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.

restoring Hope.

I'm sitting out on my back porch in the quickly fading evening light, desperately trying to soak up the last of this beautiful spring-like day. Don't get me wrong - I love winter. I love snow and all of the warm and cozy things that accompany it, but I do treasure these rare warm mid-winter days.

There is something incredibly pleasant about spending a lazy Saturday afternoon in solitude. Finishing laundry and tidying your room and reading on the porch with a glass of cherry limeade and finding that, in the midst of it all, that the alone-ness that you once found stifling is now what feeds your soul. Perhaps that's what comes of a vocation that requires constant interaction and conversation - I have now found my refuge in quiet.

We live in a time when more teenagers are having sex than aren't and girls believe that the only way they can be loved is if they are hot enough and self-worth is wrapped up in money and appearance and what they're willing to do, and most days it breaks my heart. Sometimes it feels like too much. And that's why I find my solace in solitude. In these moments of peaceful silence on my back porch chair, hearing the sound of my neighbors laughing and the washing machine running, with the sun shining in my eyes and the tree branches rustling in the breeze, I find, once again, the Hope that everything is going to turn out okay in the end.

I got glasses and a Christmas tree.

The tree is tiny but festive.

The glasses are new.

In the past two days I have been told (by some of my favorite 14 and 15 year olds) that I look like the following: a librarian, a professor, a lawyer, and (my favorite) a genius.

(I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!)