Loving you...

As I continue to think about the word love this Valentine season...this topic comes to mind...loving yourself!

This summer at camp I learned an important lesson in being proud of who God made me to be:).

You see, I went in knowing that when you listed all the things a "camp counselor" should be, I didn't really match up:

*high energy: not at all! I mean if you count getting hyper and giggly, then maybe, but I will not be the one screaming cheers and things of that nature. I mean I tried but trust me that is not a gift God gave me;)

*function on little sleep: well I think we all know how that goes! Let's just say I was usually first to bed and most likely to nap all weekend ... yes grandma is my middle name! I truly do try all the time, but it just usually ends up with me zoning out, getting delirious, and everyone just saying "OK Morgan, it is past your bedtime!"

*creative: Can we say "thief"? My creativity is never an original! We were taught in college as teachers to steal ideas from other teachers. Let's just say it's the best thing I learned in my four years!

*cool: Cool is not a word I would use to describe myself! Well thankfully campers love counselors no matter how much of a dork you are. So as soon as they said that during training, I felt a bit of relief because trust me I can be quite the dork. I am clumsy (fell down some stairs in front of people a couple of times!), I am terrible with words, I don't like to break rules!, I am usually confused about something, I don't get jokes the first time and usually ruin them by having to have them explained to me, and the list goes on! (I mean I always get a good laugh over these things so my advice is to just embrace it:).)

So as I went into the summer all I saw where the things I wasn't! The ways I didn't quite measure up to for what I thought most people expected from a camp counselor! But I knew the Lord had opened wide this door because I prayed many prayers giving Him the chance to change His mind;).

I left the summer finding confidence in who God made me to be just as He made me! The Lord showed me through people and situations how He used me just as I am, just as He created me to be. I can't really explain it all in writing, but I know that the Lord showed me that I had to stop comparing myself to others and be proud of who God made me to be! Quiet, calm, and clumsy:)

Trust me! I don't have it all figured out! Just ask my friends! But it just breaks my heart when I hear others downing themselves. When others are constantly saying they are not good enough either by words or actions! When they can't find one thing they love about themselves. God created you just as you are for a purpose. A divine and holy purpose! Now we all have areas that need improvement of course. But you know what I mean.

If we (myself especially!) will stop focusing on all that we aren't, and instead ask God to show us all that He created us to be in Him, we will begin to see how He is using us. We will begin to look in the mirror and see something beautiful!!

It takes work daily, it takes prayer daily, it takes accountability, and it doesn't hurt to have a few good friends with kind words of encouragement along the way (man I am so glad for those sweet words of encouragement!)!

Loving reflections...

So after a long week, you know one of those weeks that you just couldn't get ahead, I am thankful for this sweet moment to wrap it all up!

* I love unexpected kindness, especially when it comes from unexpected people! There is always that one student in every class. You know. The student who will test your patience EVERY DAY!! I enjoy the challenge these students bring and truly do love them, but man they can wear-you-out! Well yesterday I had already given out snacks to those who didn't bring one (It's a rule you get one shot. I usually cave anyway, but today I was sticking to my guns.), and I was in the middle of reading a story when I look over to see a clearly upset student. I ask what's the matter, and he explained his snack situation. He only had one small snack. I know, I am terrible but I said, "I am sorry, that is what mom sent and you will be fine until lunch." Trust me, none of these kids are going hungry! Well he went to wash up his tear stained face and when he came back I noticed out of the corner of my eye his demeanor had quickly changed. I look to see that he has the snack that I had given to the child that daily tests all of our patience! And the young student did not even want the credit for it! He just watched with a smile on his face as the "starving student" ate and smiled because he knew he had done something kind for his classmate. I don't think I can say these words enough: I love my job!!!

Diamonds in the sky

On my quest to focus on the word "love" as Valentine's quickly approaches, today I would like to share a lovely favorite of mine!

Last night I was getting out of my car at a friend's house, and for some reason I glanced up at the sky. OH how beautiful a clear night sky is! I LOVE the stars. I can't really give a good reason why. I mean they aren't the most complex of God's creation. They are technically just big balls of gas thousands and millions and billions of light years away.

Maybe it's their mystery; the fact that they are so beyond our grasp. I do enjoy when there are parts of God's creation that we don't know every little detail of. I think it causes us to just sit back and enjoy the mystery and the greatness of a God we will never be able to wrap our minds around.

Maybe it's that "diamonds are a girl's best friend." Even though I am a pretty simple girl and don't wear a lot of jewelry at all, I am a girl! So I do love things that sparkle! I used to say that I thought the stars were God's diamonds in the sky!

Maybe it's the fact that there are SO many! You can't help but think of how big God is when you look at them. And they are all perfectly hung in place by God himself.

Maybe it's how peaceful they are. I would LOVE to be brave enough to sleep under the stars! If it weren't for bugs and bears and all the other creatures that eat you that are out there with you, then I would definitely do it all the time! Sadly since I graduated college, I have let life bog me down, and I have missed many opportunities to soak in these sweet treasures up above. I used to love walking back to my dorm by myself from the BCM and just gazing at the stars on my way. It was such a sweet time alone with the Lord. Every now and then I would see a shooting star. I used to say those were God's kisses to me. They would come on days that I needed a little something special.

What are your kisses from the Lord? Your diamonds in his creation? Maybe it is a beautiful sunrise, or a majestic mountain, or a roaring ocean. Whatever it is I hope you will not be like me. Don't let life bog you down and forget to take time to marvel at God's creation. He's romancing you everyday with bouquets of flowers all around, gentle breezes, warm sunshine, beautiful paintings in the sky, sparkling diamonds up above and SO much more!!!

My first love....

Oh yes it is that time of the year, the lovey dovey time. The time where those with a significant other buy giant boxes of chocolate and plush stuffed animals to show their love for that special someone, and the time where those without a significant other proclaim their distaste for the holiday that serves as a reminder that they are single. Personally I prefer to use it as an opportunity to focus on the word where this special day finds its roots: love. So if you are not a fan of all things lovely and loving and loveable than you may want to excuse yourself now from reading my blogs until after the 14th of February because I love to talk about love.:)

As I began searching my heart for what area of my life and relationship with the Lord that I wanted to really grow in during this upcoming year, I kept being brought back to falling deeply and madly in love with God my Father! The Lord is constantly reminding me of this verse " Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. " Revelation 7:4 (There is of course some context to consider here) There are many days when I unfortunately know this to be true of me. When I look back over the day and where the focus and desires of my heart were, I realize I have forgotten my first love. I know that I am at a time in life when the pressure is on to find the love of my life. And please don't miss this, I look forward to finding that with the Lord's leading and timing!(we can have fun with that later) But I don't want that process to get in the way of me falling more in love with the Lord each day, and it can so easily do just that. That along with all of the other many distractions life has to offer! So I have been learning what it means to take my thoughts captive, which is n-o-t easy!

So my question now as I seek to fall completely head over heels in love with the Lord my God is what does falling in love with God look like in my life? How do I get my heart to a place of complete love and adoration for the Lord? How do I set aside all of these things that so easily distract the attention of my heart? (and boy do I have more and more trouble with focusing everyday!) What is He calling me to lay aside or surrender to Him so that I can see Him more clearly? And how do I love others the way Christ has loved me? What does the overflow of His love in my life look like?

Words cannot even begin to express how much I love the Lord and I cannot even begin to write all the ways He has poured out His love on me! But I will do all that I can to live in the warm embrace of His love each morning as I face each day and I will do all that I can to share that incredible love with as many people as I can each day! I look forward to falling more in love with the God of the universe with each passing day!

So maybe you are looking for the love of your life this Valentine's or maybe you have already found him/her and are trying to find the perfect way to express your undying love for that special someone. I hope you are able to do just that. Trust me, I love a sweet love story and the sweet things loveys doveys do for one another!! But I hope you will take time to remember your first love. The love that will never fail and will always satisfy in ways no other love can!

"And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:18 (msg)

Sweet springtime...in January...

So as I was at Starbucks this afternoon preparing for my first day back to work, I found it quite difficult to plan. I mean here I am in my shorts, drinking an iced beverage, and I am planning activities with snowflakes and hot chocolate and mittens. It was kind of hard to get in the spirit of wintery fun. I am never one to complain about warm weather! Trust me I am not a grand fan of being cold! I mean your body is tense, and I can't focus past the fact that I am freezing. But I am feeling a little jipped this winter so far. I mean I was prepared for it this year! I got a new coat, boots!, sweaters...the works! And yet here we are...the middle of January...in shorts...drinking a frozen drink.

Reasons I enjoy cold weather (not being cold, just cold weather):

*my new coat! I was so excited about having a coat that actually covered my arms all the way down to my wrist!

*hot beverages! AH I love to be warmed up by a nice hot tea!

*Bonfires and fires in the fireplace! Pawpaw's bonfires in the fireplace;)

*flannel sheets! I turn my fan on at night, so that I still get the full effect of the wonderful warmth of flannel sheets!

*sweats and warm fuzzy socks/slippers! (confession: I spent most of my break in sweats even though it wasn't cold enough simply because thats how I felt it should be.)

*scarves, gloves, hats, cuddle time, the smell of heaters, blankets, my hair is manageable, bundling up for a good run

*spring is so sweet after a cold cold winter!

I mean I am really not complaining. I don't like when people complain about the weather. But I am prepared! I am ready to enjoy a few of these perks of winter!