Code Orange Christmas

Readers-

It's no secret. I LOVE my church! I mean I think about moving and I realize "Megan, if you move, you won't have Elevation" and then I realize how much my life has changed and how truly blessed I am to be surrounded by such awesome people and I come back to my world. :)

Now, anyone that attends Elevation will most likely tell you they love it, they are proud of it and they are involved but it's not for everyone. And that is definitely ok!!!! However, I wanted to share the link below. I wish it was the entire Worship Experience from beginning to end so that you could fully grasp the energy and excitement and message, but it's a few snippets and Pastor Steven's sermon and it really is just powerful. Even sitting at the computer I am PUMPED!

Code Orange Christmas @ Elevation Church

www.elevationexperience.com

I can't watch without crying. I can't think of the service I attended without getting teary eyed. It was powerful. It was awesome. It was just amazing!

I mean the Global Choir! That was AWESOME!

Code Orange Christmas:

6 locations

30 services

2182 people stood to their feet to profess Jesus as their savior!

Merry Christmas!

God is. God was. God will be with you!

Sunday Snapshot

Week 4 of Mr. & Mrs. Betterhalf - "Wrong Well"

John 4:1-26

Jesus moves from religious rhetoric towards the needs of hurting people

1. When you're small people ignore you
2. When you're growing people criticize you
3. When you're big people resent you

The people you want to avoid are the people you need to touch. Jesus did and would.

3 Wrong Wells
1. Well, I'm not worthy
2. Well, it's too hard
3. Well, not now

Use pain to platform good

Holiness is not what God wants from us, it's what he wants for us!

Sunday Snapshot

Our God is so good.

Everything happens for a reason and this weekend was the perfect example of that! Let me give you a little bit of my weekend before I dive into my notes for the final sermon in the

Grapes & Giants series.

Saturday night, I did not attend service, I filled in for a greeter that was out of town and distributed Easter tickets, so I did not get the full sermon experience.

This morning, I assisted with First Experience and had to go to work after that so I missed both the 9:30 & 11:15 services.

Tonight, I was supposed to lead a greeter team, but some things happened and I ended up experiencing one of the worst days of my life, received devastating news and walked through the doors a crying, sobbing, snotty mess. I was quite the site for eyes to see :) After explaining everything to one of the Associate Campus Pastors, I decided I would help where I could and then go into service. BEST DECISION EVER!

Y'all, I LOVE my church but man oh man. Everything happens for a reason! I missed Saturday night and this morning because God knew i needed to her Pastor Steven's sermon at 6:00 Sunday night. He knew i needed to watch those baptisms and cry my eyes out while watching/singing and cry through that sermon. I've said it before that "this sermon is my favorite" or "that sermon hit the nail on the head" but nothing compares to tonight's experience!

So, Grapes & Giants, week 4 of 4!

Deuteronomy 7:12-24 and Ephesians 6:10-20 were the verses the sermon was based off of and they are AWESOME!

The Promise of God's Protection

Get Dressed! Put on the full armor of God!

God made provisions for your protection

You can't defeat your enemy if you don't discern your enemy.

Thieves don't break into empty houses

The enemy wants me because there's something awesome there that he wants. (hello!)

STAND YOUR GROUND. When all else fails, just STAND! (side note, I LOVE the Superchic(k) song about stand your ground)

Guardian angel-can't protect you if you're not entering the fire. Live your life so your guardian angel slaps you and says "Do you have any idea what you put me through?" :)

God can only give you strength for your struggle, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

He gives strength for those willing to struggle

I'm not STRUGGLING, I'm getting STRONGER!

The enemy hates me but God will protect me, I'm his investment.

Never underestimate what a father will do to get back to His child.

Show Us Your Church/Churches

I think in order for one to fully understand how much I LOVE my current church, you have to know where I've been.

I grew up Catholic.

We sat in the front pew every Saturday night for an hour. It was up, down, up, down as Catholic churches go with all of the kneeling and singing. I went through the sacraments of communion, confession, confirmation and whatever else the Catholic church had you do. I attended Sunday School classes each year (on Sunday nights) and was even an Altar Server. But, I never really got it. It could be because the church had 1 person play the guitar and sing and she happened to be my elementary school PE teacher so I envisioned a lot of "head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes and eyes and ears and mouth and nose, head, shoulders, knees and toes" songs while she stood up there. Or maybe I didn't get it because it was so complicated and so much to remember and even though I sat through the entire hour long mass each week, it just didn't click. It was way over my head and very Biblical. It wasn't a warm church. As soon as you walked in the cat got your tongue and you didn't talk unless spoken to by a higher up. So, you walked in, blessed yourself and knelt, walked to your pew, listened, interacted when it was communion time and walked out. You had to reach the sidewalk to the car before you talked again. That's rough! But, I do miss the flower displays at each holiday. That church knew how to decorate with flowers!

Then I was Presbyterian.

We made a little transition and attended the Presbyterian Church. We never joined as a family but I attended the BEST Sunday School class ever and oversaw the nursery. I think for the time I was in charge of the nursery, I watched maybe 2 babies...it was an "older" church so the only way I'd have something to do would be if people had family in town! I did end up one weekend watching my Sunday School teachers 1st grandson....who, 9 years later, I babysat for when I moved to NC! I adored my Sunday School teachers and it was just a joy to be in their class and learn from them. The Presbyterian Church was much more welcoming. I remember one Christmas Eve after the service everyone just hung out outside on the church stairs singing Christmas Carols....that would NEVER happen at the Catholic church. Our Sunday School class was heavily involved in Operation Christmas Child and we collected items and filled shoe boxes and then travelled as a class to the distribution center that was about 2 hours away and helped all day Sunday. Our teachers were in their 60s and were awesome. They invited us to their home and made us a great breakfast and we all watched Left Behind. We didn't stay at that church very long as during my senior year of high school our teachers left to return to NC and the church was kind of "old" so the members were declining.

So, we became Methodist.

The church had just gotten a new Youth Pastor and it was all the buzz in town. We checked it out and eventually we joined the Methodist church as a family. I don't really remember when we first started attending the church but it was a great fit for us. It was very contemporary and met in the Fellowship Hall of the church building. We eventually outgrew Fellowship Hall and overtook "big church" and worshipped there....drums, guitars and all. The lyrics were displayed on a screen and it was pretty awesome. Everyone was happy and welcoming and it was like one big family. After I graduated from college and moved home for a bit, I became a Youth Leader for the High School Youth Group. We had a lot of fun with the kids and the other leaders were my YoungLife leaders so we had a great time bringing back the old lessons and games and craziness! That church has undergone some staff changes and it's in a bit of a "dark" place as I call it at the moment. The Youth Pastor left, the Associate Pastor (who was the counseling Pastor) has left so the main Pastor is alone with some new people, and well, the new people aren't adapting well. However, when I go home, this is the church my mom still attends.

College Church

I attended the campus Chapel Services each Wednesday night and it was nice. The sermons were different and rotated between the Dean of the Chapel and the Bishop in Residence. Occasionally there would be a guest speaker from an area church. It was a short and sweet service. The chapel choirs sang and they always had a nice fellowship spread afterwards. Some of my favorite Chapel Services ended with a group of us going to Tex and Shirley's for $2.00 all you could eat pancake dinners! I attended a "big" church on the weekends that my college apartment neighbors Dad oversaw. It was fun to go there because it was a (what I thought) huge church and they had an awesome contemporary service.

Now Church!

And now I attend what I think is the best church I've ever walked into! I am proud to say that I attend one of the four campuses of Elevation Church. Not only do I attend, but I joined an awesome small group that has since ended but I met some amazing people and I became a greeter! It truly is a phenomenal church where for once, I GET IT! It all makes sense! I actually understand the sermons and know how to apply them. Going to church is seriously the highlight of my week! I know Elevation isn't for everyone, but it's right for me. You can check it out at www.elevationchurch.org

I hope you attend a church that's right for you! It's hard to find one sometimes, but once you do, it's the greatest thing ever!!!

Love Week

Love Week is pretty rock solid if I do say so myself! It's February 26-March 6 and 20+ churches in Charlotte have signed up to serve 25,000 service hours!!! Volunteers can make sandwiches, clean up parks, sort clothes, donate food and more! Yesterday, volunteers could put together shoes for Samaritan's Feet. Volunteers had to lace the shoes, tie them together, write the size on the bottom and then box them with their "mates" so all size 6 men's shoes made it into the same box. It was pretty awesome to see so many people helping.
Yesterday afternoon a new shipment of shoes came in since the morning crew got the entire truck done between the 2 morning services. Well, the Sunday night shoes were knock off Air Jordan's and other Nike's. It's kind of bittersweet....people thought they could make knock off Nike's for dirt cheap, sell them for market value and make a lot of money. Well, the bad guys got caught and the Secret Service people that acquired the shoes, donated them to Samaritans Feet. It's upsetting that someone would replicate a shoe and have a horrible plan for them, but cool that they were donated and now kids, adults and senior citizens in Sudan and all sorts of other places with hear the word of God and get a pair of shoes! Service projects rock!

Red Carpet!

I'm feeling very behind with life and the blog world these days! What can I say....we have 24 hours in a day but sometimes I think we need more. Or maybe we just need shorter work days, or we don't need phones and computers for awhile and life would be a little easier? Laid back? Relaxed? A lot of people say we have the same amount of hours in a day as Einstein but really, he didn't have e-mail or voicemail or other social media outlets that require updating.

I didn't do a Sunday Snapshot this week because not only did I have time, but it was a special week....there wasn't a sermon, but there was the viewing of the documentary featuring the first/past 5 years of the church, from the beginning, behind the scenes, raw footage, present day and a glimpse into the future.

Instead of a Sunday Snapshot, I want to recount the Red Carpet Movie Premiere Weekend because it was AWESOME! I felt like such a celebrity (which is funny because I was on a local news channel Fri night but that's another story!)

Last Friday, the church had a Red Carpet Movie Premiere and it was AWESOME! I felt like such a celebrity! I'm talking red carpet, photo backdrop, those "danger" poles with red ropes, Hollywood Stars on the floor and an Ice Sculpture.

The 5 year This Is How We Change The World documentary was equally amazing and made me so proud to have found an incredible church and it made me realize how blessed I am.

The man with the BEST Vision!

Stop...collaborate and listen! Ice is back.... :)

Hollywood Stars!

My Small Group friend Nichole

Overall, it was a pretty cool weekend! Hope everyone had a great week!

Sunday Snapshot 3

Today's sermon was the third in the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:
1. Go to God
-as long as you know where to go when in trouble, you're not far from help
2.Face your situation
-before God can give you a miracle, you must follow his instruction
3.Check your perspective
-all God needs is all you have. Even if you're poor, your Father is extremely rich!
4. Demonstrate your faith
-get some jars. God's not short on oil
5. Make your plan
-build a special room for God t move in your life

Phrases to enjoy:
I am an empty jar.

Get some jars!

Song to listen to:

sorry, I couldn't find a clip for my favorite song

So there it is. My third Sunday Snapshot. Completely random, but informative.
***Also, I posted last week but I dated it for 1/16***

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!

Sunday Snapshot 2

Today's sermon was the second in the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:
1. Sometimes you live in the midst of it and don't see it
-too often we have exactly what we are praying for, but we're too busy with our routine that we miss out on the new things
2. We can't all play the same part
-embrace your place! the arm is nothing without the hand which is nothing without fingers. We are all different but we can all work together for the greater good
3. The grass is greener where you water it
-don't run away from something, embrace it and change or adapt

Phrases to enjoy:
You have to go where you don't want to be to be where God wants you to be.

When you leave the place, your don't give God the change to work in you, for you.

Song to listen to:
http://www.elevation-worship.com/album/the-lord-is-my-rock/
So there it is. My second Sunday Snapshot. Completely random, but informative.

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!

Sunday Snapshot 1

I've fallen off of the blog train but I'm trying to get a ticket to get back on!

In an effort to keep myself accountable, I've decided to at least have 1 post each Sunday for the three of you that probably still read my blog. :)

I've titled this blog series, "Sunday Snapshot". Creative right?! HA!

Well, "Sunday Snapshot" is going to be similar each week. I want to be able to recount what I've learned in church, record it on here and share it with you. It is my goal to do this for a year, or really the next 50 weeks...I realize I missed out last week, so instead of me offering 52 weeks worth of Sunday Snapshots, I'm offering 51. 1 shy of a year. Bummer.

I attend a large and rapidly growing church that I LOVE. I've never felt so great in a church before so I think that says something.

Today's sermon was the first for the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:

1. Don't play God when you've got it

-what good is it to make great time if you're headed in the wrong direction?

2. Don't blame God when it's gone

-sometimes we forget God in our success but blame Him in our failure

3. Find the music

-use natural means to kick start supernatural momentum

4. Dig some ditches

-get ready for the blessing your believing in as if it's yours

Phrases to enjoy:

You can make it. Don't give up. God is with you. No matter what.

You can't make God send you the right person but you can be the right person.

Song to listen to:

http://www.elevation-worship.com/songs/give-me-faith-the-song/

So there it is. My first Sunday Snapshot. Completely random, but informative.

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!

Monks

Adrienne's Dad spent the week at the Gethsemani Trappist Monastery in Kentucky.

He brought back this fudge that the monks make (and wow can you taste the Bourbon) and the prayer below the picture has become my new favorite.

In fact, I'm going to type it in a fancy font and frame it and hang it somewhere.

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

-Thomas Merton

-Thoughts in Solitude

Sunshine on a cloudy day...

I've been having a rough few days/weeks.

So "rough" to the point that I cry.

Me.

The one without tear ducts (I have them, I just don't use them).

The one that never cries.

Yep.

I've been really sad.

So imagine my surprise when I came to work today and saw these on the counter for ME!

My amazing Mom knows that I've been down in the dumps so decided she would brighten my day with these GORGEOUS flowers!

The ironic thing is they made me cry. :)

I know things will get better.

I know God has a plan.

I know everyone says "If He brings you to it, He'll help you through it."

and everyone also says

"God gives you want you can handle"

Frankly, I'm handling a lot more than I'd like too. :)

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday.

that's what I love about Sunday....

Today was my first day off in exactly 2 weeks.

Crazy. I know.

I had big plans for today!

I woke up this morning and went to a brand new-to-me church.

Can I just say that it was AMAZING!

As you know, I'm a self described "church hopper" so I've gone to a few churches in the area and wow, after today I think I found a new home.

Despite today's sermon being the last in the series, I really enjoyed it. The intro to the sermon was pretty neat as a few members of the staff recited Romans 8 from memory and it was just powerful. So powerful that we got a glimpse into football season and ended up high fiving the people sitting around us...which was super weird since I went to church by myself and was seated next to a random family. Oh well!

The sermon was based off of Romans 8:37

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

As you probably guessed, it was about conquering and the difference between being a "Conqueror" and being a "Super Conqueror" and really, all I could think of for a moment (among church things of course) was Superman and having super powers. I then had to chuckle because I now had the image of a picture that I used to have (that sadly I don't have on my laptop to show you since it was taken with gasp.... film) of D when he was 5 years old, standing on the front steps leading into the house with a "suit" on, his hands along the buttons of his shirt, clip on tie flapping in the breeze and his Superman pajama shirt underneath as little E was in her car seat fresh from the hospital, wrapped in a pink blanket....Big Bro a step above her to protect her! (D&E I babysat for when I was in High School) Too cute!

Anyway, I'm super excited for the next sermon series and glad that I can listen to the sermon online as well. It's so funny how far church has come. I grew up sitting in the very front pew, not allowed to talk or turnaround, singing the hymns and only clapping when we went to church Saturday night and the "fun" worship leader (back then was just a lady with a guitar and a microphone) was leading everyone....moving on to a church that was a bit more relaxed but still piano/organ and hymns....moving on to a church that was expanding and having a Contemporary Worship Service in the Fellowship Hall with folding chairs, drums, guitar and microphone to slowly adding a projector and a movie screen to today where it was just intense. God is good!

I left church feeling happy and like I may have found a church "home" and I was excited! I was so pumped that I headed here:

to look for one of these to take home with me:

and I was now so overwhelmed and confused with the massive selection, that I came back to my apartment without a fan.

I just want a plain ol fan that someone will install so I don't burn the place down. I would like to be able to just flip a switch and it'll turn on. I don't need or want anything fancy. But really, does the length of the blade matter? Yes, the color does, but the speed and the light and the size. It was too much to deal with right then and there because I had an important lunch date!

The Newlyweds, Claire and Dave, were in town for a wedding last night so naturally we had to meet for lunch! It was great that I got to see them for a bit as a married couple!!!! And really, who doesn't want to enjoy some Chili's Chips and Salsa with friends on a Sunday?!?!?!

After lunch I came back to my apt and headed to "Sundaes on Sunday" which was supposed to be a way to meet your neighbors but it was raining. The ice cream was mighty tasty though!

I sat on my front porch and watched it rain as I ate my ice cream. It was so weird. I was so excited to have a pool day since I haven't been to the pool in at least a month and gosh darn it, it was sunny and it rained, rinse and repeat. So I sat outside, eating ice cream and watching it rain.

I did some laundry and met Adrienne and Jeff for dinner! I tried sushi for the first time but ended up ordering my staple, Chicken Teriyaki with Fried Rice as they ate sushi...what can I say, I may be a creature of habit :)

And now, Remember the Titans is on. Really, what more could I want!!!

I am so ready for some FOOTBALL!

"Alice, are you blind? Don't you see the family resemblance? That's my brother." -Gary Bertier

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, those who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28

The Home of the Free and the Brave

I lived a blessed life.

I love America.

July 4th has always been my favorite holiday.

However this year was a bit different. And I was sad.

I started the day kind of bummed because I'm wasn't home with my friends and family. I wasn't headed to the beach with the crew for fireworks. I didn't eat a cheeseburger with the crew or my family. I was in the living room of my apartment, by myself, washing my carpets...glamorous I know!

For the first time ever, I had no plans to celebrate Americas birthday with those I love.

ABC and her hubby are in Charleston, Steph and Marcus went to the lake, and my friend Theresa had to work until 9.

While I could've gone to the baseball game for the fireworks, I didn't want to go alone. But I didn't want to miss fireworks.

Being a child of so much technology, I set my DVR to record the Boston Pops.
That made me sad.

So I went out to grab a copy of the paper and started to realize that now I was angry.

The "major chains" were all open. I could go almost anywhere I wanted to and that made me mad!

Its July 4.

Americas birthday.

And for that reason alone every shopping establishment should be closed! Yes gas stations and emergency service places and probably hotels should be open but that's it. In my opinion.

I think it's a day when we, as American citizens, should spend time reflecting on our freedom and thanking those brave soldiers that fought for our freedoms and continue to fight for our freedoms. It's not a day we should take for granted. I think too many people these days are too "comfortable". They look to this as a 3 or 4 day weekend forgetting why they receive an extra holiday. (maybe I'm bitter since my place of employment only views thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter as holidays) But as I was sulking in my "aloneness" I realized that I needed to grow up and continue to love July 4th like I always have. Because even though they weren't around at the time, I have the freedom to visit my friends whenever I want. And I can call home whenever I want. And I can drive the many hours home when work will allow. I don't have to wait for the government to tell my troop/platoon/team/base/ship/any other military when I am allowed to come HOME.

I'm blessed.

I'm not off fighting on enemy grounds. I'm not separated from my family by a large body of water for 6 months to a year or more. And for those reasons and many others, I thank our soldiers past, present and future.

sidenote: I did hear lots of fireworks from my apartment and did walk around the complex for over an hour enjoying all of the neighborhood "shows". It was GREAT!

"America needs God more than God needs America. If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under."

-Ronald Reagan

The Potter's Hands

I received this as an e-mail but wanted to share!

There was a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked, "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "Don't do that. I don't like it! Leave me alone," but he only smiled and gently said, "Not yet!" Then WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. "Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!," I screamed. But the master only nodded and said quietly. 'Not yet.' He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. "Help! Get me out of here!" I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not yet'. When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! "Ah, this is much better," I thought. But after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. "Oh, please, stop it,stop," I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!'. Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering "What's he going to do to me next?" An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!!!" Quietly he spoke: 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.' The moral of this story is this: God knows what He's doing for each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.

So when life seems hard and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this:

Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down and think on this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter.

Happy Easter!

"...I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2nLyfzBfKw

TV Faith

Last night I watched the special on TLC about the Duggar Family and all I can say is "WOW!"

While I know that having 19 children is NOT in my future and while I may not think it was such a great idea for them, I respect their decisions but have to PRAISE them for showing their true colors and being so God driven! The fact that all of their children are growing up in such a loving, Christian home--where they all seem to understand those values just amazes me.

The faith that Jim Bob and Michelle expressed last night regarding their sweet little Josie and her fight is awesome. I love that TLC continues to air their life...their entire life...God, praying, church, worshipping and all is just amazing...especially in a world where TV people are too concerned with who slept with who, who can say the most bad words in a certain amount of time and the "dirtiness" that is seen on the Bachelor/Bachelorette, Real World and all of those other shows that I don't watch.

God Bless the Duggars! May everything work out for you according to God's will!