you are loved!

happy valentine's day everyone! whether you are single, married, divorced, happily in love, or in a relationship and "it's complicated", i hope you will remember today and for every day afterwards that

you are loved by the One who created you, who literally knit every part of you together; beautifully, fearfully and wonderfully made. He knows every hair on your head and every thought and feeling that you have and He will never leave you. even when you mess up and feel like you are "unlovable", your Father still loves you and nothing will ever change that! praise God!

lately, i have been feeling a little bit unlovable. a few things have happened in the last couple of weeks and i was really starting to get down on myself. but this week i have been reading romans and i came upon this passage that i've read hundreds of times:

"for i am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." [romans 8:38-39]

when we get caught in the rut of eat, work, sleep, repeat, we often forget these truths about God and ourselves. we start to believe in the "truths" of the world, which are actually lies and go against everything the bible tells us. we need to be reminded daily of who we truly are and remember that we are not part of this world but that we are preparing for the kingdom to come. 

recently i have forgotten that my Father will always love me no matter what, even though i don't deserve it, and i'm sure that it happens to you every now and then. but remember that there is nothing that can separate us from God's love and He will pour out His gracious love and mercy on us until we are completely overwhelmed. so on this day full of hallmark cards, roses, and red heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates, i pray that whether you are with someone or not, you remember that you. are. loved.

one is the loneliest number?

hello, my name is megan and i am single.

i have struggled with my singleness for a majority of my life. i have always wanted a boyfriend but have never had one.  and it's not always easy to see your friends dating, in relationships, getting engaged or married, all while you have a non-existent love life.  but as i have gotten older, i'm starting to accept myself and who i am in my single state.  i still struggle with being single sometimes but i'm starting to realize that my identity is not rooted in who i am dating or what my relationship status is.

for most of my life, i have defined myself by many things; daughter, sister, auntie, granddaughter, friend, student, and dancer.  but one sunny easter morning, i received the most important identity of my life, a daughter of the highest King who loves me beyond compare.  four years later i'm still trying to accept my newfound, true identity, but i know that nothing can take that away from me.  God is mine, and I am His.  and nothing will separate Him and His love for me.

and while i am so thankful for this identity full of grace and unfailing love from God, i can easily forget who i am when i hear any one of the following questions/statements:

- "do you have a boyfriend?"
- "why aren't you dating anyone?"
- "boys will be lining up around the block for you when you get older" (yes, people really told me this... such lies!!!)
- "how can a (beautiful/sweet/funny/other adjectives here) girl like you still be single?!"

i become that girl who, despite being ridiculously funny, talented or whatever, is defined by my relationship status.  i'm sure that people don't mean to cause any harm when they ask if you are dating anyone, but when you ask those kinds of questions to someone who always thought that her value was based on if she was in a relationship or not, it makes them feel like they aren't a complete person.  like my life cannot possibly be wonderful, fun or exciting because i am by myself.

my life may not yet be "complete" with a husband or children, but my life is full of many wonderful things.  just read my last blog about what i have accomplished in the past few years!  and i am going to try my best to not let anyone make me think that i am less of a person because i am single.  so from now on, whenever someone asks me if i am dating someone, i will boldly and proudly say with a smile on my face, "no, for now, i am single."  because i know that i already have a love that will never fail,  fade or change.  i am loved by my Father for now and forevermore!