En-light-ened!

So, this little lady shares a one bedroom apartment with the lovely Marissa and so in the mornings when I get ready before the crack of dawn I turn the hall light on so I can see into our room to gather my clothes to get changed.

If you know me you know that it is rare that my clothes hang in a closet or folded anywhere let alone the dresser drawers. I keep my clothes in a laundry basket (or beside it depending on my mood) at the end of my bed.

The laundry basket is wonderful because when I go home to Sherwood Park or to Canmore I simply pick it up and put it in my Jeep.

Though some light is shed into the room it is difficult to tell what shirt is which, if my clothes are dirty or where the heck that belt went to. The bottom of the hamper is churned up like I was mixing flour into butter. The bottom of the contents are scooped under my hands and brought to the top or perhaps just dumped onto the bed (though this is not my preference).

Every time I have to send a search party for my basic black tee and a pair of clean knickers I think to my self:

"Lord, this is what life is like when I don't invest into our relationship. I know you're here, I can even feel you but if I just had a little more light, a little more perspective, a little more understanding I would be able to see what I have my hands into and execute this plan with a little more stealth and grace"

Sometimes I live life the difficult way but not on purpose and then I'm angry when it doesn't make sense.

I clearly can't turn the bedroom light on when Marissa is sleeping but I do have access to more knowledge when it come to Christ.

My friend Chantelle recently posted this on her facebook as her status:

I liked this query.

I'm not sure why groping a full laundry basket in the dark reminds me to read my Bible and to sit with God but it does.

When I open those scriptures the light turns on.

Speaking of my roommate and open flames. Way to go on lighting your hair on fire today. Sad I missed it.

Love to y'all,

Meaghan Ellen

XOXO

Quarter-life crisis, not an option.

So I have been longing to blog these days but haven't had a. the motivation, b. the time (?) not true... or c. inspiration or d. all of the above.

Do you remember that choice on multiple choice tests? It always felt like a trick but then again every time I am asked a question I feel like I am being tricked or tested.

There's a new one for Halloween "trick or test"...





child 1 "I got so much candies in my bag last night!"





child 2 "luuuckyyy. All I got were these Chinese finger traps and pregnancy tests"





...not my best idea...





moving on.





There are many things (besides blogging) that I have been wanting to do these days and my routine this year has been to write it down when I find something that I want to do so that I can remember to accomplish it. I have a list of places I want to go, a list of general things I want to do and then there is THE list.





As some of you may know from either reading it in here in an earlier post or from me taking incessantly about it, I have developed a list of 25 things I want to do in my 25th year.





The rules are the night before my birthday I had to compile the list and make no changes to it after the clock struck midnight. Once the list is made I have to do everything on the list no ifs ands or buts. I made the list with two of my best friends as consultants and took some of their suggestions but left most of them out (you girls know why.)





I have to say this list has truly changed my life. I don't know if it's the sense of accomplishment I get from completing the goals or if it is the realization that I needed to do something about living in the now. I never live in the now. I spend my time regretting the past and mostly anticipate the future. Even if I am enjoying what I am doing in the present, I'm thinking about what's next never really savouring what I once wished for; the moment I actually have.





My list has not only allowed me to plan and accomplish the things that pass me by with time and conquer the things that I fear but it let's me enjoy the moments. When I'm crossing something off the 25 I take joy in that moment. YES! I'M DOING IT RIGHT NOW, THIS MINUTE, THIS DAY, THIS YEAR!





Not only does this give me joy but 6 other people have been inspired to do the challenge for their birthdays this year too. I love hearing people excitedly tell me how awesome they think the list is and then tell me what they plan to do for their year.

Though I cannot take credit for the idea of the list I do get to see people motivated to dream, motivated to overcome and motivated to take joy in the now. I tell people everywhere I go about my 25 things in my 25th and it empowers me even more to keep checking things off.





This year, by far, has been the best year of my life. The crumpled ink marked page with things crossed off in a little book cannot take sole responsibility for this though. It is knowing this:





"This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 118:24 (a quote from the Bible, God's written word)





God doesn't promise me tomorrow, he doesn't even promise me my next breath. He wants me to take seriously each tick on the clock that I have, not the ones that I don't have. Though a lot of items on my checklist are not serious, some of them are.





Matthew 6:27 says: "who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?". I sure can't and as a self proclaimed worrier I need to buckle down and take my moments as I have them.

Don't get me wrong. Worrying about the future is different than planning for the future. Worrying about the past is different than learning from the past.

So as I enjoy the ending of my vacation with the lovely Anna I am thrilled to have accomplished 6/25. I wanted to blog at least once on this time off and I've done it. Pictures and stories re the great Cali/Arizona escape to come.

Thanks for stopping by!

Yours truly,

Meaghan Ellen