Sunrise, Promise and Peace

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Today I discovered why I like getting up at the crack of dawn every day.

Amazing, right? 

 Such a breakthrough. I've been confused (as have all my friends and housemates) for years... but I finally got it today. And when I say I got it, I mean I will attempt to explain what seems like perfect sense in my head, but will probably just end up sounding like nonsense in words.

So here goes nothing.

I think there is something beautiful about the promise of a new day. It truly is a chance to wipe your slate clean, and for me it's a chance to prove something to myself. It's a chance to prove that I'm worth something. I'll admit that I can be highly critical of myself... one of my worst faults. I think the fact that I can think about each new day as a new beginning really comforts me. So... I think I find comfort in possibility?

I'll admit that there are things in my life I'm not proud of. I've gone through a lot, and it's hard for me to open up sometimes. I'm scared that I let the past dictate who I am today... instead of appreciating each day as a beautiful and sacred gift. I wake up each day anxious to 'make it through.'

We should never want to 'make it through' life. Where's the fun and beauty in that?

So tomorrow morning, instead of thinking about each day as another day to prove myself- I'll try and think about it as a way to become more of the woman God wants me to be. It's just one more step in my journey. Always a step in the right direction, always moving forward.

And last but not least, a little life update with some fun pictures from second semester! (Midterms start tomorrow... it's going to be rough to say the least). But after 2:30, I'm home free and thinking about the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC on Saturday! Stay tuned, it'll be a great trip.

 

"Be still and know that I am God." 

Psalms 46:10

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Life Happens

Pin It Now! I guess I'll use the same excuse as bloggers everywhere...

when life happens, blogging doesn't.

It's so sad, because blogging really lets me get things out that are on my heart that are hard to get out otherwise. So I'll make more of a conscious effort, I promise. I tend to feel so much better after an update- and I can't help but smile at comments (and even letters) I receive from my followers!

A quick life update: I've been SUPER busy. I nanny every afternoon, often taking the kids home and making them a snack, or going to the library or math tutoring class. It's fun—definitely a new and valuable experience!

Here's one of my girls trying on my sunglasses :) We like to have fun.

I've also been super busy with my Alpha Chi Omega responsibilities. I got back from Leadership Convention in Indianapolis (with hundreds of Alpha Chi's from EVERYWHERE in the US!). Here's a picture of my President and I with our NATIONAL President! So exciting, I've been wanting to meet her since I pledged last year.

I'm in the middle of developing a point system for our chapter (something AXO does nation-wide). It has been one of the hardest and most challenging things I have ever done as a student leader. We are trying to hold our members accountable for their involvement, and I ended up taking a lot of heat from older members which made me second-guess all the change I was trying to support. It made me step back and consider why I was even motivated to enforce the changes...

I guess I came to the conclusion that change is hard. You are going to have people who are going to give you push back no matter what you propose. People are hard to work with, as we are naturally stubborn and like to defend our own interests. As a leader, we have to be aware that we are doing what is best for the most people involved. It takes courage to be a leader, to enact change that could challenge the 'way things are' in order to promote growth.

"But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."
Psalm 86:15

Peace.Love.Inspiration.
Meaghan

Shaping My Destiny

Pin It Now! Today was just one of those days... one of those days when even a pick-me-up and a good friend just can't quite do the trick. So where do I turn?

Pinterest. If you haven't logged on, please spare yourself a few hours and explore. Such a time-sucker but so worth it. It's like you can plan your whole life through online photos! :) Here is what I came across today:

Etsy

Sometimes we all need a beautiful reminder that we are loved. We don't have to...

Live up to anything.
Be anyone else.
Compromise our own natural beauty.
Forget that we are special and unique.

Everyone is loved by someone. Whether that be God, the family and friends in your life, or the very author of the post... you are valued and deserve the world.

Never forget...
you are loved.

In other news, guess where I am off to tomorrow morning!?

An Alpha Chi Omega Leadership Convention in Indianapolis, IN! As Vice President Chapter Relations & Standards, I get to meet hundreds of other Alpha Chi women this weekend at a professional conference in a hotel downtown!

Can you say AWESOME?

I'm so excited for banquets, shopping, networking, meeting so many incredible women and truly being thrown into one of my first professional "workplace" settings!

I'll be blogging about it all weekend, as well as writing for Alpha Chi... so STAY TUNED!

"Let everything that has life and breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."
Psalm 150:6

Peace.Love.Inspiration.
Meaghan

All Your Heart

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If you are anything like me, and most people I assume, you take great care and caution to guard your heart. We protect ourselves from hurt, pain, and disappointment by refusing to let anyone get in deep enough to reach our heart and personal desires.

The important question is why? Why is it so hard to let people in... even the people we love and trust the most. Even the God that we so desperately seek?

I think it's because we get caught. We get caught up in the insignificant and the struggle that make life so much harder than it really should be. We forget to realize that life is about so much more than jobs, school, success, promotions or money.... but we refuse to let these things go because it seems like they're all we have.

The only way to get beyond these things that really don't matter in the end is to... let go, trust, love, and seek with your whole heart.

Woah... way easier said than done right? How are we supposed to just forget about money and material things and give away our hearts? I think it might be a lifelong process, each day if we can get closer and closer, I think that is all we can ask for.

I encourage you to give a piece of heart today. Open up and learn to live.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Peace.Love.Inspiration.

Meaghan

Love One Another

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Ahhh, the beauty of finding an inspiring word collage on Pinterest. There are so many great words and phrases in this photo.

My favorite of them all comes at the end... Love One Another.


I think it's so easy to get caught up in everything we expect ourselves to accomplish, to get distracted by all of our own selfish needs and desires, and to put ourselves above the other important people in our lives.

We are all culprits. It happens every day.

It happens when I take the last parking spot, right before someone else.
It happens when I cancel plans because I'm 'too busy.'
It happens when I forget to be thankful for the food and home I'm provided with.


The hard thing is, it happens without us really being aware of it. It is in our nature to look out for ourselves—to be self-protective and self-absorbed.

What would happen if we took a step back and realized that LIFE is more than us? It is more than success or failures. It is more than waking up alone.

Take a step back today and love and acknowledge the people in your life. Appreciate all that they do for you, and give something to them in return. If we're going to change the way people treat each other, it has to start with the individual.


"Whatever you do, work heartily as for the LORD and not for men."
Colossians 3:23

Peace.Love.Inspiration.
Meaghan