Once in a Lifetime

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012, I had the opportunity to experience a once-in-a-lifetime event. The Space Shuttle Discovery was flown from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Dulles Airport in Virginia. And it just so happens that the building I normally work in at Dulles has a wonderful view of the airport. :)

Wide Angle shot

 

Approach for the first flyover of Dulles

It was such an amazing sight to see but kind of a sad one too. I used to want to be an astronaut when I was younger (specifically a payload specialist/scientist). My grandmother even bought me a replica of the jumpsuits for Space Camp. I wore it for Halloween several years. :) My parents used to live near Edwards Air Force Base and would watch this same sight when the shuttle needed to land in California then be ferried back to Florida. Mom even told me that one of my granfathers worked on the shuttle program.

Now that the shuttle program is ending and the shuttles retired, it's also the last time this amazing site will be seen. Well, for Discovery at least. Enterprise will be ferried from Virginia to New York on Friday (weather and other conditions permitting). Endeavor will be ferried to Los Angeles sometime this fall. But for Discovery, the journey has ended here. It will be intriguing to see what the next chapter holds for space exploration.

Banking to make the approach for landing

Godspeed Discovery!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Factual Friday: New Year’s Countdown!

Fact: This New Year’s Eve marks the end of the first decade of the 21st century.

Ten years ago, the biggest news story was the Y2K bug that was predicted to take down computer systems everywhere when the year switched from 1999 to 2000. Now, it seems a little silly since life went on as usual when 2000 came and 1999 went but at the time it was a big concern. My grandmother (an artist) even drew a picture for my brother of a foot stomping a moth that represented the Y2K bug (it had Y2K written on its body and wings).

What a difference a decade makes! Hard to believe I was just starting high school then. Graduated from there in 2003 and ended up at the University of Maryland that fall. Then graduated from UMD in the spring of 2007. Found myself in Colorado Springs that fall for a wonderful semester at the Focus Leadership Institute (the reason this blog was started). Came home, moved to Germantown, worked for WeatherBug, got laid off, moved back home, hired by a defense contractor, and started dating Dan. So many twists and turns that only God could have orchestrated and guided me through.

As we stand three weeks away from the beginning on 2010, why not take a moment to examine how God has moved in your life over the past year? In the bustle and rush of Christmas, it can be easy to float into the New Year without much reflection. Don’t let another year begin without taking the time to thank God for the moments He has granted you with the ones you love.

Psalm 144:4 “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.”

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Factual Friday: 6000 and counting...

Fact: I currently have 6048 audio files on my iPod.

Earlier this week, I decided to simply put my whole iPod playlist on shuffle while I was plugging away at work. It usually just runs as a soundtrack to accompany the click of keyboard keys and the glow of the monitor but I typically only choose one album or a smaller playlist to play, not usually the entire assortment.

It was really interesting to see what came up over the course of a couple of hours. Some of the files I skipped over because they were radio programs and I wasn’t in the mood to listen to someone talk for half an hour or they were books on CD and I would rather not listen to only one chapter. Sometimes, though, a forgotten favorite would come up. There were the songs I wish I could’ve sung at the top of my lungs like I do in my car and others that made me want to get up and dance right there in my office.

Have you ever forgotten that you have something and then are pleasantly surprised when you rediscover it? It’s one reason that I look forward to one day going through the storage unit that houses over 80% of my belongings. I know some of the things that are in there, including books or clothes that I occasionally wish were not in storage and that I had easier access to. Rediscovering all of those things is going to be a trying but joyful journey.

I also love rediscovering God’s promises in Scripture. Sometimes in the midst of trials or choices, it can be hard to recall what God has said He will do. I know I often forget what He has done in my own life when I go through new challenges.

Forgetfulness was one of the reasons that God had the Israelites build memorials along their journey to the Promised Land. After He would tell them to build one, it was followed by an admonishment to remember what had occurred there, usually so they could tell their children about what God had done for them. It was the reason they piled the stones after crossing the Jordan River and why they celebrated Passover each year, among other things.

Have you thought recently about how God has worked in your life in the past? Maybe you’re going through something right now where you need to remember His faithfulness in previous situations. Maybe God is trying to remind you of something in His Word. His Promises are true and God is good...ALL the time.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

How to Toilet Paper a Car

How to Toilet Paper a Car:
1. Find toilet paper (or have it given to you)
2. Distract friend whose car you wish to decorate
3. String the equivalent of 4 rolls of toilet paper over, under, and through (if possible) their car
4. Act nonchalant when you re-enter the building
5. Watch reaction when your handiwork is discovered
*Wait three years before repeating for best results

In the summer of 2006, I met my best friend, Holly, on a crazy night filled with gelato, turtle races, playgrounds, getting pelted with rubber balls, toilet papering a car, and four-square. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

For three years we have encouraged, supported, prayed for, admonished, sharpened, amused, cried with (the crying would mostly be on my end), surprised, calmed, questioned and loved each other. Holly is my closest friend (followed by my Focus roommates)…and in two weeks, that will be forever altered.

On Monday, we had a going away party for her at our church (and yes, it involved toilet papering the same car). You see, Holly is going to be going on a 2 year trip to Southeast Asia. She leaves for 2 months of training in Virginia in less than 2 weeks. I’ll get to see her briefly in December when she’s home before leaving the country.

Yes, I am sad to see her go. But God has much bigger plans for Holly than I could ever imagine. :) I’m thrilled to participate in ministry with her as a prayer partner. I’m excited to see how God will use her in the months and years to come as she reaches out to people who need to hear about Jesus and the Gospel. Please pray for her as she prepares to follow God’s calling to the harvest field.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Factual Friday: September 11th

"I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." – President George W. Bush

I don’t think anyone needs a “fact” or reminder of what we remember today as a country. Just about everyone remembers where they were when they heard the awful news. I was in eleventh grade and in between Physics and Calc when we found out something had happened. My mom came to the school to see if I wanted to come home. Living near a military base, a nuclear power plant and Washington, D.C. meant that anything was possible. The base went under lockdown and my dad couldn’t leave. Friends had parents that worked in D.C. and some that worked at the Pentagon that they couldn’t get a hold of. It was a scary time.

Last year, I was on night shift at WeatherBug and when I got home and sat down to watch TV while I ate breakfast, I turned to one of the news channels (probably MSNBC or CNN) and found that they were playing their coverage from September 11th in real time at the same time it had occurred that morning in 2001. It was surreal and sobering to watch again.

Several country songs came from this tragedy, a way to process the events through music. Most know Alan Jackson’s song “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” and many are familiar with Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”. But one of my favorites is one by Daryl Worley called “Have You Forgotten”. The last time I heard this song on the radio a couple of weeks ago, my eyes welled up. I’ve pasted the lyrics below for your consideration.


“Have You Forgotten”

I hear people saying
We don't need this war
But I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep them by backing down
Now they say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start to preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire and her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going through a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry ‘bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my TV
They said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger, that’s what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well after 9-11, man, I'd have to say that's right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire and her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going through a living hell
And we vowed to get the ones behind Bin Laden.
Have you forgotten?

I've been there with the soldiers who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember just what they're fighting for

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yes, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All those loved ones that we lost
And those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry ‘bout Bin Laden

Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten...


But in all things, God is sovereign. In ALL things. God is not weak or absent simply because men chose to reject Him and sin. God is ever-present, not just in tragedies to comfort the afflicted and mourn with those who mourn, but He is present in our everyday lives as well. It’s hard to remember sometimes when we are faced with mountains or storms and we take our eyes off our Sovereign God. And yet, still He reaches out to us, wanting to bring us to His side, to draw His Bride to Him.

On a day where we remember the events of the past and look to the future for hope, may we not forget the One that our hope comes from.


Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan


P.S. Just noticed that this week’s theme seems to be memories, based on this and yesterday’s blog updates. :) I’ll try to come up with something different for next week, promise!

Book of Memories

My friend, Holly, recently posted a blog entry about memories based on coins she found in her pocket. This past weekend, I had an encounter with some very beautiful, life-affirming memories of my own.

For a while now, I have wanted to scrapbook. I always loved looking through other peoples’ books, allowing them to tell me their stories with pictures. My small group leader at the Focus on the Family Institute had one for each of her four boys, an idea that I loved. What really struck me was the joy the boys got from these books, eager to show anyone who would pay attention and allow them to show off the memories of their lives.

Several years ago, I had purchased some scrapbooking supplies but never really made use of them. But now, with a Creative Memories consultant for a best friend, I have started my first album! I decided that one of the easiest places to start would be my semester at Focus on the Family, the exact reason this blog was started. I figured I would have plenty of pictures to work with and lots of memories to use for the book.

So I poured over the catalog Holly gave me and made a wish list of items I wanted (for more than just one album!) then pared it down to what I would need to do the Focus album. We put the order in and waited patiently for the materials to come. In the meantime, I picked up a tote bag to cart my supplies around in. And then my order came! It was like Christmas opening that box and examining each of the items I had ordered. The beautiful green album, the earth tone pages, the tools...it was very exciting!

That was about a month ago and this past weekend, we finally had the chance to sit down so that she could help me get going on my book. I used Snapfish (which I highly recommend) to print off the 300+ photos that I brought with me to work with at Holly’s house. We spread our supplies out on the dining room table, set up a tool station on the island in their kitchen and got to work. Holly coached me a bit to get me started then let me run with it when I was a little more comfortable.

As I flipped through over 300 photos that spanned three-and-a-half months of my life and two reunions, I reminisced about the memories those pictures represented.

The first page in my album has two pictures. The first is of me and my roommates in Dr. Dobson’s office. God blessed me with the opportunity that semester to work with Dr. Dobson’s research assistant, Paul Batura, a wonderful author in his own right. I was absorbed with doing reading and research for Dr. Dobson’s upcoming book, “Bringing Up Girls”. Paul was a wonderful mentor and supervisor and had invited me to bring my roommates up for a tour of the executive wing at Focus on the Family. The photo is from that tour after we had all had our pictures taken sitting at Dr. Dobson’s desk, a fun bonding experience for all of us as roommates and friends.

The second photo looks like a postcard image of the International Building (where the Institute is housed) at Focus on the Family covered in inches of snow. We had just returned from our Summit (end of semester) retreat in the middle of a snowstorm. The snow was beautiful and undefiled. The whole world seemed to breathe a sigh and be at peace in the blanket God had provided. Of course, the arrival of 88 students and their teachers in the parking may have disturbed the silence a bit, but it was a joyous arrival. Thank goodness my roommate, Bethany, was from Michigan! After clearing snow off her car and helping other (warmer climate) students clear theirs off as well, we got ready to head back to the apartment when she looked over at me mischievously and asked if I’d ever done a donut in a car. I can’t say ‘no’ anymore. We proceeded to go to the back of the parking lot and do a few donuts before we left. :) I’m glad I have that memory with my roommate.

I could spend pages going over the photos in my scrapbook and retelling the memories behind each one: the funny faces my roommate Alisha made, what happens when you play with blue icing, Air Force football, exploring Colorado Springs, the surprises we pulled on each other, and many more. The memories contained there are immense and it’s hard to imagine fitting such a watershed time in my life into only a few pages. But I think it’s about more than just the photos and words on the pages I create. It is truly about the entire experience. A large part of it is remembering God’s grace and His work in my life that semester, especially through the girls He had me rooming with. I actually had the opportunity to talk to one of my roommates in the midst of the creative process one night about what I was doing. I have been able to relive some of those memories and recount some of the stories behind those photos as I piece together my album. It is truly more than just photos and paper and ink.

So while I can’t recount all of our adventures and lessons from the semester in this small space, hopefully soon I can show you my scrapbook and let it tell the story. After all, that’s what the scrapbook is for now, isn’t it? ;)


Soli Deo Gloria,

Meghan


P.S. If you’re interested in checking it out, the Focus Leadership Institute has a new name, new look, and new webpage! You can find them at http://www.focusleadership.org/. Don’t forget to tell them I sent you! :)