Random Ruminations

COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT.

2012-01-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

I stepped outside this morning and was met with the most absolute silence that I've ever heard. Perhaps it's because this is what it looks like out there:

That, my friends, is a nice, thick, wet blanket of snow. In the Seattle area? Yes, yes indeed. And, since it is a bit of an oddity here, and just because I love snow in general, I figured it's a great day to hunker down by the fireplace, with my trusty computer and some good reads, and enjoy the beautiful sight outside the windows.

With the fireplace all aglow, and before jumping into a mindless chick-lit book [what can I say, they're a guilty pleasure] I had a little one-on-one time with God. The devotional that I read this morning touched on God's desire to see fruit in our lives, and prompted me to ask how I might be more fruitful. Immediately following that, I opened up a Bible study book that I had started many years ago, intending to just read back through the parts that I had highlighted before, but, lo and behold, when I opened it up to where it was bookmarked [at the next section I was to read in full, at some point] my eyes fell on the title of that chapter, "To Be Fruitful." Ha! Oh, God, You're a smart one in how You catch our attention in order to provide us with Your answers and direction. Alright, alright, I get it that You want me to have a better understanding of how to bear fruit in my own life. . .

Gotta love such a start to the day!

I hope that each of you see God revealing Himself to You in some way or another today, whether it's in the beauty of His creation, in interactions with others, or in seemingly coincidental instances, may He pleasantly surprise you -- He certainly likes to do that.

MAY IT BE THE BEST ONE YET

2012-01-01T21:18:00.104-07:00

From the headlines that I've seen in the newspapers, to the words that I've heard out of the mouths of friends, family members and acquaintances, it's evident that calling 2011 "a bit of rough year" may be an understatement. It was a year wrought with all sorts of woes: unemployment, deaths, divorces, health scares, unwanted moves, natural disasters, uprisings, and so on, and so on. For many, it is a year that's end could not come quick enough.

And, while I certainly endured my share of downs in 2011 in my own life, it is worth noting that there were also a considerable amount of ups along the way to be grateful for as well:

- a much needed sojourn to Santa Fe, NM
- visits from (and, subsequently, sight-seeing with) all of my siblings while living in Colorado
- new/lasting friendships that were forged
- marriage and engagement celebrations for dear friends
- indulging in recreational activities, theater productions and rock concerts
- surprising my sister for her 30th birthday
- a week with family at our beach cabin in the summer
- the chance to dote on some of the world's cutest kids
- precious, farewell moments with my Colorado buddies
- a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner with my closest friends once back in WA
- being able to spend the holidays with my family
- a temp. job to put some money in the bank
- the most adorable new addition to our family, my beautiful, one month old niece, Paislee
- AND, the continual emotional, mental, and spiritual growth that is a direct result of everything that I've endured/experienced this past year

So, for me, I look back at 2011 with appreciation for everything that came with it, both the ups and downs. And, I look forward to 2012, knowing that whatever may come with it is all a part of the adventure of this life.

May 2012 be a year of unexpected surprises, of increased fortitude and of fulfilled hope for us all. May it be the best year yet!

Happy New Year everyone!

LOOK WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN

2011-11-18T12:53:00.002-07:00

(that last one's a little hard to make out but, although it looks eerily similar to the picture before it, it does in fact say Washington)

What's in store now? A different, new type of adventure in life. That's what. What that looks like? That is yet to be seen. Here we go, again.

THE MEANING OF HOME

2011-11-01T17:40:00.003-06:00

Awhile back I found myself meandering through an apartment parking lot here in Denver while taking some dogs for a walk. As the dogs and I sauntered on, I started looking at the license plates of the cars that had been parked there. . .cars from Wyoming and Nebraska, Michigan and Louisiana, and as far away as Maryland and California; in total, I counted at least 16 license plates in that singular, small parking lot that were from places other than Colorado.
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Whether by choice or circumstance (i.e. job placements, etc.), "home" seems to be more and more in flux for a large number of people these days. And while I may think that my sporadic life is an oddity, the truth is, several of my own friends and acquaintances have made their home in a different city, state, or country at one point or another [for some, multiple times as well]. I think that it's fair enough to say that, in this day and age, "home" is a bit more of a subjective term and may apply to a variety of places.
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Which, in turn, reminds me of the fact that our true home is not to be found here on earth. As I, and others, have experienced, it can be easy to find things that we love about the places that we call home here. Even then though, it would seem that there's still something within us that is inclined to search for OUR place, where we feel like we fully and truly belong. Well, folks, as C.S. Lewis once said, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." Or, in other words, "But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven!" (Philippians 3:20a [from The Message]).
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We may wander from place to place, building community, creating a home environment, but will we also cling to the reality that we were created for something, somewhere, even more? Will we remember that the homes we find ourselves in here are only temporary, and that another one that is permanent, and exponentially better, is awaiting us? More importantly, will we find solace in the fact that if we feel as though we haven't found where we belong here. . . it's because we don't belong here, we belong somewhere far more amazing?! I don't know about all of you, but I look forward to the day where I can settle into my one true home!
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Until then though, I will keep on enjoying my other homes here that God blesses me with. I hope that you do the same, wherever that may be.
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BECAUSE EVERYBODY LOVES ANALOGIES (OR ATLEAST I DO)

2011-10-18T20:59:00.003-06:00

"What if what I think is great really is great, but not as great as something greater?"
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[Yes, I did in fact quote The Wedding Planner right there. I'm not even ashamed]
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What a thought to ponder. . . what if we're destined for even greater things than the greatness that currently surrounds us? Should we just remain where we are and enjoy the good stuff that we have, or should we take the risk and step out in faith to see what else there might be? Perhaps something even more wonderful?
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This past week I ventured out on a small-scale hike in the foothills. The particular trail that I was on led to two different ruins' sites: one being the mountain home of John Brisben Walker, and the other being what was left of the humble beginnings of Mr. Walker's attempt to build a summer home for the U.S. presidents. After hiking in and surveying the bits and pieces that remained of Mr. Walker's former residence, I headed back out on the trail for the nearly mile-long walk to get to the summer home ruins. But as I started heading further away from where I had originally come from my mind caught up to me and started formulating thoughts along the lines of:
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"Am I really going to go that far just to see a cornerstone of a place that never got built and no one really cared about?"
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"I know that there's a closer view of Red Rocks all the way out there, but I think that I can see them pretty well from here. . ."
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"Is it going to be worth it?"
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In spite of my questioning I decided to trudge on with hopes that my effort would not be in vain (even though I did consider stopping along the way at a couple of places that had decent views of the metropolis area or the surrounding foothills), and, you know what? It was most definitely worth it!
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The cornerstone and the rubble themselves weren't anything too spectacular, but that didn't matter because I was overjoyed at the location that I found myself in! A location that boasted far better views than those which I had second-guessed passing by, and that provided the most perfect spot to sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and feel God's presence!
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Had I turned back when I first started questioning whether to continue on or not I would still have had a great experience. Had I decided to stop at the other inviting places along the way, I'm sure that they would have been great. But if I hadn't pushed on as I did I certainly would have missed out on something far greater, something that felt as though it was created just for me and that moment in time. True, there was the possibility that it wouldn't be anything too special, but even if that had been the case, at least I would have taken the risk . . . and could always return to one of the great places that I had passed in the process.

Why does this seemingly simple hiking experience elicit such an elaborate explanation from me? Because the reason that I ventured out to this spot in the first place was to take the time to weigh out a life decision -- of the "should I stay, or should I go?" nature -- and I can't help but liken the experience to my decision-making process.

Life in Colorado is good, really good. It's beautiful, has the amenities of city-life and nature, and I've made some quality friendships here with wonderful people. But is it enough to keep me here? Or is there something greater that I need to step out in faith to walk towards, not knowing what lies ahead?

The hours that I spent thinking and praying, lofted above the earth on my personal, rocky precipice while looking out to the snow-capped mountains provided me with my answer . . .

I'm moving back to Washington.

I may find myself wanting to be complacent, to dig in my heels and just stay here, [aside from the lack of a job] it would be easier on one hand. And yet, I feel the same stirring within me to trudge on, leaving behind the good, and pushing on until I see what the adventure before me holds, whatever it may be. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find myself faced with something even greater than I thought. I think that it may be worth it. . .

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." ~ Proverbs 16:9

JUMBLED THOUGHTS

2011-08-29T10:23:00.002-06:00

While rooting around in my closet the other day I caught sight of my "colder weather clothes" and I couldn't help but lose a few seconds of my day staring wistfully at them and imagining myself all bundled up in their cozy glory . . . and then I snapped back to reality as a drop of sweat rolled down my back due to the 90+ degree heat. Ah, Colorado summer. Perhaps a little too hot for my liking.

Speaking of summer, it seems as though I unintentionally took a summer vacation of sorts from putting my thoughts and words here. I can assure you that I was thinking and speaking (for the most part) outside of this medium but I just needed some time to 'be' in the midst of life's current adventure.

I find it ironic that last year I reflected on Augusts of years' past , and questioned what August of this year might hold. Did I foresee that I would, yet again, be looking for work? And/or be considering venturing into uncharted territories? Most certainly not. Is that where I do find myself currently? Most certainly.

"Well I keep on coming to this place
That I don't know quite how to face
So I lay down my life in hopes to die
That somehow I might rise

Yes I will rise
Out of these ashes rise
From this trouble I have found
And this rubble on the ground
I will rise
Cause He who is in me
Is greater than I will ever be
And I will rise."

~ Rise, by Shawn McDonald

I will rise. I may be back in a place that I've experienced a few times before, but I've changed. Who I am, how I see things, what I perceive my "path" to be, how I trust He who is in me, they've all changed. And I will rise because of them.

August 2012, I'll be ready for whatever tricks you might have up your sleeve . . .

DON'T STOP BELIEVING

2011-05-31T17:25:00.000-06:00

While driving around town the other day I happened upon this sight:

I almost blew right passed it, but as fate would have it, the not-so-normal sign caught my attention, leading me to put my car in reverse and find a spot along the street to park so that I could snap this shot . . . and ponder a bit.

I'm sure that the ~~criminal~~ artist who rendered this masterpiece was largely paying tribute to Journey's infamous "Don't Stop Believin'" but I chose to perceive the phrase in its most basic sentiment. Don't stop believing.

When you're not where you thought that you would be at this point in life, don't stop believing. When life hands you lemons, time and time again, don't stop believing. When others let you down, don't stop believing. When you let others down, don't stop believing. When you make mistakes, don't stop believing. When God and His plans don't make sense to you, don't stop believing. Whatever the case, don't ever stop believing. It may seem easier to doubt, belief after all can be trying and may call for us to move out of our comfort zones (and/or pity parties), but belief breeds hope, and hope paired with action is the gateway to changed perspectives/circumstances.

Keep believing and have hope my friends!

COME AWAY MY BELOVED

2011-03-26T17:43:00.001-06:00

"O my beloved, abide under the shelter of the lattice, for I betrothed you to Myself, and though you are sometimes indifferent toward Me, My love for you is at all times as a flame of fire. My ardor never cools. My longing for your love and affection is deep and constant. . .

Tarry not for an opportunity to have more time to be alone with Me. Take it, though you leave the tasks at hand. Nothing will suffer. Things are of less importance than you think. Our time together is like a garden full of flowers, whereas the time you give to things is as a field of stubble . . .

I love you, and if you can always, as it were, feel My pulse beat, you will receive insight that will give you sustaining strength. I bore your sins and I wish to carry your burdens. You may take the gift of a light and merry heart, for My love dispels all fear and is a cure for every ill. Lay your head upon My breast and lose yourself in Me. You will experience resurrection life and peace; the joy of the Lord will become your strength; and wells of salvation will be opened within you." ~ The Call of Love, from Come Away My Beloved

NEW MEXICO, THE "LAND OF ENCHANTMENT"

2011-03-26T16:38:00.000-06:00

Now, only 22 states left to see . . .

Hasta luego Santa Fe!

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT WORK

2011-01-31T23:52:00.005-07:00

In case you ever wondered what I would look like as a sculpture made out of chewed chewing-gum, then wonder no more. . .

Please note the attention to details [it WAS a curly/wavy hair day for me and I WAS wearing a green vest, I can assure you that I was NOT, however, wearing green lipstick]. Perhaps my middle school friends have a future in gum-sculpting. . .

Gotta love this job!

WALKING WITH GOD

2011-01-31T23:31:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month I spent two whole weeks in the mountains for some work training -- for being a requirement of the job, I think I may have lucked out. . .just a little.

While I was there, I somehow managed to pick up the habit of going on walks. I just started walking aimlessly one day when I couldn't think of anything better to do, ended up enjoying it (and the scenery), and thus, started working it in to almost any free time that we had, spicing it up with music. . .and the occasional walking partner(s) as well.

What made these walks the most meaningful for me though was the undeniable presence of God in them -- in the handiwork of His creation that was laid out before me, in the sweet stillness around me that allowed for me to focus on what He would have me hear, and in the sunshine and/or moonlight that kissed my face and reminded me that I had a Companion with me on my walk. It was indescribable.

Being back at home now, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, part of me yearns for that escape to simplicity, where God seems most accessible. And yet, I find myself being reminded that God is ever present regardless of where I am, or what's going on, and if I seek Him I will in fact find Him. Not only am I capable of walking with God, and He with me, in the beautiful calm of the mountains, but also in the hidden beauty of "the everyday." All I have to do is make the effort to walk with Him wherever I am, and He will show up.

Thank goodness.

PROVERBIAL END OF THE YEAR REFLECTIONS

2010-12-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Oh 2010, you were an interesting year. Little did I know this time a year ago all that you would hold in store for me. . .

You helped me reacquaint myself with patience and faith while I lived in my parents' house [yet again], jobless and frustrated. You reminded me of the joys of adventure when I "visited" my brother and sister-in-law in southern California for five weeks. You allowed me to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones while traveling through Florida and the Caribbean. You showed me that God's timing is not my own when I finally landed a job with an organization that's near and dear to my heart, in a location that I've loved before, Colorado. You blessed me with a new stage in life, a new home, a new community that is challenging me, amazing me, growing me, and exciting me as I continue to see/experience all that it entails.

2010, while parts of you might not have necessarily been enjoyable, all of you was elemental in shaping and molding me, and for that I am grateful. Thanks for a good run!

. . . 2011, what do you have up your sleeve?

COME AND KNOCK ON MY DOOR. . .

2010-11-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone so it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Now all we need is the snow!

STILL NEEDS SOME WORK . . .

2010-09-30T22:43:00.001-06:00

In spite of the temperature being in the high 70s today, a fall-like meal was sounding awfully nice come dinner time. Enter cheesy vegetable soup, my recipe for the month of September.

Unfortunately, I had a wee bit of a problem in successfully completing the recipe and ended up with some huge (and I mean huge) chunks of melted cheese. It looks like I'll be going back to the drawing board (a.k.a. stove) with this one. . .However, it was still pretty darn tasty as it was. If anyone knows how to melt cheese properly in order to get it to a liquidy consistency though, help a girl out! Please, and thank you.

Until next time, goodbye from the kitchen!

OKTOBERFEST

2010-09-26T23:58:00.011-06:00

My friend Jen is traveling through Europe at the moment. She was lucky enough to get to go to the actual Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany; I had to settle for Denver's version of it. And while I'm sure that what I took part in paled in comparison to the real deal, it still was fun in its own rite and even made me feel a little more connected to my own heritage.

Hopefully someday I'll have the chance to get decked out in a dirndl, eat authentic Bratwursts, and
Prost (toast) with German beer, but for now, I'll have to make due with drinking strawberry lemonade whilst watching an Asian man do a Bavarian dance in the streets of Denver.

Guten Tag meine Freunde!

WORDLESS

2010-09-19T22:55:00.002-06:00

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Words. I've clearly been lacking the capacity to put some to ~~paper~~ computer screen recently. But I've also found myself getting tongue-tied, jumbled, and even hesitant, when it comes to my verbal words lately. I'm not a fan. Confucius says (or more accurately, said) "words are the voice of the heart," and I have to say that I agree. Thus, when my words are lacking or not coming out as I would like them then it's as if someone's slapped a muzzle over the voice of my heart. And that's never a pleasant way to go about living life. I'm thinking that maybe if I go eat some alphabet soup or something then it will help me get back on track to formulating my words. . .In the meantime, bear with me as I continue to make incoherent sentences or don't speak up in the way/when I should. Thanks for your understanding.

Relatively mute,

TALKING 'BOUT MY GENERATION

2010-09-07T13:12:00.004-06:00

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An interesting read:

What Is It About 20-Somethings?

AM I THE ONLY ONE

2010-09-05T19:21:00.000-06:00

who intends to let Pandora know that I like the song that they're playing (one I think I've never heard before), only to discover that I've already done so some other time in my listening history?

who sometimes worries that other people actually can read minds and know what I'm thinking?

who adds things to my 'to-do list' only so that I can have the satisfaction of crossing them off?

whose least favorite season is summer (I'm not particularly fond of hot weather. . .)?

who goes up and down every aisle of the grocery store just to make sure I didn't forget something I might need/want?

who based their cereal selection this week off of the fact that you get a free (child's) book in a box of Cheerios?

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Just a week in the life of Megan.

SWEET, STILL NIGHT

2010-08-29T21:22:00.000-06:00

I had the privilege of being in the Rocky Mountains last week when the full moon came about. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Crisp mountain air. Nary a sound (with the exception of the whispering wind). The landscape silhouetted by the moonlight. Clouds that dissipated at just the right time, letting the moon shine in all its glory and revealing the night sky that was dotted with stars. Within me: peace, contentment, reverence, and a reminder of Psalm 46:10a, "Be still, and know that I am God."

It was food for my soul. Great food.

AUGUST'S RECIPE

2010-08-18T12:12:00.000-06:00

Absolutely. Deliciously. Divine.

Check out the new 'tasty concoctions' section at the top of the page for the scoop on how to whip this up in your own kitchen.

LEAN ON ME

2010-08-15T23:42:00.000-06:00

Right now I'm sporting a pretty nice looking little bruise in the webbing of my thenar space. Its presence is attributed to an ill-fated attempt at putting up an event tent the other night. And while the bruise is physically what is staying with me, what is mentally staying with me are the thoughts that resulted from the situation.

Being one of a few attempting to put the tent up I was using all of my might to aid in the process, only to find our combined efforts to not be very mighty. As a result, the aforementioned webbing ended up getting severely pinched between two of the tent pieces. While I tried to free my hand I frantically looked around with pleading eyes for someone to help me, for surely they were seeing the predicament (and pain) I was in! Weren't they?! Once I realized that no one was paying me any attention I refocused myself wholeheartedly on trying to set myself free, for surely I could take care of this all on my own! Couldn't I?! Nope. Okay, back to beckoning people in with my wide-eyed looks of desperation. . .After a good 45 seconds or so (which nearly seemed like an eternity) I finally decided to vocally ask for help, which, surprise surprise, led to a very quickly freed hand.

Why didn't I just call out for help from the get go? Why did I assume that people would just know through osmosis or something that I was needing their assistance? Even more so, in life in general, how often do we wait around, hoping that others will see our needs, our hurt, and our pain without us having to tell them? How often do we try and take care of things by ourselves that in fact require the help of others? Why is it difficult for us to convey our needs, to ask for help, when we most need to? Don't we realize that if we speak up things will start heading in the right direction, if not get better, a heck of a lot faster? Or, if nothing else, at least we will have the support of others?

Nearly immediately after being rescued from the attacking tent, a phrase from Bill Withers' song "Lean on Me" came to mind, it goes: "For no one can fill those of your needs that you don't let show." How true. Sometimes people can sense when something is wrong, when someone needs something, but for the most part that is rare, especially since we've all gotten pretty good at hiding what's really going on with us. If we expect others to help us we have to open up ourselves to them, we have to invite them in, vocally, we have to swallow our pride. It may be a little frightening or out of our comfort zone but in so doing we allow ourselves to get the aid, care, support, and true friendship that we need. After all, we ALL need someone to lean on.

"Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me

So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on."

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT AUGUST

2010-08-06T22:24:00.000-06:00

I'm beginning to see a pattern when it comes to the larger scale changes/events in my life. . .

August 2005: I moved to Colorado to work at a camp for three months (. . .instead of starting my junior year of college in the fall)

August 2007: I quit my first "real" job and moved out of the big city (a.k.a. Seattle)

August 2008: I moved from Washington to Virginia and started graduate school

August 2009: I moved back to Washington from Virginia after completing graduate school

August 2010: I officially started my new job in Denver

August 2011: ???

COOKING ON A DIME

2010-07-29T14:18:00.000-06:00

I'm all about improvisation, people. So once I realized that July has pretty much passed me by and I still needed to whip up a meal from a new recipe for this month I got to brainstorming. I'm on a very, VERY, tight budget at the moment so I decided to look around the kitchen and figure out what I might be able to make with ingredients that I already had lying around. And after conferring with the Pillsbury "Breakfast & Brunch" recipe booklet that I got on the $1 aisle at Target awhile back I created a yummy improvised version of one of the recipes. Behold what I like to call the 'Scrambled Egg and Veggie Breakfast Sandwich':

APPLICABLE WORDS

2010-07-25T23:59:00.000-06:00

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"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." ~ unknown

ONE WITH NATURE

2010-07-18T22:48:00.000-06:00

If you're at all curious about my trip to Denver, here's the gist of it: I hit a deer somewhere in Montana while driving on the freeway (but miraculously managed to drive away unscathed -- both my car and the deer); saw a fair amount of bison, as well as some elk and moose in Yellowstone National Park;

and ripped my pants in the midst of trying to escape a cicada while dining out on my first night in town (what can I say, I'm afraid of bugs/insects). On the whole, in between driving long hours through seemingly endless lands of wide open spaces, this trip brought me that much closer to nature and strengthened my love-hate relationship with it. What more could you ask for on an excursion such as the one I just completed?

R.I.P. (YET ANOTHER) CAMERA

2010-07-10T12:25:00.000-06:00

Either I'm jinxed or I'm just not cut out to be an owner of electronics.

I was hoping that my digital camera might be salvageable but after calling around I've found out that: 1. camera repair people are pretty outspoken about their feelings towards Samsung cameras, and 2. it'd cost near the same, or maybe even less, to just buy a new camera as it would to try and fix it. And so, after a short life, it looks as though I'll be parting with the 2nd camera that's been in my possession in the past year.

And while we're looking at the numbers, it's also worth noting that I'm currently on my 3rd computer in 2 1/2 years, and now that my phone is going a little nuts [which when I took it in to get checked out I was told by the salesperson, "now I remember why we stopped selling these phones" -- great.] I could very well be on to my 3rd phone in 1 1/2 years here soon enough. But, 3rd time's a charm, right? Right? I'm hoping so. If not, I may just have to move to Amish country and swear off all technology -- it sure would save me a lot of money.

I COULD GET USED TO THIS

2010-07-01T21:46:00.000-06:00

Camp with some great kiddos. . .

Tasty cupcakes and macaroons from an open-air bakery in a quaint neighborhood. . .

Yummy lunch in the sun on a rooftop in a neat district of downtown . . .

Beautiful sunsets . . .

In addition to many other things (i.e. wonderful people, sense of community, other fun places to explore, etc.). . .

All this to say, if my life in Denver turns out to be anything near to what I experienced in the past week that I was there then I think that I'll be one lucky person. I guess I'll find out soon enough when I move there for good in a couple of weeks.

*disclaimer: I cannot take credit for any of the above pictures, they are all courtesy of the trusty old internet seeing as I dropped my camera multiple times while at camp and it now is pretty much useless -- c'est la vie

THE DOMINO EFFECT

2010-06-21T11:45:00.000-06:00

Today I got up at 4 in the morning -- to miss my flight and sit here in the airport for who knows how long? Apparently. Mmm, sleep sounds awfully good right about now.

Since my frustration level has begun to subside somewhat, and I've got a bit of time on my hands (possibly a good 9 hours unless I can get on as a standby -- oh joy), the contemplative mood is striking me.

After this morning's events it's got me thinking, how much do our own lives and life decisions effect those of others? Clearly when we make a point of having some type of impact on other people the effect is going to be greater, but what about when we're simply minding our own business and in some shape or form it has an effect on people that we wouldn't have imagined?

For example, Joe Schmo probably was thinking that when he called in sick today that the only people that it would make a difference to would be himself and his coworkers who would have to pick up his slack. I'm sure that he didn't realize that the weight of his absence would be intensified by the absence of the four other people who would call in sick. Or that as a result his coworkers would be very shorthanded and ill-prepared to handle the number of people who would be coming to the ticket counter. I'm sure it didn't cross his mind that due to being understaffed many people would end up missing their flights. Or that by missing their flights those people would then continue the domino effect by having to rearrange their plans, thus effecting the lives of even more people. The gentleman who was behind me in line was on his way to a business meeting, that was now needing to be rescheduled -- it's merely hypothetical, but what if by having to reschedule that meeting everyone involved will have more time to mull things over and may go in a different direction than they were going to go in had the first meeting taken place? Could a business deal in Chicago really fall through on account of Joe Schmo calling in sick to his job in Podunkville, WA? It's probably not the case, but in essence, it very well could be possible.

We may not realize it, but as individualized as our lives can be we are all still very much interconnected. Even the little things that we do, that we say, are capable of carrying more weight and reaching farther than it would seem. We really can effect the lives of others by making a simple, mundane decision in our own life. It's a little bit crazy, but highly fascinating. . .for me atleast. I think I may have just guilted myself into never calling in sick again. Wait, nope, scratch that -- but I will be more mindful of how my actions, my life, may factor in to someone else's life.

As for now though, I'm off to find all of the happening hangout spots in the airport -- I'm sure there's tons.

Get well soon Joe Schmo.

ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING A DOMESTIC GODDESS

2010-06-18T16:19:00.021-06:00

. . . one very tiny, itsy bitsy, step, but a step nonetheless.

Yum.

SWEET SIMPLICITY

2010-06-13T22:22:00.000-06:00

Life moves fast. Sometimes the little things go by unnoticed in the midst of the hustle and bustle; but it's those very things that are often worth savoring. A moment sitting in the sun. Good conversation over a good meal, with good company. A first date. Laughing so hard your stomach hurts. Being reminded of why your friends are your friends in the first place. Going for a scenic drive. Sleeping in. Transitioning from the 'kids table' to the 'grown-up table' at family gatherings. Watching the sun set. Having movie night with the fam. They're all wonderful things. When things/moments like those come around, drink them in. Simple pleasures simply make life very pleasurable. To my weekend, I say, thanks for reminding me of that.

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

2010-06-02T19:07:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I was in full-tilt 'Auntie mode.' It's always great when you get to have the perk of having fun with kids without having to be fully responsible for their upbringing (don't you worry though, I'm sure I will enjoy being fully responsible for the upbringing of little humans when the time comes). I love it. But even more so, I sure do love the special girl that I got to play at the park with, have movie nights with (complete with making stove-popped popcorn -- that popped out at us when we'd sneak a peek under the lid), get in tickle fights with, and, among other things, do long division with? Yes, that too -- at her request! Smart cookie. She even was a trooper as we trekked all over town partaking in the Street Scramble put on by the YMCA. We managed to place 70th out of around 200 teams; she's a rock star (and was, of course, rewarded with ice cream afterwards)!

I'm pretty sure that I lucked out in the niece department. I can't wait to see how life unfolds for her as she continues to grow up and into her own person! But for now, I'm going to revel in the fun times with her in all of her ten-year-old glory.

P.S. I do realize that about 90.24% of my post titles are song lyrics/titles -- what can I say, I'm a bit of a music lover.

MR. MOON, MOON, BRIGHT AND SILVERY MOON. . .

2010-05-27T10:46:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I like to do things entirely on a whim. Last night was no exception.

As I was heading to bed around midnight, already cozy in my pjs, I passed by a window and the glowing moonlight caught my eye. Standing there for a few seconds, gazing at the bright moon, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I made my way to my room, glanced at the time on the clock and my inviting bed, then turned and slipped a jacket on over my pajamas, wiggled my feet into some shoes, grabbed my keys and headed out the door.

I'm pretty sure that I was trying to recapture the glory of the last full moon I experienced, which just so happened to take place out in the wide open waters of the Gulf of Mexico on board a cruise ship. But when you're attempting to relive a moment as magical as laying in bed staring out the window at the luminous reflection of the moon on the water, whilst being bathed in the cascading moonlight yourself as you gently are rocked back and forth by the swaying of the boat, it's almost guaranteed that it will not be matched. Which, sadly to say, it wasn't.

Rather, last night I found myself driving the empty streets all by myself trying to think of a place that I could go that would A.) allow me to soak in the beauty of the moonlight without it having to compete with the light from street lamps and/or buildings, and would B.) not be a perfect setting to meet an axe murderer face-to-face. As a result, except for my brief foray outside by the water's edge downtown, my moonlight activity consisted of remaining in my car, driving through the back roads and attempting to capture the night sky with my camera -- which resulted with this shot (the best of the bunch, unfortunately):

It may not have been quite what I had hoped it would be when I had opted to have a date with the moon rather than a date with my bed. And I may have run the risk of getting called in for suspicious behavior (i.e. driving slow, turning my lights off and on, stopping in the middle of the road. . .in the wee hours of the night). But it was a unique excursion all it's own that was still worth every minute it.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

2010-05-20T19:49:00.001-06:00

Following up on the brief mentioning last week of some potential big news to share, I suppose it's time to let the cat out of the bag. . .

I'M MOVING TO DENVER (in July) !!

As of this afternoon I've officially accepted a job offer in the Mile-High City. I figured I've lived on both the West Coast and the East Coast so it's about due time that I live somewhere in the middle. Well, there's that, and other more logical reasons of course.

So it looks like in terms of completing my 25 @ 25 aspirations the professional football and/or soccer games I'll be attending will most likely be played by one of these teams,

my learning to snowboard could very well take place here,

and my intentions to spend a day as a tourist in the area that I live will be quite attainable given that I basically will be a tourist, for the first little while at least.

ADVENTURES IN THE KITCHEN

2010-05-18T20:56:00.001-06:00

Consider the first 'recipe a month,' a beef enchilada bake, complete. A success? Eh, for the most part.

Bon appetit! Or, more appropriately, buen apetito!

Thoughts/reflections from the chef:

- Peppers are hot, use them sparingly. Just because you don't usually cook with them, much less eat them, doesn't mean you have to get overzealous in your attempt to broaden your horizons; all that that gets you is spiciness that masks the taste of the dish, lips that still feel a little zingy, and fingers that, after washing repeatedly, and showering, still smell like peppers. Whoops.

- While leftovers are great (another meal for another day!), perhaps instead of just cutting a recipe in half, actually use your brain and do the math to make an appropriate portion of food.

- A key ingredient for any recipe is, of course, good music. If anyone was curious where the producers for Dancing With the Stars got their ideas for songs, tune in to the Party Favorites channel on On Demand; I swear I heard at least five songs that they've recently used to dance to this season. That I can recognize/remember songs from the show? Yeah, not too sure if I should be admitting to that.

THINKING SPOT

2010-05-13T13:40:00.000-06:00

If you don't have a place yet where you can get away from it all, escape into your thoughts, and feel like it's just you and God, then I highly recommend that you find one. It's a glorious thing.

After spending some time at my thinking spot yesterday, I'm darn near close to having some news to share. I'll keep you posted.

25 AT 25

2010-05-07T11:22:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I join the ranks of those living at or beyond the quarter of a century mark. Since I tend to typically be the youngest amongst my friends, by the time my birthday rolls around I usually am more than ready to catch up to the pack. This time around though, the implications of being a 25 year old have got me calming that anticipation down a bit, relishing my last few hours of being in my 'early twenties.' I've heard various accounts from friends and family members who've said that their 25th birthday was different than the ones that have preceded it, a number of people I know have cried on that day, and some have said that it just, downright, feels weird. I can understand that. In efforts to avoid a similar fate however, I've decided that I'm going to turn things up a notch and give myself reason to believe that turning 25 is going to be a magnificent thing.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the list of the 25 things that I'm going to make sure I WILL be doing at the ripe 'ol age of 25:

1. Visit at least 2 of the remaining 23 states that I have yet to see

2. Overcome my fear of needles and give blood

3. Catch up on the seasons of The Office that I missed, watching the series from the very beginning

4. Learn to use a barbecue

5. Lose at least 30 lbs. (and maintain a healthy weight/diet)

6. Have something published

7. Join a committee/volunteer/get more involved in a cause that I believe in

8. Run in a road race

9. Become pretty near fluent in a foreign language

10. Cook a meal with a brand new recipe once a month

11. Go to a noteworthy Oktoberfest

12. Take my camera with me everywhere and document life

13. Memorize a Bible verse/passage each week

14. Read at least 5 'classics' -- including sticking with and finishing The Brothers Karamazov

15. Spend a day as a tourist in the area that I live

16. Learn Excel

17. Attend a professional football or soccer game

18. Refurbish/remodel something from a thrift store

19. Relearn how to sew and sew something of note

20. Go on a big-scale hike

21. Grow (and keep alive) flowers and/or a plant

22. Learn to snowboard

23. Attend a big-name concert

24. Blog at least once a week

25. Go for a moonlight stroll/activity with every full moon

If you're inclined to join me (either physically or in spirit) on any of these endeavors, please do! And I will definitely be keeping you all up to speed with my progress on this list; check back often to see for yourselves, to hold me accountable, or just to say hi. Here's to the next 365 days, it's going to be a stupendous year!

MY LAST FEW WEEKS, IN NUMBERS

2010-04-02T13:46:00.000-06:00

Every day I wake up with the intention of filling you all in on life down here in California -- I truly do -- but somehow I just never get around to doing it. Can I blame it on falling into the chill, SoCal way of life? No? Shoot. Well, to try and make up for it, I present you with a summary of my trip/working-vacation/sabbatical(?) so far:

- 1,000 times of saying "Good girl!" in a high-pitched, excited voice

- 65 dog poos picked up and disposed of

- 20 dollars lost at a casino blackjack table -- which were letter repaid out of the winnings of my sister-in-law's high-roller father

- 11.5 miles put in on my sister-in-law's bike, my mode of transportation -- and I apologize for being one of those erratic bikers who's not really sure if they're a pedestrian or a vehicle, I despise those people and yet I fear I've become one of them out of sheer disdain/fear of riding bikes on main roads, give me a back road and/or trail any day

- 10 run 'mercy' rule being employed in both of the softball games that we've played in a rec. league -- with us being the ones extending the mercy, obviously

- 8 people that I watched get jumped over in one jump by a street performer at Venice Beach

- 5 celeb. spottings --alright, so they may not really count as spottings since it was actually on the set of The Tonight Show, but nonetheless, I did see the likes of Craig T. Nelson, Rumer Willis, Ludacris, Kevin Eubanks (he counts as a celebrity right?), and of course Jay Leno; not to mention, I got to shake Jay's hand! That's right folks. Feel free to play the Megan version of "Where's Waldo" and look for the moment in last Friday's episode.

- 4 nights a week relaxing and watching our must-see TV shows together

- 3 days of feeling under the weather

- 2 wineries visited in the wine country just outside of Santa Barbara -- beautiful, fun trip, but not the best time for having given up alcohol for Lent, dang it; however, a great time for having a sweet brother who will buy you a bottle of wine from one of the wineries for after Easter

- 1 great hike in Malibu Canyon

- 0 pictures to show for any of it because I had already uploaded them to my computer, which has decided that it is done living -- wonderful

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

2010-03-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I 've been terribly bad about keeping this thing up to date as of late -- my sincerest apologies to all of you (all 2 of you) who've surely been waiting on pins and needles for any word from me. Yes, I am alive and kicking. More importantly, in a couple of days I will be California-bound! Until further notice I'll be spending some quality time with this beautiful girl,
trying my hand at puppy-sitting/training while enjoying SoCal. . .and oh yeah, hanging out with her parents (my brother and sister-in-law) too. What's life without a little adventure?! Stay tuned.

WE ARE THE WORLD

2010-02-13T01:41:00.000-07:00

Call me sappy, but my heart swells everytime the Olympics roll around; not necessarily because of the sporting events themselves, but because of the pride and unity that it emanates. In essence, the games are about competition, but even in the spirit of competition the underlying unity of all the competitors and countries shines through. With the Olympics, whether in tragedy or triumph, we stand together, side by side with our brothers and sisters from foreign lands, as one world. I love it. . .and wish it would happen more often.

P.S. This commercial is pretty great.

IT'S ALL YOU NEED (. . .SO SAY THE BEATLES)

2010-02-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

In case the onslaught of merchandise/propaganda everywhere you turn hasn't given it away, Valentine's Day is upon us. Some may cringe at this reality, while others may be counting down the days in eager anticipation. For me, I can't help but smile at the thought of a day dedicated to celebrating love. While Valentine's Day typically is reserved for honoring romantic love, I've always viewed it as a day to celebrate love as a whole -- because, in my opinion, all forms of love are worth celebrating; love for family, love for friends, yes, love for significant others, and even love for our fellow human beings whom we don't even know. Love is the greatest thing after all, whatever shape or form it comes in. So on this Valentine's Day, whether you have a "somebody special" to spend it with or not, celebrate the gift of love and know that you are loved by both God and myself. Happy Valentine's Day!

{I also want to say thank you, thank you, thank you, to all of my family, friends, and acquaintances who have (and continue to) showered me with love over the years. Each and every one of you are a blessing in my life and I love you all more than tongue can tell!}

HEY OLD LADY

2010-01-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the cold, hard truth of reality comes right up and smacks you in the face; or in my case, the head.

They’ve been slowly taking up residence on my head for almost a year now, but it seems as though their ranks have been growing as of late. What is it that I am talking about? Grey hairs. That’s right, I’m not yet even 25 (25!!) and I already have more than one grey hair. I’d like to attribute it to stress, but whatever the reason of their existence, the truth is I’m getting older, we all are, with each passing day. I know my mind and body won’t always be the same as they are now [which, let’s face it, would be good if it would change, as in, my getting in better shape], and that no matter how well I take care of myself there are some things that will change without my own doing simply because I’ll be getting older, but I just wasn’t really aware that perhaps I’m already starting on the downward slope. Yikes. I’m hoping that those pesky grey hairs aren’t the precursor to more symptoms of aging popping up in my near future, and I sure think it would be quite nice if they would disappear all together.

I do intend to age gracefully. . .just when the time comes, and I’m hoping that that time isn’t upon me just yet; right now, I may not be so graceful about it.

LIVING IN THE LAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE

2010-01-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

After watching Emily Blunt [a British actress, if you're unaware] on Leno tonight I couldn't resist the urge to speak in an English accent . . . and so I've been doing just that ever since. It happens sometimes.

I also recently stumbled across these cute pictures of my niece from a few years back,

and the combination of these things has got me thinking.

How fun would life be if we constantly, unabashedly let the real world and the world of make-believe collide?! If people did converse with others in accents (that are not their own). . .in public. . .just for the heck of it? If someone who had always been tempted to don a Superman outfit underneath their blase business suit in order to feel a bit like a superhero themselves did just that? If someone who needed a little extra "oomph" to run faster/farther pretended that they were being chased by a dinosaur?

True, the likelihood of people going overboard is pretty much guaranteed. But still, why do we have to forgo all of our make-believing just because we aren't adorable little five year old fairy explorers anymore? Perhaps letting our imaginations have a little more say in our day to day life may be exactly what each of us need. If nothing else, it'd at least be highly entertaining.

NIGHTY NIGHT

2010-01-12T00:50:00.000-07:00

What is it about the night that beckons thoughts, feelings, moments so different from those that exist during the day? Is it the darkness closing in around us, shrouding us from the transparency of the day? Is it the freedom from our daytime responsibilities? Or is it simply that by nightfall we've been up for so long that our brains and bodies don't know how to function in a "normal" capacity?

Ever since I was a wee-one, nights and nighttime endeavors have varied quite greatly from their daytime counterparts. Any unidentified noise that typically would be shrugged off during the day, at night, becomes someone with ill intentions lurking just outside my door. Projects that call for my undivided attention receive just the opposite while the sun is high in the sky, but once the moon replaces the sun suddenly my focus kicks in and my best work is done [this reality was the bane of my existence throughout my years of school]. Idealistic dreams seem attainable and keep me filled with hope in the waking hours, but when I should be sleeping my mind becomes clouded with over the top rationalizing that gives way to anxiety. And still, at other times the expansive night sky, dotted with stars, affords me peace, calm, and a sense of (yet another) fresh start that rarely comes from the daytime.

Vincent Van Gogh once said, "I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day." Perhaps he just may be right. Though the night may be riddled with some form of restlessness, or something of a similar flavor, whatever it holds, there's no denying that there's something bewitching about nighttime. . . and I often am under its spell.

LIFELONG PRAYER AND VERSE TO REMEMBER

2010-01-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,
As I place my life in Your hands, I will trust You to be faithful. Amen.

~ A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. - Proverbs 16:9 - ~

SINGLE LADIES

2009-12-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Family curse? Call it what you will, but there’s got to be some explanation behind the perpetual state of singleness that my sister, my cousin, and myself find ourselves in. Out of the ten cousins on my mom’s side of the family, every last one of the seven boys are taken while we three girls remain as unattached as can be. Did I mention that we ladies are all in our mid-to-late twenties? Or that even our cousin who’s still in high school is in a relationship – and we aren’t? What’s happening here?! The crème de la crème is that other family members have not only taken note of it but have spent time pondering the matter. Recently my oldest male cousin (who’s getting married this April) posted this gem on my sister’s Facebook wall (yes, I just referred to Facebook) entirely out of the blue:

“Don't worry about the whole being single thing. You are dealing with some kind of higher force. I discovered this one cold winter evening when I realized that every male on the Fisher side of the family is in a relationship and every female is single. Fisher Phenomenon at its finest.”

Whatever it is, I hope that this ‘phenomenon’ is nearing an end, partially because I think we girls are pretty darn amazing and deserve to find someone special, but even more so because I don’t want any other people in my family to have to spend a “cold winter evening” mulling over our singledom.

In the meantime, it’s time to enjoy Christmas festivities, and then it’s off to Bavaria. . . I mean, Leavenworth. . .to spend quality time with the Fisher fam., including every single significant other of the male cousins. Of course. If you feel inclined to get me something for Christmas, a nice gentleman for me, or my sister, or cousin, would be more than welcome.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

REALITY CHECK

2009-12-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

No one's stopping you but yourself. That's something I casually mentioned to my sister in response to something trivial the other day. As soon as the words were out of my mouth though I no longer saw them in the context of our conversation, but rather was convicted by the reality that that's exactly what was happening on a larger scale with some matters of my own life. My own words have found me guilty as charged. I don't want to be one of those people who lives by the saying "do as I say, not as I do," even more, I don't want to be responsible for holding myself back. I want to lead by example. When I give advice to others, I want them to have confidence in it, in me, because I veered away from hypocrisy and took my own advice. Most importantly, I want to have faith in myself, in my dreams, and in God's plan for me and to not be the one stopping myself. I know that I've referred to it before, but I think that this quote is relevant and worthy of a re-read, and so I sign off with this, my newly adopted mantra: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined," (thanks Mr. Thoreau).

HERE COMES THE SUN

2009-12-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

I wasn't so fond of my day yesterday. Today though, today I found joy in the simple beauty all around me. I mean, how could you not find joy with things like these?

It was just what the doctor ordered.

HOME

2009-11-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

They say that home is where the heart is. I agree, but I also posit that where the heart is is home. I've been lucky enough to call a number of different residences and towns 'home' over the years, whether for only a short time or for the bulk of my life, they all have been worthy of being called a home of mine. They've each provided me with shelter, refuge, memories, opportunities for growth, new experiences, familiarity, friendship, and most importantly, love. As such, a little piece of my heart has been left with all of them. And while they may no longer be the place that I am living at at the moment, they will always be home to me. (Lest they forget it, sometimes it's necessary to go to drastic measures, i.e. carving your initials into the windowsill of your childhood bedroom. . .when you're 20 years old, to leave your mark.)

Being just shy of a quarter-century old, I am aware that I'm probably nowhere near done accruing new places for my heart to fall in love with and to claim as a home. As I look back on the changes that have already happened in my life, and ponder those yet to come, I can't help but wonder, where will my heart and my home wind up being next? I suppose I'll find out soon enough.

GYM RATS

2009-11-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

I majored in Sociology. Suffice it to say, people, and their interactions, fascinate me. I’ve come to find that a great place to indulge this interest is none other than the gym. Ah yes, the gym; where one can find those whose lives revolve around working out, those who’re trying to shed those pesky extra pounds, those who view it as a prime date-finding arena, and even those who’re there simply for appearances. Because of the wide variety of reasons that people may be at the gym, gym-goers provide an excellent, and amusing, sampling of social culture as a whole.

One of the best occurrences at the gym is what I like to refer to as "vulturing." You know, when someone is eyeing a piece of equipment that's in use, staying close by, and then pouncing on it once the person's done with it so that no one else can swoop in to use it before them? Especially when the gym's busy, vulturing can be a very useful tool. Without fully developed vulturing skills though, one may wander just a wee bit too far and then find that suddenly it's anybodies' game. I've been there. There's nothing worse than seeing the object of your desire become available but as you work your way through the maze of sweaty people and oddly shaped workout machines your eyes settle on someone else who's moving in the same direction with their eyes on the same prize. Uh oh. Inevitably this leads to more than one person reaching the coveted equipment piece at the same time, at which point the proverbial "Oh, were you about to use this?" "That's okay, you can go for it" "Are you sure?" "Um, yeah, definitely" interaction ensues before the defeated person sulks away, vowing to A. run like the wind to beat the other person next time, B. tell the next person that "As I a matter of fact I am going to be using this right now, you'll have to wait your turn", or C. stand right next to the desired workout machine while it's in use next time, even if it's incredibly awkward for both people involved. . . which it most likely would be. I’m not exactly a fan of being on the receiving end of these events, but to witness others endure them while slaving away pumping iron myself? Wonderfully entertaining.

Some other favorites while at the gym include: the person who talks on their cellphone, loudly, the whole 30 minutes they’re on the elliptical (thank you for sharing your conversation with us – and I’m all for multi-tasking, but, really?!); the cute old men who attempt to make small-talk with anyone working out within a 10 ft. radius of them; the guys who never venture out of the free-weight area, are the exact same guys in there on any given day of the week, and as a result, are all good buddies with each other; and the people (yes, myself included a lot of the time) who have headphones in from the instant they walk in the door all the way up until they’re walking out the door, regardless of what they’re doing while in the gym.

Thank you gym and fellow gym-goers for indulging my people-watching tendencies, you make working out a bit more enjoyable.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2009-11-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

I've been dwelling on some quotes that I scribbled down while attending the Willow Creek Association's Leadership Summit this past summer. These are particular ones that, as of late, have been floating around in my head and are wiggling their way into my (ongoing) life-planning. If you feel so inclined, feel free to entertain these thoughts in your own life as well:

~ Sometimes the comfortable thing to do is the wrong thing to do.

~ You've got to be prepared to adjust.

~ If you are of religious faith, it'd be odd if it didn't have an impact on your job/on what you do.

~ Leadership is your duty to do if you can do it.

~ The joy of achieving something makes the pain all worthwhile.

~ Make the decision to say "yes" to God every time He asks something of you. You don't have to understand the implications of it, you just have to say "yes" -- sometimes the best paths one has gone down were ones where they had no idea where they were going.

~ This isn't the pre-game, this is the game. You have one life to live full on for God, one life to develop your leadership to the fullest potential.

~What're you going to live for? What will you lay it down for?

TRICK OR TREAT?

2009-10-15T18:58:00.000-06:00

I may have reached the age (okay, I reached the age a good while ago) when it's no longer admissible to dress up and go trick or treating, but this item that I stumbled across today provides quite the novel alternative when it comes to celebrating the holiday:

“I grew up in a college town, and one Halloween our doorbell rang and we opened the door expecting to see trickortreaters—but what was in front of our open door—was another door! Like, a full-on wooden door, that had a sign that said ‘Please knock.’ So we did, and the door swung open to reveal a bunch of college dudes dressed as really old grandmothers, curlers in their hair, etc, who proceeded to coo over our ‘costumes’ and tell us we were ‘such cute trick or treaters!’ One even pinched my cheek. Then THEY gave US candy, closed their door, picked it up and walked to the next house.”*

Not only do I love this, but I'm determined to do it at some point in my life. . .even if it entails my being a real-life old grandmother by the time it happens.

*story courtesy of mylifeisaverage.com -- knowledge of said website courtesy of the good 'ol teenagers in my life who seem to know every nook and cranny of the internet

I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET. . .HOPEFULLY

2009-09-30T12:52:00.000-06:00

Dear East Coast,

I'm not going to lie, this break up has been hard on me. I've been able to enjoy a lot of this past month when I've been around my family and friends, but in the still moments where it's just me and my thoughts, the fact that we're not together right now hits me hard. Remembering our time together, sometimes it feels as though it was all just a dream and never happened in the first place, other times, a grieving feeling rises up from the pit of my stomach and makes me acknowledge that I lost something I truly loved. I know this was my own doing, and I apologize for ending things rather unexpectedly and abruptly, but I had to do what I had to do at the time. I'm still trying to figure out where you fit in my life, but I'm pretty sure that the saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' rings true here. I don't know what the future holds, but I hope that you haven't written me off just yet. Give me time, and hopefully we can work through this. Until then. . .

With love,

HAVING FAITH WHEN IT'S MOST TOUGH TO HAVE IT

2009-09-23T14:59:00.000-06:00

"Again and again, Ordinary lost his way. Again and again, he cried out for the Dream Giver to show him the way. But no answer came. Why had he ever trusted the Dream Giver to guide him in the first place?"

How often do we find ourselves floundering in the midst of our attempts to find our way in life? How often do we cry out for help, direction, guidance, only to be met with silence? It's so easy, at least for me, to get frustrated and upset at those times. To wonder why I can't ever seem to stay on track. Or to wonder why God is not making His way known to me in spite of my crying out and my so-called 'trust' in Him. But to allow those times to have a foothold on our lives, to wallow in what we perceive our reality to be, we miss out on the opportunity to extract meaning from those instances. Looking back on particular instances in my life, there were times where something beyond my control happened and set my life heading in a different direction than I had planned, than I had prayed for, and to be honest, in the heat of the moment my reaction at those times consisted of being distraught, feeling lost and even betrayed. Given time, and with the clarity of hindsight, though I was able to see that it was those same instances that procured opportunities for my life that would not have happened otherwise, that turned out to be better things than what I had been planning for myself. Those seasons of life allowed me to learn more about myself, to grow in new ways, and to readjust the way in which I trusted God -- no longer trusting that He'll provide what it is that I think that I want, but trusting that He'll provide what He knows that I need. They may not be easy times of life but in persevering and having faith they may provide even greater things for us yet.

"Later that same day, Ordinary was eating some fruit beside a trickle of water, when he saw his journey through the WasteLand in a whole new way. Food enough for the day. Water, when he needed to drink. A path to follow that led to Faith. How could he have been so blind? Even when the Dream Giver had been nowhere in sight, he had always been near." - The Dream Giver

LIFE'S UNFOLDING JOURNEY

2009-09-18T00:28:00.000-06:00

Boomerang. A flying apparatus that, when thrown properly, returns to where it was thrown from. As applied to humans, a person who spreads their wings to fly and yet returns right back to where they started from. This is my second time boomeranging. I’m chagrined to admit it, but it’s the truth and therefore is inescapable – believe me, I’ve tried to escape it and you just can’t outrun the truth, dang. On one hand, I suppose the current state of my life could be perceived as a good thing in that A. having a quarter-life crisis may eliminate having a mid-life crisis later on, or, at least, B. it will make a mid-life crisis seem like a walk in the park – I’m pulling for A. At any rate, here I am, wondering just what it is that I’m doing here and attempting to figure out what’s next to come in this journey of life. I find myself floating somewhere between uneasiness and optimism, fearful of getting stuck in a rut, of settling, but hoping to overcome such things and make my future into whatever I want it to be. Just today I dove back in to one of my favorite books, Bruce Wilkinson’s The Dream Giver, and have been eating up every word of it, finding insight and encouragement that I've unconsciously been in need of. In particular, this snippet was among many which stuck with me today: “He wouldn’t waste another day waiting for his Dream to seem possible. He would find a way to pursue it.” Fabulous. And so, in this season of adventures, and misadventures, and with a new sense of gumption inspired by Mr. Wilkinson’s work, my intention is to move beyond the possibilities of my dreams into the probability of them. Making use of this time in my life to enjoy the freedom of where I'm currently at all while whole-heartedly pursuing my dreams until they are a reality, until they are what's next in my life's journey. Here we go. . .

“Isn’t it time to begin? You’ve waited long enough.
Your dream is beating in your chest.
Do you feel it?
Tell your friends the news.
Pack your bags.
It’s time to follow the Dream Giver on the journey to your Dream.” – The Dream Giver

RANDOMNESS IN ALL ITS GLORY

2009-09-15T14:03:00.000-06:00

If you've spent enough time with me you're probably well aware of my love for the word random. *Ahem, note the title of the blog.* I tend to use the word a little too often, quite typically to describe things that may not really be random in all actuality. According to Merriam-Webster though the definition of random is as such: "lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern." Interesting. No wonder I love random so much, that definition is pretty much an accurate summation of my life. I would like to argue that most of life, not just my own, is in fact random when you think about it though. After all how many things in life truly are definite anyway? We may intend for them to be definite but that doesn't necessarily mean that they will be, there are almost always circumstances, matters, experiences, etc. beyond our control that can effect what happens. One of my favorite quotes reads: "Make your plans. But write them on paper, not in concrete. God and life have a way of intruding and leading you on a journey that you might not have anticipated in your wildest dreams." God knows His plans for us but to us life is often random, and people are random too, and so sometimes the best thing we can do is to trust in God, hold on tight, and enjoy the ride. Besides, randomness adds a little spice to life. Don't you think?

And now, simply for your viewing pleasure, I leave you with some of my favorite random (by my own definition) pictures. Enjoy:

A Jesus nightlight

A drive-in liquor store

"Pin the Baby in the Manger"

Mr. No-Sleeve Sweatshirt riding a horse bareback

An unfortunate Native American by the name of Young Man Afraid of His Horses

ODE TO FRESHMAN YEAR

2009-09-08T16:16:00.000-06:00

To all you wide-eyed college freshmen out there, as someone (among millions) who's been where you are now, here are a few words of wisdom as you embark on your first year of college:

- regardless of if your living situation was your first choice or not, try and make the most of it

- make your dorm room as 'homey' as possible, even if it means nauseatingly bright colors everywhere

- get involved in campus activities (i.e. intramurals), not only is it a great way to meet new people but it will help you keep your sanity in the midst of all of your schoolwork

- take advantage of 'inclimate weather' days to ditch the books for awhile and enjoy whatever the weather brought with it

- be sure to get off of campus and explore your surroundings (besides, it's a great opportunity to pose for pictures)

- surround yourself with people whose company you enjoy

You'll come to find, learning while in college doesn't take place only within the classroom, it happens wherever you go and in whatever you do -- it takes place in your interactions with your peers, it happens in the midst of attending sporting events, and it even manifests itself when you're doing your own laundry for, perhaps, the first time in your life. Take this time to learn and grow in whatever capacity possible, drink it all in, and let it be a stepping stone to even greater things for you.

LESSONS FROM AMERICA

2009-08-29T11:10:00.016-06:00

"You road I enter upon and look around, I believe you are not all that is here, I believe that much unseen is also here." - Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road

It can be so easy to get swept up in the pressures and dredges of the world, to get lost within our own lives, that we often lose sight of all that is around us, especially the good, simplicity that surrounds us. One sure way to reconnect to the heart of things is to spend some time in what is deemed "the heartland of America." While it may not be a place I myself am inclined to call home, it certainly holds a place in my heart for its ability to hold on to the basic important matters of life. Traveling the open road from Virginia right through the middle of America to Washington I encountered Southern hospitality, small town pride, countless homages to history, moral and family values, strong work ethics, and my own love of varying landscapes. From the refreshing sight of a closed up downtown on a Sunday in Paducah, Kentucky, to the kindness of strangers asking to take a picture of my mom and me in front of the St. Louis Arch so that we could both be in the picture; from the unsolicited yet welcomed car advice from a fellow traveler at a rest area in Kansas, to the home-style cooking at the small diners in Limon, Colorado and Snowville, Utah; the simplest of things have swelled my heart and reopened my eyes to all that is good and right in this country, and in this life. In this season of transition, while I still battle with all that it entails, I'm very grateful for what the open road brought into my life and mind. It didn't hurt any that to top the trip off I was able to partake in one of America's favorite past-times as well.

The heart of America has reminded me that it is the simple things in life that can create the most joy and happiness and I am going to cling to that as I head into this next chapter of life, whatever it turns out to become.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

2009-08-24T23:23:00.008-06:00

Living the life of a vagabond, my last few days have looked a little something like this:

More to come. . .

TRULY RANDOM RUMINATIONS

2009-08-08T11:49:00.051-06:00

Recent Frustration - How am I supposed to verify that I am not a spambot if I can't even read the letters that I'm being asked to type because they're all squished together or curve in abnormal ways? And no, I don't appreciate having to attempt 5 times to authorize my identity because of it. I promise I'm a real person. . . and literate.

Interesting Tidbit -
I hung out in a landfill the other day. Okay, so it used to be a landfill and is now a park, but still. Mt. Trashmore is pretty neat because something that was once, literally, full of crap has now become a beautiful gathering place. I, for one, am appreciative of its transformation since it provides for a great place to go for a scenic jog, not to mention, most recently, it also gave me a chance to play with my new camera.

Truth -
Exactly a week from today I am moving out of my apartment. . . at which point I will be a couch-hopper for two days before taking kids to camp for five days. . .after that, only time will tell where I'll be.

Pertinent -
These lyrics (courtesy of Fernando Ortega):
"Take heart, my friend, we'll go together,
This uncertain road that lies ahead,
Our faithful God has always gone before,
And He will lead the way once again."

SQUIRREL: 1, MEGAN: 0

2009-07-29T12:10:00.012-06:00

Today, I had lunch in a park. Today, I learned that I don't like squirrels very much, in fact, there's a good possibility that I might be afraid of them. Today, I felt very certain that a particular one of those little buggers was going to attack me. Today, I sacrificed my picnic table in order to find a safe haven from said squirrel. . .only to look back as I was walking away to see that he had scurried on top of the table and was sprawled out in the same place that my lunch had been just seconds before. Today, I let a squirrel be victorious over me.

YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD

2009-07-20T14:36:00.008-06:00

True, I technically may still be in the prime of my life but there are some things that even at my age I've felt like it's too late to experience and/or learn. Obviously I can't go back in time and do certain things that you can only do at certain times of life, but in all reality there are countless things that I could still try, experience, learn, and perhaps even master. It's never too late, and you're never too old. Wanted to be a dancer? Sign up for dance classes through a community center. Longed to go sky-diving? Do it, if George H.W. Bush can do it, so can you! Wished you could have gone to camp as a kid? Go as a counselor or an adult guest. For me, I'm going to start by aiming to become much better at playing the piano, learning to snowboard (after all I do still have all the gear for it, hmm), and learning to play the guitar. Who knows, maybe I'll discover that I have a talent yet. Now, for all of you, get out there and try your hand at something you've always wanted to do! Who knows, maybe you'll find what you were meant to do, or at the very least, have a smashingly good time.

OUT WITH THE OLD

2009-07-18T09:42:00.014-06:00

After having been back in Washington for the past week and having a head full of thoughts I’ve been finding it a little difficult to go to bed at a decent hour. So instead of drifting off to dreamland, last night I found myself cleaning out my closet at one in the morning. In comparison to others I don’t really possess a large quantity of clothing items so in reality I probably shouldn’t be getting rid of what I do have but for some reason I’ve always been a person who loves to downsize and get rid of things, it’s weird. Being mindful of the fact that regardless of where I’m going next I do know that I will not be staying in my current abode a month from now, I figured that starting to consolidate what I own would be helpful in moving from one place to another, not to mention, it would give me an opportunity to give into my “cleaning out” compulsion. What I wasn't expecting though was that my compulsion would be met with a wave of nostalgia and the appearance of my indecisiveness. How was it that all of a sudden clothes that I hadn't worn in over a year or ones that were relics from the high school years were being reconsidered before being tossed into the Goodwill pile? Would I really ever wear them in public again, much less, at all? My thought process went something like this:

- Oh yes, the shirt from Stinky Sneaker [a high-school basketball game spirit competition] my sophomore year, I love the images on that one.
- But ew, red doesn't look the best on me. And let's face it, I'll probably only wear it to work out in, which I tend to get a very red face when I work out, and red on red. . . hmm.
- But, how could I get rid of it after having it for all of these years?

- Oh my gosh, I totally forgot I even had this shirt. It's gotta go.
- But wait, let me just try it on first.
- Actually, it's not bad, and I could wear it under that cardigan or it would look good with those pants. . .

Needless to say, something that should've taken probably an hour max. kept me up until almost four in the morning. Which begs the question, why is it so hard to get rid of/let go of certain things? Do we desire to hold on to the items that link us to our past just so that we can imagine ourselves in that time once again? Or do we needlessly justify the worth of something just to keep it around 'just in case' even though we know that we really don't need it? (And yes, I'm no longer simply referring to clothes here. ) Do we find too much of ourselves in other things, other people, that we struggle with giving them up at the right time, instead of clinging to what it is that we really need? While I may have had to reconsider some of the choices that I made in regards to my 'keepers' and 'tossers' with my clothes, I eventually forced myself to part with more clothing items than I had initially placed in the discard pile, coming to terms with the fact that I didn't really 'need' many of those items that I tried to justify. In addition to realizing the necessity to let go of unnecessary items in my possession, I've come face to face with the reality that our lives often need to have a good cleaning out every now and again too, letting go of things from the past that we're holding onto that impinge on our moving forward, or getting rid of things that we hideaway or try to justify when it's blatantly obvious that there's not a beneficial need for them in our life, and instead turning our focus to those things that we truly need in our lives in order to be who we're meant to be and to live the lives that we're meant to live. Perhaps that's why I have a "cleaning out" compulsion, it always feels good for my soul to be less burdened by items I no longer need and makes me feel a bit more free. To clean out one's life? Ah, even better for the soul and a whole lot more freedom.

LOOK WHO'S GROWING A GREEN THUMB

2009-06-16T15:26:00.006-06:00

In an attempt to beautify my patio, awhile back I purchased some basic gardening items and set to work. Fast forward to today, while out watering my two 'projects' (yes, they are deemed as such since I'm not exactly 'lil Miss Gardener') I came across a beautiful sight. . .my first flower in bloom! Let's face it, it does not take a whole lot of work/skill to plant and grow flowers like these, but regardless, I was quite excited to see the fruits of my 'labor' pay off since I wasn't sure my gardening skills were going to turn out so well. It's the small victories in life that matter. I can't wait to see the progress that both pots make, and especially to see them in full bloom! Maybe I have a bit of gardener in me yet.

In other news, here's what my life is looking like at the moment:

- 2 days left at work
- 4 days left of grad. school projects/assignments. . .ever
- 5 days until leaving for a week of camp in NC with a bunch of high-schoolers

Ah, life.

I'M STILL HERE

2009-06-06T09:08:00.018-06:00

As I'm sure we're all aware of, life gets busy and sometimes the things we want to do have to be put on hold for the things we need to do. I'm hoping to regain some semblance of sanity by the end of this month but until I find myself capable of completing full thoughts I'll leave you with this brief overview of some of the fun things I've been able to squeeze in in the last couple of months.

April:

Met up with my brother in lovely Raleigh, NC where we enjoyed the sights, heard some great live music, ate some hearty down-south cooking, rooted on the Tarheels, and strolled the streets of Chapel Hill. Being right in the heart of Tarheel country while March Madness was going on we found it a little tricky to find parking at a local alehouse in order to catch the game. However, we soon noticed that North Carolinians seem to take the matter in to their own hands and create parking spaces anywhere they can, so we decided to do the same:

Please note, A. that we are in fact parked up on the sidewalk (as were many other cars), and B. the sweet rental car that we had to cruise around in.

May:

Started the month off with some special guests (a.k.a. my mom and both grandmas) and a slew of celebrations -- my birthday, my pseudo-graduation (I walked in the ceremony but am not done with classes for two more weeks), and mother's day. (did I mention that the view at our Mother's Day brunch happened to be of a monster truck show that just so happened to be taking place on that portion of the beach that day? Well, it was.)

I then finished out the month with some more special guests from back home being in town and we hit up the boardwalk here and headed north to see the sights in DC.

Though they've been busy, stressful months they've also provided for lots of great times in the midst of it all. There's a lot more yet to come in the near future as well, so stay tuned. . .I promise I'll be around.

JUST A NUGGET OF INSPIRATION

2009-05-04T20:46:00.008-06:00

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you've imagined.

~Henry David Thoreau~

Those words are hung in a frame on my living room wall. Being a dreamer I love what Thoreau says because not only does it promote dreaming behavior but it beckons us to make those dreams into a reality, to not just dream them but to live them. When I get bogged down with the mundane things that life can bring about, or when I feel as though I have to settle with anything/everything, these words enliven me and light the fire under me to do what I can in order to work towards living the life that I've imagined. I will continue on in the direction of my dreams, confidently, and I hope that you will too, whatever your dreams may be.

ANTS IN YOUR PANTS

2009-04-15T09:25:00.005-06:00

Being that I live in a ground floor apartment and it's technically spring now (in spite of the weather not quite indicating that), it's almost a given that I'm going to be encountering some new 'friends' here and there in the months to come. A couple weeks ago I was stretched out on my couch while watching some good 'ol March Madness when a movement off of the tv screen caught my eye. . .it was a rather big, and quite disgusting, bug with long antennas, and a plethora of legs. If you know me at all, I hate. . .no, despise, such creatures and loathe having to take care of them myself. But alas, I live alone and so I had to put on my big-girl demeanor and defeat my foe on my own. I was indeed victorious. However, this week I discovered some new 'friends' that were making themselves at home where the carpet of my bedroom meets the tile of my bathroom. . .lovely little ants. In a conversation with my mom I was advised to try using pepper to stave them off since she recalled that working for her before. So, despite my uncertainty about pouring pepper on my bathroom floor I went ahead and did it. For awhile it seemed to be working, but one by one a few daredevil ants made their way out from the metal strip separating the two rooms. Fast forward to later in the day, now conversing with my dad, he suggests that I try using Tabasco, aiming for the spiciness to deter the ants. Reluctantly, I decide to give it a shot. There I was, dropping drops of Tabasco (on top of pepper) along the edge of my bathroom floor, all while shaking my head and saying "what on earth am I doing. . .this is not a good idea." Since the whole thing was already a mess I went ahead and added masking tape to the mix as well to try and seal off their entrance/exit. Surprisingly enough, it's actually working. . .but now this is what my bathroom looks like,

and I'm constantly catching a whiff of Tabasco in the air. I suppose it's a fair trade off if it means not having to deal with the ants anymore, but now my next task is focusing on cleaning up the interesting mess that I made. Perhaps next time I'll steer clear of a home remedy and just make a trip to the store instead. . .

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

2009-03-29T19:33:00.006-06:00

As a youngster, almost every trip to the library culminated with the checking out of at least one 'choose your own adventure' book. After all, who doesn't get a kick out of being able to have a hand in the storyline, in essence, choosing how a story that you're reading is going to turn out? I remember vacillating over what each option would mean for the story, and the character that I had grown to love: what would happen if Mary Sue decided to step inside the time machine? and what would happen if she chose to go into the other, mysterious room instead? Her fate was in my hands. At present, I feel like my own life story is a 'choose your own adventure'. I know that whatever comes next will in fact be an adventure, it's the choosing between the options and not knowing what those options will lead to in the story of my life that has me stuck vacillating all over again. What would happen if I stayed here? What would life look like if I took that job? Or moved to that place? My fate is in my hands. And as great as it is to basically have the world as my oyster, it makes it all the more difficult to choose between the adventures because they all look enticing on a certain level, and at the same time I'm also uncertain of how I want the story to continue. Instead, I'm stuck on the page that says, "If Megan chooses A, turn to page 24; if she chooses B, turn to page 13". Maybe if I put the book down for a bit and come back to it the decision will come more naturally, I suppose we'll see.

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

2009-03-10T18:55:00.007-06:00

In the midst of studying my calendar to figure out what exactly is going on in my life in the near future it suddenly dawned on me that we're practically already in mid-March. . .MID-MARCH! How on earth did that happen?! Has it really been 2 and a half months since I was home in Washington? And will the next 2 and a half months from now be here in the blink of an eye too? I know that people say that the older you get the faster time seems to go, but I don't think that I fully believed them until now (blame it on my stubborn nature and my desire to learn things firsthand). In spite of my previous inclination to want to fast forward my life, I'm coming to see that time is already going fast enough all on its own and instead of putting my focus on things that lie ahead in the relatively distant future I need to work on focusing on the here and now even more before it passes me by. Spending a considerable amount of time these days amongst youngens ranging from preschool to middle-school age, I've found myself reminiscing about those years of my own life and, as great as they were, wishing that I would've reveled in that time even more and not been so anxious to move on to the next big thing. It's made me realize that I don't want to look back on this time of life with that same type of sentiment, but rather I want to do all that I can now to enjoy this time in life to its fullest, knowing full well that everything else that I desire for my future will happen in due time and it's not worth losing time/life/experiences over in the meantime. I'm going to try my darnedest to drink in every single day and every step along the way because I'm sure that it'll be next year, five years from now, ten years from now, before I even know it.

SOGGY DAY ADVENTURE NUMERO DOS

2009-03-01T16:43:00.039-07:00

Apparently I like to go on little jaunts around this area on days when the weather is less than desirable. But being free of schoolwork this weekend, after holing up all of last weekend to slave away on finals, I wasn't going to let a few (or a lot of) raindrops hold me down. So, braving the downpour I headed north to Yorktown, the site of the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. I've somewhat always known it, but yesterday I came to terms with the truth that I really love history, and even more importantly, visiting historical sites. Yep, I'm a nerd. Seriously though, it was really neat (and sort of eerie) to be walking around amidst the same exact bunkers that ultimately played a part in the creation of our country. I even got the chance to stand inside the same tent that George Washington used as his headquarters during the siege. It was pretty sweet. There were also many other remnants from that time period around the area including this quaint little church and this dugout place that I'm not entirely sure what it was (but thought looked cool). I love it. Being that the pass that I had purchased gave me access to both Yorktown and Jamestown I decided to continue my expedition by driving the 23 mile route to Jamestown via the Colonial Parkway, which, by the way, was a fabulous scenic drive and highly recommended for a good session of blasting music, singing your heart out, and taking it all in. However, if you do decide to try and replicate that experience, my only suggestion would be that you don't follow in suit by getting to your destination after its operating hours. Oops.

entrance = denied

same story here

It looks like Jamestown, and Williamsburg, will have to be an adventure for some other day. . .maybe I'll aim for a better weather day the next time around, spice it up a bit. Until next time, Vince and your damp, history-loving nerd say adios.

WHERE'S THE FAST FORWARD BUTTON?

2009-02-16T19:46:00.007-07:00

It's probably not the best thing, but I've found that when things start piling up in life I catch myself wishing that I could just fast forward and be at some other point in life. I'm not going to lie, I'm stuck in the midway-through-school doldrums and am not only struggling to stay motivated but am constantly daydreaming of/trying to figure out my future instead. The main things that my thoughts keep drifting towards and that I'm looking forward to in the hopefully not too distant future include:

- working eight hours a day and then having the freedom to spend the rest of the day doing whatever I want instead of having to worry about projects, papers, or any other schoolwork in my "free-time"
- not having to watch every single cent I spend
- having a career versus just a job
- gaining a new furry buddy (a.k.a. a dog)
- having time on my hands to pursue interests and hobbies that have gone by the wayside, or that have been patiently waiting for me to even try them out in the first place
- reclaiming my weekends
- being able to focus more on people and relationships instead of having my brain/time clogged with other things
- upgrading Vince for an SUV? (that's probably a good deal down the road, especially considering that the gas prices are on the rise again -- but a thought none the less)
- finally, truly being done with school forever (but not done with learning of course)

I can't wait. . .but at the same time, I suppose that I have to. In the meantime, it's back to the books for me.

I HEAR VOICES

2009-02-05T15:48:00.007-07:00

Most of my day is spent with sixteen preschoolers. They are your quintessential young children: energetic, clingy, quirky, hysterical, and constantly talking. I've grown accustomed to hearing variations of my name called over and over again throughout the day and probably don't go 30 seconds (except for when they're napping) without at least one of them having something to say to me. I'm so used to hearing their little voices persistently for hours on end that it's gotten to the point that I can't seem to escape it even when I'm at home now. Whether I'm cooking up dinner, working on schoolwork, or even trying to fall asleep, I constantly am hearing their voices in my mind. Sometimes I hear a specific thing that one of them said that day, other times it's someone's trademark sayings (i.e. "I sorry," "That funny," "I tell you something?" [which, by the way, is never really a question -- she's going to tell you regardless], etc.), and at other times it's simply their distinct voice itself that I hear (at which point I try and decipher who's voice was just in my head). Needless to say, I really hope that this is just a passing craze and that it's not really leading to a crazy state of hearing voices all the time. . .although, I do have to admit, if you're going to hear voices, these are pretty cute ones to hear.

COUNTDOWN TO V-DAY

2009-02-01T14:38:00.003-07:00

Keeping it going with the topic of love, Valentine's Day is coming up shortly and whether you love it, hate it, or are indifferent towards it, for the next few couple of weeks make it a point to visit this gem from Dave Barnes. Good stuff.

FALLING OUT OF LOVE

2009-01-26T16:12:00.009-07:00

I'm sure you've experienced it before -- the decline of the passion and joy that you once felt, trying to hang on to something that was once so good, but realizing that steadily, yet slowly, things have changed. Within my own life, I've begun to come to terms with the fact that over the past few months I have in fact been falling out of love. . .with Grey's Anatomy that is. Where I once counted down the days to the next episode, making sure that my schedule was clear whenever it would be airing, I now find myself turning it on lackadaisically out of a sense of obligation. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I more so go through the motions, laughing at the funny moments, crying at the sad ones, and then turning it off when it's done and not thinking about it again until Thursday at 9 pm the following week, and thinking 'oh yeah, Grey's is on now, I suppose I'll watch it.' What happened to my fervor? And why does it sadden me to a certain degree that something that I used to look forward to is now more of an afterthought? Even though I have not had the luxury(?) of falling out of love with a person before, perhaps this is a wee bit like that. And as it might be with being in love with a person, I find myself coming back to Grey's week-in and week-out out of commitment, and the hope that someday, maybe, just maybe, the passion and excitement might return. Only time will tell.

LIFE AS OF LATE

2009-01-08T19:21:00.023-07:00

I've been back to the grindstone of work for the past few days already and now the schooling/schoolwork is about to start back up. In the midst of all the stuff starting, continuing, and getting figured out, I've also been reliving the memories and joy of the previous couple of weeks: having been relatively stress-free and activity-free, getting to play in snow, and, most importantly, enjoying my lovely family and friends. What they say is true, home truly is where the heart is. Here's a snippet of what I'm talking about:

NEW YORK. . .OH WAIT, NEWARK

2008-12-21T10:31:00.007-07:00

My journey home has me stopped over in Newark, N.J. The driver who took me to the airport this morning told me that this is one of the worst airports to be in for a long period of time, I have yet to see that validated though. I have, however, been awarded the privilege of hearing some genuine Jersey accents, gotta love it. My only letdown thus far was not being able to see New York City in the distance as we descended. There's still the flight out of here though so I'm holding on to that glimmer of hope. In the meantime I've resorted to one of my favorite pastimes, people-watching. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are in this world, how different and diverse we all are, and how we each have our own individual lives and stories and loved ones, etc. It's somewhat crazy to me that all of us live on this planet together but more or less have individualized worlds that we exist in. Yes, we have shared resources, and governments, and faiths, and what have you, but the majority of the people on earth have no idea that I even exist, or know my friends and family and the things that are important to us, what we do, where we've been, etc. In all senses, I, and most of us, do truly live in our own little world. As I look around me at all the people in this airport I can't help but imagine what their own little world is like, who they know, where they're flying to, what they love, everything that makes up their life for them. I would venture to say that I'll most likely never know the answers to any of those questions for the majority of the people I see, and the majority of the people in the world, but it certainly won't stop me from wondering. And, if anything, maybe it'll prompt me to start conversations with random strangers more often.

**Update: I did get a good glimpse or two of the New York City skyline as my plane was taking off -- no letdowns really then. Also, I was quite lucky/blessed to make it home with practically no hitches, I've seen and heard of atrocious airport and flight issues going on and don't know how I squeaked by without really encountering any.**

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

2008-12-20T08:01:00.009-07:00

This picture is a pretty accurate representation of how I feel right about now. As of this past Wednesday night I have no schoolwork whatsoever looming over me for the next couple of weeks -- ah, freedom. I don't have to work for the next two weeks, but still get paid for them -- thank goodness for a salaried job within the school system. And almost exactly this time tomorrow I will be en route to Washington, heading back to spend some good, quality, holiday time with the ones I hold most dear. I will in fact be home for Christmas and I am so very excited. Not to mention, I hear that there is even snow awaiting me there, it couldn't be more perfect. Amidst my pure joy of getting to be home with friends and family after being away from them for 4 months I also am excited about how my life is taking shape here as well. It's funny how right when I'm really starting to feel more at home here and getting better connected with people it's time to head home to my real home for awhile. Regardless, it makes me feel all that more better about returning here after being home with my loved ones, and might make it just a little bit easier to leave them all again for the next span of time. As for now, I'm watching the clock with eager anticipation until I get to board that plane tomorrow and head back to a place and the people whom I love dearly, and I intend to soak up all my time there and with them. . .oh yeah, and to celebrate the season too of course!

IN MY MIND I'M GOING TO CAROLINA

2008-11-29T20:14:00.050-07:00

. . .but I went there in body today too.

In spite of the overcast, drizzly weather I decided to go on a little adventure today and ventured into North Carolina, hitting up the well-renowned Outer Banks. Not fully having a game plan for my trek, I ended up going on a type of self-imposed field trip as I made my way to some historical places. Moseying along the thin stretch of land, I popped by the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the site of Orville and Wilbur Wright's flight attempts and eventual success. The hill below was where the brothers experimented with gliders and where they eventually had their, and the world's, first successful power-driven flight on December 17, 1903. Atop the hill is a monument erected in their honor.

*Side note: although the town of Kitty Hawk (which I also passed through) is often cited as the location of the Wright brothers work/success, it actually took place in a town called Kill Devil Hills. On another side note, being that the name of the town is quite unusual, I decided to look into it when I got home. Here's what I found: "The name Kill Devil Hills can be dated back to the colonial era. Shipwrecks were common at the time, and many of the ships were transporting barrels of rum. Upon a shipwreck, locals would scavenge the ship and hide the rum they found behind the large sand dunes. The locals said that the rum was strong enough to "kill the devil," so the dunes where they would hide the rum were nicknamed 'Kill Devil Hills.'" Interesting.*

The next leg of my trip found me crossing over to Roanoke Island and stopping in at the Roanoke Island Festival Park, which was billed as 'an interactive family attraction that celebrates the first English settlement in America'; read: interactive awkwardness for a single, young adult, female visiting the place by herself. Exhibit A: upon boarding the ship below, a replica of one of the ships from the Roanoke Voyage of 1585, a few time-period characters showed me the ropes and then coaxed me into singing a song with them that I had never heard before. Needless to say, it wasn't a pretty sight. . .or sound really.

After that 'fun' experience, I then wandered over to the 'settlement' area where I proceeded to converse with some other time-period characters, who astonishingly already knew of the Seattle-area despite it being the late 1500s, hmm. Thinking that I had gotten all that I was going to get out of that stop, and hoping to avoid further humiliation, I decided to move on to my next, and last, historical location of the day.

Perhaps you recall learning about the Roanoke Colony, a.k.a. "The Lost Colony", back in the day. It was set up to establish a permanent English settlement in the Virginia Colony, and it is where Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas was born. However, after three years of being on their own, when ships from England returned nobody was to be found and no one knows for sure what became of the colonists. On my last stop of the day, at the purposed location of where the colony had been, I wasn't able to find the lost colonists either. I did however learn another fact about the area that I wasn't expecting; apparently Roanoke Island served as a 'safe haven' for slaves during the Civil War and became known as the Freedmen's Colony, becoming a refuge for thousands of slaves. One thing that I found neat is that a couple hundred years after the first (failed) attempts to make something monumental of this land it did end up playing an important role in American history and the lives of Americans. Pretty cool.

As you can see, it was quite the educational day. . .I do love history though (and I hope you enjoyed the brief historical review as well). And now I can also check North Carolina off the 'states I haven't been to' list. One more down, still quite a few yet to go. But in the midst of trying to hit up all of the states, I just might have to make a return trip to the Outer Banks at some point. Despite the less than desirable weather, I can see how the area would be positively sublime for a summer getaway, perhaps I'll have to take that into consideration when the summer months roll around this upcoming year. You're more than welcome to come along as well.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

2008-11-25T13:58:00.012-07:00

The holidays are upon us, and that can mean any number of things. For some it's a time of reflection, for others -- anticipation. Emotions can range from childlike excitement to adult-like stress. Regardless of what thoughts, feelings, and/or emotions this time of year stirs up, the truth of the matter is that it is a time of the year unlike any other. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, as in arriving in T-minus two days, I'm feeling the advancement of the holiday season . . .and am intending to fully embrace each day of the season (which I suppose I should do on a regular basis anyway, eh, I'll work on that). I'll admit, I did fall prey to listening to Christmas music before its acceptable start date of after Thanksgiving, and in doing so I've really been taken with a certain song that actually seems rather pertinent to the holiday we'll be celebrating on Thursday. Aside from the general musical allure of Josh Groban's 'Thankful,' these specific lyrics have struck a chord with me:

Some days we forget
To look around us
Some days we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

What gets me the most is the somewhat paradoxical concept of doing more to make a difference and yet also being so thankful for what already is. It's convicting on both levels, at least for me. Being increasingly aware of the state of the world, I want to continue to do what I can to alleviate others' burdens and, as cliche as it may be, to make the world a better place; whether doing something as grandiose as traveling to a third world country and serving there, or doing something as 'little' as holding the door open for a stranger. And in the spirit of thanksgiving, on Thanksgiving itself , and all the other days throughout the year, I want to remember all the things that I have to be thankful for, including (but not limited to):

- a God who loves me
- a wonderful, supportive, fun, loving, etc. family
- fabulous friends who're there for me in both the good and bad
- the opportunities and experiences I've been blessed with
- my health
- the abilities, capabilities, and talents I've been given
- freedom
- and so much more, for as Josh's song states, "there's so much to be thankful for."

So I hope that this holiday season we're all able to acknowledge what we have to be thankful for, and that we might even create moments in the weeks to come (and hopefully even beyond the holidays) for others and ourselves to be thankful. Whatever the holidays mean for you, I hope that somewhere in the mix you are able to feel love and connectedness, whether from people close to you or even complete strangers. Happy holidays everyone!

AH, DOMESTICITY

2008-11-19T18:14:00.010-07:00

I've had some blue cheese hanging out in my fridge for awhile now and it's been beckoning for me to do something with it, so tonight I gave in. Despite the fact that I think that I should take home-ec all over again, I conjured up something that ended up being even more than edible, it was delicious. If you happen to have these ingredients lying around and want to make something tasty I suggest trying this:

Stuffed Blue Cheese Pork Chops

1 Pork Chop (de-boned and fat-trimmed)

Crumbled Blue Cheese

Bacon Bits (or real bacon if, unlike me, you have some)

Sliced Almonds

Garlic Powder

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Mix together the blue cheese, bacon bits, and sliced almonds (I just eye-balled the amounts in conjunction with the size of my pork chop). Butterfly the pork chop and place the blue cheese and other ingredient mixture on one side, place the other side of the pork chop on top, use toothpicks if necessary to hold it together. Season with garlic powder (again, I just eye-balled it here). Place pork in greased, shallow baking dish and cook for 20 minutes, or longer depending on size of the pork.

And voila!

To tie my meal together I whipped up some herb and butter rice as well and added a glass of red wine (it's good for the heart after all). Here's my finished product before it was consumed:

(And yes, I realize that the pork is not only funny looking but rather small, don't let that deceive you though.)

It may not have been a meal of grandeur but it was a step up from the pasta fallback I've been accustomed to making, I'm baby-stepping my way in getting the knack for being domestic. Now I need to figure out how to not spend an hour and a half on a meal that should take a third of that time. . .and that is consumed in about 20 minutes. Hmm.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

2008-11-07T20:57:00.004-07:00

. . .because I hear Christmas music. It seems that one of the stations that I listen to has begun its stretch of playing Christmas music from now until Christmas, with no commercials even. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Christmas music, but putting it on the airwaves this early?! I don't intend to get tired of the Christmas spirit before the season even properly arrives so it looks like I'll have to set my alarm to a different radio station. . .at least for a couple of weeks.

MY POLITICAL TWO CENTS WORTH

2008-10-24T19:31:00.015-06:00

Today I had the chance to attend a debate between some notable Democrats and Republicans. Alan Colmes, Donna Brazile, Geraldine Ferraro, Rick Santorum, Steve Forbes, and Mike Huckabee were posed with the question: Which party is best suited to lead America? It was very enlightening and interesting to witness firsthand the lively discussion that took place among some of our country's powerful leaders and personalities. Key issues were discussed in detail, qualifications of the presidential/vice presidential candidates were assessed, and goals and aspirations for our country were brought forth. Listening to all that was said, gathering information from both sides, I found myself coming to a revelation of my own. While I may align myself with one particular party more often than the other, the truth is, I am not defined by my political party. I am, however, defined by my beliefs, ideals, and what I stand for and strive for. And in all honesty, sometimes those very things put me at odds with the political party that I generally associate with. Parts of me are Republican, parts of me are Democrat, but all of me is American. I love our country, what our foundation was built upon, what we have fought for and overcome, what we stand for, and what we hope yet to attain. I approach this upcoming election as an American, an American with a hope for our country. Yes, my personal convictions have caused me to take issue with one presidential candidate and to choose to vote for the other, but regardless of which candidate, which political party, comes into office, we are still one nation, and we're all in this together. Whether the person who I believe is the better fit for president takes office or not, I still intend to pray for them and respect their position as president, and it is my hope that I will not be alone in doing so. Differences of opinions, of ideals, of beliefs, will always exist, but hopefully the respect of such differences, and especially of the people who hold them, will be even greater than the differences themselves and we can rise above them and stand together. We may see ourselves as Democrats, or Republicans, or Independents, or something else entirely, but whatever political affiliation we affix to ourselves, at the heart of it, we're all Americans, in one nation, under God; and, in my humble opinion, that acknowledgement is what the future of this nation, and the people in it, depends on.

WAITING ON THE CHANGING OF SEASONS

2008-10-14T18:44:00.010-06:00

Dear Fall,

I've been wanting to ask you this for quite some time, so here goes. . .are we not friends anymore? I've been waiting around for you and have even stooped to the level of asking repeatedly for you to hang out with me, but to no avail. I miss you. I miss how your brisk weather makes me feel, and how it gives me the chance to bundle up in layers and wrap myself in blankets. I miss the beauty that you bring with the vivid colors of changing leaves. I miss the way that you smell, with your fresh, crisp air that is tinged with the aroma of apple cider and pumpkin pie. I just plain miss you and would love nothing more than to have you in my life, here and now. I know you might feel overshadowed by Summer, most people seem to prefer Summer's friendship, but between you and me, I would rather have your company. Besides, Summer doesn't know me the way that you do. Today, Summer thought that I would enjoy having an 80+ degree day in October! That's just crazy. Summer doesn't know me at all . . . and that's not the kind of friend that I want to have. We have something good Fall, please tell me that it is still there and show your face around here. I'll be waiting with eager anticipation until you do. . .

Your friend,
Megan

WHAT A DAY

2008-10-07T21:45:00.006-06:00

I know that I said I wouldn't be back for awhile, and let's face it, this is one of my quickest turn-arounds in writing here anyway, but I found myself with more time and less stress on my hands and I just had to share the blessing that today turned out to be. So, to preface, in the last couple of weeks I've been having difficulty falling asleep at night, I'm still not entirely sure why but I think it could have a lot to do with all of the stuff running around in my head. Last night was no exception. I laid awake and started thinking of all of the stuff on my plate and all of the things I needed to work on and get figured out. Needless to say, instead of lulling myself to sleep I started to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Instead of brushing it off I decided to get out of bed and jot down all of the things that I was concerned about; from my financial situation (a.k.a. dwindling funds) that highlighted the importance of attaining employment; to the load of schoolwork I was looking at this week in its intensity, and also how that would then impede the job search at the moment. . .thus leading to more time with less cash; from my difficulty in finding (okay, probably more so 'making') time to exercise, matched with my urge to snack while doing schoolwork; to a number of other things. Writing them all down helped me to identify all of the individual things that I'd been feeling the weight of as a whole, and for the moment, it helped to have them out of my head and on the paper, providing clarity that I needed, but I still was aware of the reality that they all needed to be dealt with in order to truly feel at peace. Anyway, so today I set about working on my final assignments, deciding in the afternoon to change my tactic and attempt to study for and take my final exam by the end of the day so as to have a few days to dedicate solely on my final paper. On a whim, before starting in on that game plan I decided to check my school e-mail, and lo and behold my professor had so graciously decided to extend the due date of our final paper to Friday of next week. A whole 'nother week people! Now, I would've been able to complete the paper by/before Saturday, I would've been stressed and I wouldn't have had (or felt like I had) time for anything else, but I would've gotten it done. But to have it pushed back entirely out of the blue, I literally started dancing around the room! After I had gotten that out of my system I decided to make good on having some open time in my schedule and set about working on a couple of cover letters that I had been putting off since I hadn't felt as though I had the time to focus on them. I got them done, sent them and my resume, and in effect applied for two jobs; making at least some type of headway that wasn't really happening before in my efforts to find employment and help my finances. But that's not all, a couple of weeks back when I had met up with one of the Young Life Area Directors around here he had told me to send him my resume and job preferences and he would be more than happy to get the word out and hopefully help me (yet another reason why I love Young Life so much, the people are so genuinely fabulous!). So fast forward to today, my information gets sent out this afternoon to the whole Young Life committee in the area and by the end of the night I have two different job options (one more viable than the other) and a recommendation of a line of work to look into. Instead of dancing, this time I broke out in song. What strikes me most is how last night was somewhat of a breaking point, it was the night I decided to confront all of the stuff in my head and heart and see them for what they were, and in less than a day a number of those things were dealt with in some regard, and not on my own accord. There's really no excuse to be made, I honestly haven't been too focused on my relationship with God currently, and have even allowed myself to think and act in ways that aren't that great, but in seeing God's work in my life even still, it makes it even more clear to me how unconditional His love is, and has me at His feet. I have felt blessed, giddy, and humbled today in recognizing God's love and provision in my life. This day caught me by surprise with the events that took place and I am so grateful for an answered unprayed prayer (it's a good thing He knows our hearts and minds). God is good, I know that full well, and I think that it's that thought that will lull me to sleep tonight. I suppose I should head in that direction now since I'm planning on going for a run in the morning now that my schedule's a bit more relaxed. I hope and pray that you all may experience God's love and faithfulness in your days!

BITS AND PIECES

2008-10-06T20:37:00.004-06:00

I'm in the midst of studying for a final exam and writing a final paper this week (again, my program is a little different than most) so, #1: I'm currently lacking the brain capacity to put something extensive and/or insightful here; but, #2: I needed a break from the schoolwork (a.k.a. a reason to procrastinate for a bit. . .wait, do I ever need a reason for that?) and I thought that this was as good as any. Anyway, for now I'll just give a brief glimpse of some recent happenings, it's quite scintillating so I hope that you're prepared for all of this. . .

- Last week I ventured out to a local middle school to check out a Wyldlife (Young Life for middle-schoolers) club to see if it was something that I wanted to get back involved in out here. It was fun to be a part of that again, but the highlight of the evening was when one of the high-school-aged leaders asked me if I was an eighth-grader. Seriously. I suppose when I'm older it won't be bad to seem 10 years younger, but as for now, I think that graduate school and middle school are light years apart and I really hope that I don't resemble an adolescent girl.

- Kickball is going. . .well, it's going. My team is fun and I'm having a blast with it but we're still trying to get our first win. At least we've gotten to the point of being able to keep our opponents in the single digits. I think we're just going for the underdog story, so watch out, by the end of the season we'll take everyone by surprise. . .maybe. We do have our mid-season party this weekend so that should be quite the good time as well.

- One other thing keeping me going with these finals is the fact that they'll be done come Saturday, and I plan on celebrating by attending Oktoberfest down on the ocean front with some other ladies. The German in me has always wanted to experience Oktoberfest so I'm looking forward to some good Bavarian food, beer, and entertainment. Es wird spass machen! I'll try and document it in pictures to show you all the event in its glory.

- On a weirder note, over the last week my right index finger has taken to twitching involuntarily quite constantly. . .and it's gotten worse in the last couple of days. Not really sure what's going on with that. Any medical workers out there with insight?

Well, that's all folks. I promise to return to full capacity in the near future, thanks for putting up with the complete randomness (more so than usual) until then. As for now, it's back to the books for me.

A CHANGE WILL DO YOU GOOD

2008-09-24T16:05:00.006-06:00

Even though this past month may have already been characterized by change, I couldn't help but throw one more change into the mix. I was feeling a little restless when it came to my hair so the other day I decided to take some action on that, and here's the result:

Now, aside from getting employed (hopefully soon), I think I'll hold off on the bigger-scale changes for awhile. It sure makes life fun though. ; )

"YOUTH COMES BUT ONCE IN A LIFETIME" - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

2008-09-23T20:22:00.003-06:00

I am often asked the question of what I intend to do once I am done with graduate school. I realize, and you may have too, that I just started grad. school a mere month ago but as opposed to the undergraduate years I suppose the reality is that most people go into grad. school with a firm goal already in mind, desiring to attain that masters degree so as to continue on in that direction. The truth is, for the most part, I do know what I want to be doing, I'm just not sure in what fashion it will take shape. The program that I'm in is unique in that it does not lead to my being a licensed professional counselor, but rather it provides the core counseling skill-set and equips people to provide counseling in non-traditional counseling environments. My intention upon receiving my masters in human services counseling is to make a career out of working with an outreach ministry/organization where counseling is a component of their focus but being a therapist with a couch for someone to sprawl out on while they recount their childhood is not mandatory. The more concrete details about which ministry/organization, what population of people, etc. that I would work for/with is still up in the air at this point though. Each time I think of a different population that I might want to work with, be it teenagers, the impoverished, those making pregnancy/adoption decisions, or even just everyday people who need a listening ear, I get more uncertain about which direction I want to go in for each group has a piece of my heart. But I'm hoping that through the course of this year I will be able to figure out where the largest chunk of my heart lies, then I'll be able to fully answer that question that people are so fond of asking. As for now though, I can't deny that I'm feeling a tug on my heart to continue in the direction of working with youth (it's just a present thought, we'll see what the final decision ends up being). There's something so special, and yet, in so much need with that age-group. In a day and age where they practically are adults at the age of 13, now, more than ever, these young people are in need of guidance, care, and most importantly, love. In spending time working with both adolescents and children over the years I have vastly seen the importance of being involved in their lives and building some form of connection/relationship with them. They are hoping for someone, anyone, to be invested in them and it makes a world of difference to them during those years to not be going it alone. This reality is nothing new, and it most certainly is not trivial. Both my home church and the church I've started attending hit on the magnitude of this reality within the last couple of months. Although they didn't deliver the exact same message, I found it very impacting, and convicting, that both churches laid out the reality of what the life of today's youth looks like and made appeals that each and every one of us get involved in the life of a young person, whether they are our own (not my own, clearly) or some other youngster you have contact with. Remember the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child"? Well, it pretty much does. But the responsibility extends beyond childhood. The saying should really be "it takes a village to raise a person into adulthood." Even if a child, a teenager has involved parents, or a strong bond with their grandparents, or what have you, they could always stand to have one more person in their life who cares about them, they could always stand to have you in their life. For such a time as this, today's youth are worth investing in. Plus, they are some pretty amazing people. Think about the difference you could make, just think about it, I know I am.

LIFE AS I KNOW IT

2008-09-02T19:17:00.000-06:00

Things are coming together around here and my home is actually beginning to look like a true home. After about two weeks of going without some key items, in the last few days I have finally succeeded in acquiring a bed and a couch (thank goodness for craigslist!) and now my next task is to find a dining set. Classes are in full swing and it caught me by surprise that I'm actually enjoying all that it brings with it. And when I say that, I mean that in the sense that I wasn't quite sure if I was over being burnt out by school, but apparently I am, for now. For one of my classes this semester, each week we're to do a video-recorded counseling session with another student infiltrating the techniques we've learned in class. So, after all of one day of being in that class I went into one of those traditional counseling type of rooms (think of one you might see on Dateline or 20/20 or something, complete with a video-camera up in one corner of the room and kid-related items off to the side) and conducted a 20 min. counseling session. It was a little nerve-wracking, not really knowing what I was doing or what to expect but I'm thinking I didn't mess up too bad (and hopefully didn't mess up the 'counselee' either). In other news, in an effort to get involved in stuff around the area I looked into activities through the various cities' parks and recreations and as a result. . . I am now a card-carrying kickball player. Yep, that's right, I've joined an adult, co-ed kickball league and we have a scrimmage game this upcoming Sunday evening. Sadly, I had missed the registration date for the beach flag-football league and kickball was my only other option, but hey, I like the game. . .even if I'm used to playing it either as a kid or with kids, so I'm hoping that these people aren't die-hard kickballers. We'll see. Other than that, I'm just enjoying getting a feel for the area and trying to master the directionally-challenged streets around here, but don't worry I'm on my way to being victorious.

WHEW

2008-08-24T12:01:00.000-06:00

There are many instances in life where a deep sigh is necessary, whether it is a sigh of relief, of weariness, or even one to provide a second of respite before tackling yet another task. At the moment, I would classify my sigh as one embodying all of the aforementioned types. A sigh of relief that the long yet spectacular adventure of driving across the country ('visiting' 14 states. . .including Michigan for about 10 minutes by accident) has concluded. A sigh of weariness of being constantly on the go for the last two-plus weeks and adjusting to the various time zone changes along the way. And a sigh providing a brief interlude before getting back to the grindstone to get myself situated here. It's a lot of stuff all at once, exciting and fun, yet also requiring that moment to let myself slow down and take a deep breath and say 'whew.' Once my brain catches up to me again I'll give more detailed descriptions about my going-ons but as for now I'll leave you all with some highlights from these last couple of weeks:

~ my good friend's gorgeous wedding that I got to be a part of

~ being able to see some interesting/landmark sights amidst the wide-open nothing-ness of Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota (not to mention, getting a lovely spattering of bugs across my windshield and entire front portion of my car . . .yuck)

~ seeing Amish people (or so Jane and I think)

~ seeing the Mississippi River for the first time

~ meeting up with my mom, my aunt, and my grandma for dinner in La Crosse, WI (they were there visiting the area where my ancestors came from)

~ sight-seeing in Chicago, by foot and by being a typical tourist and riding a red double-decker tour bus
~ changing time zones in Indiana and not realizing it until we were checking in at our hotel at 9:40 pm. . .but really 10:40 pm, and then trying to find a place that was still serving food so that we could have dinner

~ visiting the campus of the University of Notre Dame . . .and then getting lost trying to get back on the freeway from there, thus leading to our brief stint in Michigan that caught us by surprise

~ driving from Indiana, into Michigan for a couple minutes, through Ohio, through Pennsylvania, and into Maryland all in one day and luckily enough be staying in our nicest hotel of the whole trip:

Wall, South Dakota

v.s.

Hagerstown, Maryland

~ playing the license plate game across the country and seeing all but 3 of the states

~ checking out my new digs. . .it's a great location with nice amenities, I think it'll be perfect

~ sight-seeing in and around Virginia Beach including: hanging out on the beach, strolling on the boardwalk and then riding in a four-person bike with Jane, my mom, my aunt, and my grandma (who were now visiting this area by that time. . .imagine that), visiting Cape Henry (where the first landing of the settlers who established Jamestown took place and where the first U.S. lighthouse was erected, and still stands), driving across the 17.6 mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to Virginia's Eastern Shore and then proceeding to have dinner overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, catching the tail-end of the first day of the East Coast Surfing Championships and later attending an event put on for the surfers at a local bar and grill

~ attending my orientation for grad. school . . .and meeting a girl starting law school here who grew up in the Tri-Cities and graduated from UW, small world!

And. . . that's it for now, whew! I start classes on Thursday and in the meantime am going to attempt to set-up camp around here and also try and drink in this stage of my life that's going on in the midst of this whirlwind. I'll let you know how both of those go. ; )

GO EAST YOUNG WOMAN

2008-08-05T10:17:00.000-06:00

I still have a few days yet, but I thought that I'd get around to doing this now before it gets even more hectic with all of the prepping (both physically and mentally) I'll be doing in the days to come. Regardless of it not being the actual day that I'm leaving, the fact of the matter is that after months of anticipation, the time has come for me to pack up my things, bid my loved ones farewell, and make my trek across the country to start yet another chapter of my life. It's bittersweet really. So, after a summer of driving this sweet ride around day in and day out:
I'm trading in those wheels to drive this beauty 3,000 miles across the country starting Friday: I've got quite the journey ahead of me, both literally and figuratively. And while I know that I'm going to miss having my friends and family in close proximity, and vice versa (right?), I also consider myself very blessed to have such a great support network which encourages me to chase down my dreams, even if it takes me away from them. Thank you to everyone for being a part of this journey with me! That's it from me here in Gig Harbor, stay tuned for another installment from some other location. . .

THIS IS WORK FOR ME?

2008-07-19T12:37:00.000-06:00

Yes, of course I could use as much money as possible at the moment given all the expenses I'm about to incur in my adventure East and I'm not exactly making bank with my current job, but honestly, at the end of the day, to be getting paid to hang out with kids and participate in fun activities that I'd like to do anyways, I'm quite lucky. The days can in fact be long and exhausting but ultimately they are rewarding and that is often a rarity when it comes to work. Through this job I've been given the chance to enter the lives of these teenagers, serving as a friend and mentor (and often feeling like a parent as well -- I'm getting some good practice for later on in life, Lord willing) and sharing in their adventures, some experiencing things for the first time. This experience has reiterated my desire to be invested in people and their lives and excites me all the more to be able to go to school to learn how to do so even more effectively. And in the meantime, as I count down the days until my departure, I'm reveling in the fact that I'm getting paid to go bowling, ride horses on the beach, go hiking, play games, go to theme parks and fun centers, and go camping (for the first time!), among other things. Life is good, crazy in how it works, but good none-the-less.

(here I am slaving away at work on our recent two-night camping trip in the San Juan Islands)

CONFESSION TIME

2008-06-08T16:51:00.000-06:00

If you know me (which I'm assuming that you do -- at least to some extent -- if you're reading this), you know that I'm a pretty frugal and simple person. I mainly do my grocery shopping based off of whatever is on sale at the moment at the grocery store (which then leads to my preoccupation with the "you saved $____ today" line on the receipt that makes me feel as though I just won a minor victory). I'm an adamant defender of the gas stations with "bad" gas because they coincidentally are the ones with the cheapest prices around and as such I also insist on filling up there . . .after all, good 'ol Vince is still running like a champ. And while I do like to look nice, I'm by no means a slave to fashion, the latest trends/designers, and the price-tag that comes with it all. However, I have come to realize that there's an area in my life where my frugality is weakened and my standards are high. It's true, I'm high maintenance when it comes to the place that I live. I'd like to think that it's only a new development that came about after having lived in a darkened basement where the only common area was the entry/kitchen/dining room/laundry room combination, but the first step in recovery is to admit your problem and I think that to be able to move forward I have to be painfully honest in saying that this trait has been long-standing. After all, even though it wouldn't fit my standards today, I did pick out some pretty amazing neon-green wallpaper with daisies on it for my bedroom when I was younger in an effort to have the 'perfect' girl room. As of late, I've seen this form of high maintenance rearing its head again in the midst of my squaring away living arrangements for Virginia. In all reality, should a two-toned cupboard circa the 1980s really be a deciding factor in where one lives? For any normal person, probably not, but for me, if I'm scrolling through possible places to live and I spot a picture of white, vinyl-covered cupboards with brown, wood edges that viable housing option is tossed out. And, call me crazy, but I also am not interested in a place where animals (namely dogs) are not allowed. Not that I have any animals that would be coming along with me, but wouldn't a dog just be lovely? I think so. And I don't want to wind up at a place where my dream of having a pooch wouldn't ever have a chance to become a reality. There's quite a few other deciding factors that some might classify as 'picky' (alright, even I know that they are picky) but you can't blame a girl for wanting the place that she lives to truly be her home. . .even if that means forgoing one's money-saving tendencies in order to secure a place that meets their expectations. If I'm going to be high maintenance in an area of my life, I suppose that this is as good as any, but perhaps I'll still try and tame the beast a bit. We'll see how that goes depending on where I wind up living. As for now, I think I'll go fill up at Arco. . .

FLASHBACK TO CHILDHOOD

2008-05-07T13:19:00.002-06:00

Oh to be a kid again, to live in the world of sandboxes, legos, recess, barbies, and so on and so forth. I'm sure that at least one or two of us have wished to experience those joyful simplicities with such childlike fascination once again. . .lucky enough for me, I get to do so on a daily basis during the weekdays. It brings me so much happiness to see that wall-ball and two/four-square have not gone extinct since I was a wee-one myself. I love the fact that in spite of all of the changes in society and technology, at the core of things, children are still children and still find enjoyment in activities that have been around for ages. In addition to the way that they play, many of you who may not have the opportunity to be around children often will be pleased to know that kids do in fact still say the darndest things. Here's a recent sampling of what I've overheard and/or experienced as of late:

Kid: "If I keep digging, I think I'll end up in Brooklyn."

Me: "Did you wash your hands?"
Kid: "Yep."
Me: "Can I smell them then?"
Kid: ". . .", smiles mischeviously as they walk towards the bathroom to go wash their hands

Kid A: "If you go and get Johnny* for me I'll be your friend."
Kid B: (said with a face aglow of hope) "Best friend?!"

Kid: "I'm going to follow you around forever . . .well, until my mommy comes, then I'll follow her."

Kid: "Me and Susie's* parents created all the countries in the world and we speak every language."
Me: "That's so neat. Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"
Kid: blank stare followed by a tilting of the head and a smirk, "We're not allowed to speak the languages around other people though."

Me: "Did you just get that out of the trash?"
Kid: "Yeah, I always eat stuff out of the garbage."

Kid: "Just write my name down as Kung Fu Master."

Oh, to be a kid again. = )

*names have been changed to protect the (mostly) innocent

VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS

2008-04-22T11:29:00.000-06:00

After much thinking, praying, and coin-tossing, the decision has been made. Come August I will be making my way across the country to Virginia Beach, VA to get my masters in human services counseling. I'm really looking forward to this next adventure in my life and what that means for my future as a whole, only time will tell exactly what will come of all of this but I'm excited to find out.

EENY, MEENY, MINY, MO

2008-04-15T15:03:00.001-06:00

The word is in, I've been accepted into three of the four grad. schools that I applied to . . . and now it's time to make a decision. I've got some thinking and deliberating to do, or maybe I'll just make it easier and pull a name from the hat. More to come. . .

REJUVENATED AND YET STILLED

2008-03-29T18:01:00.000-06:00

As a result of where my life has led me in these past 7 months or so, lately, I have felt even more so like a caged bird who's ready to soar outside of the confines of her relatively self-built bars. I am thrilled at the reality that I will undoubtedly be going to graduate school somewhere along the Eastern seaboard this fall (although the final 'where' is yet to be decided upon and the finances still need finagling), but I can't help but grow a bit impatient in knowing that I am still months away from that step forward in life taking place. Yes, these 7 months have provided a time of refinement and growth, as well as a new life direction and various opportunities/experiences that came about that I otherwise would not have encountered, but they have also led me to feel as though my life at current is on hold and that it is quite nondescript. In spite of some larger-scale changes (i.e. actually being employed now, hallelujah!) I kind of liken myself to a caterpillar who hides in their cocoon until they can emerge as a stunning butterfly in that I actually find myself wanting to shelter the reality of my life from others until I feel as though it is something that I am proud of, until I'm doing something a bit closer to grand than what I'm doing (and have been doing) now. Over the course of these months, my heart has constantly been stirred with this desire to be somewhere/doing something more grandiose, stemming from a mixture of indignity, ambition, envy, and hope, to the point that now that I'm on the cusp of heading in that direction the idea of waiting any longer makes my heart want to leap out of my chest. I'm being forced to re-learn this idea of patience that I once thought I wasn't so bad at. Increasingly, I've become aware that in the midst of my longings for my future and dealing with its alter-ego, the less-exciting current reality, I really haven't taken the time to focus on other aspects of my life, most notably, my walk with God. To rectify that situation, today I stole away to a place that provided that refuge and breath of life that I was so desperately in need of. I found myself enveloped not only in the beauty of God's creation but also in His peace. It's an amazing thing how such an escape can both bring one to life again and at the same time also subdue certain thoughts and feelings, on both accounts, it was exactly what I needed. I walked away from my brief sojourn knowing that I am blessed to live the life that I do (yes, even in its current state) and trusting that even though I might not be where I intended to be at this point in my life I am where God intended me to be and His plan/timing is ultimately better than my own. I now see these next few months that lie ahead in a different light and I do believe that I will be able to maintain some semblance of patience until I get to take that next step in my life, all while being able to revel in the here and now and the experiences that my current reality presents to me.

A LITERAL 'LOOK' AT THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS

2008-03-10T11:59:00.000-06:00

A trip to the Bahamas with cousin Jane

plus my brother's wedding in Oregon

equals a fabulous few weeks

BAHAMA MAMA

2008-02-12T23:03:00.000-07:00

Life is definitely interesting. In the most recent news of my life: I've received word that I've been accepted into one of the graduate schools that I applied to (still waiting on the other three); I currently am temp-ing as a receptionist for a health and rehabilitation center (despite not having much of any office, much less receptionist, experience I've started to get the hang of it and am enjoying interacting with the resident 'regulars' who frequent my desk); and as of today, I'll be taking off for the Bahamas in two weeks! I believe that a get-away is exactly what the doctor ordered given where I'm at in life right now, especially as things are finally starting to move again. As usual, I still may not be entirely certain of what the future holds, but what I'm seeing right now is looking good to me.

SAY WHAT YOU NEED TO SAY

2008-02-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

Words are potent, this much is true, and has been true since the beginning of time. So how often do we take the time to think about the things we say and the way in which they are said? I'm not only talking about making sure that we don't say negative things to/about others (although that's not a bad thing to keep in check), but what about putting thought into the very words and statements that we speak towards people so that what we say is intentional as opposed to a relative knee-jerk response to the conversation. I, for one, feel that when I speak less I am actually saying more, as opposed to when I am speaking more but really saying less; in other words, I think that when I take the time to thoughtfully construct what I'm going to say it oftens leads to being more succinct but packing a greater punch than if I were to rattle off what came to mind first. . .and kept rattling until I thought that I finally made my point. Communication as a whole is definitely tricky, but at the same time, it is such an elemental aspect of life that it is worth the extra time and effort to try and improve on it. One Bible verse which is relevant to words and communication that has always stuck out to me is Ephesians 4:29, stating "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." While most people are usually familiar with the first part of that verse (which is in fact important), it is the second part that set off a flare in my mind: "but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." How profound is that?! Not only should my words be kind, and/or uplifting, but they should be in the best interest of that specific person. It's so easy to give someone a stock response or to tell them something based off of your own opinion, I know that I'm guilty of those instances many times over, but what about taking that person, in all of their uniqueness, into consideration and saying words to them that are actually going to be helpful and beneficial due to taking the time to think through what it is that they really need to hear, to say what you really need to say. Now that would be amazing.

FAITH UNCHALLENGED IS STIFLED FAITH

2008-01-16T17:25:00.001-07:00

I apologize for not going into detail about all that is going on in my life at the moment, or truthfully, all that is not going on in my life right now, but I figured that it's actually for your benefit that I don't (you're welcome, in advance). However, due to the constant ups and downs that I have been experiencing in the past few months (and especially having them come to a head within the last week or so), I did feel compelled to give at least a little depiction of my current state of mind. I'm sure many of you have experienced this to some degree as well, so as much as my intent here is to give insight into where I'm at right now, it is also my hope to give encouragement for those of you who have been, are currently, or will be someday, in a place similar to where I'm finding myself these days. No, these following words are not my own, but I believe that they give better voice to my own thoughts and feelings at present than I myself would be able to, as well as providing me with a better perspective of where I'm at and where that might lead to.

"Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven. No flowers were so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier;

no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky;

no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand;

and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity;

Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too."

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." ~ Isaiah 43:1-2

GOODBYE 2007, HELLO 2008

2007-12-31T13:11:00.002-07:00

I wrote this last spring as my final year of undergrad. was drawing to a close, seeing as this year as a whole is going to come to an end in a few short hours, I thought that it was more than fitting to share these musings since they're even more pertinent at this time of year:

Each day a gift,
Each moment a blessing,
Where to go from here,
What to do with them,
So much can be done and seen,
What will have happened between now and next year,
Between then and the years to come,
Lives to be written,
Memories to be made,
What stories will be able to be told this time next year,
What opportunities will be presented,
What chances taken,
Excitement lies in the unknown that will be made known,
What a gift,
What a blessing,
That which lies ahead, in the year to come, and in the years to come.

Happy New Year everyone! May it be filled with wonder, growth, love, risks, numerous experiences, and a plethora of memories! Here we come 2008.