Yes, if you haven't noticed, and I am sure you have, I keep forgetting to update this thing. Right now the weather is cold and foggy. SUPER foggy. Foggier than I ever remember it getting here. No snow, but maybe soon! :)
Not much has changed since my last post. I still work at Forza. And a lot at Bethany as well. I am also applying to two bible colleges. Ecola and Timberline. Ecola is in Cannon Beach, Oregon and Timberline is in Colorado! I don't have a preference between the two yet, and I may not even go at all next year.
Let's see...
I don't have anything extremely insightful to say today/tonight. I do have a good idea though. I think David should make a new blog. If he did... I think I would like, not drink coffee for a month just out of pure amazement.
My hair went from being almost halfway down my back, to being cut above my shoulders, and I am getting the feeling this is only a small vision of what is yet to come. And I am not talking about my hair. [Although I really do love it, and as soon as I get a camera I will take a picture. :) And as for not being on the computer... no internet at the apartment, SLOW internet at Forza, I just don't have a lot of time. haha.]
I don't want to go into full detail about this possibly new change... but it is exciting. For me at least. Its definitely a big deal, and something I fully need to pray about for a while. So we will see if this is where God is leading me. :)
Sorry for the vagueness.
-Turtlenecks: When I was little turtlenecks were cool, then not so cool, and now I love them once again! I just got a new one for work so I can stay warm, and I want to wear it 24/7.
-Christmas Cookies: Don't get me wrong, cookies are good all year round, but something about making cookies at Christmas and sharing them with friends makes them all the better. Especially warm fresh out of the oven cookies!!
-Late Night Sledding: So last night may have been the first time I have done this... but it was AWESOME. The Konzelman's invited Katie and I to their friend's the Edstroms who happen to live on a 1/2 mile long, perfect grade hill. With all the snow, then freezing temperatures, the hill was like glass. This is not the kind of hill you can use plastic saucers on, no. Farah... you will be pleased to know that we used REAL sleds. Like the ones you collect!!!! :) Another wonderful part about this sledding adventure was that we didnt have to walk back up the hill!!! They had quads to tow us up, and a neighbor was driving truckloads of people back and forth as well!
-Snow: I really can't get enough of it. I don't want it to leave!!! [ And it looks like it won't for a while at least! :) ] I wish that this small amount of snow covering the ground would stay all winter long! It just makes everything look so pretty and clean! I especially like when snow piles up on the tiny sticky branches of leafless trees. AHH! Its beautiful.
-My job: This job is seriously PERFECT for me right now. I love making coffee, and cleaning. Which I do a lot of! I love getting to know customers, and then seeing them outside of Forza. I really enjoy my co-workers. Lately I have been working with Michelle or Sarah all the time at the drive thru, and we are always laughing. Like when Michelle told me Leavenworth has rams at their putt putt golf course, or when I sprayed the ceiling with water and accidently sprayed Sarah as well.
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-17
I have been sick for a while now, and on top if that, extremely busy. Which leaves very little time and energy to write a blog at the end of the day. Also, since we moved into our apartment... we don't exactly have internet. I usually only get online when I go to Adamo or Forza, and that's only for a short period of time because I end up talking to 20 people I know while I am there. ANYWAY... wow, Thanksgiving. 2008 is flying by. CRAZY. I know everyone says it, but I really have so many reasons to praise God this Thanksgiving. So here it goes:
First and foremost, I am so thankful for God's faithfulness to provide. Especially in these past couple months, with my car being killed [haha], and moving into an apartment... God has been so faithful with providing exactly what I need when I need it. Katie [my roommate] and I have been blessed with so many random things we NEED for our apartment. Money came from random places to get us all the basics, and we were even given a TV AND MICROWAVE! Woo!! Two things we did not expect to have at all! Besides these big things, God has provided in so many other small ways. Its been great to move out and become more independent in that aspect, but become more dependent on God. Seriously, great!
Secondly, I am definitely thankful for my family. Letting me live at home for free and borrow cars, moving all my furniture, letting me eat meals... haha. I could go on for years.
The last real thing I am going to say is probably an obvious third thing to be thankful for: my friends. I have developed so many new friendships this year, and it has been amazing. I love the age I am at right now. I can't remember ever having such thoughtful and loving friends. I enjoy every minute I spend with them. Whether we are playing Kidnap [yes its a real game and its kind of scary, especially when you get dropped off in the bad part of Tacoma, but ummm yeah I still love my friends] or Whoonu, working together and making coffee, or at a church retreat, I couldn't be more thankful for the people in my life.
Now a few random things I am thankful for:
-Dr. Pepper.
-lotion!!!!!!! [steaming milk, mixed with submerging your hands in Purocaff water making super dry skin!]
-my new found love for tea.
-sweaters.
-lower gas prices that allow us to play kidnap. ;)
-high schoolers.
-free wifi.
-target. [i got pretty much everything for my apartment there!]
-free text messaging.
-music. all music.
-coffee discounts.
-febreeze [so my work shoes dont smell up our whole house like coffee].
-CANDLES. ahh they are wonderful.
still guarding my heart, still on the computer, still havent gotten any texts from you even though we both have verizon.
i miss you!
thats all.
darn. i have been engulfed by the forza lingo. my everyday language now includes phrases like "I'm having an AWESOME time!" and "Okaaaaay.... YUP!"I knew it would happen sometime, but ugh. My every response wants to be okaaaay yup or okaaaay nope. Then I am like, ughh NO! Anyway... thats only a sidenote.
i hope this doesn't sound too harsh, because its not meant to be. but i am so over it. SO over it. it being settling for less than what God has planned for me. i have had friends let me down before, as well as family. guys who treated me terribly. people who used me because i can't say no. and although all these things have hurt me in some way, God has used the experiences to shape me into who i am now. i have learned to be so much more forgiving, because it is one thing for someone to hurt you, but when you let bitterness stay in your heart... they continue to hurt you for weeks, months, even years. i've found that bitterness towards one person can hurt your other relationships as well. i've also learned the fine art of saying no. turning people down. it is probably one of the hardest things for me, because i always want to help. but spreading myself too thin was hurting me and in turn not producing any fruit in any areas of my life. even though i have learned a couple of these hard lessons, i still want and ask for things that might not necessarily be the best for me. whether it be material things like clothes or cars, or just plain money in general, or relationships... i have a limited perspective.
i can't remember which exact one it is, but there is a nooma video about how rob bell's son wants this cheap toy. but rob was already planning on buying his son this nice, new kickball. shiny... super cool. the ULTIMATE kickball. but his son didnt know that. all he knew was that this little cheap ball on a string was cool at the moment. it was all he could see. he wanted it soooo bad! he was in the mall crying and begging for it. but his dad knew better. he knew the string would get all tangled around his wrist and the ball would smack him in the face, and then break and it would just not be as fun as his son thought. he said that his son's perspective was limited. eventually, rob bell had to carry his son out of the mall... and took him to buy the new kickball.
the parallel obviously that we are like the son. i am like the son. i am like a 2 year old in the mall who wants that cheap toy so badly! i am begging and pleading and negotiating to get the stupid little toy. i think that having these clothes will make me happier, having this car will make me happier, if only that person liked me i would be so happy! but the toy will break. i wont enjoy it. it wont make me happier. unfortunately i dont know that, my perspective is limited. and God is saying, wait meagan, wait... I have something so much better for you. just trust Me.
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" -Matthew 7:11
there are so many times where i have wanted one thing, and God said no. i didnt get it at the time, but when He finally revealed to me why He said no... i understood. He had something better for me! i know there are things in my life right at this very moment. things i am begging God to do. but i need to learn to fully trust that whether He gives me what i ask for or not, He knows what is better for me. which is weird to think. for me specifically. meagan marie maki. daughter of dan and jana, resident of orting, employee of forza coffee co, sister of jarvis, best friend of amanda, lover of rain, coffee, and coldplay... ME! He isn't just making an assumption based on popular vote. it is what He has planned specifically for this human [meagan].
i dont know if this all makes sense... i am kind of just writing it all down for myself to reread. but we'll see. typing is so much easier than writing stuff out.
ps- i met dino rossi today.
so whoa, i am twenty. i have been for a while now, a month and some days? i'm not going to lie, there are things i already dont like about this age. i have bills. oh the bills! student loans, car insurance, car payments... not cool. but the blessings that have come with turning twenty far out-weigh my stupid bills. bills aren't important, you know? God will handle that. i have complete faith that He will provide the things i need. over the past month [or maybe few months, but i will just say past month to go with the theme of turning twenty ;)] i have gained, and strengthened, so many relationships. i have said it before, but my heart is overflowing with love. my friends are seriously WONDERFUL! i couldn't ask for anything more from them! these friendships are so much stronger than any friendships i have had in the past [with the exception of amanda, who i have been best friends with since 7th grade. dude, she rocks!]. my heart rejoices when they are blessed, and mourns when they are hurting. i can admit that in my life, i have a track record of inconsistency in praying for loved ones, but recently that has completely changed. i love nothing more than to pray for my friends. for amanda and her classes and homework and labs, and all the stuff that i am so thankful to NOT have to do. for julia and her job at the church, as well as her search for another job. for all my friends at work [because we all need extra, extra stregnth, patience, and grace at such a high stress job :)]. for the high school girls at fusion, and the high school girls that i see at work and around town that don't know Jesus. i find that i enjoy being quiet more than i ever have before because it gives me a chance to pray for all these things. which fills my heart with joy.
WOW.
WOW is an understatement to how my week has been. Words cannot explain my joy. I just had quite possibly the best week I have ever had [which is strange because its in the wake of my car being totalled... haha]. I love my jobs: being a barista downtown and interning at Bethany. I have the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with SO MANY people. It blows me away everyday. I have the best friend I could ever ask for. She is always there for me [so cliche, but its true], and she also tells me when I am making a bad decision. I am so glad that God put us in each others lives! Amanda is awesome!! Beyond her, I have several groups of AMAZING friends. My heart is spilling over with joy. My stomach is full of raptors [and no Julia, I will not do my impersonation]. I am so excited to leave tomorrow and visit the people I, without hesitation, call family. I miss them terribly! But I know that when I am gone, I will miss everything here. Although it stinks loving people so much that are on complete oppisite sides of the country, I would rather be far apart than not have them at all!
remember this old picture? i love it so much! my huge smile and pure joy because i am hanging out with the two most amazing boys i know. dax is laughing with his hands in my crazy hair. and cole making a funny face... the one I usually make. oh man, i love these boys so much!! only 3 more days till i head to alabama and get to see them!! yay!!!
