Lazy Summer Days

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Summer is flying by! It’s almost August already?? I move back to school in less than a month- and as good as it’s going to feel to be back on campus with my college friends… I will truly miss the calm and comfort of home. (Okay, well it’s calm most of the time). Sometimes I do miss the solitude of living on my own- although a house of 55 women may be a little different than my quiet dorm room. J

My apologies for a lack of posting this summer. It’s so hard to have a blogging schedule around work, family, and rest. I am actually working quite a few hours at Noodles & Co and I am doing some babysitting for my cousin. I just spent an entire day watching the kids (yes, overnight). It was quite the experience…

A quick highlight:

I drove a mini van with two car seats.

I cranked out Mac and Cheese and 6 PB & J sandwiches for dinner.

I sat in bed with them until they fell asleep (after a few ‘snack,’ water and nightmare runs).

I served a few bowls of cereal for breakfast (while I downed a few cups of coffee).

After a few Scooby snacks and graham crackers, we made blueberry muffins and melon for lunch.

I took them on a bike ride to the boat dock.

Quite the day, huh? I came home exhausted- so ready for a nap and some quiet time. I’m still excited to be a mom, but I think I may enjoy some time on my own for a while J.

Here’s a picture of the kids after some M&M brownies I made for them- the key to a child’s heart may, in fact, be sugar and chocolate.

Inspired by my babysitting job, today is all about learning to live like a little kid every day. I wish I could be as carefree, honest, loving and trusting as these little kids. Sure, I may still be a child, but I am definitely plagued by grown-up worry and stress.

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Why can’t my life be as simple as elementary school was? Why can’t I let people in, accepting them before I doubt their sincerity?

I encourage you today to…

Laugh like you’re with your best friend.

Love like you won’t get another chance to express yourself.

Let go of all your fears and doubts.

Allow yourself to relax and enjoy.

Live freely and openly.

And above all,

Never be afraid to say I LOVE YOU.

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation– if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

1 Peter 2:2

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Fun Auto-Interview!

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Happy Sunday! J

I thought I would lighten it up today and do a little self-interview with a few fun questions! Enjoy!

 

   1.     What makes you smile?

The people in my life. My family and friends mean the world to me and they know exactly what to do to lift me up. I also love watching miracles unfold in everyday life. Sometimes, I think love and life are miracles in themselves.

   2.     What is the most important thing you’ve done so far?

I would have to say making it to college and successfully living a year on my own. I am also proud of getting my writing published online and overcoming some pretty strong self-doubt.

    3.     What do you fear the most?

I fear not finding true love. I fear watching my dreams slowly fade. I fear not being enough.

4.     When was the last time you cried?

I think it was probably reading a good romance novel or watching some dramatic One Tree Hill episode. I’m an emotional baby when it comes to watching/reading about love scenes.

5.     What is the best thing that could happen to you right now?

I wish I could let go of all the insecurity that plagues me, my worries about the future, and all of the restrictions I put on myself. I wish I could just live freely.

6.    Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Five years… hopefully out of school and living in a big city. I would like to be working my way up the magazine ladder, potentially with a love interest by my side. (But it’s all up to God… wherever he takes me, I am up for).

7.     What’s the first thing you do in the morning?

I make the coffee, take my puppy out, and lay with her while I watch the Today Show. I love my summer morning routine.

8.    What’s the last thing you do before going to bed?

I LOVE writing before bed. I think I write best at night, when I have had time to process the day and all my thoughts.

9.    What annoys you most?

I can’t stand loud noise, people drinking directly out of the milk/juice carton, and cracking your knuckles/backs/necks.

10.   What are you proud of?

I am proud of the person I am. I would like to think that I am a loving, caring, passionate individual (most of the time of course). I am proud that my siblings can look up to me. I am proud that I live with (almost) no regrets. I am proud to have accepted the Lord and Savior into my heart.

Have any questions you would love for me to answer? Or… would you like to answer any of the above in my comments section? Go for it! J

“A merry heart does good like a medicine; but a broken spirit dries the bones.”

Proverbs 17:22

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Double Life

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Two apologies!

1.      I am sorry I have been letting my posts slip by the wayside the last couple weeks; my summer is a lot busier than I originally anticipated. I am trying to get back on it… inspired if you should call it that J.

2.     I lost ALL MY PHOTOS from my previous posts! Such a heartbreak- all the cool, artsy, emotional quotes and photos are all gone from the blog! I got a new Google account and mistakenly deleted the album of pictures inked to my blog… not thinking the two were linked! I definitely learned my lesson. Technology trumped me this time!

Anyway, a quick LIFE update-

I am working a TON- but saving up quite a bit of money for school in the fall. It’s worth it to be doing something productive and enriching with my time- I love interacting with customers at Noodles and hearing about how much they love our food! I am also writing a TON! I am doing a lot of online work for www.collegegloss.com and am also submitting an application for a fall virtual internship- stay tuned, I will give you more updates if it happens for me! I am also still working with Women’s Lifestyle Magazine downtown- managing their events calendar and working with them on a few spotlight articles! I have to say- it feels good to be published! J

Other than that- SUMMER IS FLYING BY?!? Can you believe it is mid-July already??

Now onto a little food for thought… tonight my mom and I went to see a movie about a teenage girl who is mistaken for a celebrity. Obviously, the celebrity is not as sincere and caring as the ‘normal’ teenage girl, but she gets to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous for a few days… and it got me wondering- how often do I feel like I am living in someone else’s body? Why is it so hard to be myself 100% of the time and let people in to see the real me?

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Is it because I am scared to be vulnerable?

Is it because I equate opening up with getting hurt?

Am I scared that being myself will make me look weak?

WHY can’t I just be comfortable in my own skin?

We all struggle with what it means to be ourselves… and believe me, we are constantly trying to figure it out. I wonder if we ever get there- if we ever truly understand who we are as an individual? I encourage you to channel your inner personality.

Let yourself shine form the inside out this week. Everyone you know and love will appreciate and love the real you. Relax, just be you.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Something Good.

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There is truly something good and beautiful about every day. When we take a minute to step back, to realize that we are part of something more... something bigger than ourselves... we start to see all of the greatness in life.

And believe me.. there is a whole lot of great if you never give up looking.

"Every day may not be good... but there's something good in every day."

Everyone has off days.

Everyone has those days where staying in bed seems like the only option.

Everyone has those days where nothing seems to go right.

Everyone has those days that make us doubtful of the world's beauty and goodness.

Every day is not going to be perfect. (Something I can't seem to grasp very thoroughly). Things are going to go wrong, flaws and imperfection are an inevitable part of life. But on the contrary- a lot of things are still going to go right in life.

The funny thing is... even if 99% of our day is incredible, the little 1% that goes awry can throw everything off balance. Isn't it crazy how we focus so much on the negatives in life- and rarely acknowledge that these negative moments may actually be few and far between?

One of the great things about this blog is that I try to be honest. I try to tell it like it is, rarely sugar-coating situations, and I think I do a decent job of sticking to the (sometimes painful) truth. Isn't the truth, in itself, beautiful though? There is something so sincere and real about reading the truth. There is something that we can all connect to in truthful statements about life. It is my hope is that you recognize that life isn't about trying to avoid the 1% of negative, imperfect moments in life. 

Life is about living to appreciate the 99% of incredible, beautiful moments.

"But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

1 Peter 3:4

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Peace.

Pin It Now! It is no secret that most people crave power.
We crave power over other people.
We crave power over our decisions.
We crave power over our emotions.
We crave power over our career.


What would happen is we stopped caring about who has the most power? If, instead, we focused on sharing power and making everyone feel loved and accepted. Is that even possible?


The hard thing about talking about world peace, tolerance, and acceptance is that changing the world comes with a heavy price tag. It is an understatement to say that getting the whole world to cooperate is a big undertaking.


So how do we remain optimistic in something that seems impossible? I think we focus on what we can do as individuals. We may not be able to change the world... but we can definitely have an impact on the people around us, the people directly involved in our lives. So I encourage you to live with an accepting heart. Look for opportunities to make people feel loved. Encourage the pursuit of equality.


Be optimistic for change. It may just happen someday if we all do our part.


"The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace."
Psalm 29:11


Peace.Love.Inspiration.
Meaghan

Another Happy Sunday :)

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I think I have mentioned once or twice on this blog that I absolutely love Sundays… but just in case-

I LOVE SUNDAYS. I love waking up, playing with my puppy, drinking coffee, going to church, buying clothes at the mall- a new J. Crew skirt, yay! - having a family dinner, and enjoying a little One Tree Hill in my bedroom.

GOOD DAY.

Don’t you love good days? I love feeling like the day was long but yet flew by. I love remembering a few things that made me smile. I love knowing that tomorrow I can wake up with good memories.

What keeps every day from being good? Why can’t I go to bed with a smile on my face every night?

I am my own worst critic. I don’t give myself credit for the person I am. I am constantly expecting more out of myself. I am always setting limits and restraints on what I can/cannot do.

I have lost touch with the meaning of having fun. Lately, I think I have equated having fun with perfection and order… and please tell me- WHAT ABOUT THAT IS FUN? What about that is going to make me laugh and smile? What about perfection and order is going to help me enjoy life? Is letting go of those thoughts really that hard?

Yes, it really is.

I am trying. I am slowly learning to love life again. I am starting to fall in love with grace. I am re-learning how to live.

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What keeps your days from being good? What are you holding on to that you desperately want to let go?

PS. I will try to write more often- I have been busy writing for www.collegegloss.com (check it out!)

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed.”

2 Corinthians 9:8

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Dealing with Feelings.

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Do you ever have those moments that you just want to break down and cry? Do you ever get so caught up in your own emotions that you forget what you are crying about in the first place?

Why do I let myself get so frustrated? It is so easy for me to get angry, upset, or emotional when things are just a little bit out of the norm. I understand that it is part of my character to desire normality and routine- but being obsessed with it can drive me over the edge.

I need to learn flexibility. Sounds so simple right? Just go with the flow, everything will be okay. To enjoy life and the time I have with family and friends. I need to forget about the trivial small things and treasure conversation, laughter, and relationships.

Way easier said than done.

Tomorrow is a new day… tomorrow is a day to cherish the simple, beautiful things in life. Tomorrow I will try to enjoy each and every moment as a gift. Tomorrow I won’t stress over making everything go ‘according to plan.’ Tomorrow I will let myself laugh, relax, and enjoy.

Tomorrow I will be free.

I hope tomorrow comes soon.

How do you embrace flexibility in your own life?

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 8:32

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Happy Holiday Weekend! :)

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Can you believe it is July already? Where is this summer going??

Happy holiday weekend! I love the Fourth of July weekend- I got out of work early this afternoon, and we drove straight to the COTTAGE. I pretty much sat in a chair all day, chased little kids and puppies around, and got an arm workout pushing my cousin on the swing.

To sum it up… it was a great day. I love our cottage for so many reasons, the main one being- there is always so much love here. I love the positive energy, the relaxation, and the carefree lake atmosphere. It’s a nice way to LET GO. (See previous post J).

That should be the new title of my blog... 

Despite the fact that I love relaxing at the cottage, the fact that I stress myself out becomes even more apparent here. I am starting to become more comfortable with myself again, but I am still so hard on myself. I think about the little things way too much.

I can’t seem to let myself fully enjoy life. I am holding onto something that is keeping me from who I truly want to be. I won’t let go of the fear and anxiety of losing control.

I can’t let myself lose control- even for a minute. Now don’t get me wrong, a little control is good for anyone, but having too much control…. could end up robbing you from fun, pleasure and happiness.

I encourage you to lose control today. Surrender to yourself and your desires. You are worth letting go for.

Any tips? What do you do to lose control?

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:32

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Letting Go.

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Why do I write? Why do I love coming back to words and sentences and photos?

I love the way it makes me feel. I love the way it frees me of pain, heartache, worry, and uncertainty. I know writing may never give me all the answers, but I love unveiling my emotions through words.

I love painting a picture of what I feel. I love learning to let go.

I am one of those people who will never stop fighting for what I believe in. I would like to believe that I fight till the end. And despite the fact that fighting is supposed to make us stronger, sometimes. I feel like letting go takes more effort.

I need to let go of fear.

I need to let go of doubt.

I need to let go of obsession.

I need to let go of perfection.

I need to let go of uncertainty.

I feel like I am starting to learn to let go through writing. I open myself to what I am really feeling. I can finally start telling myself- ‘hey, you are pretty great just the way you are. You truly are loved and blessed.’

What do you need to learn to let go of?

“Give your worries to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will never let good people down.” Psalm 55:22

Peace.Love.Inspiration.
Meaghan