"I imagine that's how we'll get to heaven," she said.

"We'll be played there on a song, and we'll arrive twirling."

I went, tonight, to Grace Notes at my church. It's a "musical interlude" held each month with a local musician. Without a doubt, it was the most calming, beautiful time I've spent just "being" in so long. As the notes seeped into my bones and filled up my soul, the tension eased ever so slowly off of me, and I could breathe again.



I think God must glory in music. The way my soul dances and sways and twirls to the sound assures me that He is there. In the movie The Holiday, the character Miles says to his love interest, "Iris, if you were a melody...I used only the good notes." I wonder if our souls are a melody to God? I wonder if He used only the good notes to form us, and along the way we hit some wrong notes, we create some discordant sounds, but because He made us, because He saved us, because we are holy, precious, and loved, we are still a beautiful melody to Him?



I believe there is truth in the music. I believe that twirling and dancing is the way to live fully abandoned to Him. I believe that our souls, open and attentive to His spirit, are a melody played just for Him.

Summer updates...

I know, I know, I haven't been very good about keeping up with this little blog and its five followers through the summer months. However, I don't feel so terribly bad since I know all five followers, and they generally know what I've been up to. But if you are one of the visitors, here's a summer update for you.

I spent quite a lot of time with my brother and sister-in-law (much more a sister than an in-law) at the local farmer's market.





They grew a tremendous garden this summer (I didn't help much with that) and sold their produce on Saturday mornings (I did help with that.)







My family...my WHOLE family (mom, dad, brothers, sisters, girlfriends, cousins, aunts, uncles, you name it) also visited Michigan in July. It was beautiful.



Just look at the coast off of Makinac Island - I want to live there!



I also got to see my first fireflies - amazing. But even better to watch my two younger cousins entranced, tushes in the air.



More to come on my garden and fun summer things as we move deeper into fall. AHHHH.

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?