The "In-Between"

Hold on to me, hold on
Hold on to me, yeah
Please don't let me go no, no, hold on
'Cause I am prone to wonder
Prone to leave this faith I know
Hold on
And now they say that the wise man
Well, he fears the Lord
And this fear, well, it's the beginning of all wisdom
And I must be a fool
'Cause I sure don't seem to fear You
'Cause the very things that You will me to do
Well, I just don't seem to get around to
The very things that You hate
Are the very things that I always stumble into
Hold on
--"Hold On" by Shawn McDonald

Have you ever listened to a song and you knew the words and just kinda sang your way through it every time it came up on your play list...you know, that song between your two very FAVORITE songs that you listen to just to get to the next one? Well, I finally listened to the words of this in-between-song and it just rocked my world. How many times to we treat scripture this same way. We just breeze through our quiet time digging for something that holds meaning...missing the words of our God that if we take the time to listen, will mean something? Just a thought.

Eyes on ME

Has God ever just broken your heart for something? Has he ever just humbled you and taught you so much you felt like your brain might explode. Well, that's how I feel right now. Tonight while Brad was speaking at youth I got hit with something that sort of sums up all that God is teaching me right now. Brad said something along these lines...all too often we lose sight of our God, the creator of the universe, to focus on the created.
There was a time in my life where I saw God in everything, from learning to wakeboard to the stinking juniper that I had to pull up working for my dad. There was a time when I had my eyes on the creator. Lately God's gently had his hand under my chin, turning my face toward him. So gently that I didn't even realize it until tonight.
My soul craves my God.
What does your soul crave?

I wish they would have told me...

Do you ever read or hear something and you think, "MAN...I wish someone would have told me this _______ years ago." I"m currently reading Erwin McManus' Soul Cravings and this quote just dug deep into my heart and pained me for who I used to be.

"The most powerful evidence that our souls crave God is that within us there is a longing for love."

In high school and my first two years of college I was constantly "in need" of a boyfriend, a group of friends, a place to belong. I couldn't stand to be alone. Then when I got saved during my sophomore of college, a deep, insatiable thirst for belonging seemed to be filled in such a miraculous way. I began to see that love that I received from the people around me as Jesus in the flesh, the body of Christ loving on me.

But I wish someone would have told me sooner. I wouldn't have given myself away the way that I did. I would have sought God's love rather than the world's definition of love a lot sooner and avoided a lot of mistakes...

BUT

I wouldn't be who I am today. And for that, I am thankful. I am thankful for who I am in this moment because I am a child of God--and SO blessed, because of HIS perfect plan.

FIVE DAYS!!!

I am getting married in 5 days! FIVE DAYS!!!!!!! My prayer right now is that God turns up the heat and works in my heart to prepare me to be the helper that he has created me to be for my soon to be husband. I am going to be Megan Stafford...in 5 days. I can hardly believe it. Please pray for our marriage to just beam with glory for God. We know that is the purpose of our marriage. Sorry my thoughts seemed so scattered. I'm pretty stinkin stoked!

God's Rockin' Awesomeness!

I haven't been a Christ follower very long (about 3 years) but usually by now, even young Christians have lead someone to Christ. I mean, I have been a youth leader for almost as long as I have been saved, but the only times I have lead someone in the sinner's prayer was after someone else had done the leg work. I know some reading this may think..."You did do your part, someone else planted a seed and you helped it flower." But God has just been challenging me lately to share the gospel and salvation. So, last night during the service @ Student Ministry, God just starting working in my heart telling me what I was supposed to talk about during small groups. He showed me that I was supposed to define sin, explain what a life without Jesus was like, have some of my girls share their testimony. Then he lowered the boom and told me exactly WHO was going to get saved. I wanted to weep and I wanted to shout. It was the craziest feeling ever. Then on the way to small groups God told me that the girl that was going to get saved didn't have a Bible, so I picked up one on the way. So I got to small groups, made a little small talk and then God just starting doing his thing. I just stepped back and hid behind the cross for a while. It was SO amazing how he spoke so much truth through me--I was blown away. Then, he showed me to have the girls close their eyes and raise their hand if they wanted to accept Christ. Not only did the girl that he showed me accept him, but a girl from the school that I teach at that has been coming to church with me for the past few weeks also accepted Christ. When they opened their eyes I told them that a prayer doesn't save them, but the grace of Jesus and the desire in their heart to know him and accept him as the savior of their life does. So I lead them in the prayer. When we finished I looked at one of the girls and said, "You don't have a Bible, do you?" After she had told me two weeks ago that she did. She looked at me with big puppy dog eyes and shook her head. It was the most AWESOME spiritual experience I have ever had in my ENTIRE! life. For the first time ever, God allowed me to lead two people to Christ. WOW! Pray for those girls. Pray that God would teach them who he is and that they would learn how to be true disciples of Jesus. Pray that because of their lives, others would be saved. God rocks my world! Has he rocked yours lately? Tell me about it! I love to hear about God's rocking awesomeness!