A Heavy and Joyful Heart

Posted by Morgan
I don't know how it's possible to spend a few hours with people you just met, but when you leave, feel closer to them than you do to people that you see everyday or have known for years. The connections you can form with people so quickly astounds me when you come together for a common purpose.

My heart hurts and at the same time, it's overflowing with love and joy. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have gotten to know these people and at the same time, it shakes me to my very core that I might never get to see them again. I know that sounds slightly dramatic, but I can't fully explain this without saying things like that. And let's be honest, sometimes life is dramatic and guess what, that's okay.

You know when you meet people and there is just and instant connection and you go there and you go deep and it isn't awkward or hard - it's natural. I find that way of living so much more rewarding than the shallow everyday interactions that we so often fall prey to in America.

Tonight onboard the Logos Hope we had an incredible night of worship and there were people laying on their faces worshiping the Lord, there were people who were brought to their knees in tears and were weeping before the Lord. For the band, it was the most amazing experience and we were all so lost in worship that it kind of amazes me  that we all started and stopped together. You know when you have that sweet time of worship with the Lord and you walk away feeling such a sense of peace and almost tangibly feeling the presence of the Lord? Well that was tonight.

After worship I sat and talked with Stephanie and a little bit later Matt joined us. I'm so blessed to have gotten the privilege to get to know these two amazing people and I wish I had gotten more time with them, but God knows what He's doing, and I trust Him. But I cannot lie, when I got in the van after saying by to them on the ground at port, I definitely shed a few tears.

My heart hurts and I miss them - even though I only knew them a few days. God is good and has blessed me with the opportunity to know some amazing people - and I'm thankful for that, even if it's just for a few days.

Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Lebanon Update

Posted by Morgan
This place is amazing. It absolutely floors me everytime I look out my window and see the Mediterranean Sea. It is breath-taking pretty much everytime I look.

Yesterday afternoon I sat out on the balcony and had some good precious time with the Lord. I sat there drinking my hot tea, listening to my iPod, reading my Bible, and journaling all while looking out on to the Mediterranean Sea. Talk about AMAZING.

Most of our time here has been spend rehearsing, sightseeing, and then so far we have done one chapel service in a school. The school was a really neat experience in itself. It was a catholic school and it was pretty much an all girls school. People here just stare at me, and I'm not talking about just a passing glance, I mean they will just look and look and look for like five minutes - and that's no exaggeration. We asked Milad, our contact here, why they all keep looking at me. He said it's because I have blonde hair and blue eyes - I don't know why I didn't think of that reason in the first place. So basically, I'm a novelty over here, so people just stop and stare. Thank goodness we are traveling with a great group of guys - so I don't think anyone will be approaching me anytime soon. :)

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. We're going to be doing three big concerts and I'm actually going to be leading two songs - AH! I can't believe it. Bill just asked me to do another one tonight - Here I Am to Worship. When you think about the words - it's totally a Christmas song. LOVE IT. At the beginning of the week I got really intimidated because this band is full of absolutely amazing musicians, and here I was having to ask for help to hear the harmonies. I was literally in tears before our first performance at the school. But God is good and I am surrounded by people who are encouraging and with God's help - I'm going to nail this harmonies.

This literally feels surreal, and I don't think that I am going to fully be aware that it actually happened until I come back. I cannot express to you the sense of urgency that I still feel for this country in this time. I was not aware of the fact that Lebanon is a country that has been through so many different times of war. The whole city of Beirut is in a stage of rebuilding and there are huge construction projects happening all over the city. It's amazing - but sad at the same time.

Today we went sightseeing and it was beautiful - but I'll have to write about those things later, because it is 11:41 pm here (4:41 pm at home) and I have to get to bed because we have to be up for breakfast at 7:30 in the morning - it's gonna be a long, but wonderful day - I can just tell :)

Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Semester Reflections/Lebanon Beginnings

Posted by Morgan
Well, I can't believe another semester is over. It has been the fastest and the longest semester, and yes, I am well aware that I sound crazy. :) But it's true. This semester has been the most unexpected, the most challenging, the most frustrating, and in a way, the most rewarding semester I've had over the past two and a half years. 

Before leaving for school back in August, I was having a really difficult time with the idea of going back. I was ready to go, but I knew that this semester was not going to be anything like the previous semesters and I knew it would be challenging, but I had no idea it would be like it was. BUT, and I've said this a lot, and if you've talked to me about this semester, I can pretty much guarantee that I said this to you: I would not trade this semester for easy one. I have learned so much more through these trials than I would have if this semester had been all sunshine and butterflies. Life is not always a pretty and peaceful walk in the park, and as clique as this sounds, sometimes it is a climb up a mountain in the pouring rain - but that's okay. In fact, it is good.  I know I've said it, and I'll say it again - I would not trade it. It's been such a precious time with Jesus. Learning to trust him and walk through life everyday with a new mindset and a new sense of purpose is a beautiful thing.


Well, in a little under five hours I will be flying out to Lebanon. I cannot explain to you in words how excited I am for this trip. Last week I was sitting in my room trying to pack and I was listening to some music and I was praying and asking the Lord what his heart was for this trip; what is his purpose for us going. All of the sudden I was struck with the overwhelming sense of urgency. And very clearly I hear this, "I am moving. You are going to meet a need that is urgent." I cannot fully put it all into words the sense that was in my heart in my spirit at that moment, but I found myself on my knees praying and asking the Lord to prepare my heart for what is coming. 


I am so ready, guys. I'm excited, but not in the traditional sense that most people would think of. I know God is about to move in some big ways, I can't wait to see. I'm a willing vessel and I cannot wait to see how he moves! I will by flying over the ocean in a few hours :) 


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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What a Journey

Posted by Morgan
Isn't it interesting how God can just completely transform your heart? I'm kind of amazed by it. Last night I was reading through my journal and I was looking back at where I was and what I was writing six months ago and then three months ago, and I'm just in complete awe. It's awesome to see how God can change your heart and change your desires almost instantly, and yet some take time to change. God just amazes me, he truly does. 


This semester has been such a whirlwind and when looking back, I barely know what happened or how I made it through. That's the honest truth. What I do know: The Lord has carried me. There is absolutely no way that I have gone through this semester without him carrying me. 


I think that at different points during this semester, my heart has been broken before the Lord as it never has before and then at other points my heart has never overflowed with joy more than it has this semester, and at some points, both were happening. It's crazy, I know. God has been humbling me in so many ways that it's kind of ridiculous. 


The plan that God had/has for this semester is pretty much the exact opposite of what I had planned. If someone had come to me in May and told me everything that was going this fall I would NOT have believed them. But nevertheless, I am so grateful for it. If you've talked to me at all this semester, you've heard me say this, but I honestly mean this: I wouldn't trade it. I wouldn't trade the hard stuff for easy. I wouldn't trade in the refinement for something comfortable. This semester has taught me so much and these lessons and the heart transformation that is taking place is worth far more than being comfortable or having it "easy".  As Christians, we are not promised that this life would be easy. In fact, we can see that following Christ is far from easy - but it is the one decision I've made in my life that is invaluable. 


The people who have met me this semester, I feel, have gotten such a different first impression of me than they would have if they had met me under any other circumstances. I've really wrestled with the Lord on this particular issue - considering the fact that I've been trying to make some new friends this semester. He made one thing very clear to me very early on: I will bring the friends to you that you need and they will like you because you are you, not because you make a great first impression. Yes, humbling is definitely what you can call that. 


I've come a long way with this post all to say that my heart feels so different. Yes, feelings change, but there are days my heart feels different and there are days it doesn't - but I know it is. My desires have changed, my goals have changed, my life has changed. God is doing such a work in me, and it's all for His glory. And honestly, that's all I want.  I don't want my story to be about me - I want it to be about the Lord. I want to show people the love of the Lord and let them see the freedom we have in Christ.


I am found, forgiven, and free; I want everyone to know that same love and freedom.


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Four Seasons

Posted by Morgan
I went for a run this morning and it was absolutely gorgeous. It was pretty chilly, but I loved it. As I'm running through Shimmels Park I was looking at all the gorgeous leaves on the ground and admiring the changing colors of the trees, God literally placed this analogy on my heart and it came to me so quickly that I almost couldn't comprehend it all at once. I was thinking about my favorite seasons, Fall and Spring, and why they are my favorites. And all of the sudden God showed me the coolest picture. The four different seasons are like seasons in our lives. We'll start with Summer, cause that just makes the most sense to me! :)


Summer: As we all know, summers in the south are HOT! Especially in Georgia. Summers can be hot and long and exhausting. Summers in life are the hard trials, the beginning of them. These are the hard times; it's the heat of the fire and the initial start of whatever difficult circumstance is in your life. Sometimes it's full of a lot of pain and tension. I mean, it's a trial, it's not exactly going to be easy.


Fall: Fall is beautiful to me. I love the changing of the colors and the cool crisp air. Fall is the time where the old dies and passes away, but it does so in a beautiful way. It's like the season of life where God is chipped away and taking away the things in your life that aren't good; its the process of dying to self, and it's beautiful. When God is working on your life, yes it will be hard, but it will be beautiful.


Winter: Winter is cold and long and hard, but when it snows, there is beauty. Winters in life are the times where you become dependent on the Lord (or it's where I become more dependent on the Lord, anyway). In winter everything is dead or dormant. Winter can be harsh. It's like a bleak period where, if you are not focused on Christ, it can feel like all hope is lost. It's like when you're sick, and there's that time where you aren't contagious any more, but you have to take those few extra days to make sure the virus is out of your system, well winters are those few days for your life. Whatever God is stripping away to make you more like him, this is that time where you are refined and the time where the selfishness of whatever he is taking away dies off (if you allow it to). 


Spring: Oh spring! Such a wonderful and beautiful time. This is when life begins. It's a new season. After the hard times of winter, new life comes. Spring always reminds me that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. And in each spring of life, you are becoming more like Christ. It's a time of growth and a time of prospering. And spring, is beautiful :)


I hope that makes sense. :) It makes sense in my head, I just don't know if I explained it every well.
Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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An Answered Prayer

Posted by Morgan
So last night was so interesting - and such a God night! This semester has been so different, I'm pretty sure I've said that a time or two, and this weekend is only the third weekend I've stayed on campus all semester. I do really well during the week because I can be so busy and I don't have a problem sitting in my apartment at night doing homework, because its a weekday - that's okay with me. But the last thing anyone wants to do on a friday night is homework. 


So I put on some warmer clothes and went outside for a walk, just to see what was going on. I walked around, called a few friends, who were all busy - I mean, it's friday night, that's expected.  So I'm walking back to my apartment and I was just praying and asking God for a friend. It actually went like this: God, I know there is purpose in this time. I know that you are growing me and changing my heart and my life. But, honestly, a friend would be really great. I know its not something I have to have, but its something I would love. 


Well, as I'm walking by the Sharp-Davis parking lot, this red Mustang is pulling out and I recognize it and smile to myself because I knew who it was. Well, if I've ever tried to lie to you, you know it. Because I'm the WORST liar ever. Especially when I'm asked if I'm okay. Last night was rough, and I was really in no mood to cover that up. Sarah, the precious girl who sits next to me in Marriage and Family class, rolled down her window and asked me how I was, and I said, good...sort of. And she said we should hang out and I said yeah that would be good.


God is faithful and good! I didn't need to sit in my apartment all night, and God provided people for me to hang out with. We went to the sand volleyball courts and I just watched them play. God has purpose in all of this. It's so wonderful and it's so beautiful; doesn't mean it's easy, but God is faithful and his ways are far better than my own. And I'm reminded that God cares about the little things - even something to do on a Friday night! :)


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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A Challenge

Posted by Morgan
So the other day in chapel was sang "The Time Has Come" by Hillsong United. And this morning I looked up the song on youtube, because I wasn't sure I had it on my itunes. I came up with this video. And it's a live video with clips in between, I think it was done for a DVD or something. Anyway, I'm sitting there listen to these lyrics: 


The time has come to stand for all we believe in, so I, for one, am gonna give my praise to you. Today, today it's all or nothing. All the way, my praise goes out to you. Yeah my praise goes out to you. Today, today I live for one thing: to give you praise in everything I do, yeah my praise goes out to you.


And as these are being sung, pictures of people living on the streets and pictures of people in poverty are flashing up and they intermixed with clips of the band singing and worshipping together with these lyrics. And it was at this moment that I had this thought: 


I want to do that. I want to go and tell those people about Jesus Christ. 


How would I do that? Would they listen? How do I explain there is a God out there who loves them without them saying back to me, "If there's a God who loves me then why did he let this happen to me? Why am I living in poverty? Why did he let me lose my job? Why did he do this to me if he LOVES me?" I was so puzzled by my own thoughts and honestly completely clueless as to how to explain that. 


It seemed so contradictory watching the video of these people on stage singing about giving everything to the Lord and living for the Lord when they are comfortable, clothed, and fed. And then it would flash to the streets and people carrying all of their possessions and people sleeping on the streets. 


I'm not totally sure how to handle all of this. I'm not saying that we have to be uncomfortable in order to serve Christ - that is NOT what I am saying, so please don't take that from this. But I'm not saying that Christianity should be comfortable, because in my experience, most of the time it isn't easy.


I guess I would just challenge you. When you sing songs and when you say things about what you believe, be sure you actually believe it. When you sing about going out and telling the world, do you mean it? When you sing about surrendering everything to Christ, do you really mean it? When you say you live for one thing, are you really living that out?


For me it can be very easy to say that I do these things from the comfort of my home or apartment, while I'm in my air-conditioned chapel, and while I sit here eating cookies. I'm not in poverty, I'm not at risk of losing everything because of my faith, I'm not hungry, I'm not cold, and I have plenty to eat, drink, and wear. 


My challenge for myself, as well as for you, whoever you are, is to ask yourself this: if all of the comforts of the American lifestyle were taken away, would your answers to those questions above be the same? Would you still say "Yes" to Jesus if you knew that once you did, it would cost you everything? Because we know it can, we say we would give it all up to follow him, but would we still say "Yes" if we knew it would? I know we can't fully know what our answers would be because of the reality in which we are currently living; we can't fully separate ourselves from our current reality.


So with all that in mind, watch this video. Your thoughts, agreeing or disagreeing, are welcome and wanted. 


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Change in the Making

Posted by Morgan
God is so so SO good. I can't emphasize that enough. He has given me so much confirmation lately. God is changing my heart, goodness, he's changing my life. God has been doing something huge in my heart and life over the past 6 months, and it has been painful, but so beautiful and so sweet. God is beyond good. 


This morning I was talking to my precious, precious friend Rachel and as I was talking to her about some things, she just goes, "I can see the change in you. It's so different now, and it's so good." My heart just soared in praise to God. My desire is for him to change my heart and to empty me of me and fill me back up with him. Ah. God is so so good. He's changing me, I'm still a work in progress (I always will be) but he is working on me, and I know it and I love it. It's all for his glory and his honor. 


Again with the songs, but still, listen to it. It's amazing.
Addison Road is amazing :)

Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Until the Whole World Hears

Posted by Morgan
Please just let the reality of these words sink in.
I've heard this song quite a few times before, but I was listening to it be sung in chapel today and the reality of it just sunk in and hit me so hard. It's where my heart is right now. I so desire for the world to know the love and the freedom they can have in Jesus Christ.

Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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God is...

Posted by Morgan
God is good and God is faithful. He is the protector, the provider, and he's my friend. He's healer, redeemer, and the forgiver. He has my whole heart. All I am I surrender to him, cause it's more than worth it. His ways are far better than my own. His timing IS perfect [even though I have the tendency to think that mine would be better from time to time...I am always wrong]. He is the one who sets the captives free. He is the one who has set me free! In him there is freedom and liberty. There is joy and peace. Resting in his presence is so sweet. He is worthy to be praised. 
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When bad days turn good :)

Posted by Morgan
DISCLAIMER: This post was written very quickly and without a whole lot of thought. There are probably run-on sentences and misspelled words and grammatical errors! Don't say you weren't warned! :)


You know when you have those days that are those days? Well I had one of those today. Bad test grade, obnoxious professors who think the only class you are taking is theirs - hello there buddy, I've got 16 hours! Well I had this lovely little meltdown. When I went to talk to my professor, he totally shot down my idea for my term project and when he ended up telling me that I should come talk to him in his office about the exam, I lost it, and I HATE crying in front of teachers. So let's suffice it to say that it wasn't good. 


I left the humanities building and I'm walking down Parker Street crying and I headed to the PCSU cause I was hungry and I was in NO frame of mind to actually make something, therefore, I grabbed some Chick-Fil-A...Ah, comfort food :). Then I went to check my mail and I saw a friend of mine who had dropped the class(smart girl) standing in Jazzman's. So I walked in and continued to melt down, although I had calmed down a significant amount since talking to the professor. So as I talked to Audrey, I friend of mine from my Marriage and Family class walks in, and I'm pretty hard to miss at this point, so she comes over and gives me a hug and says, "It's gonna be okay. You're gonna make it." Audrey hugged me and told me to come find her if I needed to.


So I left there and went to try and find Rachel. She didn't answer her phone but I was able to get into Davis and I went to her room. But there was no Rach. But I did find Becca (her roommate) and Liz (who lives in Sharp I believe) and they asked me what was wrong, and I told them and asked if I could sit and eat my lunch in there; they let me :). We talked about stupid professors, how much we wanted fall break to get here, living far away from home, and all the homework we had to do. It was a much needed break from topics my brain had been going on all day.


While I was eating lunch I got a text from Sarah (the girl from my Marriage and Family class) telling me that if I wanted to get some fresh air that she would be in alumni park in a hammock for the next hour. So I finished my lunch and went to see her. It turned out to be the biggest blessing of my week. Good conversation and a beautiful day. We almost fell out of the hammock a few times and then we finally gave up on trying to find a way to both sit in it and just went with it. It was hilarious. 


Looking back on my day I feel like I had two different days. One that was very, very bad and one that was very, VERY good. I feel blessed today. God has placed some awesome new people in my life :) Alright, now it's off to tackle that homework I've been avoiding for the last two hours. Excellent.


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Beautiful Slave

Posted by Morgan
My friend Meghan showed me this song yesterday, and I have just fallen in LOVE with it. It's so powerful. It's called Beautiful Slave by Take No Glory. It's about human trafficking and child slavery. Meghan knows my heart to go to India and my desire to work with girls who have gotten out of the sex trade, which is a type of human trafficking. 

The song is SO powerful. I know it's long, but if you've got 5 minutes, hit the play button and just listen. My favorite thing about it is the actual music. When it starts off you can hear the oppression and the hurt in the music, and as it moves towards the end, you hear the freedom and the love of God. Ah. It's amazing. Listen to it :)


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Letting Go

Posted by Morgan
Well friends, I'm done. I am letting go/have let go of something that I have held on to for SO long.  


Your prayers would be appreciated on this matter. A few of you who might possibly read this will know exactly what I'm talking about while others may be completely clueless. But whether or not you have knowledge of this matter, you can pray. 


If you have ever had to let go of something you have held on to for such a long time, you know how hard it is. I'm releasing it to the Lord, it is not mine. 


My life is in his hands and I have been reminded of something I actually say quite often: my life is not my own. My life is to glorify the Lord. His ways are better than mine. His plans are far better than my own. 


I don't fully know what life without this looks like. I guess I'll find out.


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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What a week! :)

Posted by Morgan
Well friends, this has been quite a week. Each week at school has been particularly challenging, but this week was definitely different. I think it has been possibly the most challenging week but also the best week. I think it's interesting how those two go together. 

After coming off such an incredible weekend, I started off this week with a new challenge: to love. To love those around me. To love the people its hard to love. To be intentional. Love is an action. We associate it with feelings [thank you, culture] but love is not always a feeling. Love is an action and love is a choice. So I went into this week with the mindset of intentionally loving those around me. Well I know that I'm getting somewhere because the opposition of the enemy was very intense, but what the Lord is teaching me is incredible. 

The confirmation for this next paragraph is almost overwhelming to me - but it is there, believe me! God's shown me, in several different ways, kind of what he is doing in my heart and life right now. [so cool! I know!] Matthew 7:24-27 talks about building your house upon a rock - not on sand. Well I have come across this passage three different times and each time it stuck out to me, and I finally asked the Lord why and he told me. 

God is building/strengthening my foundations right now. At this point in my life there aren't many times that I can clearly remember God asking me to do [what appear to me as] radical things. As I look back on the things he has asked of me, most of them make sense to me, but that is because now that I am on the other side of them, I see the purpose. This semester [and possible the next one too] God has called me to walk with him in a new way. I've said it before, but every single security I had here at school has been stripped away - and then some! Even the small sense of safety I felt that I had with some people here is now gone too. Where does that leave me? With Christ, and with Christ alone. 

I am currently walking in a season of life that is completely foreign to me but the things God is teaching me....I wish you could see the smile on my face when I talk about it. I'm going to try to sum it up as simplistically as possible, partially for your sake, and partially to see if I can actually do it! ;)

My life right now is full of an unreal amount of peace and an amazing amount of difficulty. God has placed me in a place where I am walking through these trials with out a physical hand to hold - but I know without a doubt he is right beside me through it all, maybe even carrying me. God is strengthening my foundations and he is preparing me for what is to come. Something challenging is ahead - it always is - but the Lord is strengthening me to endure whatever it is. That in itself is reason enough to praise him. 

Okay, so maybe that wasn't as simplistically as I had thought - but hey, I can't really contain what God is doing into one little sentence! God is so good, so faithful and so constant. He never fails! :)
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Peace & Chaos

Posted by Morgan
Surrender can look so different at different times in your life. And at this point in my life, it looks different than it ever has before. I know that God has called people to give up everything in order to follow him. I mean, when he called the disciples they walked away from everything; everything that had been expected of them their whole lives, they just walked away from. All in order to be obedient and to follow the Lord - no holds barred. 


There have been times in my life that I have prayed for the Lord to completely invade my heart and my life and to completely consume all of me. I prayed that my life would be glorifying to the Lord and that whatever it took to take me there, I'd do it. I would walk the path, I would weather the storm. Well, let me just tell you, the first time that I remember praying that exact prayer at 15 or 16, I had no idea what that would actually look like, and to be honest, if I had, I don't know that I would have prayed that. But looking back, I'm glad I did.


This season of life is so difficult and so trying. I know that God is working in my heart and in my life - I can see that and I can sense the change that is happening inside of me. I am starting to see the Lord answer prayers that I prayed a long time ago and I had no idea that the answer to prayers that, in their essence are so good and pure, would be so hard. But now that I am seeing the result, it makes sense. And let me just tell you, it is not exactly a walk in the park. 


But God is good. I think I have said that in almost every single post the last six months. I am seeing the purpose of walking through these trials. I am seeing the purpose of the Lord strengthening my foundations. I see SO much purpose. I know that Lord is working and I know that ultimately, all these things will work together to bring glory to the Lord, and that  truly is what I want.


So I'm pretty much back where I started. I'm surrendering. I'm surrendering all of me. All my hearts desires - all of it. I'm listening to what the Lord is telling me to do and where he is guiding me. I'm waiting on his perfect timing because I am constantly reminded that his ways and his plans are far better than my own. I'm walking with the Lord in a whole new and intimate way. I'm working on some other posts about the things that God has been doing in my heart - and I can't wait till I can fully form the words to express it :) it has been pretty neat. 


Walking with the Lord is an adventure every day and I honestly never know where the day will end up. Today I've ended up on my couch in my apartment just soaking in the presence of the Lord. I am resting in the comfort that he brings. My heart is at peace in the midst of chaos. It's a beautiful thing.
Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Oh National Geographic...

Posted by Morgan
Has anyone ever asked you what you would do if you could do anything? Regardless of talent or location, opportunity or money, what would you do? Well, I've never really had a good answer for that question. Now I do. I would want to be a National Geographic photographer. Now obviously I do not have the skill needed for that, but they get to see and travel to all the AMAZING places. They get to go to the most beautiful places on earth during the most beautiful times of the year!! 

Oh, you don't believe me? Okay! Let me show you!!
Those would be of Australia!

Those would be of Thailand!

I really could post like a million more, but I really should pay attention, cause class just started :)

Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Greater than Me

Posted by Morgan
I do this a lot. I type up a good three or four paragraphs and then decide that I don't like the direction the post is taking, so I highlight the whole thing and hit the delete key and start all over. Now you are all caught up on the last 9 minutes of my life. 

I've kind of been listening to this song on repeat nonstop for the last few days. And I think my roommate is about ready to kick me out because of it. I just love it. It really has helped me this week. 
And they are actually coming to play at a UChurch this week...which I'm excited about. But anyway, the part of the chorus that says, "Whatever you're doing, inside of me, it feels like chaos but somehow there's peace" is SO my life right now. Everything around me is ridiculous. God has taken away every little security I had here [but I've talked about that at length here] but I'm learning from that and because of that I am growing closer to the Lord. 


I don't really know what my purpose is in writing today. I just felt that I needed to write...something. What I do know, is that I am having to be patient...in more ways that one. I also know that whatever God is doing in my life, it is for a greater purpose than I can currently see. It is for a purpose that is bigger than me[yay for good songs with great lyrics]. 


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Your Great Name

Posted by Morgan
So sometimes I just get really tired of studying, and right in the middle of all that reading, I find myself off thinking about a million other things. It's a talent of mine. :)


Well, lately I've been listening to this Natalie Grant song, which is AMAZING. It is very, very powerful. It's called, "Your Great Name", and it talks about all the things that happen at the sound of the Lord's name. I have two favorite lines, one is "The enemy; he has to leave; at the sound of your great name." I get chills every single time. And the second is, "Sick are healed, and the dead are raised, at the sound of your great name" 
Listen to it. It's amazing. I guess what I've been thinking about today is how we should NEVER forget the power that we have been given in Christ.


 This semester has already taught me so much, but it has also reminded me of several things as well and one of those things is so vital to my life right now: I can do so much more when I rely on the strength of the Lord than when I rely on my own power. This year has already been full of challenges, but it has also been a time for the Lord to draw me closer to him. He is changing my heart, He's showing me so many new things and He's continuing to show me what He is calling me to, and it's a beautiful experience. Not always fun, but beautiful. God is good, He is so so good to me.


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
Category: 1 comments

Memories

Posted by Morgan
The place that holds such a huge part of my heart...Agua Viva, Brasilia!


I miss this.

Pricilla...a child whose faith and boldness for Christ knocked me to the floor.

The orphanages....precious children who just wanted to be loved.



Miss you, Brazil.
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Peaceful & Breaking Heart

Posted by Morgan
Oh my. What a whirlwind. God is so so good and so faithful. I don't know why I even consider questioning that. 

God has been moving in my heart the last 3 to 4 days and I can honestly say I am just in awe. I love it when things finally start to fall into place. I'm still waiting and seeking the Lord, but as of this moment, it seems to say that the Lord is pointing to India. That could change, but my initial sense of things is that. 

God is...I mean, there just aren't even words. My heart just wants to leap out of my chest sometimes. I get goose bumps and tears come to my eyes when I think about what an opportunity that would be. If it is to happen, it would so obviously be God. I just know that. It would take a lot of things falling into place to get me there, and it would absolutely be a God thing. 

My hearts desire is to go and to serve, but in all honesty, it's not really up to me. It's up to the Lord. And as of now, I truly do release it to Him and place it FULLY into His hands. I honestly have no power over this. There are things that seem to point to it: things that people have spoken over me, desires in my heart, etc. But it is in the Lord's hands, and that is where I shall leave it.

The Lord is amazing. He has so much purpose in all things. He is faithful and mighty and just. Tonight, my heart is at peace, and in another way, it is unsettled, but not in a bad way. It's unsettled and breaking for the girls who are still trapped in that terrible industry. And when I feel the sense of justice rising up inside of me, I hear that still small voice saying, "Be still, and know that I am God." and he says, "Know that I am with those girls. Know that I am watching over them." 

God is good...and far more amazing than words can describe. 

Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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Purpose

Posted by Morgan
God is good. He is so good. This semester is full of challenge, surprise, and change. 


Everything in my life seems very up in the air right now, but when I really think about it, it's not at all. The more people I talk to, the more I see a theme in people's lives right now. Purpose. There is purpose is EVERYTHING that we are going through. I can see the purpose in the hard things, which in turn, makes the hard things not so hard. 


Life is so interesting. I am in a such a different place than I thought I would be at 20. I don't know what I find more funny, the fact that I'm not where I thought I would be or where I thought I would be. I always saw myself in a very different place: one of the biggest differences, I thought I would be in a relationship. I always said that I wouldn't date until college and yet here I am, in college, and still very single. No don't misunderstand, I am VERY much okay with this. Life is just a funny thing. God has such a different plan than we do. I get this whole idea of what my life will look like and then it turns out completely different; but in the end, it's always better that way than my way. His ways and his plan is so much better than mine. 


God is teaching me a lot of things right now. But at the core of everything is that He is in control no matter what. He tells me to surrender, why? Because He's in control. He tells me to trust him, why? Because He's in control. He tells me to be patient with certain things and in certain situations, why? Well because He is absolutely, totally, and completely in control. :) Surrender is so hard, but so necessary for me right now. 


God is so good and He knows SO much better than me. This semester is SO different than I thought it would be...so so different. It is absolutely crazy. But every single day I see more and more purpose and more and more reasons why He has placed me where He has. Knowing there is purpose and knowing that I can serve the Lord and bring Him glory in these situations gives me peace and comfort, even in it gets really hard.


It's late. I feel like this post is a bunch of random thoughts all strung together. Oh well. :)

Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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New Beginnings

Posted by Morgan
Well guys, here's to another semester. I can't believe I'm in my junior year already, and let me just say that I could not have in a million years predicted that this semester would start off the way it has. God is definitely doing something. Now, what He's doing is a whole other story entirely, and I honestly have no idea what it is. What I do know is that the Lord is faithful and that He loves me.

The year started off with a major housing problem, and I'm going to skip the details, mainly because they just aren't important. But what is important is the fact that God is stretching me - now did I mention that when He does that it's not exactly comfortable?....yeah. And then the day after all of the housing drama happens, I find out one of my closest friends isn't coming back to school this year. Yeah, talk about fun way to start the semester.

Sometimes when my life goes so obviously different than I had originally planned or hoped for I just look up and go, "God, really? What the heck?!" And then as always, that comforting, quiet, still, small voice would say, "I'm in control and I'm taking care of you. This is what's best. You know this." I realized the other day a prayer that I had prayed, and I realized that the Lord was answering it. But I said, "God, I know I asked for this, but this is NOT what I had in mind!" I forget, quite a lot actually, that the answers to my prayers won't necessarily look like I think they will. And sometimes, I get frustrated with that, but the Lord knows best, and He is good.

So what's the semester shaping up to be? A semester of new beginnings. No seriously, it truly is. Every comfort, every safety net, every single thing that I held on to for security, other than the Lord, has been slowly [and quickly] pulled away. So what is left? Just to rely on the Lord. On His strength and His power to get me through this semester...and next semester, and the one after that and the one after that. 

But thankfully, even though the Lord has temporarily [or permanently, not sure which] removed some things from my life, He has given me something as well. I have a precious, precious friend who is walking with me through all of this. We are walking through this journey at Lee together. The road in front of each of us is full of challenges, but we are both well aware that the Lord has purpose in it all, and that is what we are holding to.

Thank the Lord for small blessings that aren't actually that small at all. :) 

Singing Harmony,
Morgan
Category: 1 comments

India

Posted by Morgan

Well, I don't have a bunch of National Geographic pictures to accompany this post. I don't have fancy words or some beautiful and eloquent outline planned in my head. What I do have is an overwhelming sense of compassion, love, and justice. 

India is calling me guys. I want to go and I want to go now. I know people who have gone and people who are going over to India to help get girls out of the sex-trafficking industry and helping them cope with the hurt and pain that comes with what they've been through. And right now my heart cries to the Lord, "SEND ME NOW!". I want to go. I want to serve and I want to share the love of Christ and the power of his name with girls who are hurt and broken. I want them to know the redeeming power of God. I want them to be free of that bondage and the baggage. I want to share truth with them and I want to love on them. I want to serve the Lord. 

I am so DONE with American culture. It honestly drive me crazy. I hate facebook. I truly do. I wish I could get rid of it and still successfully communicate with all the people I need to right now, but I can't. I tried. I hate how selfish I can be. I hate how consumer driven our country is. It's all about what can I gain, what can I get, what I can do. Well dear friends, this life is not about you OR what you want. It's about the Lord and His purpose for you. And yes, I want to go to India because I feel like the Lord has given me a love and a heart for the hurting and I want to use the gifts He's given me for His glory.

I want to go and I want to go now. I wish the Lord was telling me to NOT go to school on Sunday and pack up and head off to India for the next 6 months. That would be incredible. But that's not what He's saying, and as I have learned over and over, the Lord's timing is perfect and it is the best. So I will wait - but when He says go, I am ready.
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God is SO good

Posted by Morgan
Let me just say that God is so good. This week has gone so much better than I thought it would and God has done three awesome things. 

The week started off with LOTS of studying for my last two tests in college algebra. And just so you know, I strongly dislike algebra. I had my last week of work, which I successfully completed! I also got my roommate and suitemate assignments for this fall :) I was worried about all three of these things, and let me just say AGAIN, God is SO good! 

Algebra: I made a 100 on one of my tests and I passed the class with an A. I was floored. God cares about even the smallest things in our lives. When we work hard and truly desire to do things for the Lord's glory. He is faithful. One of my friends said that she felt silly praying for a test for me, but she did, and when I told her I made a 100 on that test, she celebrated with me! It was really awesome to see hard work and dedication pay off, God is so faithful.

Work: My biggest thing with this job has been wanting to be a light in that office. To put it in someone else's words, I am "in the thick of the world". I have been surrounded by more non-christians this summer than I ever have before. The Lord has been showing me that my actions truly do speak about who I am. I always knew this, and I firmly believed this, but I have truly seen this summer how my actions can be just as powerful, if not more powerful as my words. During this past week I really do believe I finished strong. In the middle of the week, a girl that I have been a D-Now leader for came in for her appointment. I went over to say hey and she was like "Morgan?!?!?" and the assistant told her she could get up and come say hi. We talked for a few and that was really all. Later that day in the hall that same assistant said something to me in front of several of the ladies who are obviously not christians. She said that I am doing an amazing job - in all area. She said that it was obvious by the girls reaction that I have impacted her. She said you will never know how you've changed her life forever.


The phrasing she used stuck me instantly. What she said, about never knowing how I've changed her life forever, was something I had heard before....from 2 other people. As my last few weeks of work have been approaching I've shared my concerns and desire to shine for Lord with a few people. On two separate occasions someone told me that I may never know how I've changed my co-workers lives forever. I finished strong, and God is so so good!


Roommate and Suitemates: I'm going to spare you the details, but I had a roommate for the fall and then one day I didn't. So I knew I would be paired with 3 random girls. Let me just say that when I first found out about this, I was less than thrilled. My roommate is from Brazil, and if you don't know, Brazil holds a very special place in my heart. Well to be more accurate, part of my heart is in Brazil. But I cannot get off on that tangent, this post would become a novel in no time. :) She seems like a very precious girl. She's a few years older than me, but she is transferring into Lee not knowing anyone. I know that God has placed me as her roommate for a reason. I'm excited to pour into her life in any way that God shows me I can and should.


My suitemates seem like precious girls! They are long-time friends and they are from a city north of Atlanta! It's kind of unreal that I will be moving in 2 weeks from today!! I'm excited to get back and meet these girls. They seem like really quality people and I pray that the transition goes smoothly. But I have a good feeling about this. :)


Tonight, my heart just overflows with God's joy. I feel like putting a million smiley faces down right now, but even then, I feel like that wouldn't quite do this joy justice. Oh my, God is so so SO good!! :) :)


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
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I say it all to say this: Glory to God

Posted by Morgan
Life is such an interesting thing. Every stage of life that I find myself in brings new challenges, and if I'm being honest, I don't really like a lot of the challenges it brings. The art of surrendering is hard, and yes, it is an art. It takes time and patience and persistence. 


I've mentioned before that I am working in an orthodontist office this summer as a lab assistant, and for the most part I have really enjoyed it. I have learned a lot of new skills and I really do enjoy the actual work part of it. Being one of only 3 or 4 Christians is a whole other story entirely.  The last week I have been absolutely bombarded with attacks spiritually and indirectly from some of the women I work with. You would have to know the ladies in the office and fully understand the dynamic of the workplace, but trust me, I am not exaggerating any of this. 


Over the last 2 months I have had a variety of different conversations in that office. But in the last week, a few of the ladies have shown their disapproval/disagreement with some of my life choices: my relationship with the Lord, my choices on dating, the boundaries I put into my friendships with guys, and, believe it or not, my decision to wait till marriage to have sex. Now, have they come right out and said I was wrong about each of these things? Not every single one, but some, yes.  I know a few of these ladies well enough by now to know how they are and what they do when they disapprove or disagree with something. Some get VERY quiet, some quickly change the subject, and some flat out tell you that is not what they would do or would ever recommend anyone do.


A few days ago I had a really interesting experience and God has definitely shown me a lot through that. I won't go into the details of the conversation or the context, because honestly, when you are working with 13 women, the conversation takes an extremely awkward and inappropriate turn and let's just say that this was definitely one of those times. 


What I learned and what God showed me after the fact, is that who I am is speaking for itself. There are some things I believe in and things I stand for that I haven't come out and just said, not because I'm ashamed or anything, the opportunity for some conversations just hasn't presented itself just yet. But even without me saying those things out loud, the ladies I work with knew that I stood for those things. It really was a testament to the work that God is doing in me. It is an answer to my prayers to see that what I believe is showing through my actions.


 I say all of this to give the glory to God. I say all of this to say that God does answer your prayers. I say all of this to challenge you to seek the Lord and ask Him to shine through you and your actions if He isn't already.


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
Category: 0 comments

Surrender

Posted by Morgan
So I gave my blog a makeover. It's kind of what I want to do with my life right now. Being home this summer has been so good, but it has not been without it's challenges. I find that there always seems to be a theme for the stage of life I'm in, and right now, it is most definitely surrender. Yeah, fun right?


Every thing book I read, every song I listen to, every conversation I have seems to continually point me in one single direction: full and complete surrender. I am being called to release to the Lord all of MY plans, MY hopes, and MY dreams. I am being called to trust the Lord in a more full and complete way with my future. There are some things that I have always held on to, and I've held on to them very tightly. There are several things like that, mainly they have to do with my future. What I will do, who I will be with, where I will be, who I will be around. All things like that.


Letting go is NOT easy. And to be honest, I don't like it at all. I am really bad about thinking about some things and over-analyzing them. The hardest part of surrender for me, at the moment any way, is keeping my thoughts and my mind focused on the Lord and not on the situation, or the thing I am trying to surrender. 


When I say everything has been pointing to surrender, I'm not kidding. I was listening to my sister's iPod in the car last night and the first song that came on was "Holding Nothing Back" by Melissa How, the second song was "I Surrender" by Kim Walker and I was like, are you kidding me? God really does know how to get my attention. 


About two weeks ago I read a series by Terri Blackstock. They were Christian fiction novels - I LOVED them. There were four in the series, and they were about a family living the typical American dream. Then suddenly all the power goes out, and not just electricity, cars didn't work, cell phones didn't work, basically nothing electronic worked. The books were about their journey of trusting the Lord and surrendering to Him even when the circumstances around them told them to rely on their own strength. The family went through loss and gain, joy and heartache. It really got me thinking about giving God glory and praise when everything around you is going wrong. When it feels like life just isn't fair and that the Lord should be doing something about what is going on. I know I forget that He really is in full control all the time. Anyway, the books really taught me a lot about surrendering to the Lord, even when every your fallen human desires say not to. 


Well, this hasn't been the most up-beat post. But it's honest. And that really is all I want to be. Honest with what God is doing in my heart and life. I'm not going to sugar-coat things, I hate sugar-coated things. Anyway, this is where I am. Walking with the Lord, walking through the hard stuff, and seeking him on a greater and deeper level.


Singing Harmony,
Morgan
Category: 3 comments

Travel Bug

Posted by Morgan
I am currently fighting the urge to just pack up and move out west. It's always been a dream of mine(for years and years and years) to live out west. I don't know where the desire and love for the west came from, but it's always been there.



One of my friends recently went to Yellowstone National Park, and I stole these pictures from her facebook....but she won't mind.


Gorgeous landscaping....




See the rainbow?






BEAUTIFUL!!



Um, yeah that's not gorgeous or anything....



Snow covered mountain tops = LOVE



Would that not be AMAZING to see??
I mean, hello! Do you see why I want to go there?? Yes, I know this is a national park...but it's so pretty!!



It's kinda safe to save I have the travel bug right now. This post got WAY too long, so I deiced to make it a page all it's own :) Check it out at the top or click here :)

I wanna go see God's beautiful creation. 


Singing Harmony,
Morgan

Category: 1 comments