Have you ever thought about winning the lottery and how it could change your life?
A big life altering event is fun to think about. Graduating, getting the dream job, coming into money, a new addition to the family (child or furry or furry child?), a new this, a sparkly that or a good surprise.
It's easy for me to live in excitement of tomorrow, instead of today and the truth is, you can experience these type of thrills EVERYDAY.
A quick adjustment in attitude can unveil the little things that bring us joy and the discipline recognize them can keep them coming all day long.
Some of my "little things":
-Coffee break
-An empty public bathroom
-A warm fall day
-Accomplishing a task
-A conversation with a stranger
-A sucessful homemade meal
-A "thinking of you" text from a friend
-Being thanked, encouraged or recognized
-Crafty time
-Scarves
-Moments of inspiration and revelation
-A good laugh
-Time with friends
-Worship
...just to name a few
I hope your day is filled with little things that keep you high on life and grounded in your blessings.
When you're thankful for each one, a satisfaction focuses your thoughts on what you have, not on what you don't.
Thank you Lord for what I have, seen and unseen,
What are some of your "little things"?
Meaghan Ellen
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Offical 'thankful' list 2013
It's a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend!
The mountain air is "crisp" (as Kyle fondly likes to say) and the leaves are lovely.
I'm sipping a pumpkin spice americano about to start a project but stopped on by to deliver you this comprehensive, 50 point list of things I have been thankful for this year.
Hold onto your mini decorative pumpkins and behold, my thankful list:
Thank the Lord for (in no particular order):
50. Credit card debt free living (student loans to be tackled at a later date)
49. Pumpkin flavored anything (coffee, muffins, pocky when I didn't know I couln't eat them)
48. Good grades as a result of hard work
47. Mending relationships
46. My blackberry. Can't help but love the little feller who makes googling "is (insert food) gluten free?" and google maps which should be called "where the cuss am I going?"
45. Quirky movies that I am different enough to enjoy
44. Scarves. Infinity and beyond.
43. Church family. I love to gather in the walls and outside 'em.
42. Country music. I'm sorry I denied myself of it for so long.
41. Katy Perry's (did you really think I was going to say music?) kettle POP chips. OM NOM!
40. Gluten free food at coffee shops and faster food places. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
39. Co-workers who care about you (shout out Children's Cottage Staff, we needs to stick together)
38. Long commutes with a new friend. It amazes me that a few months ago we sat next to eachother in class and knew nothing about one another. Look what 3 hours stuck in a car together can do.
37. Kyle's family. I love collecting people, these are especially special to me because they are special to you.
36. Long sleeve shirts.
35. Being under a bunch of fluffy blankets how it makes me feel like sinking into a little piece of heaven.
34. Round earings. (Treated myslef to a pottery pair yesterday)
33. Looking fly in my scrubs and stethescope (now just to learn how to use them quote Sandra "your earpeices are in wrong again)
32. The flower section in the grocery store.
31. Blue bic ball point pens
30. The NWT (I miss you and your beautiful people)
29. White and ivory decorations
28. Vietnemese salad rolls
27. LAUGHING
26. Conversations with strangers
25. Cooking, especially when I can host
24.Amazing friends who let me stay in their homes
23. Driving in the fall.
22. Mittens
21. Other people's pets and kids that I can oogle until I can have my own
20. Raises at work and retro pay! I feel appreciated!
19. Open discussion at Church. I feel apart of!
18. The radom child that literally just hugged me at starbucks whom I dont know and cuddled into me. I looked around and said "I don't know this child". Her dad said "thats my daughter". I replied "I work with kids so its all good".... okay back to my list
17. Crafts and little projects
16. Living in a little town
15. Supportive peers at school who I can encourage and be encouraged by (not going to lie, held Steph's hand before a major test and let a group of 10 of us in a deep breathing exercise on Tuesday)
14. My doctor. She's a gem and an inspiration to me of how to love others within the health care system.
13. My friends. I love love love my friends. They don't try to beat the crazy out of me, they just enjoy it.
12. Being Canadian. I almost cry every time I sing "God keep our land..."
11. Fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faith, self-control....
10. Warmth. I don't like to be cold.
9. Student loans. Thank you government of Canada for lending me money.
8. Art. I'm really grateful for self expression and getting to see other's perspective
7. Resources
6. Long phone conversations
5. Short text converstaions
4. The girl at the nail salon who waxes my eyebrows so I don't risk doing it myself
3. My family
2. My Kyle
1. My God
Enjoy what you have,
Meaghan Ellen
The mountain air is "crisp" (as Kyle fondly likes to say) and the leaves are lovely.
I'm sipping a pumpkin spice americano about to start a project but stopped on by to deliver you this comprehensive, 50 point list of things I have been thankful for this year.
Hold onto your mini decorative pumpkins and behold, my thankful list:
Thank the Lord for (in no particular order):
50. Credit card debt free living (student loans to be tackled at a later date)
49. Pumpkin flavored anything (coffee, muffins, pocky when I didn't know I couln't eat them)
48. Good grades as a result of hard work
47. Mending relationships
46. My blackberry. Can't help but love the little feller who makes googling "is (insert food) gluten free?" and google maps which should be called "where the cuss am I going?"
45. Quirky movies that I am different enough to enjoy
44. Scarves. Infinity and beyond.
43. Church family. I love to gather in the walls and outside 'em.
42. Country music. I'm sorry I denied myself of it for so long.
41. Katy Perry's (did you really think I was going to say music?) kettle POP chips. OM NOM!
40. Gluten free food at coffee shops and faster food places. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
39. Co-workers who care about you (shout out Children's Cottage Staff, we needs to stick together)
38. Long commutes with a new friend. It amazes me that a few months ago we sat next to eachother in class and knew nothing about one another. Look what 3 hours stuck in a car together can do.
37. Kyle's family. I love collecting people, these are especially special to me because they are special to you.
36. Long sleeve shirts.
35. Being under a bunch of fluffy blankets how it makes me feel like sinking into a little piece of heaven.
34. Round earings. (Treated myslef to a pottery pair yesterday)
33. Looking fly in my scrubs and stethescope (now just to learn how to use them quote Sandra "your earpeices are in wrong again)
32. The flower section in the grocery store.
31. Blue bic ball point pens
30. The NWT (I miss you and your beautiful people)
29. White and ivory decorations
28. Vietnemese salad rolls
27. LAUGHING
26. Conversations with strangers
25. Cooking, especially when I can host
24.Amazing friends who let me stay in their homes
23. Driving in the fall.
22. Mittens
21. Other people's pets and kids that I can oogle until I can have my own
20. Raises at work and retro pay! I feel appreciated!
19. Open discussion at Church. I feel apart of!
18. The radom child that literally just hugged me at starbucks whom I dont know and cuddled into me. I looked around and said "I don't know this child". Her dad said "thats my daughter". I replied "I work with kids so its all good".... okay back to my list
17. Crafts and little projects
16. Living in a little town
15. Supportive peers at school who I can encourage and be encouraged by (not going to lie, held Steph's hand before a major test and let a group of 10 of us in a deep breathing exercise on Tuesday)
14. My doctor. She's a gem and an inspiration to me of how to love others within the health care system.
13. My friends. I love love love my friends. They don't try to beat the crazy out of me, they just enjoy it.
12. Being Canadian. I almost cry every time I sing "God keep our land..."
11. Fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faith, self-control....
10. Warmth. I don't like to be cold.
9. Student loans. Thank you government of Canada for lending me money.
8. Art. I'm really grateful for self expression and getting to see other's perspective
7. Resources
6. Long phone conversations
5. Short text converstaions
4. The girl at the nail salon who waxes my eyebrows so I don't risk doing it myself
3. My family
2. My Kyle
1. My God
Enjoy what you have,
Meaghan Ellen
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
I shant
I refuse to whine about how I haven't blogged and I shall not promise to begin blogging again.
I will, however, say how nice it is to clink away at the keys regarding something other than:
1.The nursing process
2. Nursing diagnosis
3. Distasteful comments on facebook regarding:
4. A.P.A format
and
5. Client research including what cream they have in the morning, where it goes and how I'm going to apply it. As if it takes a full length report on where to put hemorroid cream on someone else's arse.
On another note of where the sun does shine, I'd like to point out that the mountains are looking more gorgeous everyday.
Somebody has to because as the semester progresses my hair gets a little flatter and my make up a little not done. At all. I also wore what I like to call the "crypt keeper" outfit today. Its black on black on black except for the white socks I was wearing (classy!). I was dressed to rob a bank but I swear i was eating a lunch of cheezies and chocolate at 1:03 p.m officer so it I was definitely not at the scene of the crime.
But seriously, the mountains are an amazing place to be in autumn.
Good.
Well a rusty post is better than no post (question mark).
M. Ellen
I will, however, say how nice it is to clink away at the keys regarding something other than:
1.The nursing process
2. Nursing diagnosis
3. Distasteful comments on facebook regarding:
4. A.P.A format
and
5. Client research including what cream they have in the morning, where it goes and how I'm going to apply it. As if it takes a full length report on where to put hemorroid cream on someone else's arse.
On another note of where the sun does shine, I'd like to point out that the mountains are looking more gorgeous everyday.
Somebody has to because as the semester progresses my hair gets a little flatter and my make up a little not done. At all. I also wore what I like to call the "crypt keeper" outfit today. Its black on black on black except for the white socks I was wearing (classy!). I was dressed to rob a bank but I swear i was eating a lunch of cheezies and chocolate at 1:03 p.m officer so it I was definitely not at the scene of the crime.
But seriously, the mountains are an amazing place to be in autumn.
Good.
Well a rusty post is better than no post (question mark).
M. Ellen
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Year in Review
Top 5 favorite Christmas movies:
1. Elf
2. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (obvs the animation version)
3. Rudolph (claymation)
4.
5.
Okay let's make that top 3. In fact, I haven't watched ANY Christmas movies this year as I haven't made the time for it. I've got to be missing some good ones. Let me know your favorites.
It's December 20th in this little old mountain town. I thought I'd send out a blog before the world ends or more likely, that it gets to July 9th again. Which, happens to be the last time I blogged.
I've been up to no good shenanigans again. That's right. Working, studying and spending time with Kyle. The no good, down right bad kinds of things a young girl should not be up to. Responsibility is the new bad, right?
My top ten moments of 2012 as a year in review summary in no particular order (except that I put Kyle at the top of the list so when he reads this he won't be mad he is 2nd or 3rd):
1. Caving into Kyle wanting to date me. You are crazy for pursuing me and you truly are the highlight of my year.
2. Moving out to Canmore
3. Finally applying to and getting into nursing
4. Finding out I'm Celiac and being able to change how I feel by altering what I eat. Bye bread and bye bloating (except when I just eat a lot, then the ol' button is once again, undone)
5. The great trips I went on: NWT and Vancouver with Kyle
6. Successfully losing weight:8 pounds away from my goal, then gaining back15 and now being back on track towards that goal.
7. Learning a lot about myself and how I can change what I need to and how I can let go of what I can't.
8. Managing A's and B's in my upgrading course when the only A I got in Bio 30 in high school was for Absent
9. Selling my cards to different stores who absolutely loved them and have even re ordered
10. Making new and maintaining old really great friendships
If this was a top 11 my #11 would be my newest niece being born yesterday to the two best friends a gal can ask for. Welcome to the world, Sophia Kay Rowley. You got two days to really live life.
Well, It's been a swell time, 2012.
And for you dear reader, I pray that you revel in the reality of how blessed you are and how much of a joy you are to others around you. You have much... And if that doesn't make you feel nice just tell yourself whatever you need to hear and slap a 'love Meaghan' tag on it. You. Are. Welcome.
Meaghan Ellen XOXO
1. Elf
2. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (obvs the animation version)
3. Rudolph (claymation)
4.
5.
Okay let's make that top 3. In fact, I haven't watched ANY Christmas movies this year as I haven't made the time for it. I've got to be missing some good ones. Let me know your favorites.
It's December 20th in this little old mountain town. I thought I'd send out a blog before the world ends or more likely, that it gets to July 9th again. Which, happens to be the last time I blogged.
I've been up to no good shenanigans again. That's right. Working, studying and spending time with Kyle. The no good, down right bad kinds of things a young girl should not be up to. Responsibility is the new bad, right?
My top ten moments of 2012 as a year in review summary in no particular order (except that I put Kyle at the top of the list so when he reads this he won't be mad he is 2nd or 3rd):
1. Caving into Kyle wanting to date me. You are crazy for pursuing me and you truly are the highlight of my year.
2. Moving out to Canmore
3. Finally applying to and getting into nursing
4. Finding out I'm Celiac and being able to change how I feel by altering what I eat. Bye bread and bye bloating (except when I just eat a lot, then the ol' button is once again, undone)
5. The great trips I went on: NWT and Vancouver with Kyle
6. Successfully losing weight:8 pounds away from my goal, then gaining back15 and now being back on track towards that goal.
7. Learning a lot about myself and how I can change what I need to and how I can let go of what I can't.
8. Managing A's and B's in my upgrading course when the only A I got in Bio 30 in high school was for Absent
9. Selling my cards to different stores who absolutely loved them and have even re ordered
10. Making new and maintaining old really great friendships
If this was a top 11 my #11 would be my newest niece being born yesterday to the two best friends a gal can ask for. Welcome to the world, Sophia Kay Rowley. You got two days to really live life.
Well, It's been a swell time, 2012.
And for you dear reader, I pray that you revel in the reality of how blessed you are and how much of a joy you are to others around you. You have much... And if that doesn't make you feel nice just tell yourself whatever you need to hear and slap a 'love Meaghan' tag on it. You. Are. Welcome.
Meaghan Ellen XOXO
Monday, July 9, 2012
Outdoor Summer
This post is brought to you by the letter M. M for Mmmm Mountains. And, for those who live by or below these mountains I am offering you a once in a life time offer to come and enjoy them this summer.
Alright, it's not a one time deal and you can enjoy them any time you want with or without me but I have started a little project and I hope it fares well!
My plan was and is to create a group of people who can post on facebook when they are outdoorsing in Canmore and want company (I am clearly not the only one who has thought of this as there are official groups who do this). The "Outdoor Event"'s purpose is to broaden the community of people we live in and to enjoy outside with others (my network of people extended to the network of people I know to the network of the network of the....)
You'll find the event on my facebook page. It's public so anyone can join. Take a peak and "join" then "comment" as to what things you might be interested in doing this summer. No commitment expected, just interest. If you want to get outdoors and have other come along, post in the event the who, what, when, wheres and why and contact those who seemed interested.
I really want to try paddlesurfing this summer. Things Ill be wanting to do are floating down the river, geocaching, hiking, canoeing and scrambling for sure. Summer passes me by to quickly so I gotta plan these things and be super intentional about them. I'm also wanting to be intentional about connecting with those around me.
Come, join me!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The coffee shop calls
I'm a big procrastinator. Lucky for you it provides you with posts.
I don't know what it is but every time I sit down to do work, I end up thinking about blogging and then sometimes blogging. I know what you're thinking: 'you don't work very often'. True.
I'm in a coffee shop though and that just brings about a sense of blog worthy thoughts.
Strange how your atmosphere can change you.
For instance, when I'm at home I'm usually in my bed. I never sit on my couch or outside on the deck. I like to eat in bed, read in bed, watch tv in bed, surf the net (is that still cool to say?) in bed, sleep excessively in bed, craft in bed... it goes on and on.
When I'm at the coffee shop I start thinking.
When I'm at the dance studio I start making plans to abandon life and join a theatre.
When I'm on pinterest I loose all track of time and want to craft my life away.
So, today, I'm at the coffee shop. I get more accomplished here. On the blogging side of life anyways as I've been here for an hour and haven't touched my work.
Ever since we learned about advertising in grade 8, I've been obsessed with pin pointing marketing schemes. Why the Mcdonalds sign is yellow, how different fonts appeal to different people, how changing the way you say something can be received one way or the other. It's fascinating to me.
All of this makes me think about Church and the environment we create for a service.
If we manipulate the visual, emotional, audio and physical surroundings of a building are we in fact manipulating people's experience?
For instance. If you want toddlers to listen to you intently, you might turn off the kiddy music, dim the lights, gather them in a circle and speak clearly and slowly with eye contact.
If you want adults to listen to you, you do the same.
Why do we play music softly in the background during an alter call? Why do we have preacher voices, prayer voices and normal voices?
What would happen if we took the pews out of church and sat on the ground with no sound system? Would we feel the same way? Would we leave the same? Would we even come?
Don't get me wrong, I love creating space, especially for comfort. Ill be one of the first to say 'dim those lights' or 'put those chairs in a circle'. Either way we have emotions (and rightly so as they are given to us by God) I'm just trying to work out where their place is as a reaction to space.
Thoughts?
I don't know what it is but every time I sit down to do work, I end up thinking about blogging and then sometimes blogging. I know what you're thinking: 'you don't work very often'. True.
I'm in a coffee shop though and that just brings about a sense of blog worthy thoughts.
Strange how your atmosphere can change you.
For instance, when I'm at home I'm usually in my bed. I never sit on my couch or outside on the deck. I like to eat in bed, read in bed, watch tv in bed, surf the net (is that still cool to say?) in bed, sleep excessively in bed, craft in bed... it goes on and on.
When I'm at the coffee shop I start thinking.
When I'm at the dance studio I start making plans to abandon life and join a theatre.
When I'm on pinterest I loose all track of time and want to craft my life away.
So, today, I'm at the coffee shop. I get more accomplished here. On the blogging side of life anyways as I've been here for an hour and haven't touched my work.
Ever since we learned about advertising in grade 8, I've been obsessed with pin pointing marketing schemes. Why the Mcdonalds sign is yellow, how different fonts appeal to different people, how changing the way you say something can be received one way or the other. It's fascinating to me.
All of this makes me think about Church and the environment we create for a service.
If we manipulate the visual, emotional, audio and physical surroundings of a building are we in fact manipulating people's experience?
For instance. If you want toddlers to listen to you intently, you might turn off the kiddy music, dim the lights, gather them in a circle and speak clearly and slowly with eye contact.
If you want adults to listen to you, you do the same.
Why do we play music softly in the background during an alter call? Why do we have preacher voices, prayer voices and normal voices?
What would happen if we took the pews out of church and sat on the ground with no sound system? Would we feel the same way? Would we leave the same? Would we even come?
Don't get me wrong, I love creating space, especially for comfort. Ill be one of the first to say 'dim those lights' or 'put those chairs in a circle'. Either way we have emotions (and rightly so as they are given to us by God) I'm just trying to work out where their place is as a reaction to space.
Thoughts?
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
In the spirit of summer in Canmore
Hi Loves,
It's been a while. Truth be told, I have blogged but haven't posted. I've written but not shared.
Tucked away in my draft file of my blog are posts.
Today I share.
Did you notice my title? 'In the spirit of summer in Canmore'. That's where I live now. In the spirit. Okay, I meant Canmore. Wouldn't it be lovely though to simply live in the Spirit? I want to.
So the mountains are home and the tourists are my personal hunting 'game'. Only because they drive 20 km all the time. I used to be one of those but mama's holding the bow and arrow now.
It's beautiful here and not just the rocky scenery. When you walk by people on the trails, they are always smiling. Sometimes not even at you. Just smiling as they walk. They are in pure bliss and eventhough they live here, the wide-spread-love-struck mugs tell me nature is new to them each day. I like that and running with the theme of living in the Spirit, I figure that's how I would look if I existed in Jesus all day, everyday. What a thought.
This has not been the case lately. I know because I can feel it and I've been told it. My sunshine is hidden and "hiding it under a bushel" doesn't sound so crazy because it's been my reality. Not on purpose. It's been a sneaky endeavour letting circumstance overshadowing my rays.
I guess the posters in the doctors office really do have purpose because when I read the large print of symptoms of depression while waiting for the doctor, I realized the lack of light.
Stress, confusion, worry. My lack of luster revealed.
How can that be so in the Rocky Mountains of Canada? I pretty much live in the definition of beauty and yet inwardly sadness, sorrow, something else that starts with an s so this thought can be more poetic. I live in a peice of art.
Home.
Funny thing is I don't feel like I have a home. I have lots of wonderful people who welcome me into their homes. I have a house. I dwell but I just can't say I know what "home" feels like. I've been close, I think, once but I'm still in search of it.
Until two weeks ago.
Pouring my heart out to friend I told her how everything these days makes me angry, irritated or hopeless. A road I never wanted to travel down. There is no room on these roads for Christians. At least there shouldn't be.
I told her how even though I desired to move to Canmore, I still haven't found a peace of settlement and that I fear no matter where I go it'll be the treasure I never get my hands on. Discontentment can be really ugly.
Suddenly, out of my mouth, a thought probably not my own. "You know where I feel like home is? When I sing. When I worship. That's home and I want to live there."
I'm going to try to. To allow wherever I am to be home through the connection I know to be music to something bigger than myself. To something bigger than my world. To something bigger and better than my selfish endeavour to create my own perfect circumstance. I can't describe how right it feels even just to sing nothing along to music. It looks like a big sigh, a little glow and a wide-spread-love-struck mug.
It's been a while. Truth be told, I have blogged but haven't posted. I've written but not shared.
Tucked away in my draft file of my blog are posts.
Today I share.
Did you notice my title? 'In the spirit of summer in Canmore'. That's where I live now. In the spirit. Okay, I meant Canmore. Wouldn't it be lovely though to simply live in the Spirit? I want to.
So the mountains are home and the tourists are my personal hunting 'game'. Only because they drive 20 km all the time. I used to be one of those but mama's holding the bow and arrow now.
It's beautiful here and not just the rocky scenery. When you walk by people on the trails, they are always smiling. Sometimes not even at you. Just smiling as they walk. They are in pure bliss and eventhough they live here, the wide-spread-love-struck mugs tell me nature is new to them each day. I like that and running with the theme of living in the Spirit, I figure that's how I would look if I existed in Jesus all day, everyday. What a thought.
This has not been the case lately. I know because I can feel it and I've been told it. My sunshine is hidden and "hiding it under a bushel" doesn't sound so crazy because it's been my reality. Not on purpose. It's been a sneaky endeavour letting circumstance overshadowing my rays.
I guess the posters in the doctors office really do have purpose because when I read the large print of symptoms of depression while waiting for the doctor, I realized the lack of light.
Stress, confusion, worry. My lack of luster revealed.
How can that be so in the Rocky Mountains of Canada? I pretty much live in the definition of beauty and yet inwardly sadness, sorrow, something else that starts with an s so this thought can be more poetic. I live in a peice of art.
Home.
Funny thing is I don't feel like I have a home. I have lots of wonderful people who welcome me into their homes. I have a house. I dwell but I just can't say I know what "home" feels like. I've been close, I think, once but I'm still in search of it.
Until two weeks ago.
Pouring my heart out to friend I told her how everything these days makes me angry, irritated or hopeless. A road I never wanted to travel down. There is no room on these roads for Christians. At least there shouldn't be.
I told her how even though I desired to move to Canmore, I still haven't found a peace of settlement and that I fear no matter where I go it'll be the treasure I never get my hands on. Discontentment can be really ugly.
Suddenly, out of my mouth, a thought probably not my own. "You know where I feel like home is? When I sing. When I worship. That's home and I want to live there."
I'm going to try to. To allow wherever I am to be home through the connection I know to be music to something bigger than myself. To something bigger than my world. To something bigger and better than my selfish endeavour to create my own perfect circumstance. I can't describe how right it feels even just to sing nothing along to music. It looks like a big sigh, a little glow and a wide-spread-love-struck mug.
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