New Years Resolutions??

As the old passes away and the "new" unfolds as we start bringing in the new year... Whether it's with weight loss goals or trying to quit that habit that you tried last year but you could never really accomplish it because the stress was unbearable. 

I want to encourage you to let go of all of your "New Years Resolutions"; throw them away (go ahead, sing the song. 🎶Let it go, let it go...🎶). But seriously, making a list of New Years resolutions is just a list unless you actually act on them. I feel as if the phrase "New Years Resolutions" is just a term we use to make ourselves feel productive. Instead of saying New Years Resolutions try using the phrase Set in Stone Life Alturnating goals (I know... It's a weird phrase. I just made it up on the spot). 

We need to re-evaluate the outlook on life. Look deeper into ourselves and see the changes that we need to make for the betterment of ourselves and the people around us. I'm talking physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

I look back on this past year and see unfinished goals. I desired to be in the Word of God everyday but I confess that that didn't happen. I desired to look at all of the blessings in my life and tried to take account of what I was thankful for. It worked for awhile but as humans we lose sight of what really matters. We need to reach out and grab what's right in front of us. We need to pray that God would show us the change that we need to be in this world; show us the Christians He intended for us to be. I know that life gets in the way and we forget to pray for that fast food McDonalds meal or we forget to read our Bibles but God knows that we are not perfect. He knows what we deal with each and everyday. Trying as hard as possible to get it right but in reality it's almost impossible to get it right in a wrong world. 

I'm not saying that all of our "Set in Stone Life Alturnating goals" are impossible to achieve... I want you to actually desire it deep down in your heart to become a better person for our Lord Jesus Christ! Whether it's sitting down with your kids before school or work and reading a chapter of the Bible or praying with your spouse before you go to bed. Pray constantly that God would show you where He would have you change and explore some way that you can make those Life Goals made into Life Changing goals. 

If you have any Life Changing goals that you have either experienced or desire to accomplish over this next year please feel free to comment below or what they are and how you desire to work through them. Or if you just need some advice ask me :) 

Prayer Requests?

I'm going to attempt something different with this blog post... I know many people read my blog posts and I am very thankful for all of you but this time I want to hear from my readers and pray for you. 

If you are reading this right now and are going through something and you want me to pray for you I don't want you to be afraid to let me know. I want to be here for you and pray for you. There is absolute POWER in prayer. You do not have to tell me anything you do not want to post... A simple period or anything that God puts on your heart to comment. Anything works. Unspoken, spoken, or any words of wisdom you would like to share.... Anything. We can post and pray for each other. Let's start a prayer chain throughout blogspot. 

We cannot handle our problems on our own; not without God. 

Jeremiah 29:11

We all know the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11 

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

We use this verse as a calming thought when in distress and saying, "oh, it'll all be okay. God has a plan for my life so I just need to live life and see where it goes..." That is what it looks like when you read the verse by itself but when you read from before that verse it says that God sent the Israelites into captivity. They were pleading for God to release them... You read on and find out that this verse was a part of a letter that Jeremiah prophesied from God to the Israelites saying, "Yes, I sent you here but I have a plan for your life." We read on to find that in the next few verses it says, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile." (Jeremiah 29:12-14 ESV)

The whole meaning changes... We cannot just go through life stating Jeremiah 29:11 as a ritual we do every single morning and night. It's not something to just be said. It's something that we must live out, and pray out in our everyday life. If we put our whole life, prayers and meditation into desiring God's plan for our life, we will find it. If we look for God we will find Him and when our will lines up with God's will, you will find that you are in the right place. He will deliver you. You will feel it and know because when God gets you to where He intends for you to be it is ultimately astonishing and everything changes. 

To China and Beyond

At approximately 3:40 this morning we loaded up a friends car and headed to drop my parents off at the airport. They received their travel approval, Visas, and so much more within a matter of weeks. It has been a stressful but spiritually rewarding all in the same time. During these past few weeks I have seen God work in so many ways, and He still is. 

Day after day and week after week as this day approached I didn't really think of what responsibilities I would be up against. But as this day approached questions fogged my mind and I became fearful. What would happen if my parents didn't come back? What if something happened to any of my siblings? What would I do? God showed me that no matter what happens He is sovereign and is in control. He made all of this possible. And as my parents are away I do have responsibilities... I have to make sure my brother gets fed, dressed, and dropped off at his friends house while me and my siblings are working. I have these responsibilities but I know that no matter how hectic life is for the next two and a half weeks my God will be walking right along next to me as well as my parents all the way across the world. I named this blog "To China and Beyond" because I strongly believe that this will not end in China. Throughout our family we have different callings for each and every one of us. Whether it's right next door, or across the other parts of the world or United States. These kids stories will live on forever, and so will ours. 

DAY 1 UPDATE ON JON: Jon woke up this morning crying for our mom; I walked in and he had tears running down his face and it took everything inside of me not to cry. Looking at this little boy through a big sisters eyes, you cannot really imagine having a hard life like a two year old who was abandoned by his biological mother at the age of one. You have to think of his needs and what is best for him before you even think about yourself. Having this little boy in our lives has been a huge blessing and has grown me  in ways that I never thought possible and now I have a baby sister on the way and I can only imagine what all that will entail. Jon was a strong little boy today and did wonderful for everyone that watched him. Thank you all for your prayers!!! 

My God gives and takes away <3

There's a song by Kutless called, "I'm Still Yours". It talks about how if God were to come and give one everything and suddenly take it all away; what would we do? Would we totally turn our backs from Him and reject Him? Or would we continue to fall towards His grace and mercy and let Him hold us and comfort us? Would God be enough for us? 

Two Christmas's ago we received devastating news saying that my great grandma had died unexpectedly. In that moment, everything in me broke down and it felt as if all that I had, had been ripped away from me. I questioned God, asking Him why... Why did He have to take my great grandmother away from me? 

It wasn't until a couple months ago when a dear friend past away, did I realize that no matter what we go through in life... We will always need someone to fall back on. Something that's going to be the rock to keep you up and running. That rock for me is Jesus Christ. 

We lose people in life sometimes... It's apart of life. We all have our time... For us that are still on earth, God is still trying to use. Our life is not up because our lives haven't really started yet. We question God but God wants to know; when are we going to start questioning ourselves... When will we try to see why God took that person from us? When will we see the bigger picture? Our lives are worth everything to God... Why do you think He put us here in the first place?

Sometimes God gives us everything and starts taking those blessings away to see how we will react... He wants to see that our faith is strong enough to trust that He has a plan and we are apart of that plan... The question is... Will you trust God to comfort you and to hold you? Or will you turn away from God and put your trust in yourself? Ultimately, one will remain for eternity and one will die off. What will you do when heart break hits you? 

What is Love?

The past few days I have found myself thinking about different aspecs of my life. One that kept popping up was the fact that I am lonely... I am eighteen years old and I am single. 

I found that the more I thought about it the more I felt bad about myself and all of my past and present insecurities ran through my mind, "Why doesn't anyone love me?" "Am I not pretty enough?" 

You see, we have this human mantality that says we have to have a significant other by our side at all times. And if we don't, we aren't important. But let me tell you; most, if not all, relationships that have that mantality do not last. They use each other to say, "yeah he's my boyfriend" or "yeah she's my girlfriend." They don't have love. And if you don't love then why have a relationship with that person? 

What does love mean in the human dictionary? In our dictionary, Love means an intense feeling of deep affection. But I am here to tell you that, for me, love is different. Love is putting another's needs before your own. Love is someone giving up or delaying all of their wants and desires to help the other achieve their dreams. It's noticing the others flaws and being with them anyways. 

As I was thinking about this, I realized that there is only one person in my life that has given there life for mine. And that person was Jesus Christ. He gave up his life for us. He made me and you with all of our flaws and insecurities... As He was on that cross, blood running down His body, He was thinking of you and of me. He gave up His life so that we could have EVERLASTING life. And I realized that I don't need someone standing by my side at all times because God is standing beside me, I front of me, behind me, and He is inside of me. Jesus is love. 

I have love on the inside... What more do I need? 

Life Lessons

    Another day, another week, another month, another year.... Time is what you make it. We go, too often, through life watching the time pass away, but we never see all of the life that we're throwing away. The hands are ticking as the days are passing by and we look back and wonder where did it all go? You have to grab your life by the hands and your heart by the string and turn the years, months, weeks and days back to where they became yours. Time is what you make of it so make it worth it.
    

    The words my mother always spoke to me, came racing through my mind; "Never give up. You have to keep going."
When I was younger, I had trouble concentrating. Every which way I turned, I would find myself daydreaming or attentive to everything I shouldn't have been paying attention to. I would find myself giving up and my mom would find herself telling me the same thing over and over again; "Never give up, you have to keep going."
   I struggled with this constantly and I still do. I would sit on my grandparents' couch while my mom tried to teach me my vowels and consonants. I would start to zone out and my mom would start snapping her fingers to catch my attention.

  "Megan!" She yelled. "Focus!"
The frustration overwhelmed me and I began to cry. I always felt like my mom never understood me. I desired to quit as much as the sun desires to shine.
  "Who cares about vowels and consonants anyway?" I exclaimed.
   My mother would glance at me. She said something that I hadn't heard her say before; "Giving up is the equivalent to defeat."
   In that moment, my mindset turned completely. I still had the struggle, but I learned to fight against this war raging in my mind.
   I realize now that I wouldn't be where I am today without my mother branding her intelligent words of wisdom into my skull.
   Never give up if you still have something to give.

   They say, "sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me."
   From the age of seven to the age of sixteen, I was verbally and physically bullied. I felt as if the whole world around me was continually putting me down; ugly, fat, stupid, worthless. Those words emanated throughout my thoughts. I was the quiet girl sitting in the back of the class with very limited friends. I was labeled "the freak who never spoke". Kids would push me out of my chair and laugh at me. I came home with bruises on my sides trying to hide them from my parents.
It wasn't until later that I began to fend for myself. I began to regain my confidence and I started to feel satisfied with myself. I realized that an individual shouldn't determine my attitude or the way I feel about myself. I wished that I would have figured that out sooner because I can't go back in time and relive those years. All the time I have is right in front of me.

    In order for my dreams in life to become reality, I need not let others words keep me from achieving  my destiny.
    Sitting in a friends living room, we began to discuss my future.
   "I want to become a missionary nurse in Africa." I exclaimed. She gave me a strange look and began to make excuses for me not to go.
   "Megan, it could be dangerous. You could become sick." She proclaimed.
    In that moment I began to question whether or not I was making the right decision. I realized that no matter what she told me I had this feeling that it was the absolute right decision.
    Life is too short to fear what might be, take a chance.
  

    I used to wish the days away as if they were just items to throw away. I now realize that time is valuable.
   My grandma used to tell me, "Don't wish away your life because the next thing you know; it's gone." I wanted to grow up so much when I was young that I would pray for the day to end. I find that life is precious, and the time we wish away is now useless time spent. I am eighteen now and I wish I had my life back. It was something that I wish I had learned early on. I know I'm still young, but it's only a matter of time until I'm married and have kids of my own. We see the clock and watch the hands move like its a time warp.
    You will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.