I just love these things

three names you go by: Meghan, Megs, Kegs

three screen names you have: goldfish847, ChiTownRagazza, mes9193

three things you like about yourself: the fact my eyes change colors, my smile, my sense of humor

three things you hate/dislike about yourself: my sarcastic nature, my contemptuous side, my lack of trust (in almost everything, including myself)

three parts of your heritage: French, Lebanese, English

three things that scare you: spiders, snakes, scary movies

three of your everyday essentials: Creation, a good laugh, a good friend

three things you are wearing right now: jeans, a sweater, my birks

three of your favorite bands/artists (at the moment): Counting Crows, Damien Rice, The Shinns

three of your favorite songs at present: the new one by Simple Plan, Fair by Remy Zero, The only living boy in New York

three new things you want to try in the next 12 months: moving, getting a job, dating someone

three things you want in a relationship (love is a given): honesty, authenticity, fun

two truths and a lie: I've lived in New Orleans, I've been to France and England, I've lived in New Jersey

three physical things about the opposite (or same) sex that appeal to you: great eyes, good hands, caring heart

three things you just can't do: sing, though I try to prove myself wrong; sew, speak Spanish

three of your favorite hobbies: cooking, reading, photography

three things you want to do really badly right now: take a nap, go shopping, get a massage

three careers you're considering: Counselor, Wedding coordinator, Chef

three places you want to go on vacation: a beach, the mountains, New York City

three kids names: Presley Olivia, Lydia Grace, Ethan

three things you want to do before you die: go to Africa, author a book on youth ministry, backpack through Europe

three people you want to take this quiz now : Tiff, and anyone else who has read this...

Because, I want you to enjoy your Christmas, that's why!

The following was taken out of today's Kansas City Star newspaper...enjoy!

We found these handy tips on holiday eating in our email:
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rumballs.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if your going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something.

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone! Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it.

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's Day. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have a two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, its' loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

I hope you have an enjoyable Christmas...an update from KC soon!

The Christmas Letter I always wanted to send...

I think it was college when I realized how cool you could be and send everyone you know a letter filling them in on your past year. Some would send pictures (often bad copies of pictures on white paper, but pictures still) and they somehow reconnected me with a friend, family member, or random person on their past year. However, since the invention of the blog (thank you blog creator), I feel like that the annual letter has been replaced. You now get to see how I am doing almost on a weekly basis, if not monthly, and you get a random story or fact about me every time. But, I still want to take a shot at the old annual letter, so grab a cup of something warm (unless you are in a location that is automatically warm, then grab something cool) and settle in...

2004 has been a rollercoaster to say the very least. It started off with me in Elevate and now I'm in Promiseland/Community Care. My time at Elevate needed to end, for my soul, for my sanity. I've loved my transition to Promiseland/Community Care. Working with families who are going through a divorce or trying to learn how to make their marriage work is something that intrigues me. Writing small group curriculum, meeting with potential leaders, spending time with coaches...these are areas that I love doing and don't drain me. For me, rediscovering that I really do love family dynamics and that my college education wasn't so random is great...now if they would only offer me a job.

School wise, I can't believe that I have three classes left in my master's program. 3 classes, 2 quarters, 1 intensive...I don't you truly grasp what that means unless you've experienced the rollercoaster that is Willow. I have learned so much over the past year, about theology, about leadership, about the church in general. It all started last February sitting in a Systematic Theology Class with F. LeRon Shults and having my world flipped upside down was hard, but good and progressing through each course, I finally feel like I have a better grasp on my own theology for the first time ever. My statement of faith (my senior thesis) will help me realize all that I truly believe and though it is overwhelming to write, I'm actually excited to do it. While Bethel as a whole has been lackluster, the individuals that I have met while I am there for 2 weeks in February and July have been the best part of the experience...to my favorite Brit...Classes wouldn't be the same without you!

Of course, the major thing that has changed over the past year would be me. I have worked through some of my core issues, only to realize that I will always deal with them and at the same time realize that I am coming into adulthood...the little 22 year old girl that walked into the program 2 1/2 years ago isn't the same 24 year old woman she is today. I've learned countless things about my leadership, how to lead up, how to grieve with the appropriate people, how to use the filter in my mind on a somewhat regular basis. I have read books that have changed my life, books that I doubt I would have read anytime in the near future, books that I feel every single person should read (in fact, go to Amazon now to order either this one or this one). When I started the program, my friend Dee helped me to see that I am so fortunate to be learning and working through all of this now as opposed to when I am burnt out on ministry and shaking my fists towards a God I claimed was so distant. I've come to realize that my intensity and my passion has never fully come out with anyone including God and thus this begins my latest journey into 2005.

And what do I expect from 2005? I don't know. Expectations are funny things. You must realize your desires and then set your expectations. So, what are my desires? To fully be known and to know, to learn how to love more deeply than I have ever done before, to learn how to fully forgive people from my past and my present, to lead people in such a way that they fully experience the love of the Trinity in fresh new ways...So, what do I expect? I expect that God will show up and I expect that I will be transformed.

And so to you, blog reader, I wish you a very merry Christmas, a joyful new year, and the most unexpected 2005.

eww...gross!!

Okay, here's another side to me...

I hate scary movies, blood, loose teeth on children, and vomit (both my own and others).

So, this morning, I was taking out the trash because Tuesday is trash day in the wonderful world of Cary, and the bag broke open at the bottom of the staircase.

I was gagging the entire time as I put the trash into a new trash bag. I had to spray Lysol, plug in an air freshener, and wash my hands about 15 times.

Seriously folks, I don't think it would have been that bad, except that it had a dairy type substance in it, and we all know how bad dairy can be.

sick, sick, sick...

Thus, a season of getting robbed begins...

Last week, the Grammy nominations came out (for your FYI: I call my grandmother Grammy, and last year my favorite radio station here did a contest of take your Grammy to the Grammys, I totally wanted to win, but ahh...no luck). Decent nominations, but these nominations don't get me as excited as the nominations for the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

This morning, the Golden Globes were announced and I feel like certain movies were ignored and now, people who totally deserve the awards will be robbed.

For example, Garden State. Not even remotely nominated! ROBBED!!

Scrubs wasn't even nominated for a golden globe. ROBBED!! Zach Braff was, which I'm totally happy about, but the entire show should be nominated as well.

Anyways, the nice thing about the golden globes is that it honors both television and movies, two of my favorite medias (following close behind are music and the internet). Hopefully the globes will be great, and Robin Williams will even win an award this year. January 16, 2005...Put it in your Franklin!

Right Now...

I'm currently reading:
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister,
Blue Shoe,
The Critical Journey,
and Cry of the Soul.

I'm currently listening to:
Keane

Movies I'm dying to see:
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
In Good Company
Meet the Fockers
Spangilsh
A Very Long Engagement
Hotel Rwanda

Trick Daddy's biggest fear..

Today as I was eating lunch, I happened upon VH1's latest show "John Mayer has a TV show". I'm not kidding. It was hilarious, but here is the funniest part. John Mayer and Trick Daddy were in Nashville and John was trying to get Trick into the spirit of country music. There are scenes of them buying hats, trying on cowboy boots, even singing at a country bar (it was more like rapping). So here's the best part:

John Mayer asked Trick Daddy if he had ever been on eBay. Trick said once, but he was afraid to have his credit card info on the internet. John Mayer says, you've been to jail twice, three times, you have a diamond encrusted AK-47 hanging around your neck and your greatest fear is having your credit card info stolen.

Seriously folks...I haven't laughed out loud like that in ages...So great, I hope it's on again.

ps-I just finished the fall quarter...now, for a month off!!

"in my defense, I was wearing a bikini"

Have you done stupid things and then made up the most ridiculous reasoning for it when you looked back at it the next time around? To me, it appears to happen on a regular basis. Not as regular as when I first got here, but since I have found somewhat of a filter in my mind, the amount of times that it appears to happen has gone down slightly. Something to be said for emotional health I believe.

Like the time at a good Friday when in a discombobulated state of mind I decided that my friend Craig didn't like me and the only reason he did was to hang out with my friend Viv. In this state of mind, I decided that it would be okay for me to erase his number from my phone as the ultimate "we are finished". Okay, not true at all and I know that Craig and I are friends, in fact, I've written blogs on how I enjoy his friendship (in fact, go here or here to prove my point). But that's not the reason for this post. You do stupid things from time to time. To cap this story off, I decided that I would tell him all of this last night at 12:30 am while we were walking home from the used bookstore that is open till 1 am in the city (random Sundays are back baby!). I was thinking he would find this story funny. He did not...Once again, foot in mouth syndrome returns.

But other people do this too, so I don't feel that bad. Like the story of a girl who in a drunken state of mind was trying convince my friend that the girl he might be interested in last boyfriend robbed a bank and she drove the get away car. Seriously folks, I don't care how drunk you are, but come on, there is a point in time where you think about what you said the night before and there has to be some amount of shame.

Or the other story of Ivana from The Apprentice flashed people in order to sell candy bars and her entire defense was that she was wearing a bikini. But she wasn't doing this for friends, she was doing this for a national TV show, so I don't know really why in the world she would say that, but you get what I mean.

Foot in mouth syndrome hurts...Filters people, they are totally worth it.

considering...

There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time this expression is unique. and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.

The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open...

-Martha Graham