From Greenland's icey mountains to farr-off Borneo,
There are countries of all colors where I should
love to go.
(I shouldn't mind geography if I could travel so
But I must sit upon my seat as proper as you
please,
And stare at maps upon the wall all full of pale
blue seas,
And pink and purple countries -- (Do they really
look like these?)
O Dear! I'd like to sail away
And find the purple ones some day
I'm sure that I should like to know
Geography that's studied so.
-- Annette Wynne
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
I'll Fly Away
I beg you to listen to Jars of Clay's version of "I'll Fly Away":
Some bright morning when this life is o'er
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away
When the shadows of this life have gone
I'll fly away
Like bird from these prison walls have flown
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, O Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujuah by and by
I'll fly away
Oh how glad and happy when we meet
I'll fly away
No more cold arms, shackles on my feet
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, O Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujuah by and by
I'll fly away
Just a few more weary days and then
I'll fly away
To a land where joy will never end
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, O Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujuah by and by
I'll fly away
Here's the song on YouTube... Sorry I couldn't find one with a nicer video to accompany it.
Some bright morning when this life is o'er
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away
When the shadows of this life have gone
I'll fly away
Like bird from these prison walls have flown
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, O Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujuah by and by
I'll fly away
Oh how glad and happy when we meet
I'll fly away
No more cold arms, shackles on my feet
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, O Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujuah by and by
I'll fly away
Just a few more weary days and then
I'll fly away
To a land where joy will never end
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, O Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujuah by and by
I'll fly away
Here's the song on YouTube... Sorry I couldn't find one with a nicer video to accompany it.
Friday, August 20, 2010
To Live a Better Story
On February 6, 2010 I wrote a blog titled “Embark.”
On February 7, I did just that. I flew to Los Angeles. I lived with a stranger. I worked at a music magazine. I flew to Washington. I drove to the Grand Canyon. I walked the stars, and even met some. I embarked.
Upon returning home, I have felt this need to live a better story… to live a life that catches people’s attention. Part of it may be a reflection of the Los Angeles mentality of self-centeredness and fame. However, I know myself better than that… and I’d like to think that this feeling is rooted in something that has always been a part of me: a desire to change people’s lives. That’s a pretty broad statement, and I’ve been putting a lot more thought into what exactly that means for me right now.
“I don’t know why we need stories, but we always have. I’d say it’s just that we like them, that they’re entertaining, but it’s more than that. It’s a thing in us that empties like a stomach and then needs to be filled again. This is how it has always been.” (p.80, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller)
I don’t think it was any coincidence that I finally picked up Donald Miller’s book “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” that had been sitting on my shelf since the day it was released, and read it cover to cover in a couple days. It put everything I had been thinking and feeling about living a more intentional life into a new perspective for me. I felt like I sat down with a friend for coffee, and a few days later realized we have had some of the same revelations… except he used much better metaphors.
“Here’s the truth about telling stories with your life. It’s going to sound like a great idea, and you’re going to get excited about it, and then when it comes times to do the work, you’re not going to want to do it. […] People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain.” (p.100, Miller)
What story do I want to live? I have had a few things on my “to live a better story” list… things I have weighed the obstacles of and know would take significant amounts of perseverance in some cases. First, I want to travel to Australia before I turn 30. I would also like to go on a significantly long bike trip… anywhere from 1-3 months long, perhaps across Japan (No, this is not an idea I stole from the book… I’ve been wanting to do this since 3 years ago when I went on my first 60-mile bike ride and loved it). Within the next couple years, I want to release my first full-length album of my own original music, and book a tour to promote it. I want to become Adobe certified, specifically in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. And while doing all of this, I want to build up my blog and write consistently about people I meet, places I go, music I hear, things I learn, and things God is revealing to me along the way.
There are many obstacles…. Most obviously, financially. I mean, my part-time job right now is great for pursuing music and traveling on the side, but how will I fund some of these experiences? Thank goodness blogging is free! Traveling is an obvious pricey pursuit… and flights to Australia are at a minimum $1,000. My hybrid bike certainly wouldn’t be a good choice for hundreds or thousands of miles of biking…. So a road bike would need to be purchased. Recording music, promoting it, packaging the CDs and artwork design… all of that adds up. On top of all that, taking courses to get training in those Adobe programs is another obvious financial obstacle. I’ll also need to purchase those programs for my own use to complete the training! Have you ever looked up the price of those programs? I could fly to Australia a couple times! Money can be such an unfortunate barrier sometimes. I also need time to do this… or rather, the ability to set aside time for it. So how can I let this NOT become a barrier? Do I need to give up the “luxury” of part-time work (a.k.a. extra free time) and get a full-time job, even if it isn’t in music, creative marketing, or other media-based jobs? I dislike the idea of not using my college degree in Music Business to help me pursue a professional career. I guess in order to live a better story, I am going to have to make changes, sacrifices even... and make smarter decisions while hoping for some extra blessings along the way to keep me moving forward.
So, there’s this conference in Portland, Oregon that I would absolutely love to go to. It’s the Living A Better Story seminar, put on by Donald Miller. I can’t quite think of a better place for me to go and gain more insight into this whole “living a better story” idea. I guess that is why they called the seminar that. :) If interested in reading more about it, check it out at Donald Miller's Website. Unfortunately I hear that it is basically sold out, and with my recent trip to the east coast and my future trips to Nashville and the Bahamas planned for music events, I’m afraid my finances can’t take much more of a hit to get me to Portland… so I’m entering this contest to try and win a trip to this conference! If you’re in the Portland, area, however… you should go to this seminar and take notes for me… I’d owe you big time!
Here’s a promo video from Donald himself, talking about the seminar!
www.donmilleris.com/conference
I’ve set goals. I’ve been dreaming. I’ve planned, discussed, weighed, and hoped. I think it’s time to start making things happen, no matter how hard it may be. I did it with moving to Los Angeles for those three months, and despite feeling scared to death during the days leading up to it… it proved to be one of the most exhilarating, meaningful, and growing experiences I’ve had so far. I want to live my life filled with meaningful experience. I want to write a better story.
“And life no longer felt meaningless. It felt stressful and terrifying, but it definitely didn’t feel meaningless.” (p. 176, Miller)
Living a Better Story Seminar from All Things Converge Podcast on Vimeo.
On February 7, I did just that. I flew to Los Angeles. I lived with a stranger. I worked at a music magazine. I flew to Washington. I drove to the Grand Canyon. I walked the stars, and even met some. I embarked.
Upon returning home, I have felt this need to live a better story… to live a life that catches people’s attention. Part of it may be a reflection of the Los Angeles mentality of self-centeredness and fame. However, I know myself better than that… and I’d like to think that this feeling is rooted in something that has always been a part of me: a desire to change people’s lives. That’s a pretty broad statement, and I’ve been putting a lot more thought into what exactly that means for me right now.
“I don’t know why we need stories, but we always have. I’d say it’s just that we like them, that they’re entertaining, but it’s more than that. It’s a thing in us that empties like a stomach and then needs to be filled again. This is how it has always been.” (p.80, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller)
I don’t think it was any coincidence that I finally picked up Donald Miller’s book “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” that had been sitting on my shelf since the day it was released, and read it cover to cover in a couple days. It put everything I had been thinking and feeling about living a more intentional life into a new perspective for me. I felt like I sat down with a friend for coffee, and a few days later realized we have had some of the same revelations… except he used much better metaphors.
“Here’s the truth about telling stories with your life. It’s going to sound like a great idea, and you’re going to get excited about it, and then when it comes times to do the work, you’re not going to want to do it. […] People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain.” (p.100, Miller)
What story do I want to live? I have had a few things on my “to live a better story” list… things I have weighed the obstacles of and know would take significant amounts of perseverance in some cases. First, I want to travel to Australia before I turn 30. I would also like to go on a significantly long bike trip… anywhere from 1-3 months long, perhaps across Japan (No, this is not an idea I stole from the book… I’ve been wanting to do this since 3 years ago when I went on my first 60-mile bike ride and loved it). Within the next couple years, I want to release my first full-length album of my own original music, and book a tour to promote it. I want to become Adobe certified, specifically in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. And while doing all of this, I want to build up my blog and write consistently about people I meet, places I go, music I hear, things I learn, and things God is revealing to me along the way.
There are many obstacles…. Most obviously, financially. I mean, my part-time job right now is great for pursuing music and traveling on the side, but how will I fund some of these experiences? Thank goodness blogging is free! Traveling is an obvious pricey pursuit… and flights to Australia are at a minimum $1,000. My hybrid bike certainly wouldn’t be a good choice for hundreds or thousands of miles of biking…. So a road bike would need to be purchased. Recording music, promoting it, packaging the CDs and artwork design… all of that adds up. On top of all that, taking courses to get training in those Adobe programs is another obvious financial obstacle. I’ll also need to purchase those programs for my own use to complete the training! Have you ever looked up the price of those programs? I could fly to Australia a couple times! Money can be such an unfortunate barrier sometimes. I also need time to do this… or rather, the ability to set aside time for it. So how can I let this NOT become a barrier? Do I need to give up the “luxury” of part-time work (a.k.a. extra free time) and get a full-time job, even if it isn’t in music, creative marketing, or other media-based jobs? I dislike the idea of not using my college degree in Music Business to help me pursue a professional career. I guess in order to live a better story, I am going to have to make changes, sacrifices even... and make smarter decisions while hoping for some extra blessings along the way to keep me moving forward.
So, there’s this conference in Portland, Oregon that I would absolutely love to go to. It’s the Living A Better Story seminar, put on by Donald Miller. I can’t quite think of a better place for me to go and gain more insight into this whole “living a better story” idea. I guess that is why they called the seminar that. :) If interested in reading more about it, check it out at Donald Miller's Website. Unfortunately I hear that it is basically sold out, and with my recent trip to the east coast and my future trips to Nashville and the Bahamas planned for music events, I’m afraid my finances can’t take much more of a hit to get me to Portland… so I’m entering this contest to try and win a trip to this conference! If you’re in the Portland, area, however… you should go to this seminar and take notes for me… I’d owe you big time!
Here’s a promo video from Donald himself, talking about the seminar!
www.donmilleris.com/conference
I’ve set goals. I’ve been dreaming. I’ve planned, discussed, weighed, and hoped. I think it’s time to start making things happen, no matter how hard it may be. I did it with moving to Los Angeles for those three months, and despite feeling scared to death during the days leading up to it… it proved to be one of the most exhilarating, meaningful, and growing experiences I’ve had so far. I want to live my life filled with meaningful experience. I want to write a better story.
“And life no longer felt meaningless. It felt stressful and terrifying, but it definitely didn’t feel meaningless.” (p. 176, Miller)
Living a Better Story Seminar from All Things Converge Podcast on Vimeo.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A brief challenge.
I say that God has blessed me abundantly when life is going well, yet I struggle to say those same words when life seems to be a mess. How often do our spiritual lives revolve around the ups and downs in life? How often do we twist our view of the church, God, and other Christians, warped because of our own selfish desires to be satisfied and happy. Why is it that we so often cling to our own happiness, rather than seeking the radiant joy that is found only in Christ? There is joy for the persecuted, the sinners, the abandoned, the outcast, the sad and lonely, the youngest child and the oldest grandparent. I recently wrote a song with the words saying "I'm trading my sorrow for victory, hoping that they will see Christ in me." How could I write such words, when I so often reflect the world, rather than Christ? Then I realize that even though I am a hypocrite, who is far from living a life that is 100% sold out to Christ, He can still use me in my weakness... and that is reason enough to have great joy!
I'm challenging myself to give continual thanks to our Creator who never leaves us, and who is constantly pouring out his grace and mercy on us, even when we refuse to see it. Lately I've had so much joy and have felt the freedom I have in Christ filling my life... but I think of all the times before in my life I've had this joy in my heart and have let it fade gradually. I want this joy to stay... because I want my joy to be based on the love of a Creator, not the allurements of the world. Nothing good in me is without the touch of His hand. Everything sinful in me is the touch of the enemy. And how often do we forget to pray, in God's name, that the chains of sin would be broken in our own life? Only recently have I taken those prayers seriously, and it is only since then that I have felt this freedom. I am still sinner. I still deal with issues of trust, jealousy, lust, forgiveness, negativity, pride, and so many more... the sins are disgusting, but our Savior has promised us new bodies that will not be captured by sin, but rather captivated by His holiness. I am yet again filled with joy.
I know I will still stumble and fall... but I have felt challenged to choose joy, to defy what the world says and to rejoice despite sufferings, great or small. I pray that you will challenge yourself to do the same, because there really is no greater name than the name of Jesus.
I'm challenging myself to give continual thanks to our Creator who never leaves us, and who is constantly pouring out his grace and mercy on us, even when we refuse to see it. Lately I've had so much joy and have felt the freedom I have in Christ filling my life... but I think of all the times before in my life I've had this joy in my heart and have let it fade gradually. I want this joy to stay... because I want my joy to be based on the love of a Creator, not the allurements of the world. Nothing good in me is without the touch of His hand. Everything sinful in me is the touch of the enemy. And how often do we forget to pray, in God's name, that the chains of sin would be broken in our own life? Only recently have I taken those prayers seriously, and it is only since then that I have felt this freedom. I am still sinner. I still deal with issues of trust, jealousy, lust, forgiveness, negativity, pride, and so many more... the sins are disgusting, but our Savior has promised us new bodies that will not be captured by sin, but rather captivated by His holiness. I am yet again filled with joy.
I know I will still stumble and fall... but I have felt challenged to choose joy, to defy what the world says and to rejoice despite sufferings, great or small. I pray that you will challenge yourself to do the same, because there really is no greater name than the name of Jesus.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
B.R.A.T.
No, I'm not annoyed with anyone. B.R.A.T. is referring to the famous diet that you go on when you're sick. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. Unfortunately, I am supposed to be on a diet right now in which I cannot each bananas, rice, or applesauce... and only cardboard diet bread. Why am I even talking about this? Well, last night when I went to bed I was freezing cold. It's the middle of June, and I slept in socks, long sweats, 2 shirts, a sweatshirt, and camped out under 2 thick blankets... and somehow I was still cold. I don't even sleep with that much on in the winter! Hmmm... something is up. So anyways I woke up this morning, like I have the past few mornings, with a sore throat and stomach ache. Except this time the stomach ache was much worse, and I just felt sick with absolutely no appetite, for fear of throwing up. Knowing that my mom (a.k.a. boss woman) had little sympathy for my pain, I just toughed it out and went to work. As I was sitting at my desk, my head started to hurt a little bit. All of a sudden, I thought, "Wait. What if this is a migraine???" Eager to make an early diagnosis, I immediately googled "Migraine symptoms" (as if I really needed to do this - I've suffered from migraines for 8 years now, so I should be able to tell if I have one or not). Lately, within the past year or so, my migraines have been acting differently though... so I just thought I'd refresh my memory. My head really didn't hurt THAT bad - not compared to my stomach. I read a little bit but then felt guilty doing this at work, so I just went back to working on some photo editing. All of a sudden, a wave of panic ran through my body as I suddenly lost all feeling and got extremely light-headed. It didn't take much for my mom to quickly realize what was about to go down, by the horrified expression on my face. Yes, I was about to pass out, at work, onto a hard cement floor. Excellent. She ran to me and forced me to put my head between my legs just as I was about to fall out of my chair, and after blacking out for a brief moment I instantly burst into tears - out of adrenaline, pain, and sheer annoyance. Ah yes, Megan passes out yet again. You see, the same head "injury" that caused me to now get migraines, is the same injury back in high school that caused me to start passing out more than the average person.... sometimes even accompanied by seizures. Oh trust me, we've had tests done - plenty of them. I've had tests done at 3 different hospitals, going through 4 different doctors. Scans, stress tests, blood work, diabetes test, tilt test, EEG's... those were the things that defined my sophomore year in high school. It's somewhat ironic that it was my best year in softball - I had been moved up to varsity, was the top hitter on the team, starting 2nd base player and back-up short stop player, and was name the All-Conference 2nd base player. I could bench 150 lb., which is pretty good for a girl at the age of 16. I'm not sure how I managed to pull that off... but one thing I do know is that my health issues have stayed with me, while my softball skills and weight-lifting stamina definitely have not. There are days I wish it were the other day around. Oh wait... I always wish it were the other way around.
So here I am, laying on the couch in my living room, going between hot and cold (not a normal migraine symptom for me), feeling light-headed, and cheating on my diet by enjoying a nice slice of cardboard diet bread with peanut butter and bananas on top, accompanied by some chicken broth. Ithink I might treat myself to a Diet Rite soda, about the only really flavorful thing I am allowed to drink on this diet. It's not really that good, but desperate times call for desperate measures - a.k.a. - drink the soda. I'm sick of water.
In other news, it is a beautiful day outside and I get to watch the trees sway in the sun while I lie here. I've made a list of music suggestions for my friend Bree, and will be sharing a select few with her each week. I might as well share them with you as well! Here's this Thursday's music suggestions...
- Copeland album "You Are My Sunshine"
- Priscilla Ahn album "Priscilla Ahn (EP)" and "A Good Day"
- Franz Ferdinand album "Tonight"
- Loudon Wainwright III album "Strange Weirdos: ..." (title is too long)
So here I am, laying on the couch in my living room, going between hot and cold (not a normal migraine symptom for me), feeling light-headed, and cheating on my diet by enjoying a nice slice of cardboard diet bread with peanut butter and bananas on top, accompanied by some chicken broth. Ithink I might treat myself to a Diet Rite soda, about the only really flavorful thing I am allowed to drink on this diet. It's not really that good, but desperate times call for desperate measures - a.k.a. - drink the soda. I'm sick of water.
In other news, it is a beautiful day outside and I get to watch the trees sway in the sun while I lie here. I've made a list of music suggestions for my friend Bree, and will be sharing a select few with her each week. I might as well share them with you as well! Here's this Thursday's music suggestions...
- Copeland album "You Are My Sunshine"
- Priscilla Ahn album "Priscilla Ahn (EP)" and "A Good Day"
- Franz Ferdinand album "Tonight"
- Loudon Wainwright III album "Strange Weirdos: ..." (title is too long)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Meg's Smoothie Recipe
Meg's Smoothie Recipe:
(Makes 1-2 Servings)
What you will need:
1 cup frozen fruit
(preferably a berry blend - blueberries/strawberries/raspberries/blackberries)
1/2 cup fresh fruit
(strawberries, bananas, and raspberries work well)
1/2 container (3-4 oz.) Frozen Light Yogurt
(in any flavor - Strawberry Banana or Raspberry are my favs)
- NOTE: Just buy normal light flavored yogurt and freeze it yourself -
do NOT use "frozen yogurt"
2 Tblsp. Lemon Juice
1/4 cup fruit juice
(I recommend cranberry or pomegranite)
1. Slightly thaw the frozen fruit, but make sure it is still partially frozen
2. Slightly thaw the frozen yogurt, if necessary, just enough so that you
can crush it up while still in frozen form.
3. Put all ingredients into a blender
4. Blend until you have a nice, smooth consistency.
5. Pour into a cup and enjoy this healthy treat!
*On the Summit Weight Loss diet, this smoothie counts for only 1 1/2 fruits and 1/2 protein (or milk group)!
(Makes 1-2 Servings)
What you will need:
1 cup frozen fruit
(preferably a berry blend - blueberries/strawberries/raspberries/blackberries)
1/2 cup fresh fruit
(strawberries, bananas, and raspberries work well)
1/2 container (3-4 oz.) Frozen Light Yogurt
(in any flavor - Strawberry Banana or Raspberry are my favs)
- NOTE: Just buy normal light flavored yogurt and freeze it yourself -
do NOT use "frozen yogurt"
2 Tblsp. Lemon Juice
1/4 cup fruit juice
(I recommend cranberry or pomegranite)
1. Slightly thaw the frozen fruit, but make sure it is still partially frozen
2. Slightly thaw the frozen yogurt, if necessary, just enough so that you
can crush it up while still in frozen form.
3. Put all ingredients into a blender
4. Blend until you have a nice, smooth consistency.
5. Pour into a cup and enjoy this healthy treat!
*On the Summit Weight Loss diet, this smoothie counts for only 1 1/2 fruits and 1/2 protein (or milk group)!
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