day seven

Day 7 - something that has had an impact on you:

What to write about? I think that it's part of what makes the human experience so incredible - our whole lives are an accumulation of things and people that have impacted us. I could write about my best friend Rachelle, who has been the most consistent friend imaginable. Or I could write about a tragedy that both devastated and united a community and taught my 12 year old heart the true meaning of life and loss. I could write about my high school youth group that gave me a safe place to start understanding my faith. I could write about my college friends who showed me how friends can be like family - learning and loving and encountering life together. I could write about one friend in particular who forced me to believe in my own strength, beauty and worth. Or I could write about my college, where I was given the tools to become the person I am today. I could write about a fire. About a ceremony. About a move. About a job (or two. or three.) Or I could write about discovering a passion for coaching basketball and the immense joy that discovery has provided. But I think that I will write about my family. Because while all of these things have had unknowable impacts on my life, nothing has impacted me quite like my incredible, accomplished, loving, driving, perfect-in-their-imperfection family. I have been blessed with the consistent presence of the most amazing people I know. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again: they gave me my life, but the have also given me life.

(And the greatest impact of all is this: that God so loved the world (so loved me) that He gave His one and only Son...)

Amen.

day six - Superman.

Day 6: your favorite superhero:

No question - Superman. Need I say more? He is a super man.

(Plus...you gotta love the forehead curl.)

day five - Interlaken, Switzerland.

Day 5 - a picture of a place you've been:

I have been blessed in my (relatively short) life with the opportunity to travel to many wonderful places. As an only child of two parents working in the school system (syncronized vacation schedules!!) I went on a lot of family vacations as a kid, and as a college student I was given the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program that found me literally traversing across Europe for four months. On top of that, I've lived in two of the most incredibly beautiful places on Earth - Santa Barbara, CA and Denver, CO. I've been a lot of places.

However, the one place that stands out to me more than any of the others is Interlaken, Switzerland. I can't exactly pinpoint why I love it there SO much, but I suspect it has a lot to do with the natural beauty of the place. I have never been so in awe of God's creation as when I was in Interlaken - the turquoise blue of the water, the majesty of the mountains, the wildflower covered hills - incredible. It's also one of the friendliest, most laid-back, vistor-friendly places I've ever visited. The food is good, the exchange rate is nearly 1-1, which is rare these days!, and it's so tiny that it's incredibly easy to get around.

>But I think what it really comes down to is this: the two times I've found myself in that idyllic mountain town, I've felt so close to God. I just remember this feeling of peace and joy enveloping me as I wandered through the mountains and sat beside the glistening blue creek with a good book. Really...it's just a fantastic place.

day four!!! (and a little more of three...)

Day 4 - a habit that you wish you didn't have:

I think that the habit I am currently trying pretty hard to break is the source of this blog challenge: my occasional lack of discipline. As an aside, I have to say that I am very disciplined in the things that really matter. It's the little things that trip me up - consistently working out, journaling every day, taking my vitamins, not turning the tv on until the evening, not eating half of a box of cheese-its in one sitting, etc. I will get on a kick of doing something, and I'll be really good for the first few days, but once it gets a little bit difficult or requires more effort than I'm willing to put forth, I'm out. I'm not proud of it, but there it is. And I am trying to change it.

And now, because this is a kind of boring post, another awesome picture of my friends and me:

(PS - all photo cred. for this one and the last one goes to the lovely and extremely talented Jessica Fairchild Conrad.)

day three!

Day 3 - a picture of you and your friends:

These are not my only friends, nor is this the only picture of me and my friends, but it's definitely one of the best in existence.

We're kind of a big deal.

Day two: the meaning behind your blog title

"Daring to be happy" originates from 1 Peter 1:8..."you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy." In this fallen and imperfect world, it really might be easier to spend my life being unhappy, scared, pessimistic, angry, etc. But with the help and love and mercy of my heavenly Father, I dare to be happy. I choose to find the inexpressible and glorious joy that he has provided. So...I am daring to be happy. Every day.

Day one of the blogtastic challenge!

I am making an effort to be more disciplined in the small areas of my life - drinking more water, buying fewer snack foods, not hitting the snooze button, taking vitamins, etc. And in the hopes of facilitating this discipline, I am going to *try* to blog every day for the next 30 days. I Googled "30 day blog challenges" in the hopes of finding inspiration to write, and what do you know? I found a ton! So here it goes: the beginning of my 30 day blog challenge.

Day 1: a recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself:

1. I am an only child, but I spent my childhood with an imaginary friend named Vanessa. She wasn't very nice.

2. My middle name is Megan, but my uncle is the only person in the world who calls me that.

3. I refuse to watch scary movies - the scariest one I've ever seen is The 6th Sense, and I didn't sleep for a week after I saw that.

4. I was on a jumprope team when I was in elementary school and I went to a national competition at Disney World.

5. I am a basketball coach, and I love it so much.

6. My dream is that life was a musical (hence why I love Glee!)

7. I'm 6'0" and I haven't grown since 8th grade.

8. I was one of the shortest of my friends in college.

9. I currently work at the high school I graduated from...my senior year there I was voted "most likely to return to CSH." haha.

10. I have known my best friend since I was 6 months old...24 years and going strong!

11. My car's name is Heidi.

12. I've watched the entire FRIENDS series at least 10 times through.

13. I have a fish named Louie and my cousin recently had a baby and named him Louie. I'm pretty sure they named him after my fish.

14. My favorite people to spend time with are my parents.

15. God is first. Always.