Writing My Heart Out

I remember learning about the Parable of the Talents in Sunday School, and being more peeved at the lesson than inspired. "To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability." While they were talking about money in the Bible, it can also represent literal talents as well.

So...God gave me THIS talent, and someone else THAT one? God just gave someone MORE talents, and I'm stuck with just ONE?

I've been rather upset at the fact that I feel as though I've gotten the "lame" talents, while everyone  else has something cool. It seems as though everyone in my family  are wickedly in art, music, mechanics, etc. What am I good at? Writing.

I've felt let down in this department. Why couldn't I have been blessed with athleticism, so I wouldn't embarrass myself in gym? Why couldn't I have been graced with the vocal pipes of Stevie Nicks or Linda Ronstadt (my great-grandmother says I have a nice voice, so I'm holding out on this one)? Why was I stuck with writing? Anyone can write!

Then, I was reading A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer (an excellent book, if you're looking for a read), and the main character felt that not using her talent as a seamstress was a sin, because she was not using her gift that God had given her.

Really? Writing is a gift? And God wants me to use it?

Although I do sometimes wish I had a different talent, writing has been a passion of mine for years. Basically, ever since I learned how to write. I remember being amazed in kindergarten, learning how to write all the words I had already known. I was fascinated that d-o-l-l creates the word "doll," and that I had an image of the word that represented the object, and that I knew how to write it. I've had a notebook and pen glued to me ever since. I've started a hundred or more stories, but never seemed to finish one.

After reading the book, I realized that God did indeed bless me with this gift, and throwing it away would be disgraceful. I realized how much more I can do for God if I wrote for Him. Just like in the parable, where the master was angry at the servant for not utilizing his talents and investing them wisely, certainly God would be angry with me if I didn't utilize my talent to the best of my ability. And I can do so by not only writing a book, but perhaps by writing this blog.

Writing can take me on an amazing adventure. It can take places that teaching wouldn't, and it can give me a great sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. But most of all, it can allow me to glorify God in a way that I've never done before.

Leather and Lace

I changed my blog title to Leather and Lace.

And yes, I named it after the song.

Stevie Nicks and Don Henley would approve.

I was walking to the pool yesterday evening, and I just thought of it. It's the perfect title, and it describes me so perfectly! I'm a little bit of leather and lace. I'm leather because there's a certain toughness to me that most people cannot see. Plus, my love of rock and metal are pretty leather as well. I'm lace because I'm delicate and girly, and an old soul.

It's probably really lame and corny, but I like it, and it suits me. So, there's that!

XOXO,

Megan

Frivolous Spending

     Before I continue, let me make a disclaimer: I love spending money.

     Well, I have a love/hate relationship with spending money, but it sure is fun (when you have it). However, we Americans have a problem with spending money on the most stupid, frivolous things that are just money wasters. These things are so irrelevant, it makes me sick, and they are popularized by the Internet and the devil known as Pinterest. Here are a few of these money wasters that irk me...

1. Smash cakes

     I had never heard of a smash cake before until a few months ago. Basically, it's a small, separate cake that is for a baby's first birthday where he or she can "smash" it. 

     Stupid!

     Why would you spend extra money on a cake that is only going to be smeared around and played with? I get it, a baby's first birthday is special, and it's so cute to see them mess around with cake and smear it everywhere. But do they need a whole cake? What's wrong with just a piece of cake? Back in my day (the glorious '90s), we didn't have smash cakes. For my first birthday, my parents had my birthday party at McDonald's and there was one large sheet cake for everyone, including me, and that was enough. I didn't "need" a smash cake, and certainly no toddler "needs" one. It's just a frivolous expenditure popularized by our time that is just a big ol' waste of money.

2. Gender reveal parties

     When it comes to kids, people will spend an exorbitant amount of money, which is understandable. You need to capture memories and savor moments, which can require spending quite a bit of cash. But why in the world would you need a party to reveal the gender of your baby? That's what Facebook posts and group messages are for, idiots! Babies are precious, and yes, it's a time of joyous celebration, but with the baby showers, maternity/newborn photographs, birth announcements, etc..., people spend more money on a stupid party so they can tell people whether to buy blue or pink. Really, really dumb.

3. Save the Date announcements

     This one is probably the worst. Again, I had never heard of this until I saw it on Pinterest. It's a pre-wedding invitation telling people to "save the date" of their wedding. Isn't that what wedding invitations are for? Save the Date announcements are stupid because people spend more money doing exactly what wedding invitations do, so basically, these newfangled announcements are repetitive.

     I can somewhat understand it if a wedding is more than six months away, but if you're getting married within a few months and you send both a Save the Date announcement and a formal invitation, you're basically repeating yourself and wasting money. 

     Spend your money however you want to, but think about these things the next time you browse Pinterest.

I'm BAAAAACK!

After a four-month hiatus (I was super-stressed and super-busy with school and work), I am back in action! I have missed my blog, although I doubt anyone missed me. I am hoping to keep up with this blog more than I have in the past. Here's to hoping that it works out!