31 days of football

since i started this blog i've done a terrible job of blogging. once, maybe twice a week. and so i figured. to get back on this horse i've been chasing, i'll start with the 31 days of blogging with the nester.

if you've never done this before. it's quite simple. and really fun. 

you pick a topic, and blog about it for 31 days (the whole month of october). 

you can pick any topic. 

really. 

ok maybe not any topic. but one that's appropriate to talk about for 31 days. 

i've done it before, and it's a really great way to get writing every day. 

because hello. i was an english major. let's not forget that. 

i knew i wanted to join in this year but just couldn't find a topic that yelled, "pick me! pick me!"

and so, as i sat watching football this sunday. it was like a lightbulb went off. 

welcome to, 31 days of football. 

i'm pretty pumped about this. 

here's somethings you should know going into this.

#1. i am from cleveland, ohio. so all my references may or may not have to do with either a) the cleveland browns or b) the ohio state buckeyes

#2. meaning, i don't ever combine the colors yellow and black or blue and yellow (if you don't get this reference you will later on)

#3. i'm no expert on football, but my daddy has taught me a lot

during the next 31 days, we'll go over everything from rules, to coaches, to players, to the draft, to how i really feel about cheerleaders in the nfl.

if you're a football lover like me, you'll appreciate the days when i talk about players, and stats, and fantasy football. 

if you've never watched the game and only think football is that barbaric game when men hit each other, you'll appreciate the rules day. and hopefully by the end of these 31 days will be the newest browns and buckeye fan. 

or your team of choice, but a girl can dream.

so! here's to 31 days of football. 

yes, that's duke. in a buckeye jersey.

say a little prayer for me

i don't think i'm great at prayer.

it's one of those things growing up that wasn't really talked about.
you knew the Lord's prayer. and the bed time prayer.
and that was it.

prayer, was just that nice thing you told people you'd do for them. it might have been the thing you did when you reaaaally needed something from God.

it certainly wasn't a daily activity.
it wasn't a conversation with God.
it wasn't a time to believe in HIS name that things would happen.

i don't think i'm great at prayer because i'm just figuring out what it really is.

it's all those things i thought it wasn't.
it's quiet time.
seriously quiet time, with zero distractions.
it's coming to God with everything. the big things. the little things.
it's talking to God. it's expecting from God. it's listening to God.

i've had some serious prayers answered lately. big ones. and even little ones. but answered. in a mighty way.
and i'm always blown away.
which is how i always want to be.

i also don't ever want to pray and just know that God will do it.
i expect God to answer my prayers, but i also know that sometimes He'll do it when, and how He wants to do it. which may not be when or how i had asked for.

sometimes i get intimidated by women when i hear or read about their serious encounters with the Lord during prayer time. because i immediately think i'm doing it wrong.

which is the thought process that has to stop.

because here's what Jesus says about prayer:

"and when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.

truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. but when you pray, 

go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. 

then your Father who sees what is done in secret, 

will reward you. 

and when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need

before you ask Him." matthew 6: 5-8

quiet. alone. just me and God.
check, and check.

i started about a year ago getting up and reading the Word in the morning and praying. some days i miss it. mostly the weekends. but i'm a work in progress. some days, it's an hour. other days, it's ten minutes.
the biggest thing, is that we have to stop thinking there's a right and a wrong way to do this.

your head and your heart have to open to the Lord.
that's how this all works.

i'm refusing to keep thinking that there's a right way and a wrong way. as long as i stick to His words. i'm good. there may be some tried and true formulas people have. but those might not work for me.

God works for me.
mornings work for me.
being honest works for me.

whatever your time of day is.
whatever your method might be (mines writing btw. if i don't write my prayers out, my brain goes from asking God for healing, to who i think will with the amazing race in 5 seconds).
whatever works for you.
do it.

via.

mean girls

here's the thing.

no one likes a mean girl. 

(unless we're talking about the movie which has, in my opinion, some of the best one liners. is butter a carb?)

but in real life?

no one likes a mean girl.

the older i get, the more i realize that no matter what age you are. there will always be the mean girl. and i hate it.

i hate it so much because there's this better alternative.
being nice.

i think the internet has a big role to play here.
we're a generation used to typing away our thoughts (good or bad) and hitting send.
whether it's a keyboard, or a cell phone, we tend to hide behind that screen.

and i just can't help but wonder why?

i've encountered one of these mean girls, and just recently. and everything said and done just reminded me of high school. all. over. again.

and it hurt.

the words said hurt my feelings. they weren't necessary. and they didn't have any weight, other than to tear me down.

so let's try something new. let's be kind humans. instead of expressing our opinion in an "i'm better than you" attitude, let's just be nice.

because when you're nice. people remember you.
but when you're mean. people really, really, really remember you.

proverbs 16:24

hello september

is it just me or is it crazy pants to anyone else that it's SEPTEMBER?

one of the greatest months of the year because football starts.

go browns. 

and with a new month, comes new goals. 

because i love goals. even when i don't stick to them. 

#1. book a wedding

i have some seriously wonderful brides inquiring with me. 

#2. find a church

we haven't found a church in orlando yet. such a big decision to make. 

#3. loose 5 pounds

remember when i wrote about loving all the food and not caring about what i look like. i lied. 

#4. read through Jeremiah

for some reason this book has been on my brain lately.

a short list. but a list of goals. i'm excited for september because there's so much newness going on. summer is on the way out, ok well not totally in florida. but fall is here. and that makes me happy. 

here's to a great september. 

don't give up

dear almost quitter,

stop for a second and remember why you're doing what you're doing.

remember what made you decide to do this.

remember the feeling you had when you first accomplished that really big goal.

no one promised this would be easy. no one said that taking a giant leap of faith was smooth sailing.
if you're like me, there are times when you wonder if your parachute is malfunctioning.

it's not.

it's going to catch us on the way down.
ok really, HE is going to catch us on the way down.

we're going to make it.
why?

because in a crappy world, we've got to keep our chins up.
because those haters. girl. they are going to hate.
and those doubts and insecurities are going to sneak back into our heads.

but this.
this career. joy. life. choice we made.
we're doing it.

we're really, really doing it.

so on those days that you want to quit. don't. that won't get us anywhere. that's what the world wants. to weigh us down. to make us think this isn't what God created us to do.
but it is.

keep.going.

sincerely,
the girl who wants to quit all the time.
but won't.

engraving grace

if you don't read the she reads truth plans, you need to. in fact. stop reading this and head on over to start a plan right now.

if you're still here, awesome.

the current plan is through hebrews. which, if we're being honest. gets a bit heavy. not like heavy spiritually, but heavy like "i'm reading this but i have no idea what's going on". chapter seven starts getting into priests and then there's melchizedek the priest. a name i have no idea how to pronounce. when i first read it, i sang that hawaiian christmas song from christmas vacation.

you're welcome.

anyways. there's a lot being talked about. specifically...covenants.

"the former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God."
hebrews 7:18

i have to think every once in a while about what it would be like to live in the OT days. everything had a law. there were sacrifices to be burned. prayers to be prayed. things you could, and could clearly not do. is anyone else as exhausted as i am thinking about all of this?

but here's the good news.

Jesus.

"but this is the new covenant i will make with the people of Israel after those days," says the Lord, "i will put my instructions deep within them, and i will write them on their hearts. i will be their God, and they will be my people."
jeremiah 31:33

this new covenant is grace.

at the end of todays post, this question was asked:
how is God engraving grace on your heart today?

and to be totally honest. i sat for a minute and didn't have an answer.

my first one was, "um, giving me life?"

i felt silly. and like i was a baby christian again, not fully understanding what God's love and grace meant. that i obviously didn't understand what this new covenant meant.

but that's just not true.

my answer is good. maybe it isn't top of the class good, but it's good for me.
i realized that the grace for me, today. is life. is the breath i get to take. the life He has given me.
my grace from Him today, is His giving.

i became overwhelmed with gratitude thinking about all the giving He does.
i get cranky when i feel like i keep giving to someone and they don't give anything back. you've heard someone say it before, "i just feel like i give, and give, and give".

God gives. and just asks that we place our hope and trust in Him.

God never complains.
because, oh my gosh could you imagine if He did.

"i give and give to megan. a life that's eternal. a husband. the worlds cutest dog. her dream job. and yet there are a lot of days when she doesn't even say thank you."

if there was a cave to crawl in right now. i would.
i'm beyond words when it comes to thankfulness to God and all that He gives me.

i'm thankful that instead of having to follow a bunch of rules, or thinking i have to go to a priest to get to God, i have a direct line right to Him.

my answer may have been the obvious one. and maybe wasn't as mature as other answers. but it's mine. and i'm thankful God doesn't mind my answer.

via

friday: food is served

if you follow me on instagram you know that we moved to orlando last month...and all we've been doing is eating.

but really.
the best part of orlando (besides being neighbors with harry potter and mickey mouse) is the food. and the fact that the food can't really be found anywhere else.
you see i come from a place that is just chain restaurants. except dakines. and i do miss dakines.

now dinner and lunch. and all meals in general are delicious.

so i figured. let's blog about it.
because who doesn't love food. and who doesn't love weekly posts?

here's what you should know going into these posts.

i don't watch what i eat.
i'll always pick the thing covered in cheese.
chocolate ends most of my meals.
and i believe eating until you're stuffed out of your face.

with that being said. i'm pretty excited about these weekly food posts i'll be doing.
some will be dinners that i made, some will be dinners i didn't make. maybe some will have ice cream in them.

i told husband tonight that we're pretty much eating our way through orlando.
and i am a ok with that.

so with that. here's the first friday: food is served.

restaurant: pharmacy

meal: salmon pizza with goat cheese, chives, onions, and tomatoes

drink: some sort of something with lavender (it was a pretty color) and vodka

why i loved it: you walk in through an elevator. hello hipster heaven. it's set up like a speak easy. all the cocktails and food are totally made in house with all local ingredients.  

restaurant: spice

meal: shrimp tempura roll & mexican roll

drink: some sort of blueberry lemonade. in a fancy glass

why i loved it: my date. chelsea is pretty much my soul mate, and i couldn't be happier to live close to her. also. the sushi was really great. 

restaurant: greek flame taverna

meal: gyro platter

why i loved it: i wasn't having the bests of days. but this meal was beyond amazing. i looked like a bum in such a fancy restaurant. but owned it. we also got a hummus platter. and then this amazing chocolate mousse at the end. 

restaurant: the coop

meal: fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, broccoli salad, pimento cheese grits

why i loved it: think old barn yard meets panera. you walk through to get your food like a cafeteria, so it's quick. but so beyond tasty. the tables are exactly what i'd put in my dinning room. it's homey. 

amen thank you Lord. 

if there's any killer restaurants near you. share! #foodiesunited 

happy friday!