explore, to journey.

I LOVE that Kelby is a provider. He provides in big ways constantly. He's is so encouraging of me when I want to follow my dreams, and he supports even the littlest whim. But he also takes care of me on a minute level, bringing me tea in bed, covering me with blankets, etc.

I LOVE that Kelby desires to be a father. It's beautiful to watch my husband with small children because he so has our Father's heart. I can't wait to be able to share in the joy that children will bring him one day.

I LOVE that Kelby makes me feel beautiful. He's always giving me words of affirmation, holding my hand, and generally being so in love that I can't help swooning!

I LOVE that Kelby loves family. He won't pass up a chance at being with one or our families. Since we're so close, that means the world to me.

And a silly one, I LOVE that Kelby reads. This has not always been the case. But now he really enjoys reading, and (being the English teacher that I am) I love it.



What are you celebrating today?

Oh I wish...

I were a punk rocker with flowers in my hair...

I love that song by Sandi Thom. But since I'm probably not going to be a punk rocker, I guess I'll have to settle for flowers in my hair. And guess what? I made one!





I found this wonderful tutorial on how to make beautiful flowers for your hair. Instead of beads, I used an old button. I think you could also do some fun stuff with ribbon if you wanted. I used a hot glue gun to attach a bobby pin to the back. Try it out - it's so fun and easy.

What wishes are you working on?

Spring!

I've been waiting
and watching,
wondering where you were.

The winter was much too long for me -
it was still and strong
unyielding of its grasp on the earth.

But I've been waiting
and watching,
and you've finally come
in all your glory.

Full of movement
and light
and all good things.
Your dress is beautiful,
white with pink buds.

I've witnessed you dancing through the aspens,
shimmering in the morning light
awakening slowly
but finally here.

Hello, friend. Welcome back.

"O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!"
Psalm 8:1

Lately...

...God has been teaching me about his power. During Easter, he reminded me that his son didn't suffer unbelievable pain and anguish just to die. No, he suffered in order to rise again, to overcome death, to save us from our sin. That's power.

And further, he's opened my eyes through the book Blessed Child by Ted Dekker. He's been reminding me that his gift after his resurrection was his Holy Spirit. He gave his Holy Spirit that we would do greater things than he did. Greater things than giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk, bringing people back to life? Yes, that's what he said. It seems like a crazy claim - no one can do those miraculous things...on their own. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says that we can and will.

So why aren't we seeing this miraculous power more often? Even before receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, God gave us free will. He allows us to choose - every decision, every day is ours to choose light and life or darkness and death. I don't know about you, but I more often choose to serve myself than my Creator. I choose darkness and death instead. And it's breaking my heart. And it's even more breaking his heart. It says in James that "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us" (4:5). He has made his spirit to dwell within us, to fill us with his power in order that we will bring light to the world, and yet I continually choose my own way, my own path. When I don't follow his Spirit, he can't work his power through me.

As he was showing me all of this beautiful, hard truth, he gave me the most precious vision of his power. I woke up last week to light. It was like just outside my vision, just past the edges, there was real light shining in. Hope took residence in my soul, and I was full of joy and full of his Spirit. He showed me what it's like when I choose him.

(I'm not saying it's easy and shiny all the time walking with God. He doesn't ever tell us this. He tells us we have to die to ourselves, turn our back on our earthly desires. But like Dumbledore says in Harry Potter, there comes a time when you must choose between what is right and what is easy. And God certainly does give us hope and joy and peace and promise in the midst of the struggle and the pain.)

There is real power in this world to change things for the good. That power resides in Jesus Christ. When we choose him and follow where he's going, we will truly see what the early church saw - greater things than even Jesus did through the power of his Holy Spirit. So...where is his Spirit leading you?


The sunrise on my way to school last week.