Please Pass the Salt and Turn on the Light...

For some time now I've been wanting to write a post about today's subject, yet I've hesitated. Hesitated because the content is controversial and could step on toes, if it's taken the wrong way - both are things I try very hard to avoid. In addition, I try to keep the items on my blog somewhat brief and not so "heavy". However the events of today made me decide that I needed to share my opinion regarding the subject - and provide some things for fellow Christians to consider. And where better to share, than on my blog - a place where I can freely share my thoughts and opinions.

As you prepare to read below...please keep the following in mind:
The thoughts below are my opinions and the questions I raise are solely something to consider. My intent is NOT to appear to be on my "soap box" or be "preachy". Nor do I want to come across as passing judgement, bashing, blaming, condemning or to cause a debate. IF you are looking for that - then you've looked in the wrong place. Let me also say that I 100% support each parent's right to select their child's method of education, in the way they feel fits their family and children's needs. After all, God entrusted them to you, and you are to care for them in the way you best feel is correct. I realize that every one's way is not the way of another in the decision of their child's education, and there are select situations that play part in the decision making process.

Now, for those who've only known me for a short time or never met me at all...let me give you a little background.
1. I attended public schooling from Kindergarten through College. A blessing, in disguise!
2. My parents raised me in a Christian home and provided me (and my siblings) with a STRONG Christian foundation from the time I was born, continuing through my childhood and teen years. Allowing questionable material, topics, assignments, etc. at school to be a learning experience in growing my faith and relationship with God. A true gift!
3. I am NOT a mother. I do not have children of my own. I am however, an Aunt who is VERY active in all aspects of the lives of my six nieces and nephews (ages 4-20). In addition, I have a genuine love for children and teens - Christian and Non-Christian.

The events of today - that confirmed my need to share...
Today, my day was proceeding as normal...and then it happened. A screen appeared telling me I had a new e-mail. "Breaking News: A local High School has been placed on lockdown". Being an aunt of high schoolers in the area - I instantly opened the e-mail for more details...hoping it wouldn't contain the name of "my" high schoolers place of education. To my dismay - it did. It said that the school where my niece and nephew attend had in fact been placed in lockdown - details were not confirmed, but it was speculated that a fight had broken out inside the building. My heart fell to my toes. I was instantly trying to get more details...Why? What EXACTLY is going on? Are they safe? I called my sister-in-law (their mother)...no answer. I called my brother (their father)...no answer. I called my parents who live directly behind the school...my Dad answered, I told him what I had read online - he said he heard police helicopters flying above the school/neighborhood. I told him I'd keep him posted. Upon hanging up the phone - I grabbed my cell phone to send a text to my niece and nephew..."are you okay? i just read the breaking news about the lockdown. i love you". They aren't to use their cell phones in school - but I found this to be one of those exceptions to the rule situations...it was an emergency! Soon I received a text from my nephew..."i'm okay. i love you too". Through a series of text messages with him - I realized my niece was also okay and that two seperate, yet related fights had occurred. I knew that neither of them were involved in these fights - but when a fight is large enough to close an entire school, you have to wonder about their safety. The fights included two girls, one of whom is pregnant and the other girl was continuously hitting the pregnant girl in the stomach. The boyfriend of the pregnant girl and the brother of the other girl - then go into a fight because of the previous fight. During the process of this fight - one of students ended up in a trophy/art display case with severe lacerations to his head (exact details of how the young man ended up in the display case are not confirmed). Therefore, requiring the police and paramedics to be sent to the school. Apparently these fights occurred in the hallways, and both my niece and nephew saw the fights - the niece saw the females fighting and the nephew saw the boys fighting. As an aunt that is so scary to me - that they were that close to something so violent. Thank God that they were safe and He protected them.

Sadly this situation could happen anywhere - in any school...public, private, inner city, suburban, low income or higher income schools. I mean it could happen at the store, library or any public place. In this case, it happened to be a public school - some would consider it inner city...I would consider it a mix of inner city low income to not at all inner-city middle class students. But the demographic of the school is neither here nor there.

And now the controversy begins...
My concern is why is this continuing to be an issue in schools ALL across this country. Predominately in public schools - while the possibility of it happening in a private school is there..very rarely do you hear about it - maybe the media keeps it closed lip...I don't know. But back to the concern at hand...I've wondered this for some time now - WELL before today. Yes, it has been 16 years since I attended a public high school - and things have changed. The rampage of violence was just starting to really enter the schools when I graduated from high school in 1994 - only two or three years before Columbine, and similar tragic forms of violence in public schools. In 1994 the majority of students still respected themselves, others, their authority and their parents - for the most part. So why so much change in a fairly brief time? Why is there so much hatred, violence, and sin in our schools? That in turn, also spreads into most aspects of our society - as the teens turn into adults. Public schools are not the only place where I have seen a change during this time. In the last 16 years I've started to see a trend in the Christian realm that I think has played a role in this scary and sad situation. MANY Christian parents are taking their children out of the public schools in droves. They are choosing to homeschool or sent them to private secular or christian schools. And quiet frankly this trend frightens me. We are beyond the brink of losing entire generations of children to the enemy - we are on the verge of losing an entire country to the enemy. Yet so many Christians are okay with that truth...they probably won't come out to say those exact words, but their actions are speaking louder than their words. Why is this? Is it because they are not confident in the foundation of faith they have provided for their children to survive in a public school atmosphere? Is it because they feel their children are above the non-christian student? Is it because they don't want their child exposed to the real world of other children their age? These are just some of the reasons I've come up with - that MIGHT cause them to remove their children from a mission field that is vast and in need of a Savior. Have the truths of Matthew 5:13-14 been forgotten? We are the salt in a world that is in DESPERATE need of being salted, and light to a world that gets darker by the day. Yes, we continue to offer a week of VBS in the summer, or a weekly children's program that teaches bible verses and Christian truths. Both with the HOPE that non-churched or non-christian children will come...learn about Christ and get saved. But after that we have NO follow through outside of our church walls. We send them back into their world - not providing them with other Christian students in their schools...where they spend the majority of their time from 5 years old until graduation. We leave them with no one to stand up against the teachings of evolution; no one to protest the acceptance of homosexuality (a raging trend in high school girls); no one to show love and compassion to those who come from broken homes or homes rattled by abuse (physical, mental, sexual, verbal, and substance)...and other issues that we would never even consider discussing in VBS or a weekly children's club. Sadly, the fact of the matter is these are real life issues that our children and teens are facing in America. Issues that we can't turn our eyes from (any longer), yet who is going to reach them? Who is going to be their salt or light - when we remove the salt and light from them? Who is going to tell them about Christ? Who is going to hear their cry for help, when no one is there? Are we as Christians really willing to lose these precious lives to the lies and deceit of the devil...seriously? Yes, we could try to reach them when they are an adult...but that's hoping they make it that far? That they are even open to the Lord as an adult. Statistics show that the chances of coming to Christ during adulthood decrease drastically...yes it happens, but why are we willing to allow them to wait so long to experience the beauty of Salvation? What if we don't have that long?

Sadly through the years our government has removed God from our schools - no prayer in schools; no coach/teacher lead prayers at school functions/sporting events or bible based organizations (students can lead however); not allowing the name of Jesus to be mentioned, even by a student, during a graduation prayer. So instead of Christians standing up and still allowing God to have a presence in the school via our students...many Christians have decided to take the easy road and have removed their student. Therefore, taking a large presence of God out of the school - leaving Satan to have full reign in our schools. Instead of keeping their children in public schools and fighting to keep Creationism in the curriculum - they decide to remove their student and allow non-Christian students to be taught Evolution - never being exposed to the truth, even through a conversation with a Chrisitan student about the subject. Instead of keeping their children in public schools, having their student involved - being a leader in and out of the classroom, and the parents becoming involved postive influences or role models to a non-Christian world - they decide to seclude themselves and their children from this unique approach of reaching this demographic. Who will be Jesus to these students, these families? Who will invite the student to church, youth group, etc.? How will a non-christian learn about Christ - his gift of grace, forgiveness, unconditional love and salvation - if no one is there to live it out DAILY...some one their age, someone that they can relate to personally? Oh the truth of this issue breaks my heart, and has recently driven me to my knees...asking for both direction of how I personally can help get this mission field back, and for forgiveness of where I've failed - of when I've been silent as it relates to this topic.

Let me clarify that I'm not againist offering the programs mentioned above - I'm truly not. We must be creative (now more than ever) in our approach and sometimes that means incorporating a program. I am, however, against the fact that we are okay with relying solely on programs to reach a specific group, not building personal relationships and not allowing a child/teen to be a vessel to be used by God to reach another child/teen. Christ didn't use programs (solely) - he used and continues to use PEOPLE.

Before you judge what I've just shared - let me tell you some things I realize...
1. Teachers can be used to reach students.
2. Children be used to reach other children in their neighborhood - outside a school environment.
3. God is able to bring someone to Him through various means.
4. God can use the life of one person to reach many.
5. Not all Christians are pulling their students out of public schools.

Again, I'm not looking to debate...everyone has and is entitled their opinion on this topic. I'm just sharing my concern of a trend that my perception sees occurring, and how it is aiding in destructively impacting a mission field that is right in our front yard.

Please feel free to comment, share your opinions - but please respect my opinion and don't bash or debate. Rather pray about how you can personally help in pointing a non-Christian child/teen to Christ.

Soups On...Chicken Taco Soup

I love to make homemade soup!! I love the smell as it lingers though my house - it gives it such a homey smell and feel. Making homemade soup usually means large quantities of deliciousness, more than one person can eat; therefore, allowing me to share my love of homemade soup with friends and family. One of my favorite recipe sources is allrecipes.com, I visit this site almost daily for new recipe ideas - and to post rates/reviews of recipes that I've tried...I post as Aunt Meg. Every once in a while I get a notion to research specific categories of recipes...sometimes based on the season/celebration, theme or to satisfy a hankering for a certain type of dish. A few years ago I was searching for a soup recipe for a soup/salad lunch at church. It was during this search that I found a recipe for Chicken Taco Soup. As I reviewed the recipe, it was confirmed that I found the soup I would be making to share. Since that time, I've made it several times - and it has become a favorite of mine and others. It is SUPER easy to prepare - the longest part of preparation is opening all the cans!! In addition, to the ease of preparation - I love the fact that you just place everything in a crock-pot (one of my best friends in the kitchen), turn the crock-pot on and let the ingredients do "their thing". In a few hours you have a wonderful batch of yummy deliciousness!!

I made the soup yesterday for some friends while we worked on a few ministry projects. Several FB friends asked for the recipe, so I thought I'd post it here - to share it with them and those who follow this blog who are not my FB friend. I hope you enjoy it as much as I (and so many others) do!! Enjoy!!

Chicken Taco Soup

1 onion, chopped*
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer*
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)*
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

*I use red onion, chicken broth in place of beer, and Taco/Mexican Cheese in place of cheddar (when available).

Directions:
Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.
source: www.allrecipes.com

Great accompaniments to this soup(that is really a hearty meal)...
- crusty bread
- cornbread or corn muffins
- a great course to a mexican themed dinner or party menu

Prospective Job Update...

Tomorrow (2/19) will be one month since I was notified of the closure of the Dublin office in June. Many have asked about the status of my job search, and I thought I'd post and update.

First let me thank each of you for your prayers, concern and follow-up on my status. I greatly appreciate it. Since 1/19, I've decided to take the separation package that was offered and will remain in Columbus (which I mentioned in a previous blog). Therefore, putting me on the prowl for a new job...either before June 3 or after (however God provides). The job market in C-bus is rather slow, nothing unlike other cities across the country - so I knew it would be in my best interest to begin the job search right away. I know God will provide for me, but I also have to do my part of going out looking and being proactive in my search. I've applied for about 6-7 jobs to date...being choosy while I can! From those jobs, I have three companies that have pursued me with interviews. Which is very uncharacteristic of such a slow job market - showing me that it's God who is working out the details and ALL things are possible with Him! Two companies I've had both phone and face to face interviews. The other company has only been a phone interview, but a face to face is in the near future - just waiting for a confirmed date. So I'm currently waiting for the next step, with each opportunity. All three companies are in different types of industries, but the positions are the same...Executive Assistant to a senior management executive - exactly where I have all my experience and feel most comfortable. I daily continue to look and apply accordingly...I actually just applied for one of those rare and desirous positions that come along only "once in a blue moon", just before blogging this evening.

As I've said before, I know God is going to provide for me - He has for the last 33 years...so why would He stop now!! It's just a matter of me being patient and waiting for Him to move...a hard pill to swallow for a control, detail, plan ahead type person as myself. But this has been good for me...I'm seeing God work in my life through this situation.

Please continue to pray - your prayers are appreciated and coveted. This is one of those icky hurdles to face as a single...with no one at home to discuss or talk through the details late at night when I can't sleep, and dealing with those scary thoughts that it's only my income that pays the bills of Villa de Megalicious. So it truly is a blessing to know that I'm not alone in this process, with the support and encouragement of many friends and family.

I'll continue to keep you posted.

"The Frazzled Female"...

For the last year plus, I've been looking at ways of de-cluttering my life - ALL ASPECTS. Starting with my schedule and obligations. I thought if I don't get control of my time first, then I won't be able to get control of other things...re-organizing, ministry commitments, spending time with God, nurturing and building relationships with friends, family and other Christians...and maybe even finding "Mr. Right!".

• I have done a fairly good job with the time management - I'm finding large blocks of time, even entire evenings or Saturdays with nothing on the agenda...I'm learning to see the blessing in that empty block. I've found time to spend with friends, I've made attempts to re-connect with "old" friends, I'm loving developing current friendships, and I've even begun spending time with "new" friends outside of my circle. This has been a real encouragement to me - because that was one of the things I was most missing...quality time with other people. Not to mention, I'm enjoying doing laundry and household chores at acceptable hours of the day.
• In addition, in January I started working towards re-organizing my home and attempting to get rid of things I don't need. Still major work to be done on that end...I don't like to get rid of things...but I'm hoping my community yard sale in the Summer will help with the the getting rid of unnecessary things process.
• I'm also making good strides at learning to say "no" to things, people, and commitments that are taking my focus away from where it needs to be. Saying "no" is hard for me...but God is teaching me to say that little word.
• I've also started carrying about myself more, and my outward appearance...God wants us to care about our bodies and our outward appearance, not to be vain or to get hung up on looks/beauty - but rather because we are a reflection of his image. So we should care about looking presentable (however you define presentable) - this doesn't require name brand anything or expensive hair-dos, jewelry, etc...just being aware of who we are and how we are reflecting this in our outward appearance. To that end...I started a diet, including being accountable with friends via weekly weigh-ins (have no fear - poundage is not revealed, just number of pounds lost! I've not lost my mind); I started the new year off with a new "do" that was pleasing to my face; and I've started wearing make-up more...(for clarification) not because I find it necessary - but wearing make-up gives me confidence and I feel better about myself...I'm convinced there is something magical in those lip gloss tubes!! When I feel better about myself, I don't feel so frazzled; therefore, making me open to listening more to God's leading, teaching and convicting - and not focusing on myself!

However, with all of the efforts, that I have made and I am taking - I've not arrived at my goal of being de-frazzled. I mean why would I think that in a year, I could "undo" the circumstances that took me several years to create - it's just like dieting...it takes time to gain the weight, and time to shed the pounds. It's going to take time to de-clutter my life. It's an on-going, daily commitment that I have to make. In addition, most of the things I've done are outward tasks, and I need to focus on the inward part. As I shared in a previous blog (and alluded to above) - I'm coming out of a time when my life was stuck in a chaotic rut, and I was in need of major re-alignment in my life...it was during that "rut" period that I first attempted the study below. During my current all aspects of my life "re-alignment period", one of the areas that God has convicted me of and challenged me with was having a daily in-depth devotional time that was truly growing me into HIS image - not just reading some verses, making personal application and moving on (you know like a checklist kind of study...gotta do it, do it, check it off). Rather something that was going to challenge me, change me and cultivate my relationship with Him.

Just prior to God revealing to me my need of alignment, I was strolling through the local Christian Bookstore, looking for some new "miracle grow" for my soul. I found a study that caught my eye - mainly because the title described me, "The Frazzled Female - Finding Peace in Daily Life" (by Cindi Wood), and because I felt like most days of my life I looked like the character on the front of the book. I read the description, read through the TOC, found it to be something I could benefit from, so I purchased it (bonus it was on sale - yet another sign God was drawing me to the study), started the study, and shamefully I didn't get through the first week - because I found myself running out of time each day (pathetic, yet ironic, to say the least!). I've seen the study next to my bed for sometime now - but I've not opened it up. However, through God's conviction and begging of me to be closer to Him - I decided that I am going to start (or I guess I should say re-start) this study. This is part of an entire series entitled "The Frazzled Female". I've committed myself to doing this study DAILY - as it is designed, beginning this Sunday (because the study is a weekly study that begins on Sunday - and I'd get confused if I didn't start accordingly). It's a six week study. In addition, as a way of holding myself accountable (and maybe even challenging/blessing others - even my male followers), I'm going to post blogs (at least weekly) about my progress, the truths God is teaching me and challenging me with through that week's study, and whatever other tidbits I may find to be applicable.

Below is the description of the study:

Knowing Christ and His Word is really the best way to deal with today's frantic, stressful pace. Nonetheless, connecting the two can be a challenge. This book is a new study designed especially for women. By sitting at the feet of Jesus and absorbing His teaching, women will be able to deal with essential issues like managing their time, getting along with difficult people, taking time for themselves, and even organizing their lives. This thought-provoking yet light hearted study helps women discover practical, biblical help to confront issues that otherwise leave them feeling discouraged.

So stay tuned...God is working, and this could get exciting!

Penny...

On Friday, February 12 at 7:49 a.m. I lost a friend, and Heaven gained an angel (as Jenni so sweetly put it)...my lifelong friend Penny (Miller)Hoffman lost her battle to cervical cancer to gain the glory of the Lord.

Penny was only 39 and she leaves behind a husband, four small children, her parents, siblings and their spouses, several nieces and nephews, and MANY friends. Two days shy of 13 months from her diagnosis of the horrible disease that ended her life - God called her HOME...saying "well done thou good and faithful servant...enter into the joy of your Lord." Our loss was truly heaven's gain. Penny was easy to love - she had a sweet spirit, was always smiling and above all was a faithful servant and follower of Jesus Christ. Penny lived her life to bring honor to God and to point others to His free gift of salvation, while demonstrating his love unconditionally to those that she came in contact with.

For a few weeks now, we knew that Penny's life on earth was coming to an end - and I've been thinking about some memories I have of Penny. Penny is the older sister of one of my childhood best friends, Katie...and it was through Katie that I first got to know Penny. Growing up I spent many a Sunday afternoons or Friday nights at Katie's house. Through the years, especially at the end of my teen years and into my early adult years Penny began to become my friend. And since that time our friendship grew and blossomed. Penny always called me by my first and middle name - Megan Marie. I'm not sure why, but she did and it became how I signed my name to cards & letters to Penny. It was her "nickname" for me, and honestly it was nice to hear it and know I wasn't in trouble! I've enjoyed my trip down Memory Lane - quietly traveling through the phases of our friendship and remembering so many wonderful experiences. We've had many fun times together with lots of laughter. We've had many heart to heart times with many tears shed. But one of my greatest connections to Penny was because we shared a similar experience - SINGLENESS...and more importantly singleness beyond 30 years old. Penny spent the majority of her adult life as a single (she and her husband were married for 7 years and 12 days, when she left this world) - so Penny could relate to me, a fellow single. She OFTEN told me that she understood what I was thinking or feeling and that she was praying for me. Often times these were just random confirmations of her being there for me. Outside of myself and my Mom, I don't think there is another person on this earth who prayed more that God would bring me a husband. Penny was my matchmaker prayer warrior! That was so special to know - because I knew Penny truly understood and knew exactly how to pray about this situation...what a blessing that was to me. This past summer, right before Penny started her slow decline in the battle - she asked if she could meet with me and pray over me. She said that myself and my sister had been on her heart and mind, and that she wanted to pray with us. We both agreed - so after a Sunday evening service, the three of us meet in quiet room and Penny laid her hands on us and prayed for us - specifically that God would fill the desire of our hearts and bring us each a spouse...a Godly spouse. No one had ever done that with me or for me - no one had ever taken the time to lay their hands on me (as they did in Bible times) and to pray specifically for me to find a husband. What a special moment that was - with tears quickly streaming down my face I embraced Penny and thanked her. I'm a wimp and I don't do hospitals all that well; however the week after Christmas I went to visit Penny in the hospital. It was the last time I saw my friend and had a conversation with her. When I left her room, my heart was crushed...she was so frail and weak, but as I left I stood beside her bed, hugged her frail body and said..."I love you friend." And she hugged me tighter, and in a weak voice said..."I love you too, Megan Marie." Those were the last words I heard her speak to me, and I will cherish them forever.

What a privilege is was for me to call Penny my friend. I'm going to miss her greatly - her smile, her laugh, the way she pronounced certain words (i.e. idea), her love and compassion, her example of being a faithful servant and mostly her friendship. I realize that Penny is in much better place. She is healed from her cancer, she no longer has tubes, ports or bags going into her body. Penny is now perfect - and she has seen the face of God. I realize that those of us who knew her were only guaranteed an unknown amount of time to have her with us, and I also realize that she had completed the work God called her to do - and while I (and so many others) may feel it was too soon - He was ready to have her back. However, I look forward to and know that there will come a day when I again will see my friend...and I'm sure she will be at the gates of Heaven welcoming me in and grabbing my hand, running me to throne of Jesus Christ, so that we can together worship and praise Him for all eternity.

Over the last few days, I've been searching through songs to just bring comfort to my sad heart, and I came acrossed the one below, I found it to be so fitting of Penny. She always wanted to make sure that her life was causing people to love Jesus more - she encouraged people to love Him more and to come to know his unconditional love. So I found it rather appropriate to end my blog about Penny with this song. I love you Penny!

Until we meet again...may I too live a life that is pointing others to Christ and leave them loving Jesus more.

A Voice From the Past...

Do you ever wonder if you've made an impact? Will people who don't see you often and only knew you for a brief time remember you? How do you want people to remember you? Will people remember you as being a Christian - someone who actively served and attended church?

I get so excited when I get mail that is worth reading, you know not junk or a bill! As much as I love the ease of modern technology (FB, e-mail, IM, etc.) - I get super excited when I see my name/address handwritten on the front of an envelope, as I pull it out of the mailbox. It's like a little surprise that is added to a normal routine (heart gift)!

Today, I checked my mailbox as I do daily. Junk. Junk. Important details from PNC regarding the transition from NCB to PNC - ugh. Cousin's Wedding Invitation - cool! An envelope that appeared to have a personal note or card - super cool! WOW - two fun things in one day (heart gift)!! I was shocked to see the name on the personal note...Jan Brownlee. A co-worker from the Insurance Broker I worked for 12 years ago. I hadn't seen or heard from Jan in those 12 years. I read the note...she explained that she recently purchased an insurance agency located in the Westgate area, and that she had moved to this side of town. She went on to say that she was looking for a church in the area. She gave me her phone number - so I called her immediately after reading my note. All the time wondering - how did she know she had the right person - there are two people in c-bus with my name. GOD KNEW!!!

She answered, and on the other end was a voice from my past...and honestly, a voice I rarely thought about. We quickly caught up on where we "were" in life and how things were going. After about 10 min, Jan quickly turned the conversation to her purpose for sending the note...finding a church. She was an active member of a church for many years and several things have brought her to where she is currently looking for a new church...one being that she had moved to the Westgate area and wanted to find something closer to home. As she was explaining why she thought of making contact with me, she said..."Megan, I remembered that you lived in this area. I also remember that you were active in a church and how much you loved your church. So I thought I'd call to get some information about your church." For the next 20 mins. I talked to Jan about IBC - its current schedule, ministry opportunities, worship style, shared the website address, explained how IBC is like a family and our current state of transition. For 20 min., I felt like a proud parent "bragging" on her child. I was proud of my church, and the direction it was headed. Jan explained that she had a list of other churches to visit - but would definitely be visting IBC in the near future. I hung up the phone and thought..."WOW!! That was weird. That was kinda cool. Just WOW!". The fact that I had just talked to someone I hadn't seen or talked to in 12 years seemed so surreal - I hadn't talked to her in many years, and yet she remembered me. She remembered me being a Christian and talking about my church. I made the impact on her that I had hoped for - even if that hope was subconsciously. Someone that I worked with - occasionally casually discussing our religious beliefs and background - I made an impact on! It's a simple impact - I know...but it is the impact I desire to make on the lives of others. Who knows where Jan will continue her involvement in the body of Christ. But today, I'm just thankful that my life when I worked with her 12 years ago - made such an impact that she took the time to personally write me a note - just to learn more about my church (heart gift).

"Very cool God, very cool! Thanks for the "heart gift" today God...it totally made me smile."

Today's Reminder Lesson: Live the life of a Christian daily - in all aspects of life. People really are watching - and you never know how God will use your daily testimony in the life of another person.

"Julie & Julia"...Meg's Review

For those who know me well, you know that one of my passions in life is food!! I LOVE food...preparing it, eating it, learning about it, reading about it, collecting recipes - anything to do with food I love it!! :) You could call me a "Foodie" ("someone who has an ardent or refined interest in food."). I became a "foodie" the first time I laid eyes on my Holly Hobby Easy Bake Oven - since then I've know that my home was in the kitchen!! Another one of my newest passions is blogging! While I don't do it as much as I'd like, I do enjoy it!! It's a great release for me - I enjoy writing, it lets me be creative in sharing my thoughts, lessons I'm learning, fun stories about myself and my family, and just everyday life! Martha Stewart would say "it's a beautiful thing". I also enjoy reading other's blogs, and of course blogs about food. So when the movie "Julie & Julia" hit the movie screens - you can only imagine how much I wanted to see it. I SO wanted to see it...but I never did see it on the big screen. While I was excited about it - I couldn't find anyone who shared my same passion - they just didn't see how blogging about cooking could be the makings of a movie worth seeing. I on the other hand thought it made perfect sense! I decided, I'd go by myself...but time got away from me and it never happened. Watching it on DVD became my next goal (if you can have goals about watching movies!). Therefore, I made it a suggestion for a Christmas gift. I have a friend who each year at Christmas we tell the other exactly what we want - only one gift idea is shared for each of us. I kinda like it - even though it takes the surprise away...I'm guaranteed to get an item on my list. I don't share the idea with anyone else - just this friend...making sure not to duplicate! Well this year - I knew EXACTLY what to tell my friend..."JULIE & JULIA"!!! And that is exactly what I received!! :) I was so excited!! So I planned for my own personal movie night (one of my favorite hybernation activities in the Winter on Friday evenings). I picked up a pizza, put on my comfy clothes, headed for the basement with pizza and Pepsi in hand, put the movie in and assumed my usual spot on the couch. I was ready!! And my thoughts on the movie...

General Details:
Based on Two True Stories of Julia Child & Julie Powell
Meryl Streep (Julia Child)
Amy Adams (Julie Powell)
Director: Nora Ephron
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Romance
MPAA Rate: PG-13 (for brief strong language and some sensuality)
Runtime: 123 min.

Meg's Review:
Star Rating (out of 5) - 3.5
Overall: Cute, Funny, Lighthearted, and will leave you wanting to cook and blog


Meryl Streep - She did an excellent job portraying Julia Child. She did an amazing job sounding exactly like Julia. Even though, I'm a self proclaimed "Foodie" - I knew very little about Julia Child prior to watching the movie. So I found the movie to be rather "informing" on the life of Julia Child. I was familiar with her name (in general), her eclectic accent, and her overall unique appearance (tall and rather plain). I didn't realize she was the only women in her class at Le Cordon Bleu, that she was married to a diplomat, nor that she didn't set out to be a World Famous cook. Food was what she enjoyed and she was looking for something to fill in her time while living in France - so she took cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu in hopes of expanding her horizons, and later desiring to teach American Women how to cook french food.

Amy Adams (an actress I'm starting to enjoy) - I knew nothing about Julie Powell until this movie was released. I did research the Internet to see if her "The Julie/Julia Project" blog still existed - and it does, but has not been updated in some time (WARNING: If you review the blog there is offensive language throughout the blog). I felt I could relate to Julie Powell - for several reason...she is a Secretary, she enjoys cooking, she had emotional outbursts after she got way stressed out, she quickly got over her emotional outbursts, and she put her entire life completely into her project (i.e. she begins feeling that she is actually cooking for Julia Child, she began wearing pearls daily, because she wanted to be Julia Child). Julie Powell is a writer who had not reached the goal of being a published writer and finds herself as a Secretary for an organization involved in the rebuilding project of the World Trade Center site. She is approaching 30 and is frustrated about her current "place" in life. She loves writing and wants to start a blog, because a fellow friend has a blog - but feels she has nothing to write about...because she is not an expert on anything. She then decides that she will cook/bake her way through Julia Child's first cookbook, and write about her experiences...with a deadline of one year. (she had to set a goal, because she knew if she didn't she'd never finish the project...yet another reason I feel I could relate to Julie Powell).

Generally speaking, I enjoyed the movie...at times it was slow, but overall it was entertaining and occasionally had me laughing out loud (especially when purchasing/cooking the lobster and during her emotional outburst that lands her lying on the kitchen floor). I liked the easy transitions of similar experiences from the life of Julie to Julia and visa versa. I enjoyed the on screen reunion of Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci (as Paul Child, Julia's husband)...I loved them together in "The Devil Wears Prada". The movie didn't leave you challenged to conquer the world, cause your mind to think during the movie, nor did it have you sitting on the edge of your seat. It was a lighthearted movie depicting the lives of two women who happened to have similar interests living in different decades, and showed you how your life can inspire others. If you enjoy cooking - you will enjoy "Julie & Julia" and will want to add it to your DVD collection. I would watch it again - actually I watched it twice in 24 hours. Not because it is "Titanic" amazing, rather because I had some interruptions during my first preview - and I wanted to watch it all the way through in one sitting. If cooking isn't your "thing" - you may find the movie to be just okay (maybe even boring) and not worth watching again - and I would recommend you rent it first to see if you'd like to add it to your DVD collection. I would recommend watching it at least once - if for no other reason than to see Meryl Streep's performance in one of her best character transformations. The movie ended differently than I thought it would end (probably the most shocking part of the movie) - but I guess you can't change real life. I don't think I'll be taking on the Julie Powell challenge - but I may purchase a copy of the cookbook (to add to my cookbook collection of 100+ different books) and attempt several recipes. However, I could see me enjoying a trip to the National Museum of American History to see the Julia Child kitchen exhibit (minus the butter).

And there you have it...

God's is teaching me...

"Your father knows what you need before you ask him. So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today's trouble is enough for today."(Matthew 6:8b, 31-34)

As I wait for the Lord to show me where my next work mission field will be, God is teaching me to claim the verses above as my own, and has "introduced" me to the song below. I pray that I daily remember and apply the verses, in addition to having the faith of this song!

Trust - if only it were as easy as it sounds...

Tonight during Small Group (btw...it's a new highlight to my week!), we discussed trust. What does it mean to trust? When do you know you are trusting someone? The importance of trust in God? Are we called to trust all believers? ...and many other aspects around the subject of trust. It was a great conversation and many points were shared. A few of my favorites...some things to ponder.

1. How arrogant of me to think that God should answer my prayers the way I want and not according to HIS will. Loved this comment - because often I get disappointed because I don't get the answer I want, and I even think that God doesn't love me or that he has forgotten about me.

2. Guilt is only a good thing - when I need to realize a sin in my life prior to asking for forgiveness. Guilt of a sin in my past, that I have asked God to forgive, will only hinder me for being the person God wants me to be.

3. Sin has consequences, but the punishment was paid for at Calvary.

4. Does God need to trust me?; OR Is the trust relationship only me trusting Him?

5. Why is it that as a believer, I don't feel like I can be honest with fellow believers about areas of weakness, struggle or in need of improvement...lack of trust, worry of judgement, or...

We closed our time with Philip reading the statement below. May this be the prayer of my heart daily...dying to self and trusting fully my Lord and Savior.

"Abba (Papa/Daddy), into your hands I entrust my body, mind, and spirit and this entire day-morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Whatever you want of me, I want of me, falling into you and trusting in you in the midst of my life. Into your heart I entrust my heart, feeble, distracted, insecure, uncertain. Abba (Papa/Daddy), unto you I abandon myself in Jesus our Lord. Amen"

And the decision is...

Below is an e-mail I just sent to a group of friends and prayer warriors...that may have included some of my blog followers. But just in case you haven't recieved the news....


As some of you may recall, tomorrow is "DECISION DAY", and I wanted to pass along to you the decision that I've made. Most will not be shocked by my decision - but it's not because of the reason that many of you will think caused me to come to my final conclusion. MANY factors played into the decision.

With that being said, I will be taking the seperation agreement - staying true to my scarlet & gray roots...black & gold have never looked good on me - and I will be looking for employment in Columbus either before or after the June 3 date...we will see what the Lord has in store for me. During the process of deciding - I did begin to see what the Columbus Job Market looked like - it is rather "eh"...but it's not as bad as I've seen it in the administrative field in recent months. With that being said - there have been a handful of positions that have peaked my interest - so I've submitted my resume. My desire is to stay with DE until the end - but if another opportunity comes along...I may leave sooner. From the resumes I submitted I've had a phone interview and a face to face interview with a local utility company (face to face was yesterday), a phone interview with a second company (a local event planning company) on Monday evening (with a possible face to face one day next week or the week after) and then yet a third phone interview is scheduled for this evening (Thursday) at 5:00 p.m. WOW!! I'm not nieve enough to put all of my eggs in one basket and assume that I will get one of these three positions - yet it's just a great re-affirmation that God is going to provide for me. He has always given me exactly what I needed, just when I needed it and I know that won't be any different in this situation.

So thank you for your prayers, and please continue to pray - as I continue to look for what my next step is and where God is directing me.