Twilight vs. Lion-Lamb Community

It seems, dear readers, that I have a serious predicament on my hands. I'm going to compare a christian Lion-Lamb community to the Twilight Saga. Strap on your seat belts.

A Lion-Lamb community is a place where people of all different races, nations, and beliefs are able to be friends and live with each other in peace--in a community where lions and lambs lay down together.

Doesn't that seem strikingly similar to Twilight? Strange as it may seem, Jacob Black, a warewolf (who is in love with Bella but doesn't get along with the Cullens, a family of vampires) has to learn to live in peace with Edward Cullen if he ever wants to see Bella. Likewise, Edward Cullen, a harmless vampire and Bella's true love, has to learn to live with Jacob because Bella has deep feelings for Jacob as a friend. The fact that Edward and Jacob hate each other is irrelevant. They learn to get along because they both have one thing in common--they love Bella.

Isn't that a little like our christian community? Shouldn't the church be more like that? We are all so different, and we don't always get along as well as we should at times, but really, when we stop and look at it, we're just like Edward and Jacob. Some of us have nothing in common but one single thing. We don't have any reason to be friends if not for Christ. He's our only common denominator--and he's enough.

This is a picture from the opening of Eclipse last night.

6 Delicious Bedrooms!

Ahhhhh. Now wasn't that a little piece of heaven?

link

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

2 Cor. 3:17

Amen!

Easy Mexican Dinner

When I say easy dinner, I mean that I literally made dinner in 10 minutes while talking on the phone. I made Mexican Stackup last night and you can do it too with what you have in your refrigerator! You literally put anything mexican that you love into it.

1. Line the bottom of a crockpot with corn tortillas

2. Now you will literally dump in as much or as little of the rest of these ingredients as you want! *Note: make sure to save what you need for the second layer because there are two layers of ingredients. (I made mine out the ingredients in red because it's what I had...and it turned out great!)

browned hamburger

black beans

chicken

can of chopped tomatoes (or fresh)

chopped green pepper

chopped onion

corn

salsa

cheddar cheese

3. Put down another layer of corn tortillas and do this process one more time adding all of the ingredients you love.

4. Add one last layer of corn tortillas on top and pour 1 can of enchilada sauce on top and cover with a couple of handfuls of cheddar cheese.

5. Cook 2-3 hours on high or 3-4 hours on low.

Fruit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

-Galatians 5:22-23

What does that have to do with anything? Well, we can tell how good a tree is by the fruit that it produces right? If I have an apple tree in my front yard, and all that it drops from it are nasty brown apples, it's not a great tree (or I have a worm infestation problem)! But, if I have an apple tree in my front yard, and it produces ripe red apples by the bucket-loads, I've got a pretty great tree. It's the same with our lives. What kind of fruit is falling off of your tree?

Did you know that the bible specifically talks about being able to tell what kind of person someone is by the fruit that they produce? Now, I'm certainly not saying that we should go around judging people--absolutely not. But what I am saying is that it's evident when someone has great fruit. It's evident when we see someone who not only loves God, but loves those around them, makes time for other people, lives a life of joy, is patient and kind when people are terrible to them, and responds in self-control to situations that are far from easy.

I'm not perfect--definitely not perfect. I'm only 24 and learning every day how to become better. I've failed this week at several things, but that doesn't mean I should give up. I need to keep watering my tree daily, because unless I stay close to God, make time for him, and appreciate him like he deserves, how am I ever going to grow my tree? I want good fruit. I want all of those things that the fruit of the spirit is. And, in order to get them, I'm going to have to work hard at growing my tree.

Is that are anyone in your life that helps you grow your tree?

Have you thanked them lately?

Today, I found something that changed my life.

Almond. Soy. Milk.

Faith

Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD,

have never forsaken those who seek you.

-Psalm 9:10

Don't be afraid...of whatever it is that's bothering you today.

SunPopped Top 10

Guest Blogger-Jonathan Meisner

If you know me, it won’t take you long to know that I am a lover of pop music. No really. If there was one thing I could be and not fail at, it would be a pop music star. I absolutely love it. Anything from Justin Timberlake, to Kanye, to Carrie Underwood, to Michael Buble, to…yes…even Justin Beiber. I just can’t resist a beat that makes your body want to jive a bit. That’s right people, I’m an open Pop Music Junkie.

Another love of mine is the summer time and how it always makes me want to be outside doing something. I’ll admit, I would be a bit more motivated to do so if the Oklahoma humidity was not a factor. But none the less, I dig the sunshine and little outdoor activity. That being said, I spontaneously decided to put together a throw-back top 10 of my favorite and most memorable pop summer songs. The ones that (if you are about 25 or so) take you right back to high school. I’m calling it Meisner’s SunPopped Top 10. (It’s late and that’s all I’ve got) Without further adu…

See the top 10 list

It's never boring in the Meisner house. We love to party it on, and this summer, we just wanted to take it back and invite you to join us. So tell us what you think! This post rocks my world. We're probably still dancing actually... -Michelle

Engagement Cinematography

This is my new favorite obsession. Industry405 (a.k.a Jonathan Meisner) made yet another work of art. Check out his video below or see a much bigger and better quality at the link provided. You won't be disappointed.

Mendy+Tomy | Engagement Film from Industry405 on Vimeo.

Wedding Bells

Tomy and Mendy sittin in a tree...just kidding, I'll spare you the whole song--but they did get married yesterday! Congrats to my sister-in-law Mendy and her new husband Tomy! They are currently in Colorado on their honeymoon!

These pictures are my fave

Evan + Andrea

Our shoot went well this week. These are my picks for round one.

ABC Day

A is for my alarm that's going to go off in 8 hours. I shouldn't be blogging.

B is for bonding, which is what I spent all weekend doing.

C is for Cummins, the new last name that my sister Mendy gained today. She was a beautiful bride.

I've learned so much about myself today!

I hate oily skin

I love reading Christian preachy books (who knew I'd obsess like this!?)

I hate mangos

Dairy makes me sick on hot days (this is a new one--I used to argue that this was all imagined in someone's head, but now I know it's true. Go figure.)

I love white cherry Powerade best

Chocolate is so overrated. There's lots of other good stuff out there...like lemon!

Gold jewelry is my favorite. Weird. I used to love silver.

My spiritual gift is FAITH! I had no idea. I find that refreshing.

I love learning about myself. It's like I'm just now getting introduced or something! I am a "counselor/idealist" personality type. Really?! Uh...awesome?!

I love talking to teen girls as much or more as my very own family. They are precious.

What's your excuse?

Every day of my life, I have a bagillion choices to make. What should I wear? How should I fix my hair? How much creamer should I put in my coffee? Should I sleep or do my devotions? Wait wait...what was that last one? Why is it that we put God at the bottom of our list so much of the time. Shouldn't he get the best of us? Isn't he the most important? Shouldn't we make time for other things AFTER we've had time with the father?

What's your excuse today?

You don't have enough time?

You're too tired?

You're not sure what to say?

You think it's boring?

You feel silly trying?

He's not going to answer you, so why bother?

Prayer doesn't really change anything anyway?

There's really not an excuse that God accepts. Not because he's mean, it's just that God wants a relationship with us so badly! He wants a chance to show us his love! It doesn't have to be perfect, it won't always be a life-changing part of your day, it won't always rock your world, and you probably won't end your prayer times in tears of joy every day. Quiet times with God are similar in my mind to human emotions. Some days of prayer are better than others, and every day is essential and needed. God doesn't always talk to me with a booming voice and reveal things, but sometimes he does. God doesn't always show me a scripture that pertains to my life right at that moment, but sometimes he does. God doesn't always show his power and strength to me, but sometimes he does. If I felt his presence every time I called on his name and every time that I prayed, how would he teach me faith? God is there whether we feel him or not. Whether we sense him or not. It's not a feeling, it's a relationship. Today is the day that you can stop with the excuses...and get to know God.

Any pain that you may be feeling right now in your life can't compare to the joy that's coming...

There's a lot that's new this week:

a) my left elbow is feeling much better! I hyperextended it about 8 days ago riding Jonathan's longboard and it was a terrible mess, but is much more flexible now. I haven't been able to put my hair up into a ponytail all week (so thank you Jonathan and Mendy for helping me on several occasions) but I'm almost to the point of completely straightening it again so maybe only another week until I can put weight on it!

b) I'm feeling very expressive lately. I just have the need to write all kinds of things and am not sure why. I want to write about the grass and the rain and the leaves and the oatmeal I ate for breakfast. I want to write about all the new friends I've made this month and people that make me happy. I want to tell you about all the wonderful things God is doing in my life. I just want to writeeeee but it might be seven paragraphs, so I will probably cut it short because I know that no one reads that much--or maybe that's just me.

c) I bought Justin Bieber floor seats to the concert in November! I know that he is so much younger than me, but I'll admit that I think he's talented and will pay a pretty penny to go see him live.

d) I am thinking about doing this 30 day gluten-free thing with my friend Amy. She was telling me all about food and I was certainly more motivated when she was finished! We may do it together when I start yoga with her in a few weeks.

e) I'm ridiculously happy. God has been nothing but good to me.

I have recently been learning that there are seasons in our lives: seasons of doubt, seasons of joy, seasons of pain, seasons of laughter, seasons of love, seasons of growth, seasons of quietness, and so many more. I'm glad to be living in the season that I'm in right now and I'm not going to be too anxious for it to end because I refuse to be too concerned about worrying that I miss the blessings around me! I know that in this season and this time, God is working out something beautiful in me that I can't even see. I trust him completely. He has never failed me. Not once.

Meisner MAGIC!

My most hearted thing in the world right now is photography. Instead of Meisner Magic, it might be more like 5D magic...but still. These pictures are from today!

REAL or FAKE?

Lets play a fun game. Tell me which bracelets are real and guess their price. Tell me which are not and guess their price as well. Winner will shock me. No cheating. I obviously found these images online so do this before you look or it completely defeats the fun factor! There are several stores represented and there's one freebee, so I'm being nice. :) Good luck!

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To Jennie

Cancer is so limited.

It cannot cripple love,

It cannot shatter hope,

It cannot corrode faith,

It cannot eat away peace,

It cannot kill friendship,

It cannot silence courage,

It cannot invade the soul,

It cannot reduce eternal life,

It cannot destroy confidence,

It cannot shut out memories,

It cannot quench the spirit,

It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.

- Anonymous

I love Coach

These adorable purses are my personal favorites from this season. Yep...still my favorite purses in the world! You can visit www.coach.com to check out more styles.

All pictures are property of Coach.

Aprons

I love these aprons from Anthropologie! Way cute.

Pondering Thoughts...

Every day I feel like writing, but it's not every day that I write. Today though, is one of those days where I just can't help myself.

1. I'm 24. I live in a house that I love that is decorated how I love and am friends with who I love. I have a comfortable life. I blog about what I want. I get up and walk 15 feet to the fridge and get a drink when I'm thirsty without thinking about how lucky I am to own a refrigerator that's full of food. When I'm tired, I sleep. When I want to talk, I call one of the bunches of friends in my cell phone. My life, I realize, is severely blessed by the Lord. I deserve nothing that I have.

I don't need much to be happy, or do I? I don't need a fancy car, amazing food, nice clothes, and all of the modern conveniences that have just become unappreciated, or so I say. But what would happen if it was all gone? What would happen if I lost my house, I wore jeans with holes, and never got to join my friends at Chili's after church because I just didn't have the money? It makes my heart sink a little just thinking about it. But really friends, let me be honest, the Lord, the one who made the stars in the sky and spoke the world into motion, and the God who knows more about my life and everything that happens to me than I do, will never leave me. That's enough reason for a lifetime! Sure, our culture is selfish. It's the me-first mentality, and I understand that it is also the easy option, so I can see why some people choose that life, but life is SO much more than myself. I have a nice life, and I thank the Lord for it every day, but honestly, I see a lot of flaws in myself and I pray that I would be the kind of person that would be content with any circumstance...regardless of what that meant. What freedom!

2. I got the opportunity to hang out with some amazing people. These are people that I know pretty well. Some of them better than others, but all well enough to know what they like, who they hang out with, what they do in their free time, and what really makes them tick. So yes, I know them. Four of us were Christians and one was not.

As I hung out with these people for a few days, I began to become sickly aware that there was something seriously wrong. I began to notice that only one among us did not say a negative word, was loving, kind, generous, giving, sweet, patient, encouraging, humble, forgiving, and always saw the best in everyone the entire time. And no, it was not me! One person--the "non-christian" was more like Jesus than anyone else!

Shame.

On.

Us.

I was sick when I thought, no wonder people never want to be Christians! They're worse than the non-christians! Sometimes I think that Christians think, I need to be kind and sweet, so if I don't have something nice to say (instead of not saying it at all, and bringing it to God) I'll just gossip about it to someone else. We just "vent" about what's bothering us so we don't hurt that other person's feelings, when in actuality, now we've hurt three people! The one we're gossiping about, ourselves, and the poor friend that has to endure the word vomit.

We get so caught up pointing fingers and jabbing the people we think are wrong, when all the time, we ourselves are the problem. We pick people apart and poke at others, and all the while, are completely unaware of our own faults. I'm working on this, and I think I have come a long way, but I sure do have a long way to go. Lord, forgive us.

3. I have begun to understand and see one thing very clearly in the last couple months of this "spiritual boot camp" I've been in, it seems. If we want to be like Christ, I mean, if we REALLY want to be like him in every way, we have to pick up our cross daily. We don't get to pick our circumstances and do it when it's convenient. We have to be like Christ when someone spits in our face, talks behind our back, calls us an aweful name, or betrays our trust. We have to act like Christ when we're tired, when we don't get what we want, when we are lied to, and when we are discouraged. We don't have to be a doormat, but we do have to be decent. Christ calls us to love one another, and he is there to help us! We are never alone in this journey. I can't tell you how many times he's come along beside me to hold me when I just couldn't do it on my own anymore, and he's never ever left me. God didn't say, love people who love you. We are to love everyone. It's not going to be easy all the time!

God is the only reason that I wake up every day with purpose. He is the heart that beats inside of me when I see someone who needs help, when I get to love someone who has repeatedly hurt me worse than they'll ever know, and when I clean the kitchen. God doesn't take lunchbreaks. He's there all the time! If my life is in tune with his heart, then in all reality, you should see him when you're with me. I am not there yet, and I will definitely never be perfect, but I want it. I seek it, and I know that when I seek God, I will find him when I seek him with all of my heart.

I'll be the first to tell you that I am not perfect and I make mistakes, but here and now, I'm telling you that I am completely humbled by this week's circumstances and ready for a rejuvenating of the heart and another awesome encounter with my best friend.

I know that these are not mind-boggling thoughts, that we've probably maybe all heard or thought them at some point in our life, but are we living them? There is no time to waste. The Lord is coming. And he's coming soon! Tell everyone you know.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”- Ephesians 3:17-19

Wow. This baby is cute. I promise I'm done for a while after this, but I just HAD to post a few more pictures that I took. McKennon melts my heart. It's just that simple.

and those little features....

Boston in the Fall

Dear Boston,

Someday I will come to visit you, and see all the things that you have to offer that Oklahoma does not. Jonathan got to see you, but unfortunately I didn't fit in his suitcase. However, there are some amazing things I love about you.

...like cool buildings like this (points for whoever knows where this is!)

parks like this
streets like this, which do not exist in Oklahoma

amazing front doors that look like they are straight out of a movie (or off of a blog)
cute little bikes everywhere
just amazing homes

Oh, and those outdoor bookstores...


I love you Boston.