Compounding Joy!

I have awesome friends. God has richly blessed me with godly, fun, and kind friends. There is one person in my life that I truly admire. She's been such a good friend to me, she's helped me and guided me. She's always taken the time to sit down and talk to me. She cares for me and truly wants me to succeed. This friend of mine, I believe, shows everything a friend should be, and I thank God for bringing her into my life. Just recently, we've started a bible study together. We're reading through the book by Randy Alcorn titled, "The Treasure Principle". We went through chapter 2 last week. As we read, we talked about the joy of giving. Being gracious and thoughtful, and the Joy that follows when we give to God and to those who are in need. As we talked and thought about this concept, she gave ways that we could give, how we could be helpful to those around us, to notice others' needs and to act out by giving to those needy ones. Listening to her talk about giving, and how joyful it can make us, inspired me. It made me want to give, it urged me to show kindness to those people I might not know that well, or just to those who are in need. I couldn't wait to show kindness to someone, right away! I couldn't help but smile. And the first people I thought of was my parents. I love my parents. I love my family! My Dad works two jobs, and my mom also works two jobs. They're struggling just to get by. And it seems like they're always away, I often feel alone, I miss my parents sometimes. And, our car just quit on us a few weeks ago, just decided to give up. My Mom was worried, and so was my Dad. I hate to see my parents hurting. I hate it. I wanted to help them, in any way I could. So, I cashed my check, while most of it went to things that needed to be payed and stuffs, I had 20 dollars left over to do whatever I pleased with it. Usually, when I have extra cash, I spend it on myself, I buy a new sweater, or dress. But right away, I knew what I wanted to do with it. I went to my Mom, and I gave her the 20 dollars in my hand. It really wasn't much, but it was all that I had, so I gave. And I was filled with Joy, compounding joy!!I felt so happy that I could contribute to my parents' happiness in a little way.

My friend, and our bible study book inspired me greatly, urging me to give and to give cheerfully. And that's what I did. And I'm SO glad I did. :D

"I love you"

Life gets tough. You think you've got it all figured out, and then it takes you down again. You try to do all the right things, you consider carefully how you should respond, or behave towards this certain situation. You pray earnestly for God to help you in this particular area, you ask Him to guide you and lead you in the way you should go. Has it all been fake? Have I been doing something wrong? What am I missing? Sure, life isn't perfect. You will fall, our sin nature gets in the way of things, we're not always gonna do everything perfect. I know that. It just seems like I'm doing the same wrong things, I keep tripping on that same rock. Once its done, and I've acknowledged my sin, and apologized.. I say to myself, I will learn from this, next time something like this comes up, I'll know how to act because I've learned. But the very next time, I fail. It's at times like this where I'm tempted to just give up, just forget about everything, isolate myself from the world, keep to myself. I don't want to express how I feel because I'm ashamed, and broken.I don't want to talk. I try to talk to God about my feeling and hurt, but He knows already my heart, He knows what I did, and how I feel. I just don't know how to talk about it to Him, sometimes. But at the very same time, I yearn for someone to talk to, I long for an encouraging word, or gesture. I want to feel loved, feel like I'm cared for, despite my sin. And then something special happened. While all these thoughts were running through my head, my Dad came in to talk to me, he told me to be positive, and to keep trying.. he encouraged me to get right back up on the horse, to start a new. Then he told me he loved me. And that simple word meant more to me than anything in the world. I am loved. And that was all I needed to hear. I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for my Daddy. He's all I need. If you have a father who is caring, and treats you like you're really something special. Thank Jesus for Him. :)

"Count your blessings, name them one by one."

Well, Folks.. It happened. I turned 18.
Funny how fast it all goes. Seems like yesterday I was a little 13 year old girl, watching all the other 17 & 18 year old girls, wishing I was their age. :P


This year for me has been a really good one. I feel that this past year I've really grown in a lot of ways. God has been teaching me so many things about Himself and this world. I've become more aware of how I do things, and respond to different situations.

Last night, I was laying on my bed feeling like crap. I had been sick for the past week. I lied there thinking about everything that hurt.. my throat, my eyes, my nose... (it was the worst sickness! :P ) and I realized that .. I was just thinking about all the bad things.. I was just dwelling on what was wrong. So, I decided to count my blessings. As I started counting my blessings I realized just how much God had blessed me, God has provided so much for me, and my family. He's been so gracious and Loving. So, I decided to write out all the blessing that God has given me. Here are a few..

#1 Having God in my life.
God is my dearest friend, I love Him so much, only cause he first loved me on the cross. While others may reject me, lie to me, and betray me, My God will Always love me, Be faithful and true, and always be by my side.

#2 A family who loves the Lord and Cares for me
My Parents have taught since I was born to walk in the way of the Lord, to follow his plan for me and my life, to be obedient and truthful. They care for me in every possible way, Their love for me is un-conditional.

#3 Being apart of an Awesome church family.
My church is my favorite. I attended that church since I was born. that's where I met most, if not all my friends. My church really is a caring and thoughtful church, I couldn't ask for a better one.

These are just a few of the blessings that God gives. I am so thankful for His grace and love.
And I pray that this next year for me would be full of good things. :D

Summer Has Come and Gone.

At the beginning of this Summer I prayed, I prayed that this Summer I would grow and mature in Christ. Now, Summer is just about gone. It's been a good one, I had a lot of good times. And as I consider all those thoughts & prayers I had at the beginning of the season, I feel God has taught me so much. He's opened my eyes to a lot of truth and wisdom. I had been struggling with this particular sin in my life, it had really taken control of my life, and I hated it. But the truth is, I hadn't been taking my sin seriously... I am the queen of excuses. I could make an excuse for just about any situation.. I would often find myself doing that with my sin, making excuses. But when I do that, I am making excuses to God. And I knew it was wrong yet, I continued to do it. Yesterday, it really hit me, I need to STOP!! I need to start taking my sin seriously, I need to blot it out of my life, get rid of anything preventing me from loving my Lord and Savior. So, right then & there... I prayed. I poured out all that I was feeling to God. I told Him I was sorry and needed forgiveness. And He gave it (1 John 1:9) I felt this tremendous burden come off of me, like I had been released from my bondage to sin, which I had. This Summer has been awesome. I met some amazing people, I learned so much, and I had tons of fun in all of it. I'm looking forward to the end of this Summer, I'm excited for the year to come, excited to see what God will teach me in the future. And I do believe that I have grown and matured in Christ this Summer and I'm looking forward to growing and maturing even more in years to come. Thank you God for all you have taught me this Summer, You are Great :)

"Oh How He Loves"

Well, July has come and gone. So many fun and exciting things have happened these few past weeks. This last week, I was up at camp Pinewood in McCall. Being up at camp last week was such an awesome experience. I learned so much and had so much fun with old and new friends. Camp Has always been so important to me, having a week just to focus on God and His grace and mercy, contemplating His never ending love, worshiping Him, singing praises to the God who created the universe. Coming back home, I've realized that I don't always focus on Him in my daily routine. We need to give Him the glory and honor, because it is only because of Him that we have life. He is the source of everything on this earth, and I often forget that. It's so easy to become selfish and arrogant, thinking that we are all that and a bag of potato chips. We get so caught up in ourselves that we forget that our Lord, the One who created the entire universe, is in control. And that it is only because of His grace that we live. I am thankful. One of the things I really enjoyed up at camp was the worship. All the songs that we sung were wonderful. I really tried to just think about the words we were singing, let them sink in and teach me. One of the songs, "Oh how he loves me" was one of my favorites. As you read the lyrics, let His love just overwhelm you. His love for us is incredible.

He is Jealous of me.
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful you are
and how great your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us
Oh, oh how He loves
Oh how he loves us all.

We are His portion, He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes.
If His grace is an ocean
We're all sinking.

And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart beats violently inside my chest.
And I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way..

oh how he loves us oh
oh how he loves us
how he loves us all
how he loves

yeah he loves us
oh how he loves us
oh how he loves us

Trusting in Him.

Her I am, sitting on our front step on a warm, sunny summer day. I love days like this. It's one days like this that I realize just how amazing and powerful God is. Seeing the green grass, the daisies and roses, studying the blue, blue sky. Hearing the bees buzz by, the birds sing their songs. I love that God created things like these. God is so big, so mighty ... He is simply everything I know and believe. I never want to wander from Him, I want to always be near His love and care for me. But, sometimes I forget how marvelous He is. I become distant and I neglect reading my my Bible. When those times come, when I realize that I've become distant, I would go outside and just look around me and listen. Then I would pray.. and I would just pour everything out to Him. I would give Him praise, and I would thank Him for all He has given and provided for me. And I would ask Him to draw me closer to Him. God's creation really brings me back to life, it revives me. It reminds me of how great and awesome He is. I had been feeling that way lately, I have felt like I wasn't as close to God as I should be. So today, I went outside. And I have peace about everything. I am content and happy.This next week, I get to go to our church's summer camp. A couple weeks ago, I was almost positive that I wouldn't be able to go, I didn't have all the money that was required to go. But I continued to pray about it and ask God to somehow allow me to go to camp this year. And somehow, He did. I was able to get all the money I needed, I don't even know how, but I did. And I am so thankful. God really is in control of my life, and I will trust Him with everything.

Good Ole' Battle Mountain.

This week I am with my older sister, in Nevada, helping her with the VBS that her church is having. Today was the first day of VBS. I am having so much fun, helping out with this. The people here in Battle Mountain, NV are just so awesome. They all have their unique personalities, and yet the all blend. They just are always having a good time. It's fun to see people really enjoy each other, laughing and just being happy. So, needless to say, I'm having an incredible time here in Battle Mountain, Nevada. and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the week. Lots of fun to be had here.

We are going through the story of Jonah, this week at VBS. So, last night I decided to read the book of Jonah, just so to familiarize myself with the story and whatnot...and, I just had a lot of fun reading the book of Jonah, I don't know what t was, it was just really enjoyable. Don't you just love that? when you really, really enjoy reading Bible stories, and you really get into it. I love those moments. I wish that it could be that way everytime I pick up my bible to read. Sadly, I'm not always ready to get into the word as much. I don't always have my full focus on Him. And, lately I realized that haven't been in God's word very much, but I want to... So, this week I'm going to really try and read the Bible everyday, and get my heart in the right place. I'm going to remember my Goal, and glorify God in all that I do. Because he alone gave the opportunity to come here and help with VBS. and I praise Him.

Here is the memory verse the kids learned today. Thought I might share it with you.

"...There is no other God apart from me, a righteous God and Savior. None is like me..."
Isaiah 45:21-22

There is indeed Happiness here.

I could run out into that field across the street and dance till I die!
My heart is leapin' inside of me, it's tellin' me loose myself
There's that voice tellin' me to dance tonight, Let us dance is my reply.
Turn up that music of yours, Come on now... Loose yourself!

Moving to the rhythm of that song
Forgetting every single nightmare.
Close your eyes, you've been wanting to for so long
Don't be afraid to be yourself, Who cares, let them stare.

the corners of my mouth somehow curl into a smile
Laughing at myself, Having the time of my life
My heart is pounding, however, I feel as though I could do this for awhile.
Singing at the top of my lungs, My oh my, wonderful life.

Moving to the rhythm of that song
Forgetting every single nightmare.
Close your eyes, you've been wanting to for so long
Don't be afraid to be yourself, Who cares, let them stare.
-Meghan Joy Dickey

As you can tell, I'm feeling super duper happy. :DD

"Go over there and complain"

You know what really makes me upset? People. More specifically, People who always complain, Who always talk negatively, who are never positive about anything. People who think they're the worst person on earth, and share it with the world! "Everybody hates me", "I'm so stupid, I have no friends" Give me a break! I mean seriously! Fine, if you think you have issues, talk to Your parents about it, or talk to God about how you're feeling, don't pile it up on me! I don't want to know all your problems, Because, honestly, it makes me depressed, it makes me worry, and then I'm not enjoying anything because I'm too worried and stressed about you. And when you do complain and go on and on about yourself, and I tell you encouraging words, I tell you to keep praying, to be happy with who God made you to be, you're perfect the way you are, we love you, you just throw it all back in my face, you do not even listen! Why can't you just stop complaining for a second and listen!! Now, I admit.. I should be more patient, and not get so angry, but this person is literally making me unhappy. and I felt like I just needed to get this out. When I get all fired up like this, writing it all out somehow relieves the anger. And please don't get me wrong, I love this particular person, He's been a good friend of mine for a while, and just wish he could learn not to be so negative, and hard on himself. Now, I know that for a time, when I was younger, I would think negatively, but I never would blab it to all my friends and people who were around.. I'd have it out with my Parents a lot. and I'd pour it all out to God multiple times. and I think that's alright... You are never always happy, you go through hard times. It's life. But, please don't complain and moan and groan to me.

Philippians 1:9-11

Paul inspires me. Right now, I am going through a study of Philippians, and just reading about Paul's unbreakable faith in God is amazing. Paul is a prisoner awaiting his sentence. However, instead of becoming discouraged or thinking of how awful his life is, He praises God and prays everyday. Thinking of the situation, I would've probably had a negative perspective on it. I'd probably only think of myself, think of my problems and my trouble. When there are others out there who need help just as much as I do, if not more. What we really need to do is Praise God for his love and grace for us, and pray for fellow believers and people who are struggling or suffering. That exactly what Paul does, He is my example.. Here's a prayer that Paul prays for the believers in Philippi; "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" ( Philippians 1:9-11)

Paul's first request on behalf of the Philippians is that their love maybe abound and the two qualities he desires for them in this area is knowledge and all discernment. Also, the two ways that the approval of things that are excellent will affect us here and now is that we may be sincere and without offense. The source of the fruits of righteousness in verse 11 is Jesus Christ and the end result of these fruits is that we glorify and praise Him for who he is and what he has done for us. Paul prays for his friends in Philippi with Love, he implores God to lift them up in love and that they would approve things that are excellent so that they would be sincere and blameless So that they would bring praise and glory to God. Paul cares for the Philippians, he wants them to grow in Christ, to love Him and praise Him. Just like we want our friends to grow and develop a love and passion for Christ. Paul's love for the Philippians is clearly shown in these few verses.

Paul's prayer not only apply to our prayers for others, but also to the prayers we say for ourselves. With the example of Paul's prayer for his friends, we can start to make adjustments in the content of our prayers on behalf of those we know and love. We can be considerate and thoughtful of what they are going through and pray that they will continue to trust Him, talk with them and let them know that we care. Paul's statement about excellence in spiritual things makes me want continue to study God's word and to concentrate on greater growth in my own life as a christian. Also, praying for knowledge and discernment, praying always for those two qualities in my life and also in others'. We must take this to heart, to really apply this principle to our lives, Pray for others. Be in prayer always, Pray for knowledge, pray for discernment.. and pray that we won't forget the example Paul is in these chapters. Here is a quote by Paul Rees; "If we are willing to spend hours on end to learn to play the piano, operate a computer, or fly an airplane, it is sheer nonsense for us to imagine that we can learn the high art of getting guidance through communion with the Lord without being willing to set aside time for it. It is no accident that the Bible speaks of prayer as a form of waiting on God."

When will you pray?

Most of what is written above is from the book "Experiencing God's Peace" by Elizabeth George. A study in Philippians. I might periodically share what I am learning in this book with you here.
Praise God for his word and opportunity to talk with him through prayer. To Him be the glory forever and and ever Amen.

I Can Only Imagine.

I can only imagine,
what it will be like
When I walk
by your side.

I can only imagine,
what my eyes will see
when you face
is before me.
I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I
fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
When I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I
fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you

I can only imagine

This song really spoke to me heart today.
How awesome that day will be, when I get to see
my savior face to face. I can only imagine.

Thank you, Jesus
For your faithfulness and love

Who do you Think you are?

Who do you think you are?
What exactly do you think you'll accomplish?
Is it just me, or have you become completely bizarre?
I once thought you were cool, how foolish.

Excuse me for being the way I am.
Tired of you looking at me, like I've got issues.
What makes you think you're so superior?
You're up and down, you give me reason to be confused.

Do you even know what has been happening around you?
Or were you too wrapped up in that thing that won't last?
Do you know what you want? Because it looks like you're comin' unglued.
I think it might be time to grow up, your chances slowly pass.

Excuse me for being the way I am.
Tired of you looking at me, like I've got issues.
What makes you think you're so superior?
You're up and down, you give me reason to be confused

Won't you, oh won't you
Why can't you be mature?
Won't you,, oh why won't you?

Excuse me for being the way I am.
Tired of you looking at me, like I've got issues.
What makes you think you're so superior?
You're up and down, you give me reason to be confused

Who do you think you are?


A song I wrote in partial rage. :P
This is one of the first songs I've written, soo... its sloppy.
But I don't really care..

Counting it all Joy

There are times in your life when you feel completely satisfied, Like nothing could go wrong, happy. Whenever I feel this way I wish that I could just hold onto it forever. But if everything were perfectly right, if everyone perfectly happy and content, how would we grow? How would we learn? I find this a fascinating subject. How true it is, that the trials and sorrows we face, fashion and mold us into mature Christ-like individuals. I often forget this, though, and think that nothing could get worse when I am going through something hard and difficult. It is then, I am reminded in James 1:2; Count it all joy, my brethren, when you face various trials.. We are told in this verse to count it all joy. Because it is the trials and temptations that make us grow in Him. I make it a goal to trust in God, allow Him to lead me, give Him control of my life when I am facing sorrow and heart-ache, Because I desire to become more and more like my Lord and Savior.

Psalm 84

How lovely is your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living
God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself.
Where she may lay her young
Even your alters, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
They will still be praising You.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring.
The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob!
O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of your anointed.

For a day in your courts is better than a
Thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house
of my God,
Then dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
from those who walk uprightly.

Psalm 84

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

I'm the kind of person, where I care a lot about what people think of me. I'm afraid that I might offend someone, or annoy somebody ... and its kind of hindered me of just being myself. I've kind of trained myself to not do this or that.. even if that certain thing isn't wrong. Because I'm afraid somebody might not like what I'm doing, or... just become really annoyed. So, the more I think about this.. the more I realize... This is just messed up. Why would I try and be someone I'm not, just so that people approve of me. Seriously.. its stupid. So, I made a promise to myself.. that I wouldn't care! I just won't care what other people say or do. I'll be my own person, I'll do what I like, I'll say what I want to ... now, now, don't get this mixed up with something, like... rebellion. I'm not saying that I won't respect my parents, or just go out and rebel and get tattoos over every inch of my body, and Peirce my body in every possible place. No, that's not what my point is. What I'm saying is... God made me just the way he wants me to be. I'm a crazy person, that's that. I get hyper.. I laugh at everything... I punch people when I laugh... and, on occasion .. I do the voice. (haha, only certain people would know what that is. :P) .. That's who I am, and honestly.. I love who I am. My truest friends, are the people who really know who I am. But I never really open up to the other people. .. y'know? haha, but no! I'm not gonna care. I'm going to be who God made me. If you have a problem with it, I'm okay with it. Talk to me, tell me why. I am perfectly okay with talking to you about something. And I will listen and put it into account. I'm not perfect, I mess up.. so, tell me if what I'm doing is wrong, because I want to learn, and I will never stop learning!! That's what's so wonderful about this life, there is so much stuff to know about God, and his incredible creation. And I praise Him everyday. Yesterday, I chopped my hair off, and dyed it all blonde. ( My hair was below my shoulders and dark brown) And I understand that there will be those people who won't like it, or won't "approve" if you will. But, That's my personality, and I don't believe that I've really gone against any rule or law by doing so, I'm just expressing myself. haha, And I quite like it. :D So, I think this might be the starting point, of just being myself.. not being afraid of people. and just live my life, that God gave me to live.

Psalm 139:14
I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well.

"What's bothering you, Meg?"

I often don't know what I'm feeling. I'm the type of person where, when somethings bothering me, 9 times out of 10 I won't know why. I don't know if that means somethings wrong with me, or if there's other people out there saying the same thing. But that's the issue. And the times I actually do know, I find it extremely difficult to express it to someone. I don't open up easily. It's hard for me to talk about certain things. When I do, I usually end up stammering, repeating myself, or my voice will give out. I find it hard to find the words I want to say, and so I usually sound silly or stupid. So, I have a tendency to shut everything up inside, keep it to myself, and it usually makes me become upset and angry. This is one of my biggest problems. Actually, most people might find this surprising, because I'm so out-going and talkative. But, believe it or not, I struggle with this, and I have for my whole life. But I am trying my best to open up more, and talk to people easily. I'm not really sure why I decided to share all of this with you. I couldn't sleep one night, and I went on a writing rampage in my bedroom. The above text was one of my random writings. lol

Summer

I am very excited for Summer. As are most people when it gets to be around this time of year. It seems like every year, People get so hyped up about Summer. "Oh, can't wait for summer to finally be here!" "Summer is coming!!" I find it amusing, and it makes me happy to see everyone so excited and hopeful. ... for me, I'm not sure what this Summer has in store for me. There are so many things happening that I'm not sure I'll be able to be apart of. Which is kind of sad, but I'm still excited. Excited to see what God will teach me and put in my life to help me grow in Him. This Summer, I resolve to be in His word more, to really think about what he has to say to me. To be in Prayer, and just to love Him.

With my whole heart I seek you.
Let me not wander from your commandments.
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I
might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:10-11

My desire

Maybe I should start with why I decided to start blogging. Inspiration. Simply that. I read a lot of other people's blogs, and I enjoy reading them. So, I write this blog, in hopes that other people will read it and enjoy it. But even if they don't, I'd be fine with that. Because I'm also writing because I like to. Actually, I never used to like to write, mainly because I'm not what you would call an amazing writer. Truth be told, I suck. But I'm learning.
This blog will, I guess, be about me and my life. The title "To God be the Glory" indicates my primary goal in my life. I live my life, trying to Glorify God. Because He is the one who gave me life, He is my everything. Without His love and grace I wouldn't be here writing all this. So all my gratitude goes to Him.
I love photography. I enjoy taking pictures. I take pictures of mostly everything. Nature, People, etc. I love taking pictures of God's creation. When I take pictures of His handiwork, I stand in complete awe. Maybe that's why I enjoy it so much. My God is unfathomable. So, I might put some of my pictures on this blog as well.
So I guess we'll start there. We'll see how well its goes. I hope I'm interesting enough for ya'll. But who cares if I'm not. I'm happy with who I am.