I'm Back/ Planning Ahead

Hey y'all. I'M BACK!!! (Well at least I hope so) 
The other day I was reading a girl's blog and I thought to myself, "Remember when you had a blog for like a week then school started and you forgot about it?" So I logged on to Blogger and saw that I hadn't posted since August... that's almost six months ago but it feels like a week! Which got me thinking about how darn fast this year has gone by. Then I asked myself why this year has gone by so quickly. And I have come to the conclusion that we are always so busy looking forward to things, we forget to enjoy in the moments we're in. I feel that trying to blog more, will help me cherish these moments so that in two years when graduation comes, I can say that I have chronicled my best (and worst) memories. 
So much has happened since I wrote on here last. Football season, wisdom teeth surgery (and complications), dance conventions, birthday parties, church retreats, semester exams, driver's license tests and much, much more. Today I was going through my iPhoto library, looking for a picture to post for my friend, Kassidy's birthday and all of these memories came flooding back. Another thing that I started after taking a blogging hiatus was the daily devotional, Jesus Calling. I was a bit hesitant to start it because it's so popular and I didn't know if it was just a book people take pictures of to make themselves look all Christian-y. But I am glad to say that I read it every night and it is AMAZING, definitely worthy of all the hype! If you don't have a copy, get one, I have given it to multiple people as a gift and they all love it as well. One topic that has come up a lot lately in JC is living for this moment and not fearing the future. To be completely honest, those pages scare me. We live in a society where you have to plan ahead, you're trained to fear the future. If I don't take the right classes in high school, I won't get into a good college. If I don't get ahead on studying, I'm gonna fail this test. So on and so forth. I miss the days when you didn't have to plan things out, they days when you could just walk up to your friends door and run around outside with them for hours on end. The days when you were worrying about having enough clothes for all of your barbies and not who you're going to ask to a banquet that is four months away. I wish we could be elementary schoolers again, when grades didn't matter and your mom made all of your plans for you. But the harsh reality is that we can't go back to those days. I will be the first one to admit that I spend more time in the future than I should. As I said before, we are all so busy. In the next four months alone I have six dance competitions, four dance recitals, drill team tryouts, at least two banquets, I'm a confirmation sponsor and then there's also school mixed in there. WOW. Of course one of my dance studio competition conflicts with drill team tryouts. The drill team banquet conflicts with a dance studio competition. And the dance studio banquet conflicts with the Confirmation Mass. I have to plan ahead to make sure I can work all of these things out because they're all priorities. Knowing that I'm not able to be in multiple places at once causes stress. Now on top of that I'm reading that you shouldn't think about the future? It often feels impossible to find peace. 
But I finally figured out that God isn't saying not to to look into the future, He is saying not to fear it because He is leading us down the path we're on, there is no need to fear! God has you right where you need to be at this very moment, though you might not believe it, this is all part of His greater plan. Here is the passage from Jesus Calling that once frightened me, it now gives me peace. 

February 1st:

Follow Me one step at a time.  That is all I require of you.  In fact, that is the only way to move through this space/time world.  You see huge mountains looming, and you start wondering how you’re going to scale those heights.  Meanwhile, because you’re not looking where you’re going, you stumble on the easy path where I am leading you now.  As I help you get back on your feet, you tell Me how worried you are about the cliffs up ahead.  But you don’t know what will happen today, much less tomorrow.  Our path may take an abrupt turn, leading you away from those mountains.  There may be an easier way up the mountains than is visible from this distance.  If I do lead you up the cliffs, I will equip you thoroughly for the strenuous climb.  I will even give My angels charge over you, to preserver you in all your ways. Keep your mind on the present journey, enjoying My Presence.  Walk by faith, not by sight, trusting Me to open up the way before you.

"With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall." Psalm 16:29

"For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].  They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11-12 (AMP)

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

(Jesus Calling, Sarah Young) 

I know y'all are probably equally as busy as I am so I hope that this passage helps you find peace. Know that you are always in my prayers and as Father Henry would say, JESUS LOVES YOU! That's all for now! 

- Meredith

Questions? Comments? Prayer requests? Leave them below or email me: meredithmunro@icloud.com 

Wondering what I was doing instead of blogging for the past six-ish months? Here are some highlights (not in chronological order!) 

My Church was on Say Yes to the Dress! 

Sweet Sixteen party! 

New Year's Eve! 

Got to watch Sarah in her percussion concert! 

I finally got a Pope Francis calendar.

Winter HSM retreat! 

I went to the Notre Dame Shamrock Series at AT&T Stadium and took some terrible panos. 

I dressed up like Miranda Sings a couple of times...

Then I met her! 

One of my favorites, when I was in kindergarten I got to go write a letter to Santa at CHS and this year I got to help my kindergarten teacher's son write his!  

I got my make-up done by a six year old boy. 

Home coming pep ralley! 

Home coming dance! 

I took a picture with Pope Francis!!! 

My dad as a "Larry" for the homecoming football game.

A life long dream, Sarah and I have always wanted to switch hats.