Tag: christian blog

Staying Organized!

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As a Worship Director, I have to stay organized and on top of things. Not just for my own sanity but for my team. Our worship team consists of college students and adults who work full-time jobs and have families. If I’m not organized, it affects everyone. As our church is also growing, it’s important that I remain organized for the sake of our pastoral staff as well. So that everyone is in the know of what is happening in each department that we run.

My husband and I are Co-Worship Directors at our current church. I mainly focus on all the admin work for the department while he focuses on the music side of things. I take care of the scheduling of our teams, our song selections for the month, our department budget, and some more. I also take care of the social media account for our church, which is a work in progress at the moment, our churches app and our website. It’s a lot of work but it helps me stay busy during the day. I’m working on updating a lot of it, but it might take a little while.

As someone who loves to stay organized, I love to create different templates to help me stay organized. Right now, we use Planning Center to help us schedule our teams and what not, but before anything goes into Planning Center, I created a monthly template that I use to write out what the month will look like scheduling and song wise. Doing this help me to get my ideas down on paper and be able to go over everything with my husband before anyone gets scheduled. I don’t know about you but I’m the type of person that loves to write things down. There is something about a piece of paper and a pencil that just helps me get my thoughts out. I love computers but sometimes writing things out is better for me.

Below I’ve given a screen shot of what I use to plan our teams for the month. This has really helped me and my team to on top of what we have going on. If you would like a PDF copy of this template, simply leave a comment with your email and I will send it out to you! I have different templates for our weekend services and our midweek services. Let me know which you would prefer!

Schedule Template - Worship

What are your favorite tips/tricks for staying organized in ministry?? Leave a comment below!

The Daily Grace Co – Devotional Reviews

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Okay so some time ago I saw an Instagram post from The Daily Grace Co about a sale they were having on their devotionals and decided to purchase some. I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for a good devotional. I love learning more about God’s Word in different ways and from different people. I had heard of The Daily Grace Co in the past and figured I would make the purchase and check it out for myself!

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I purchased the following devotionals:

  1. His Love Never Fails – A study on the book of Hosea
  2. How To Study The Bible
  3. Freedom & Grace – A study on the book of Galatians
  4. He Is More Than Enough – A study on the book of Hebrews
  5. Proverbs – The path of wisdom

So far, I’ve honestly loved them. If you are trying to get into a habit of adding a devotional time to your day, this is a great way to start. These studies are easy to digest and easy to follow along with. They have a great layout in their books with gorgeous photos to go along with each study. I really loved that each study isn’t crazy long so it’s not intimidating at all. They offer a wide variety of topics on their website in their bible studies. They also offer other products that are super cute, like home décor, bibles and verse cards.

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I would definitely suggest checking them out! I know that you will be able to find something for whatever stage you’re at in your faith journey.

What are some of your favorite devotionals from other companies/authors? Let me know below!

Simple Life

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Hey Loves! It’s been so long since I’ve written a post. So much has happened in these past few months that has pulled my focus away from my blog. But now that I’m settled into my new place and new job, I’m finding more time to devote to writing and other ventures.

If you haven’t noticed, I changed my blog name to “Simple Life by Megan Perez.” Why? Because I’m finding that as I’m getting older I’m changing. I find that I’m not all about having the most expensive things or tons of materialistic items. I’m more about having the #simplelife now especially since I’m expecting my first child. Life isn’t about the “things” it’s about the experiences and growing through them. Now don’t get me wrong, I still care about fashion and beauty and what not, so don’t worry I will still have those posts here! But my goal with this is to try and help you all live the #simplelife too and to inspire your own personal growth in different areas of your life. I’m a firm believer that you can never stop growing and honestly you shouldn’t want to stop growing!

I’m working on content right now to share with you on different tips and tricks to help you live out that #simplelife! Don’t forget, you can always leave comments below on anything you’d like me to cover!

Have a great day loves!

xoxo,

mp

Life Updates…

Published on by meganaperez2 Comments

Hey loves, I wanted to kind of give a life update since I realized a lot has changed in the last month or so and I haven’t really shared much. It’s been quite the rollercoaster of emotions to be completely honest. I don’t really think I’ve fully come to a place where I can say I’m no longer emotional about everything that happened.

It’s also hard to figure out how much you should share about your personal life and how much you should hold back. But what I can say is that within the last few weeks, I was recently laid off from my job. It was a crazy experience and I didn’t see it coming. I knew that God was beginning to transition us into a different season of our lives but I never anticipated that this transition could happen so fast. This wasn’t happening according to my timeline. But it turns out it was God’s timeline.

In this moment, I really needed to think about my faith and trust in God. Did I really trust Him enough to know that He will supply our each and every need like it says in Philippians 4:19?

 

Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

 

So, of course that thinking reigned in my head for a few days after everything happened. But as the days have gone by, I have started to realize that I do have that faith and trust in God. And that maybe this needed to happen in order for me to realize that I do have that faith. William (my husband) and I are coming to such a weird place in our lives. We are seeing one-chapter end and another begin. It’s such a weird feeling. Because you can see what is ahead and you just want to get to that point already and just be done with it. But at the same time, you really can’t do that. You have to see this out to the very end. Only then can Chapter 2 really begin. So, to be honest, it’s just really weird.

But it’s also very exciting. I feel like William and I are finally getting to a point in our lives where are seeing all of our hard work come to fruition. We are finally able to starting setting down the path that we have been waiting for, for so long. And it’s a great feeling. Of course, this new chapter means moving to another place, graduating and starting a new life, which is all exciting. But it’s also kind of sad to see this chapter that we are currently in end. I know that I’ve said to a lot of people how excited I am to finally be done with this chapter and move on. But to be honest, it hasn’t really been that bad. God has provided for us these past two years here and really grown us. It’s hard to see that growth while you are going through it but as you look back you can really see what has changed. My marriage has grown stronger, my relationship with the Lord has grown stronger, I’ve come to fully trust and have faith in God like I have never before. It’s amazing really.

Hebrews 11:1: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

I’m even more excited to see what challenges lye ahead of us and what type of growth we will experience at that point as well. For now, I’m home blogging full time and finishing my graduate degree. I’m really enjoying this time of rest and I’m trying to make the best of it by staying somewhat active. So, if you have any topics you’d like me to cover in a future post, just let me know! Leave a comment below!

xoxo,

mp

Word: Consistency

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So, for the past two years I’ve decided that I need to have a word for the year. Why? I feel like it keeps me focused through the year. I find it gives me drive and motivation.

In 2016 my word was Faith. That year we had felt a call from God to move to Pennsylvania for my husband to go back to school full-time. So, we jumped into this new life really not knowing what we were doing and how we were going to make it. He wasn’t working much more than part time, if that, and I took a pay cut at a new job. We had the same debt and bills to pay off and I was concerned. I took the year to really put my concerns in front of God and keep my faith in Him that he will take care of everything. And throughout the entire year, my husband and I just kept seeing our faith being tested and seeing how faithful God was. Through our relationship, in our finances, through our everyday lives. It was incredible.

In 2017 my word my Trust. I felt as if my trust needed to be strengthened. Now, I do believe that faith and trust go hand in hand but for this past year I felt like I needed to grow in my trust with God and my husband and other relationships in my life. And believe me when I tell you that my trust was tested, in all the above areas. It was a difficult year but it ended on a great note. I can definitely say that I have complete trust in God, my husband and my family/friends. It was a great growing experience for me.

For 2018, I decided that I needed to pick a word that would give me motivation. For some reason, this year I felt like I needed an extra push. I really started this year with the feeling that God was going to do great things. But I realized that if God was going to great things, then I needed to be consistent in my part. What does that mean? If I want God to bless my relationship with Him, then I have to be consistent with my daily devotionals and prayer time with Him. If I want God to bless my health, then I need to be consistent in my working out and healthy eating, etc.. So, this year I decided that my word needed to be Consistency.

That word is just as much motivating as it is challenging and terrifying for me. When I look back on my life there are so many areas in which I notice my consistency level just tanks! I start an 8 week work out program and don’t get past week two. Ever! I start a diet and last about 3-4 weeks. I want better skin but I go to bed with my makeup on because I’m too lazy to take the extra ten minutes to just take it off. Little things like that that have added up to be this life of inconsistent behavior. And to be honest, I’ve had enough! I’m over it. I’m over being inconsistent and I’m over not following through with simple things. If I want to see change and growth, I need to do my part and be consistent in doing it. Will it be an easy journey for me? Oh hell no. But you know what, at least I have to try.

I have set myself up this year with different avenues in which I think can really help me stay accountable to this goal. I set up a large calendar on my wall in my office and everyday I’m writing what I accomplished that day. If I get everything done that was on my to-do list, I give myself a gold star. Is that cheesy? Heck yes, it is! But you know, it feels really good to give myself that star knowing that I fully earned it. And I can’t wait until the end of the month to see a whole month full of stars! I also have my daily planner. I’m checking it every morning and every evening when I come home work. Setting my day up knowing the items that I need to get done and ending the day making sure I’m getting those items done. Being diligent and consistent is the only way I can grow. And it’s the only way that you can grow too. I don’t know what your goals are this year but if this is something you can relate to, let’s do this goal together! Teamwork makes the dream work baby!

So this year, you are going to see a lot more posts on my blog. I’m going to be more consistent in getting my content together. You are going to see more from my business, as an Independent Stylist with Stella & Dot while I incorporate my love of fashion. I have some great things in store and I can’t wait to share them all with you!

Do me a favor and leave a comment! Let me know what you thought about the blog post and what your New Years Resolutions or goals are for this year. If you aren’t already, make sure you are following my Instagram account (@StylebyMeganAlexis) to keep up with my posts on jewels and fashion!

 

Love you guys!

Xoxo

let’s get real

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do you guys ever have those days that you wish could just disappear and you could start over? like just get back into bed and restart everything. anyone? well i had one of those days today. seriously it was tough. and getting myself to stay in track with this blog is even tougher. because all i want to do is crawl back into bed and pretend like nothing happened. but i can’t. i have to put my big girl panties on and deal with it. as much as i hate even telling myself that. 

the hardest thing for me is not being completely in love with my job. i like it. i love my co-workers but i really wish i could be doing something else to be honest. but like i’ve said in previous posts, this is where God has me right now. so i’ve been trying to make the best of it. well today, it wasn’t the best day. started out okay. but than i got to work and had this crazy migraine. then i didn’t even have a chance to make my coffee until lunch. and of course the migraine stayed all day. and some other issues happened at work that i won’t disclose, but let’s just say i couldn’t focus all day because of it. i just kept wishing that i would wake up and this would all be a dream. do you ever feel like that? Like if you sit and stare at the wall long enough you’ll wake yourself up from your nightmare and be able to start over and forget what you just went through. but the hardest thing for me sometimes is realizing that, staring at a wall isn’t going to wake me up. because i’m already in reality. 

when you’re just a kid you don’t really understand what it means to be an adult. you live life carefree because your parents are taking care of you. they provide everything you need and want. so when a child thinks about what a grown ups life is like, at least for me, you think that someone will always be there to take care of you. someone will always be there to make you dinner or fold your clothes or make your bed. but the reality of it is, that’s not the case. when you grow up, and have to face tough situations, there isn’t anyone there to shield you from the pain. you just have to grin and bare it. you just have to take it in, realize you can’t change it, and figure out how to move on with your life. 

there are so many things i could say, but as i’ve gotten older and my relationship with Christ has grown, it hasn’t always been a walk in the park. i think that’s a huge misconception that people have in regards to Christians. that we have it so easy, we don’t understand what the “real” world is all about. but that’s far from the truth. we still go through stuff. we still have bad days. we still get migraines and sometimes our bosses just make us so mad with decisions they make. that’s normal. but it’s how’s we deal with these situations that make us stand out as Christians. 

today i had the opportunity to really tell someone off. i mean really give him a piece of my mind. i was angry. i felt it would have been well-deserved. this person has treated other co-workers of mine wrong, so i felt it was my duty to give him this long list of wrongs he’d done. and he even gave me the opportunity to speak my mind and share my thoughts with him about a situation. but within moments of me speaking, the only words that actually came out of my mouth were “i’m not concerned because God is in control.” my biggest opportunity and spotlight moment came down to those 8 words. “i’m not concerned because God is in control.” 

i almost couldn’t believe myself after i said it. like “hey stupid this was your shot what are you doing?!?” and i still stuck with my first sentence. nothing changed. today i realized how much a persons actions can change the plans of God. today i realized how important it is for me to always be in His will and make sure that the decisions i make are what He wants me to make. because i really don’t know how my actions can affect others. and today, while i was sitting in that room, listening to this person speak to me, literally all i could think of was “i’m not concerned because God is in control.” and you know, i actually believe that. yes, i was angry in the moment and saddened, but i still know everything will be fine. i’m seeing day by day how God is shifting things and moving things into His perfect plan for us. it’s amazing. i’m so amazed at how God can take something He originally intended for good but man kind of jacked it up, and still make something beautiful out of it. 

just know, no matter what you’re going through, God can still make something beautiful out of it. no matter what it is..

xoxo

timing is everything

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as i’ve gotten older i’m starting to realize that timing really is everything. as much as my personality loves to jump on the opportunity to do something or go somewhere, i have to slow myself down and realize that timing is everything. i haven’t gotten completely used to timing and how to wait on God’s timing. i’m in this stage where i am literally waiting on God’s timing. yes, my husband is still finishing school and we have probably another year left, but i’m so ready for the next thing God has for us! but again, His timing is what i need to wait for. which isn’t always that easy. but it’s necessary.

psalm 27:14 – wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, i say, on the Lord!

who knows where we will be in the next year. all i can do is wait. but what i have learned through that waiting is that this is a great time to better myself. whether that mean through diet and exercise. or even a spiritual diet, getting my relationship with the Lord back to where it needs to be. it could even learning a new talent or skill. this is my time to do that. so while i hate the waiting stage, i’m starting to enjoy having the time to learn what i can.

in the beginning of the year, i created a vision board for the first time ever. i don’t know why i never thought about doing one in the past, but this year i just felt empowered. i figured, if i’m going to be here for another year or two or however, i’m going to start putting vision to my life. i put things on there like a new car, paying off school debt, writing music, working on an ep and more. i decided that this was my year. my year to be productive and to really put vision back into my life. i feel like i lost it for a bit there. but it’s back and i’m excited. God is going to do some amazing things this year, i can feel it. and i’m just happy that i can play even a small part in that.

in the next months, i’ll be adding more to how my vision board is coming and how God is proving Himself faithful through it all. so make sure you are following my blog to keep up and you are signing up for my emails!

 xoxo

patience.

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patience. waiting. two words not many people like. i know i didn’t. well i don’t. most of the time. while i’ve gotten used to waiting for things, my patience is taking a while to grow. there’s a difference you know. between waiting and being patient. patience, my own definition of course, is waiting for something or someone but waiting with a good attitude. waiting, for me, doesn’t come with much of a good attitude. i don’t like waiting. i’m a go-getter. i like to do things right when i think of them. i’ll work day and night on a project just to see it completed. i’ve never been a patient person because of that. i don’t like waiting. that’s just something i’m still working on with the Lord. and you all know, it’s never about our timing it’s always about His. so you can imagine how frustrated i can get. waiting on God. waiting on Him to show up. waiting on Him to answer. waiting on Him to move. for a person that is a go-getter, that loves change, waiting on God isn’t an easy thing for me. it’s sucks actually. but that waiting, has taught me patience. at the very beginners level of course, i’m not perfect.

patience, like i said before is waiting with a good attitude. my patience lately is wearing thin. i’m in a place right now that i am waiting on God. i have no choice but to wait on Him. while he is still opening doors in certain areas, the biggest area of my life right now, my career, is the one that is in the waiting room. and everyday, i’m getting more and more tired. tired of waiting. hoping that the next day, He’ll show me the next step. hoping the next day, He’ll tell me what to do. but it just hasn’t happened. and that is so frustrating. i’m just being real with you. waiting on God isn’t an easy thing nor is it fun.

my dream, is to travel the world and worship God. i want to help churches grow their worship teams and departments. i want to teach others about worship, about true worship to God. i want to inspire young people to live lives on fire for God. to live a life of integrity. of honesty. of love for people and for God. that is what i want to do. that is my dream job. but right now my reality is working at a university in the financial aid department. now, i like my job, love my boss, and love my co-workers. but lately the stress levels have increased greatly and the fun just isn’t there anymore. my heart isn’t completely in it anymore. and for me, that kills me. everything i do, no matter what it is, i put my heart and soul into it. my last job, i didn’t like some of the aspects that job at all. i would get sad when i had to go to work. i would go to work sick, even though i knew i should stay home and rest. but no matter what i was feeling, i put in overtime when they needed me too. i was there on my days off when they needed me. i poured my whole life into that job, not because i liked it but because i knew i had to do this. it’s wasn’t for my boss; it was for God. i’ve been working for Him for years now. but there comes a time when you stop and think, when can i work at my dream? when can that be my only job? am i missing something? did i do something wrong?

those are the thoughts that go through your mind. and i’m sure you’ve thought the same thing too. it’s a tough place to be in. and as i sit here writing this, i’m in that tough spot. what do i do? i came home today from another long and stressful day at work, and just put on some worship music. my favorite song right now is here waiting by david and nicole binion of covenant worship. there’s a part that says, “don’t be far from me. i’m here waiting for you. God i’m not moving, i’m here waiting on You.” once i heard that, it all became clear to me again. a little bit of true patience just grew in me tonight. this song helps to remind me in situations what true patience is all about. it’s about here, waiting on God. doesn’t matter how long it takes. it’s about not moving, but waiting here for Him. i may not like the place i’m in right now. but i choose to wait here for God to move. and i choose to love every moment of this waiting period, even though at times i know i will get frustrated. i will continue to wait for Him to show up and show me where to go.

in times like today, i need to tell myself, “it’s not about my timeline it’s about Gods.” Gods timing is the most important. i hope when you’re reading you feel encouraged. you may not like the stage that your in right now. it may be difficult. it may feel like your being stretched in ways you never thought you could be. it may be emotional and just down right now fun. but know that where you are at right now is where God wants you to be. he is in the process of breaking and molding you to remove the impurities within you. He’s drawing you closer to His heart. during times like these, remember to continue chasing after Him even if you don’t feel like He’s chasing after you. He’s still there. and He will never leave.

patience. it’s a learning process. Xoxo