The Maker of Noses...

Hello again :)

I'm having "one of those nights"...the kind of night where my head and my heart are in over-drive, thinking about anything and everything, racing like it's their new found passion over think, over analyse, and keep me awake! It's been awhile since this has happened, and it's honestly because I've either been too busy or too tired :P It's been awhile since I've checked in, so I should probably update you before I continue....

About 4 months ago, I moved. I took a leap of faith, stepped out on my own and found myself in the crazy lovely city of Toronto. And I love it. I didn't think I would, I imagined myself getting lost in the bustle of the city streets, longing for home and counting down the days until my two years at George Brown College were up. Instead, I found myself marveling at beautiful skyscraper sunsets out my bedroom window, enjoying the hustle and bustle of my morning walks to school, and finding love and acceptance in a community of people who welcome me with open arms. I fit here, and I'm excited.

I am in the intervenor for individuals with deafblindness program (more to come on that...it's a whole post worth :) ). I. AM. LOVING IT! It's my heart. It's where I'm supposed to be. It's where God is calling me; and my heart has found joy again <3

So, back to my crazy head and heart! I am a person who can get lost in worry if I let myself. What will happen? How will this work? Will there be enough money? Did I finish this? How will I know? Am I doing enough? Am I doing to much? You get the idea...Tonight, my mind is wandering to the future. I have a program placement starting in January, an academic schedule that will be taking up the majority of my time, and a financial burden that can be stressful at times. I am lying in my bed as all of these thoughts are running through my mind and making my heart race....breathe in....breathe out...breathe in...breathe out..."talk to me"...it's that still, beautiful voice that I have forgotten to listen for over the past week. It's that gentle whisper of peace that begins to slow my racing heart and calm my mind for a moment. It's the God of the Universe reminding me that I don't have to do this, or anything else, alone.

"Father, I say, it's just too much, there's too many things I've forgotten to do, to many unknowns, what if I pick the wrong thing, or go the wrong way, what if I mess it all up?" I can almost feel His smile as my heart starts to slow even more; "Trust Me, He says, follow Me. I love you sooooooo much! and I've got this".

For Christmas this year, we got my dad a Rich Mullins CD, and he and I were listening to it in the car the other day. We had time for one last song before we arrived back home. He scanned the song list on the back of the CD case, and smiled as he changed it track 7. "You'll like this one", he said, and I did....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdspZ8Dexv0

~But the Father of hearts
and the maker of noses
and the giver of dreams
He's the one I have chosen
And I will follow Him~

He is the one who knows my heart, my today, my tomorrow, my yesterday...my forever. He's the one who has placed my dreams and passions in my heart and holds all of it in His hands. Pretty amazing :) So, it's off to bed for me, with a head and heart that are just a little bit quieter, a little bit slower. Will they get crazy again? Yes. Most definitely. It may even happen tomorrow. And when it does, I want to remember to stop, and listen, feel His smile and hear His gentle whisper, "I've got this."

Lots of Love
God Bless
Meaghan :)

Well hello there :) As usual, it's been awhile but you should be used to that by now ;) I have had a sunshine filled day so far, the Rankin Cancer Run was today! I started running 3 years ago and I look forward to it every year. I run for a lot of reasons. It's obviously good exercise, I run for many friends and family members who have battled cancer and who are still fighting, I run because I enjoy it. But today I realised maybe the most important reason that I run; community. There is something about a common cause, a shared hope, a unified fight, that brings people together. The Rankin Run in my hometown is held at a local park, and by the time 10:00 rolls around, the soccer field is a sea of white orage and green shirts. Everyone is smiling, running, walking towards the same goal, cheering each other on, total strangers become family if only for a morning. We all share something in common; I have become a part of their journey and they, a part of mine. It fills me with joy :) And as we leave the park there is a tug on my heart; I don't want it to end! This is my family, my community, it's what I long for. It's what I will always long for because it's I'm wired for. I'll be honest, I've been a bit lacking in community lately. People and seasons change, move on to different parts of life, new chapters of their story, and new chapters of mine. It reminds me how important it is to be connected, how precious my friends are, those who come and walk along side me through the good and the bad. I love the feeling of being in community, of belonging, of being a part of something that's bigger than me, of being loved. So, have I rambled on again? Probably :) But I think that's alright. I've gotten to tell you a little bit of my story, a little bit of my heart and maybe entered into community with you? Perhaps :) <3 God Bless

OOOPS....

well would you look at that....check out the post from may 23rd and from today....I guess that's what I used that blurb for :) Oh well, one thing never changes...God is still good <3

God Bless
Meaghan :)
~Matthew 11:28~

It's a mystery.....

hello :)
so, I was busy being busy this evening, working on a paper for school, e-mailing people back about Able Church, when I noticed a saved document in my Able Church file on my computer that I didn't recognize. I clicked on it, and up popped a small blurb, written by me, that looks like it was meant to presented in front of some sort of group of people. I can't remember when I wrote it, or why, or who it was supposed to be presented to...but I like it. It may sound weird and a bit arrogant, but let me explain a bit further. Life can get busy. We get tired and stressed...burned out. Passions, while they are still in our heart and mind, can die down a little when reality begins to hit again. But this mystery blurb that I found was written pre-reality. It was written from a mind and a heart that had been given a chance to rest and to dream and to get excited about those dreams. And, in truth, reading it has done something quite wonderful. It hasn't erased the stress, or instantly refreshed me. My body could still use a nap, and my mind a little vacation. What it has done, is reminded me that my passion, joy and excitement, hasn't gone away....and God is good <3


What are your weaknesses? This is the question that kept rolling around in my mind as I tried to think about what in the world I was going to say tonight. One of mine is the fact that I really hate speaking in front of people, ironically enough. But I do want you to think about that question…what are your weaknesses? What things in your life pull you down? Tempt you? Cause you to doubt? Break you? We all have stuff like that, we all have things that we wish we could overcome, we wish would just go away.
That doesn’t sound like the best way to begin sharing about what I am passionate about, but I promise there is a point. You see, I am passionate about disability ministry; but more importantly, my heart is full to overflowing with the possibility of what could happen when the church begins to more fully embrace the disability community, as they teach us how to live more fully in our weakness.
A pastor friend that I met at camp last summer explained it best for me. He used the analogy of a clay jar with cracks and crevices all over it. The jar is us, and the cracks and crevices are our weaknesses, the scars that we’ve suffered over the years, the things that we struggle with, the challenges that we face. The beautiful thing is that, when you place a candle inside this clay jar, it’s light shines through every single crack and crevice, and out into the world. The more we are broken, the more His light shines through us. My friend went on to talk about individuals with disabilities, the overabundance of suffering that they have experienced but because of that, how brightly God’s light shines through them. I don’t know if you have ever had the privilege of worshiping together with an individual with a disability, but it is incredibly moving and inspiring. There is a connection with God that can be seen on their faces, that I don’t know if I will ever experience this side of heaven. And I think I’m drawn to it.
Last year at camp, the theme was “we are strong” and it is so fitting. When we are weak, then we are strong, but we are strong in Him. When we try to do things on our own strength, we really do stumble. All of those weaknesses that you are faced with in your life, His glory can shine through them, as you proclaim that He is the one that is Your strength, and He is never going to tire, or stumble, or fall…never!
That’s why I get so excited about things like Camp and Able Church. It’s a chance for individuals with disabilities to be able to use the gifts and talents that God has given them, to have a place for fellowship and building of relationships; but it’s also an amazing opportunity for us to learn, how in our weakness we can be strong, strong in Him.
So, that’s basically it I think. I truly believe that this is a passion that God placed in my heart, and, like everything else He’s done and will do, it was for a purpose. Not only for things like Able Church and the disability community, but for even more personal reasons, reminding me daily how weak I am, but also how much I need Him in that, and how much He loves me and how much He wants me to come to Him, and rely on Him, have a relationship with Him, and let His light shine through all of my weaknesses.


God Bless
Meaghan :)
~Matthew 11:28~

Seasons Change...

Hey there :)
So, I've had the itch to write a little bit more lately, maybe I'm just in need of the outlet :) Today is a blustery fall day, there's a chill in the air and the promise of some rain this afternoon. Today is my day off (from school at least) so I'm sitting at the kitchen table...doing homework :P Yes, there is something wrong with that picture!
Regardless, I have quite the wonderful view out of the window from where I'm sitting. There is tree in our front yard who's leaves have turned the most beautiful golden orange color and it's making me smile. This is my favourite seasons and I love watching and waiting, seeing all the leaves changing into the most beautiful colors.
As I look out the window, I can see the small leaves of our front yard tree falling, almost as if one by one, leaving the lawn sprinkled with little specks of gold. It's beautiful. It's His creation. And I don't notice it enough. The beauty is all around me, all the time, but it's as if as the autumn season begins my eyes begin to open just that little bit more to the beauty of His Hands.
So, take a walk today. Maybe you've needed the chance to get away for awhile, it's been a stressful week and you just need some time to think and pray. Maybe it's been the best week of your life, and the prayers that you're singing are ones of thanksgiving as you walk. Or maybe, like me, you just need a reminder. You need to open your eyes just that little bit wider, look around and discover all of the amazing beauty around you. And don't ever forget, that the God of the universe, who made all that autumn beauty around you, also made you...and you are so incredibly precious to Him <3
I hope you have a wonderfully beautiful and blustery autumn day! :)
Lots of Love
God Bless
Meaghan :)

scratched stones and sprinkler rainbows....

well hello there,
back from my trip on the m.i.a train, as per usual, but things have been a little crazy around here lately. School and Able Church started up all at once, and my head is spinning a little bit with all there is to do :P But God is good <3 I have been feeling a little dry lately though to be honest, like all of the responsibility that I have on my plate has sucked up much of my energy. But I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who pursues me, and am becoming more aware of the necessity of slowing down, even if just to notice the small blessings and beauty He is longing for me to recognize.
Now, in all likelihood, these blessings that I am sharing, won't be that miraculous. They may even seem a bit silly. But I find the need to cherish these small God moments in seasons where I'm feeling a bit dry like I said, an maybe they will encourage you to look a little closer outside your window today....

The first happened when I was biking back to my house after babysitting two of the cutest little guys in the world :)I was a bit tired and honestly, just wanted to get home. All of a sudden, the sun reflected off of something on the road in front of me, shining a small light up at me. I passed it by not giving it too much thought, until a similar object caught my attention a little further up the road. I slowed down and realized it was a stone...the kind that you would put in the bottom of a goldfish bowl, or decorate the bottom of a vase of flowers. And I stopped, I turned around and, walking my bike I traced my steps hoping to find the small treasures. And I found 4. Three clear and one blue. They were a little bit rougher I'm sure then when they were first made, many scratches on their surface, some chips here and there. But when the sun shone down on them, boy did they shine....



The second happened as I was taking a walk around my neighborhood. I was heading towards the bus to go to school, and I noticed that the house around the corner had 3 sprinklers on in their front yard. My first thought was, "are you for real? It's way too cold to have your sprinklers on!" But, as I got closer, my perspective changed. For the sun was at just the right position in the sky that when it hit the water, it made the most beautiful rainbow...and I smiled...because something that had only moments ago caused my to question and judge, was now something beautiful...



My prayer for you today is that you might find beauty and wonder in unexpected places, that you would feel the warmth of the sun, and that you would never forget how much you are loved.

Lots of Love
God Bless
Meaghan :)

What Is Your Weakness.....

Happy long weekend! :)
Today is a bit of a lazy day, but that's not always such a bad thing :) So, today's post isn't too crazy, just something that I wrote for my bible study. This week we were talking about what we're passionate about, and this is what I decided to write...I hope you like it :)

What are your weaknesses? This is the question that kept rolling around in my mind as I tried to think about what in the world I was going to say tonight. One of mine is the fact that I really hate speaking in front of people, ironically enough. But I do want you to think about that question…what are your weaknesses? What things in your life pull you down? Tempt you? Cause you to doubt? Break you? We all have stuff like that, we all have things that we wish we could overcome, we wish would just go away.
That doesn’t sound like the best way to begin sharing about what I am passionate about, but I promise there is a point. You see, I am passionate about disability ministry; but more importantly, my heart is full to overflowing with the possibility of what could happen when the church begins to more fully embrace the disability community, as they teach us how to live more fully in our weakness.
A pastor friend that I met at camp last summer explained it best for me. He used the analogy of a clay jar with cracks and crevices all over it. The jar is us, and the cracks and crevices are our weaknesses, the scars that we’ve suffered over the years, the things that we struggle with, the challenges that we face. The beautiful thing is that, when you place a candle inside this clay jar, it’s light shines through every single crack and crevice, and out into the world. The more we are broken, the more His light shines through us. My friend went on to talk about individuals with disabilities, the overabundance of suffering that they have experienced but because of that, how brightly God’s light shines through them. I don’t know if you have ever had the privilege of worshiping together with an individual with a disability, but it is incredibly moving and inspiring. There is a connection with God that can be seen on their faces, that I don’t know if I will ever experience this side of heaven. And I think I’m drawn to it.
Last year at camp, the theme was “we are strong” and it is so fitting. When we are weak, then we are strong, but we are strong in Him. When we try to do things on our own strength, we really do stumble. All of those weaknesses that you are faced with in your life, His glory can shine through them, as you proclaim that He is the one that is Your strength, and He is never going to tire, or stumble, or fall…never!
That’s why I get so excited about things like Camp and Able Church. It’s a chance for individuals with disabilities to be able to use the gifts and talents that God has given them, to have a place for fellowship and building of relationships; but it’s also an amazing opportunity for us to learn, how in our weakness we can be strong, strong in Him.
So, that’s basically it I think. I truly believe that this is a passion that God placed in my heart, and, like everything else He’s done and will do, it was for a purpose. Not only for things like Able Church and the disability community, but for even more personal reasons, reminding me daily how weak I am, but also how much I need Him in that, and how much He loves me and how much He wants me to come to Him, and rely on Him, have a relationship with Him, and let His light shine through all of my cracks and crevices.

Lots of Love and Blessings :) <3